Stories from Stor'Sweev

cosmosOgler The dragon within the Ender Egg had only just awoken from its nap when it felt the presence of a passerby.

The Wayhouse had been a good idea. The dragon was glad it had thought of the house for its new living space. Though... few passers by had stopped to acknowledge it. All the same, the people who briefly passed through its awareness kept the world from getting too quiet.

This new person's mind frayed around the edges, and still crackled freshly with fear of arrows, and fire, and spirits. Ooh, it hadn't heard about the Nether before. Maybe this one would stop and share a bit.

Hi! Hello! Is someone there?

Brook Khidpuh Faeden stopped just as her cloak spread its tattered wings. Had she... heard something? The thought gave her pause. Thought? Thought. It wasn't a voice, per se. Where was it coming from? She turned, looking around, then turned again, wondering who or what was nearby.

"H-- Hello? Is anyone there?"

Maybe they were in the Wayhouse? She gripped her staff, just in case, and lightly pushed the door open. When the coast seemed clear, she floated cautiously inside.

Who was calling? And why?

cosmosOgler The other person's voice called distantly, muffled by anxiety and suspicion.

What should it ask about first? The dragon admired its hoard of questions, trying not to seriously consider any of them yet. Picking just one at a time would definitely strain its concentration. Offhand, it attempted to curse Oleander again for introducing all the struggle of making decisions into its life. But all it could muster was a lukewarm tangle of complicated emotions it had no desire to untangle.

I can't hear you, the dragon replied, somewhat giddy to have gotten them to stop at all. Calm down or focus more on your words.

Brook Khidpuh "Wh-"

Couldn't hear her...? Well. Frankly, that wouldn't be the biggest surprise. She was soft spoken and quiet, being told to speak up was something she was used to.

Do I have to think my... thoughts, or do they hear my voice?

"Where are you?"

She glanced around the room. Everything seemed in place. She couldn't hear anything, aside from the purrs of cats and whistles of parrots as the CD in the jukebox played faintly from upstairs. Where was this stranger?

cosmosOgler If you're listening to yourself talk, I can hear both, the dragon said, recalling Oleander's exasperated eyeroll. I'm in a chest, I think? I don't know which one. Does it matter? Where are YOU?

Brook Khidpuh In a... In a chest?

She glanced about, wondering now what was communicating with her.

I think I'll... I'll just think my words. I'd feel pretty stupid talking to thin air. Uh- I didn't, mean to say- think- add that last part. Ugh, talk normally, idiot, she stammered mentally.

I'm still by the door. Should I... come to you? Do you... not want to be in a chest? I don't know if I would.

cosmosOgler Whatever hatches your chickens.

The dragon took a moment to parse the person's jumbled thoughts. It had no room to judge, there, as it had stumbled over its messages plenty of times before too. And- oh, great, here came another set of questions about what it wanted.

It hummed thoughtfully. It doesn't make a big difference. Just as long as it's not freezing cold, it's fine for me.

Too many questions. The dragon needed a break. Its brows drew together just a touch, within the egg. Who are you, anyway? You sound familiar, but I can't place the voice. You just came from the Nether? Do you live there?

Brook Khidpuh Faeden bit her lip, looking around for some sort of hint as to the whereabouts of this mystery... thing?

I um, my name is Faeden. I don't know if you can see me, but if you can I hope you're not alarmed. And goodness, no. The Nether is a terrifying place, I only use it to get from my home to the Library.

She was unsure where to look, if this mystery host of hers could see her, and settled for finding the animals in the building. Faeden floated upstairs and located a cat, which she crooned and pet.

I don't know exactly why I might be familiar to you. Although, there are places and parts of my life I don't remember very well. And um. Do you mind if I ask, who or what you are?

cosmosOgler The dragon's tone took on the focus of piqued interest. Why is your appearance alarming?

Ah. So that's a cat. The image, the sound, the softness washed through the dragon's senses. Oh, we haven't met before, if you thought... I just watched sometimes. I don't recognize half the voices that pass through here, so it's fun when one of you seems familiar.

It paused, for dramatic effect, the way it had seen others do. It might be funny to lie... but it didn't know enough things to make up a funny lie. I'm in an egg. I am another Ender Dragon.

It waited, for that weight of relief and dread, like last time. The recognition. The unexpected satisfaction of someone already knowing who it is.

Brook Khidpuh Ender Dragon? Ender Dragon. Ender-

oh.

The memories came back. The earth-shaking roar of the dragon, the confused shouting of everyone fighting, looking for a weak point, the Wraith and their roar that rivaled the dragon's, the endermen hissing and chasing after the Warden, feeling fear slip away to be replaced with battle fury as she climbed onto the pedestal and attacked, being thrust high into the air and falling down beyond the island, into the void, where the fall was endless and the nothingness suffocated as it claimed her- she cut the memory of that death off. It hadn't rattled her too badly at the time, but it wasn't very pleasant to think about.

The egg.

The egg. She had been able to sense that small, delicate yet powerful life residing within it. It was warm, it held life, she had wanted to touch it and hold it forever, fold herself around it and protect whatever was inside. It had been passed around so quickly, though. She barely had had a chance to process what she was holding. She suddenly longed to hold it again, to run her hands over the strong, smooth surface, feel the life inside pulse against her chest like a heartbeat.

You're the next dragon... she mused. A-- A nice one, right?

She looked around the room, hoping she could sense the tiny powerful being pulsing inside its home again.

Um... I'm a... a ghost. Undead. I've startled a number of people here, and... and some meetings haven't gone so well as a result. A wave of phantom nausea swept over her at the sharp, jarring memories of Dresden's maddened expression as blood flew from her face, suddenly obscured by the flashing of the axe. Faeden steadied herself with a deep breath. That was in the past now.

I just wanted to be sure I didn't frighten anyone else.

cosmosOgler Ah, this person had fought the Ender Dragon too. Excellent. Her emotions curdled more intensely than Oleander's, her images felt more broad and grand. The vivid memories lingered even in the dragon's perception with a fizzling fuzziness between its eyes.

Then, the dragon saw itself again, in another bright crackling memory.

I'm a very nice one, the dragon said, with its best attempt at a mischievous smirk to its tone.

And then a flicker to a violent death interrupted its teasing. The dragon gasped and reeled within its egg. This girl was going to make it sick if she kept jumping around. Why did she broadcast everything so powerfully? Was it... because of the undead factor? Is that how she startled others? By burying them without warning?

I see, it forced out, gritting its teeth. It forgot to keep talking, while it floundered for a way to make that crackling static sensation stop.

It could focus on the mindscape, or it could not focus on the mindscape. It had never needed to... to fiddle with what kind of concentration it afforded others before. Was that possible?

Brook Khidpuh The flash of fear ebbed and subsided as it often did now, and Faeden forced her body to relax. She didn't think that would ever stop, that horrible flashback that always accompanied her fear of not being well-met, but hopefully in time the intensity of it might become muffled.

Her hands itched as much as spectral hands might; the egg wasn't up here, or on the main level. Was it in the basement?

Well I, I'm glad you're nice, then. The other dragon didn't seem very nice- although, if I'm being perfectly honest, I don't know why we all had to fight it.

She made her way down the steps, glancing around and finding a small stairway leading to a small room. Blackstone. Mister Ollie's work, then? He was the last she had seen with the egg. Her eyes fell across its smooth surface. A wave of- fondness? Oddly placed love? Admiration?- swept through her. She had always loved animals. Right? Right. She had always cared for them. But not just stable animals, no. Those magical, wonderful animals far beyond the city, in the magical woods where they hid, and she had felt like one of them, running far from her troubles and... what, exactly? She squinted, but the shadows overtook her memory. Well. At least she had a placement for her love of animals, now.

Um. Dragon. Do you... do you have a name? Should I call you something? Oh, and... is... is it alright if I hold you?

She wanted nothing more than to do so, but decided, if there was a sentient being within, she would ask permission first, no matter how badly she wanted to touch it again.

cosmosOgler Unsure of how to respond to the comment about the Ender Dragon, the dragon shifted a delicate wing within its shell. That comment all but confirmed its suspicions: they had most likely hunted the original Dragon for the cool rocks that would pop out upon its death.

The dragon found some solace in knowing that it was a cool rock and not a creature that would drop cool rocks.

While the girl wandered around within its perception, the dragon thought over its limited interactions with its elder. The Ender Dragon had not planned on ever dying, it thought, as the Dragon had not put in place any contingency plans or laid groundwork for a successor. It rarely spoke or thought of of the world where the dragon could hear it, and it had not shared any purpose or knowledge with its egg outside of be quiet, which the younger dragon clearly never heeded in the slightest.

The other dragon was not very nice, it finally agreed.

The mindscape again lurched with the girl's powerful, burning emotions. The dragon teetered on the edge between its emotions and hers, clinging to that frustration and sense of illness. But the girl swung her hammer again. She dwelled on those wonderful animals, and her wonderful love for them, and the escape into the woods where she was finally free, and the dragon couldn't remember what it was so annoyed about anymore. Tending the animals, riding a horse, wind in her hair! What a breathtaking idea.

It welcomed being held. Oleander had been warm and careful- not that dropping it would harm it, of course.

Of course you can hold me. That would be great, it chattered. I don't have a name. No one's ever tried to name me I think. I certainly didn't need it, it's not as if anyone needed to address the egg sitting there in the hoard before. That would be like talking to a box of jewels, wouldn't it?

Brook Khidpuh Faeden was unable to contain her excitement as she reached for the egg, her hands shaking ever so slightly but steadying once the warmth spread through them. It was likely heavy to others, but that was one of the advantages of being a ghost, wasn't it?

She ran her hands over the gleaming surface as she sank to the floor, feeling her heart swell. Gently, she folded herself around it, knowing she could offer no warmth but enjoying the pulse of life from within regardless. She closed her eyes so she could hear it clearer, a small, satisfied sigh escaping her.

Well, she started in a cozy, chatty tone, a smile on her lips, We'll have to fix that, won't we? Do you have any sort of name you'd like to have? I suppose a dragon in an egg wouldn't have many things it's seen or know of, but if you can think of something you like maybe we can figure something out. I'll stay right here until then.

When had she last felt like this? Calm and at peace. Nothing and no one to worry her. It reminded her of when she lived back in the forest with her lover and the rest, sneaking out in the evening to call the glowing, mystical animals near her and pet and play with them. There was one that had made her heart swell in particular... a small, blue, glowing animal of the woods... its form escaped her memory.

She would dwell on it later. For now, she allowed her hands to trail to where she imagined the small dragon's head to be, her thumb sweeping across the shell as though stroking a fox between the ears.

cosmosOgler Utterly drunk on the girl's continuous blasts of excitement and affection, the dragon hardly noticed how cold her hands and body pressed against its curled-up limbs. It stirred vaguely in time with her moving hands, though it could not feel her touch through the shell. Its floundering unease died within the sick dizziness washing through it every time the girl's mood and memories shifted, and its thoughts tore between the chill of the outside and the staticky warm-ness of the mindscape.

It laughed, scrambled and sleepy. Fixing something that isn't broken, hmm? Well, what's your name? Maybe I should have that one. It giggled at its own joke with a floaty bouncy sort of thought.

Brook Khidpuh She giggled, the sound bouncing around the too-quiet walls of blackstone.

My name is Faeden. But I don't think a growing dragon would want such a soft sounding name when it's all grown up and strong.

cosmosOgler It could hear her, just outside the barrier, joining its laughter. Incensed, it plowed ahead.

You're right, it began, briefly losing track of its thought. Gotta hav'a hard name. Dragon name. Hard to pronounce. Like Vermithrax, that's'a fun one, it slurred. Or, or Elmo. Laughter completely interrupted its ability to form words.

After a moment, when its mind quieted, the world seemed cloudy and soft. Faeden's response came through murky and distorted. Or maybe the dragon had become distracted by the cloudiness. It snickered again, without registering what she said. Just what was so funny? It couldn't say.

Brook Khidpuh Hmm, she wondered, letting the hum of curiosity slip out loud, This is silly, but why not experiment? You can go by different names until you decide one. Like, um... Dimly she recalled a dragon of legend from her own world.

Ephios, the dragon. I like the way that one sounds, don't you?

She laughed at its suggestion. Elmo, hmm? What a ferocious sounding name.

She felt strangely safe and warm. She could almost hear it, shifting within its shell, and felt her eyelids droop ever so slightly.

cosmosOgler The dragon hardly heard Faeden's suggestion, but Ephios floated within its dim, giggly awareness. Ephios...

Picking a name seemed like such a big task. It had no idea how it was going to possibly pick one out of the dozens of choices.

Faeden's warm heaviness fell over the dragon like the Ender Dragon settling on its hoard. But, as her emotions quieted, the dragon's own feelings bubbled up and pierced back through the surface in jolts. Too dizzy and sick to feel angry about all this upset, it just groaned. The sound broadcast out into the mindscape, but a thin whine also burbled within the shell.

Brook Khidpuh The ghost flinched at the sound that pierced her mind.

Are you alright? she asked, concern lacing her mental voice. Am I hurting you?

cosmosOgler Small, soft claws twitched in the egg's shell. I've never felt like this before, it grumbled. You get- you get so agitated. Why do you have so many emotions? Is it always like that? Don't you get sick too?

Brook Khidpuh Faeden blinked away the sleepiness that had been sneaking up on her.

A--Agitated? I-- what do you mean? Unsure why, she felt a stab of anxiety. Doesn't everyone feel many emotions? They're how you experience life, aren't they?

Her hand twitched on the shell.

S...Sometimes I feel sick, when I think of something that makes me upset... But feeling things doesn't usually hurt me. Does it hurt you?

cosmosOgler Anxiety stabbed through the dragon, and it grunted at the blow. Yeah. Just like that.

I mean, I Have Emotions, the dragon growled. I think. Maybe? Jury's out on that one. But when I used to watch you guys, this didn't happen. And this didn't happen when Oleander talked to me. You're feeling so much all the time it's like an Enderman grabbing and shaking me. How are you doing that? I got SWAMPED in it.

Riding the horse... Wind in her hair... That memory was okay, it supposed. That could stay.

Brook Khidpuh I... I just... do?

She thought about it for a moment.

I think I've... always done that? I feel things... strongly. I remember things... through visual memories, and emotions. Is that why? I'm sorry if it was a lot for you.

The ghost shifted, the anxiety turning into a steady dull throb. She sighed, trying to force it out of her chest.

I just- worry. I guess. Um. Sh-should I, try to think of happy memories, so you don't feel so sick? And- I'm sure you have emotions. Everyone does, to some extent. Some are just better at showing them than others.

cosmosOgler No, no, the dragon replied with a mental sigh. Happy memories are even stronger. And both at the same time...

How could it make that stop? It didn't seem realistic to just demand Faeden stop feeling emotions around it- at this rate, even bringing it up had her all knotted and jagged. Prickly and unstable, but at the very least outside of its own mind. Its own knots and prickles buzzed under the surface. Oleander, and now Faeden, demanded so much energy and thought to interact with. Even these short conversations exhausted it. But it clamored for attention all the same. And if Faeden got sad, she might leave.

So it swallowed the dizziness and sat on its anger. Change the subject, move back to something fun.

H-how many other animals do you know? I... saw... the cat, and a horse.

Nailed it.

Brook Khidpuh Immediately the little spirit perked up, speaking aloud in her excitement.

"O-Oh! At my home, I have lots of foxes! Some of them I breed, but most just congregated around me. They're all very sweet, if not a little mischievous. Hehe... Kind of like you! And, yes, I also have some cats and a few horses, and a pack of wolves that protect me. My br-- f-friend Phoenix is going to help me look for a pufferfish, and maybe a jungle bear!"

She paused to catch her breath before remembering she didn't have a breath to catch.

Uh. Sorry. Th-that was too fast, wasn't it?

Despite herself, she laughed.

Sorry. Asking about animals can be a mistake, when it comes to me.

cosmosOgler Wheeeeee!

Feeling as though it had tumbled head-over-tail down a mile-long hill, the dragon laughed along. A little...!

Half of the dragon's mind dug in its heels. This needed to stop. It needed things to stop happening. But the other half... What's a pufferfish? A bear? What's a fox? A pack of wolves- like, a stack of them? Do you have sixty-four? Wait, how many things can you carry in a stack anyway? What's a Phoenix?

Questions slipped from between its woozy claws as quickly and easily as the wind. Now that it found someone willing to answer questions, it couldn't just let that conversation go so quickly. As badly as it needed a break, that memory of the stables, of the wind in her hair as she blew down the forest trail, left it ravenous for more.

Brook Khidpuh A fox? You don't know what a fox is?

Faeden stifled a yawn, trying not to let tiredness overtake her despite her excitement. She hadn't slept the last night or two, sort of just... forgetting to, and the egg was warm and she felt chatty, more relaxed than she had been since... well, since arriving in this world. She settled against it more comfortably, laying her head across it like a hard, smooth pillow, and thought of Amber.

Maybe I'll bring one with me next time! They can be a little noisy, but I love them. They're sweet. And, I don't have quite that many wolves, she chuckled aloud, continuing, but there are... a few. They're like foxes, but grey and big and fluffy and loyal. I didn't know what a pufferfish was until Phoenix showed me his. It's full of spines and angry looking, but cute! Phoenix is my friend, he- another stifled yawn- lives in a pretty tower. I actually haven't seen a bear since-

She flinched upon remembering the sound of that horrid roar, cutting off that memory. She was in a good mood right now. Don't think about it. Don't remember.

The ghost rapidly jumped several trains of thought before settling on a suitable one. It certainly paid to be able to think quickly, it could save a figurative or literal beating. She would give the head maid that much. Her thoughts drifted towards her original plans, and an idea came to mind.

Hehe... you sure ask a lot of questions. Hmm. Maybe, when I learn to read a little better, I can read you books about things on my way back from the Library. I'm not very good at it now... but I'll learn. We can learn together!

cosmosOgler Yes, bring one next time! It received flashes of the creatures from Faeden- warm colors, awful shrieking cries. It wanted to hear those cries for itself. Surely the memory of the sound was distorted or exaggerated somehow? Her impressions of so many wonderful creatures fluttered around the dragon's awareness.

Then, the echo of an overpowering, bone-rattling roar clattered through the mindscape. Faeden silenced it after a second, but not before the dragon's stamina buckled under the strength of it.

That would be nice... Yeah, bring something next time... it mumbled as it drifted off. Oh, it hoped she wouldn't get bored or sad and leave if it stopped talking. But it couldn't withstand even one more jump between present and past, positive and negative. Faeden's words and thoughts quieted to the dull white noise that the dragon so enjoyed keeping in the background.

Irondil A voice not belonging to the Warden or anyone the man would known rumbled through the castle. "The Lord of Stor'Sweev sits upon his throne. Follow the signs. Enter the Trident." Slowly, the doors of the castle opened without help from any seen servant.

elf Baker stepped back, the smile gone and replaced with a look of great concern. But the steel deep inside remained as he slowly lowered his eyes back to the door. This was more what I expected of the man.

Slowly Baker entered the open the door of the castle, his hand slowly sliding to be nearer his gun. And stepped inside.

Irondil The sound of the welcoming spell startled the Warden to his feet. The dim light of the blue flames that sat atop his thrown casting his shadow against every wall of the throne room. "He is here," the elf said to himself. "Finally. We can move things along."

elf The inside was... Not what Baker had been expecting. Until the other day the Warden had been distant and aloof, he'd figured his home would be much the same. But appearances can be deceiving.

Baker followed the signs that led to what the voice had called the 'Throne Room'. The name leaving a poor taste in Baker's mouth. His wings folded but not locked, Baker's hand never left it's gentle hover over the handle of his weapon. Up the stairs he went, a definite chill in his blood as he came to the last stairs before the throne room.

Irondil Someone was walking up the stairs of the spire. The footsteps were slow, yet heavy. It was him. When the mustachioed man appeared at the throne, the Warden put on the same friendly, warm, and false smile he had the last time they had met. "My good friend. I can not tell you how much it means for you to visit my home. I've...I've been dreaming about that little spot. That place I want to build my home." The blue fire rustled above him. Yes, I've been dreaming of that too. "You look well, Mr. Baker! Fine contraption you've got on your back."

elf There it was, the smile of someone who isn't quite telling everything. Baker couldn't help but get an eerie feeling from the blue fires crackling above the massive throne.... and indeed, it was a throne. But the time of timidity was done. Grinstead had put her trust in him, and he'd be damned if he would betray that.

"Warden!" Baker replied, in a cheerful tone, a smile of his own quickly coming to his face. "I must admit I wasn't even sure I had the right castle at first. It is as you said, sadly empty." He motioned to the wings he had still secured to him, "A gift that I had the pleasure of modifying to better suit my needs. But let's not talk about that right now. I've come to give you an answer about what we talked about before." More you than I, but not the point.

Baker's stomach knotted as the lies began to come out of his mouth. He could lie. But it didn't mean he enjoyed it. "I would be more than happy to have you as a neighbor." He declared. "I have but one small word of caution for you however."

Irondil Warden's thick brow lifted, but his smile did not waver. "Oh?"

elf "Don't build too near, as you know Bakersfield has a tendency to drawn undesirables when new things occur. I wouldn't want to wish that on my newest neighbor." Baker smile settled to a friendly look, then something he personally needed clarifying on came to mind.

"I... appreciated the flowers you brought, I didn't recognize them. Where did you come by them?"

Irondil Warden no longer needed the false grin, but kept it regardless. It was best to stay consistent at this point. "I was thinking about that patch of sand just across the river north of the town. Far enough away from the danger, yet close enough that I can visit all of my friends with relative ease." The Warden waved his hand and an entire rosebush appeared in his grip. "I am an ally of Life, Mr. Baker. And you are helping me live mine, now. Thank you." He handed the man the bush.

elf Baker wasn't unused to seeing magic. He'd seen since day one of waking up in Stor'Sweev, he'd seen some of the others use it around him during battles and in improving their armor, weapons, and whatever it was that Plum got up to. But to have it performed in this manner in front of him, and suddenly be holding it, it took more will than Baker realized to stand rooted where he was.

The Warden has magic. Magic! That can't be the focus, information--GET INFORMATION. Put him off guard, come ON man!

"Oh, no.. no Warden I cannot accept." Baker looked over the rose bush with what was only half pretended nervousness. "I, I greatly appreciate your kindness but I cannot, you are a good man and a friend but I am afraid that's all."

Irondil The rosebush disintegrated into shadow and nothingness. "As you wish, my friend. Thank you again for giving me this permission. I will let my architect know straight away that he can begin!"

elf Baker stared at his now empty hands, a feeling and a tingling in his mind as the bush had faded away. Vanished. Slipping through my fingers...

Baker heard the words of the Warden, his control as nonexistent as it had when he had been at Bakersfield. I've learned nothing. 

Baker's head ached, weather from the fear or the odd light in the room he wasn't sure. He needed to leave, but he couldn't just walk out. He had to remain the idiot he was turning out to be despite his efforts. "I.. yes."

Irondil "Wonderful, wonderful. Now, I know you must have had a long trip here, Mr. Baker. But I have to get a few things ready. Please, make yourself at home here at Femelv'Girn. I'll be gone for a few hours. A day at the most." The Warden started down the stairs of the Trident, his gaze not leaving the man.

elf Baker hadn't turned around yet, there was a decision to be had. Leave and be done with the man.... or stay, and see what I can find. Baker took a breath to calm himself, before turning and replying. "That is most gracious, I may rest a short while before flying home. Thank you."

Leave... Baker smiled. Leave so I can see what more you're hiding.

Irondil "Just... be careful while you're here my friend. There have been a few snoops and I've had to implement some...safety measures. And if you see that blasted spirit within my walls, tell her I'll be coming for her beasts." And the Warden descended the stairs and vanished into the castle proper.

elf As the Warden left his sight, Baker stared hard into the empty corridor for a moment, waiting to see that the man was truly gone. And shook. Baker took his goggles off his head, running a shaking hand through his hair. This was not what he'd bargained for. This wasn't--Spirit

As quickly as it had begun, the trembling stopped. The knot in his stomach slowly replacing itself with a heat that threatened to rise to his chest. Spirit with beasts.....

Faeden.

His hand still in his hair, Baker gripped tightly as the fog in his head cleared away and for the first time that day clear thoughts ran through his mind.

Baker waited for a few moments before quietly descending the stairs. He may not know Faeden well, but he heard what the girl and the others had said at the meeting. End all with myself. This is about them.

elf Baker whipped around, the sudden appearance of the Warden. Panic half filling him at being snuck up on, but it didn't subside even with the jovial tone and the sudden appearance of the flowers, the latter confusing him even further.

"I... um........ What?"

Irondil "I just thought I'd come by and... maybe have a bite to eat with you. Is that okay? If not, I can leave! It's no trouble, honestly. There isn't a portal anywhere near though.... But the walk home isn't that long regardless, so there would be no need to worry! I enjoy walking! Though, I suppose it is getting dark... You see, it's been rather lonely in my castle. No one comes to see me for some reason. And being one of few men with a good head on their shoulders around, well, I suppose I was thirsty for a bit of speech!" Warden thrust the bouquet to the mustachioed man. "What do you say, my good friend?"

elf Baker stood rather confused with the flowers and-- bread?--in his hands. He'd never seen the Warden this animated before, or pleasant. Not at all how Edomie and Oleander described him just a short time ago...

"I... well I must admit Warden I'm surprised to see you here at all." Baker began. "But, guests are welcome at Bakersfield. The guest house has been resupplied just the other day should it be too long a trek to head back home tonight." Baker tried to focus. Of all times for the Warden to appear it was just after a fire, and now with Baker having much more at stake than just himself.

Irondil "Splendid! Show me in, good friend? I can't wait to tell you about the day I've been having! Oh, all of those scorch marks on that... marvelous... ship. Do tell what happened on the way in, will you?" The Warden put his empty-handed arm around Baker's neck as they walked towards what the gentleman called the guest house. Warden waved the bread in the air with his other hand as he spoke. "I do hope this isn't too much trouble. Taking me in and having a meal with me, Mr. Baker. I don't want to be of any trouble, no not ever."

elf Baker couldn't hide a slight flinch as the Warden's arm landed around his neck. What is going on with him?

Baker led best his could the way to the guest house, still as sparse as ever. But Baker welcomed familiar ground. "No trouble at all. But uh," Baker looked around the house, setting the flowers on one of the nearby chests. "Forgive me if this seems forward. But, I don't believe I've ever seen you quite so cheerful."

Irondil "Well why wouldn't I be cheerful! I get to see you today, don't I?" the Warden beamed at Baker, his teeth appearing strangely perfect and white in a way that seemed impossible. "Don't tell me you aren't happy to see me?"

elf Baker let out a small laugh, the smile of the Warden again unnerving him just slightly. I've been working on the ship for too long. Relax. "Not at all. But usually my guests come on the heels of either long journeys or raids if I'm being honest. It's a rare treat to have neither be the case."

Baker gently ducked under the Warden's arm, moving to the ovens which were just beginning to die down. "I haven't got any meats really to eat, but I have fish. Recently caught."

Irondil The Warden's eyes did not move to the ovens, firmly on Baker they laid despite the man himself moving towards the heat.  "Fish...will be fine," he said slightly more calmly, though his smile did not die. "About that ship now? What happened there? It was such a pretty thing the last time I passed through."

elf Baker didn't look back at the Warden as he spoke, the unease had died slightly, but not entirely. "A bit of unfocused thought, one needs to be careful around fire." Baker stood, cocking his head slightly as he looked back at the Warden. "But it's all under control now. It should be fully restored and then some quite soon I shouldn't wager."

Irondil "Good. Good. Beautiful things please me, Mr. Baker. Much like this town." The two sat down at a nicely decorated table. Baker had presented him with a wonderfully prepared salmon, baked potato, and what he suspected to be beet stew. "Bakersfield is such...a wonderous place. Do you agree? Of course you do, it was you who made it this way." Warden sighed, putting one hand to his cheek. He rested his head on the hand, held up by his elbow on the table as he gazed at the Baker.  "I truly do miss the company I once had when I lived in the wayhouse. Now I'm lucky if a creeper visits."

elf Baker tried to focus on the food in front of him, unsure of how to respond. "I couldn't have done most of what I've accomplished here at Bakersfield without help though, especially Edomie."

"The Wayhouse.. still has its uses. I've met a number of newcomers since I came here myself. But, as they find their way and build I too am sometimes devoid of guests." He motioned to the Warden, "But, today is an exception..." Baker's gaze grew faraway as he looked into his stew. Quickly, he brought his focus back. Can't have an episode now. Not now.

"Creepers can be a bother, can't they?" Baker said in attempted cheerfulness, quickly looked up, making as direct eye contact as he could manage with the Warden.

Irondil There was a momentary flicker in Warden's smile, but it returned just as quickly as it went. "Edomie, yes. She is quiet special, isn't she. One might say I've grown...fond of the blue haired girl." The dark elf chuckled. "A creeper blew up my stairs the other day, actually. Quite annoying. But it gave me something to do. There is not much to occupy my time at Steedsfall. Nothing at all. I've become so bored and lonesome,that I've begun thinking about moving closer to all of you. Not to the wayhouse, no. I...no longer wish to dwell there. But closer, still."

elf Baker couldn't hide the growing confusion on his face.

"There is plenty of land around Warden, I'm not one to say you can or cannot build wherever you wish. But..." Baker put down his utensils, keeping his tone as light as possible. "You no doubt already have somewhere in mind."

Irondil "I do," the Warden said as slowly, politely, and friendly as he could muster. He continued in much the same way. "But before say, I want to tell you that I plan on giving you something in return. Something far greater than you could ever achieve without me. The power of my throne will one day eclipse all of Stor'Sweev. This is not a threat! Please do not take it as so. But it is something that will happen. And I want to give you a part in that. I want to make Bakerfield into something more than just a gorgeous little town south of the Mountain. If you allow me to build a home just outside of your borders, just a little away-from-home dwelling, I will grant you a title. Bakersfield will become a Principality under your lordship."

elf Baker was stunned. Somehow even despite the events of the past few weeks the sheer bluntness of the Warden's words had disarmed him. Wait a moment...

"I... I'm sorry." Baker leaned back in his seat, hands resting lightly on the edges of the table, an incredulous look crossing his face. "Forgive me Warden, this is.. a lot to process."

Irondil "Yes, yes. I understand it would be." The Warden finished the last of the salmon and potato, leaving the stew mostly untouched. "And I do not need an answer right away. But I would like to know soon, if possible. I have an... architect on hire at the moment and he needs to know where he is building my new home." The dark elf stood from the table and bowed so low to Baker that if his hair had not been bound it would have brushed the floor. "Everything was excellent this evening, Mr. Baker. I will be taking my leave then. There are some places I still need to visit before this night is over. Do take care!"

And the Map Warden left the guest house, the false smile now replaced with the true grin of a pleased elf.

elf Baker hadn't been able to say a word or move before the Warden had left. This was not what he had expected at all. And the opposite of nearly all he knew of the man so far.