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Nov 28, 2017

A Ranger’s Tale - 13 - Rhodie and the Dragon

Story and all other characters by @rollem-bones. This chapter revised from game logs, so tenses may change accidently.

Our heroine’s adventure continues....

A simple piece of paper. Signed and sealed by Meister Kennig Silberschmidt, witnessed and signed by his solicitor, and signed by one, Rhodie Michaels, that declares her an official citizen of Estorly. A simple confirmation that carries with it all legal rights and privileges that go with it. A small and simple thing that carries a great deal of weight to a great deal of politically weighty people. Moreover, it means freedom from the manor house of Kennig Silberschmidt.

In the two days since departing Estorly, the carriage road has been less than entertaining. Alternating between sleeping and wakefulness, stretches out on the side of the road, or riding the driver's box for the sense of wind, the trip has been without problem nor eventful in the least. And the third day is looking to be much the same as the past two.

Salicia sleeps facing the back of the coach, crammed in a most awkward way alongside a very put upon Donnel. Who does not sleep but keeps his eyes closed to avoid the ever present motion sickness he gets on long carriage rides. He's been the reason for most of the stopping. Which leaves Pritchard and Rhodie to sit beside each other, front facing, in close quarters the faint breeze of the outside world doing little to keep the carriage aerated.

It is kind of amazing how one simple piece of paper can bring so much with it. So many IDs and cards to keep track of back home, but right now, this moment, that one piece of paper is more important than any of those she had before.

At first, Rhodie was enthusiastic about the carriage ride. A far better way to travel than walking for sure, but after the first day her enthusiasm had visibly begun to wane. The simple things she took for granted in vehicles back home; a radio or music player, reclining seats, air conditioning.... speed... On the 2nd day she had almost instinctively checked her gear to see if she had packed one of her handheld game systems, only to remember they were literally in another reality altogether. Yet another moment of clarity to her situation these days.

The Demi-setter girl opens her mouth for a very wide yawn and leans against the back of her seat, feeling the motion of the carriage around her. "Heh, you know, its funny. As a kid I always wondered what it'd be like to ride in one of these. A bit old fashioned mode of transportation back home."

Donnel snorts. "Let us know when you can get one of yer fancy rides, gel," he grunts, then falls silent to keep himself concentrating on patting his stomach down.

Pritchard nods, looking out the opening of the carriage. "I hope it's what you could have imagined," he says, sounding a little distracted. "Rhodie, does that look like a person to you?" he asks, waving toward him to for her to look out the window.

"Donnel, I promise, as soon as I figure out how to break the wall between realities, I will get you the best ride I can afford.... and probably some Dramamine for your stomach," Rhodie says with a laugh. She hmms, and tilts her head to the side slightly at Pritchard's question. Turning, Rhodie looks out the carriage window.

Sure enough, a figure does seem to be standing on the side of the carriage road. A good distance away from the carriage. It's not a particularly large figure, they appear to be wearing a very large cloak colored a very vibrant blue. Something about it seems a little familiar as the carriage draws nearer and nearer to the figure. The carriage slows. The figure in sight. A young woman in beret and cloak. She looks at the carriage and Rhodie recognizes her. It's one of Silberschmidt's maids!

Rhodie's face scrunches up in confusion. "Is that... Vermillion? Yeah, that is a Blazblue costume." She looks at the others realizing she'll have to clarify. "Uh, one of those video game things I told you all about. That is a recreation of a costume from it, I swear... and I think one of the maids from the manor?"

Pritchard hums and reaches for a cord along the roof of the carriage. A quick tug and the driver is alerted to pull on the break and slow the horses. "How could one of Silberschmidt's maids be out here?" he asks, reaching for the door latch. while his other hand rests on Rhodie's knee. He leans, half ready to leave the carriage. "Does it mean anything to you?"

Rhodie frowns, "One of my friends back home was a bigger fan of the series than me, so most of my knowledge of it is kinda second hand. Character was a soldier type, dual wielded guns in fights. I want to say she was one of the heroes in the series? Did see folks do her costume a bit at conventions, so who knows? But if someone wanted someone from my world to notice them, well, that's one way to do it." She tries to see if she can get a better look at the person, seeing if it might be anyone she dealt with directly.

Small stature, big eyes, metallic-silvery hair, yes it was the same girl that told her to talk with Silberschmidt after Rhodie's outburst in the dining room. And she's there, standing. And when the carriage slows down she decides to thrust her arm out and stick up her thumb To which Pritchard stares and asks Rhodie. "Do you know what she's doing?"

The demi-setter thinks, oh hey, that WAS her. Rhodie shakes her head, "She's either giving us a thumbs up approval, or more than likely a gesture back home known as hitchhiking, or trying to ask for a ride of anyone passing by." She raises an eyebrow. "Oh weird, I didn't notice before but that hair looks almost metal-y. Do you... think she's another Errantblood?"

"No," Pritchard says, "The magic here isn't the same as yours, but I've never seen her among Silberschmidt's staff." He starts to open the carriage door but stops. He looks at the very serious face of the young woman outside the carriage. He looks at Rhodie. He looks at the girl. Then he settles back into the seat. "I think you should go out there alone," he says flatly.

"Really? Cause she was there the day you two fought, right after I blew my gasket," Rhodie says, looking more confused. "Why would anyone pretend to be staff there?" She then thinks to herself, Silberschmidt mentioned that one girl there had tried to kill his family, so would it be that farfetched for someone to be there spying? She looks back at the girl and nods to Pritchard. "If someone went to this length to do an outfit only I'd recognize, probably would mean for me. Just.. stay ready, OK?" She double checks to make sure she has her knife on her belt and then steps out of the carriage. Rhodie walks toward the Blazblue cosplayer, but stops at what she HOPES will still be a safe distance before giving a small wave in greeting. "Morning, m'am. What seems to be the sitch?"

The young woman remains very serious faced. Her thumb ducks back under her cloak though. "I would like it if you would come with me to talk. My name is Izzivix, and you have a very important future, Rhodie Michaels of Atlanta."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Izzivix. I'm guessing you've been watching me since the manor?" Rhodie asks. "Well, I'm curious what important future you've got in mind, but please understand that you've kinda got me in a situation where I'm very much not at ease with it. I've just met you, you know about me, and I've just came from a place that had previously tried to mindjack me. So I'm a little hesitant to just walk off with someone I just met."

"That's okay. You won't be doing any walking," Izzivix says. Her hand emerges once more and she snaps her fingers. The sound of the snap reverberating, rippling reality around the two as things fall away to a scattered nothingness. No sooner had the world fallen away is it replaced anew. Natural stone walls lit by glowing motes of light. A mostly circular space worn smooth and glassy, with a center table in the shape of a circle in the middle. The table is a large bowl like shape filled with water and it reflects an impossibly deep looking star chart on the domed roof of the place. Bookshelves along the wall, several maps and tapestries of various designs and motifs. A small lectern holding a book on it by the pool of water. And next to Rhodie is Izzivix, who is just sort of staring at her.

Rhodie is startled by the sudden change to the landscape around her, turning around and staring at everything replacing the path the carriage had been following. She stops her turn to stare at the star chart, and is about to ask a question when she suddenly turns right into the face of Izzivix. "AUGH!" the Demi-setter's arms flail in surprise as she stumbles back some steps, hand dropping to cover her chest as she tries to calm herself, feeling her fur stand on end. "Christ, what are you, a Q?"

"Oh my god he's here," Izzivix says under her breath as it breaks into a broad grin. Then it's tempered and she regains composure. "Um, no, no I'm not a Q. I'm a dragon."

Rhodie is still trying to regain her composure at the sudden surprises. "Ok.. ONE Warn someone before teleportation! TWO ....." She looks at Izzivix, clearly inspecting her with scrutiny as she looks for scales, tail, wings... but also buying time as she tries to let her sense of smell reach out to see if any of this stuff smells like it is actually here or just an illusion. "You're a dragon?"

Water smells of water. The lectern is wood. The book on the lectern is a My Hero Academia manga. The air has a faint fire scent in the air. Izzivix smells, like, well, a human woman. She doesn't have scales or wings or a tail but she does give word on why. "We're shapeshifters. We have magic to do this. I could change back if it won't frighten you. I just got to take my costume off, I don't want to ruin it." She says, quickly moving over toward a wooden dummy standing along the stone worked wall. And there's a tapestry next to the wooden display dummy. And at first it was hard to notice, but with a calmer notice of it, it is a red logo on a grey background. A symbol that looks very much like the Rebel Alliance logo.

Rhodie steps back, eyes still narrowed, "Shapeshifters. OK, yeah, that maps to some stories back home. And if you think I'm going to turn down a chance to see an actual dragon, then one of us is crazy." She turns to give Izzivix some privacy to change out of her outfit, and spies the manga... then the Rebel Alliance logo. "Oh my god, you're a giant nerd. Like me."

Izzivix hangs her costume up and with a flourish of fire and flame she grows and grows. She falls forward onto great talons. A long, four legged beast with a pair of leathery wings folded against her back. A long head with backswept horns and glittering eyes. A sweeping tail that curls behind her. Her scales are a smokey amethyst, her flanks dappled like starlight. She's a veritable giant. Easily a storey and a half at her shoulder and long as a bus. A huge arcane creature. Lithe and powerful, she struts across her glass floored sanctuary and looks down upon Rhodie. Then pauses. "Um, what? Whatever do you mean?" she asks, looking down at the manga. "Crud. I thought I put them all away."

"Star Wars insignia, comic book, and..." Rhodie turns and looks up... and up... aaaaaand up. She stares, and her jaw hangs open... and then that tail begins to wag. "Izzivix, you are GORGEOUS. Holy crap, I'm with an actual dragon!" She then holds out her hands, "WAIT! WAIT! Ok, easy Rhodie. Fangirl pause!" She points at the manga and logo. "HOW do you have these? I came here stark naked, not even my teeth fillings, and you got this stuff here? Also where is here?"

"Objects come from your world frequently," Izzivix answers. And she looks away at the compliment. "Um, maybe I'll just, um." She's surrounded by a whorl of magic and is once more looking like a human teen again. And she probably cements her dorkishness by the fact she's wearing a school uniform that could've come from the manga on the lectern next to her. "Maybe it's better you see me like this." She twiddles her fingers awkwardly. "Um. Like I was saying, things come from your world. Not just people. And, um, I collect them. Because, well, your world is AMAZING!" she squeaks. "You have all those things you do and yet you still come up with more and more and more. It's astounding! I can see why Estha does so much to pull your kind here to help. And, well, when things come from your world that interest me, I use divination magic to find it."

Rhodie looks a little let down at the form change, but nods, "Yeah, probably for the best so I don't get distracted." She holds up one finger on each hand, then rubs her muzzle, "OK... So. It drops more than just living beings here. Weird, but good to know. I'm glad you stuff from my world... you're not about to add me to your collection are you? Please tell me that's not this important future"

"Oh no nononono," Izzivix says with a quick wave of her hands. "You're an Errantblood, as I'm sure you've already have had explained to you. Well," She takes a deep breath and puts her hands behind her back. "It's your destiny to be a hero that kills an evil dragon known as Lord Tzicol." Her cheeks puff out a bit after she blurts it out.

Rhodie stares at her silently. Not moving other than blinking. She remains silent for maybe a bit too long to avoid making the situation awkward, before finally asking. "What?"

"Lord Tzicol. Okay, he's not actually a lord, I just thought that it sounds better. But Tzicol is a real bad egg," Izzivix explains. "Big, older than me, hurts people at a whim, and practices Necromancy. That's why everyone needs you to be the one to stop him. Because you're an Errantblood."

Rhodie narrows her eyes. "So's Ember. A bigger, badder, heavier hitting Errantblood at that. And one who probably has less phobia of killing than me. Also... you're a dragon, and from the sound of it, there are other dragons. Could you not just... I dunno... gang up on him and kick him a lot?" She rubs at her face as she starts to walk around the table.

"About that," Izzivix says, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ember's a dragon slayer. She's killed one of my kind. And she's really, really scary. I don't want to piss her off and, yeah." She laughs a bit. "Also." She purses her lips and sighs. "I thought you would be best for it because. I. I've seen your show before and I got excited."

"All the more reason you SHOULD contact her. Geez, it isn't like she isn't approachable. Just be honest, polite, and-Oh, you've seen my show?" Rhodie asks, tail wagging lightly. "I would ask how you've seen my show, but since you seem able to break reality already I-" She pauses as something clicks. "Wait. You thought I would be best because of my show?"

"I'm not breaking reality," Izzivix says. "We're in reality. I just used a teleportation casting and I generally use divination. You know, not many dragons study magic. Even if we can naturally do so. I mean, we were started by an Errantblood and we've inherited their knack for casting. Just because we're big and rawr doesn't mean we can't learn some utility spells instead of just relying on meat and claw and breathing fire." She huffs and crosses her arms. "And, um, yeah. I can sometimes see things from where you are, using sympathetic magic and astral alignments. And I saw you, you do shows about games and entertain and your father was a hero you look up to. That's, um, I mean, your people have so many stories about that kind of person going to another world and finding great power. If it's in your collected mythos so much, you've come to expect it, haven't you?"

"Dragons spawned from Errantbloods... Somehow that really doesn't surprise me as much as it should," she says as she paces. "And yeah, in fiction, that's a standard trope of dropping people in other worlds." Rhodie says, waving a hand. "But they're all fiction, fake, stories we tell for excitement and help build imagination." She pauses, and her gaze narrows HARD as she looks at Izzivix. "Izzivix... did you... were you the one who brought me here? To this world?"

Izzivix blinks for a moment before she starts fidgeting her hands. "I did nothing," she says. "But I did see you. That's all. It's coincidence. I just. I just." She bites her lip and sucks on her tongue a moment. "Gah! I just thought this was my chance at maybe doing something really cool for a change! I could be the mysterious magical girl that shows up and helps the hero take on a quest and stop a really bad guy and save things and do what I see all your heroes and legends do." She turns and walks and turns and paces. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just screwed up. I didn't think you'd say no! Stupid Izzy."

Rhodie's fists begin to clench almost in anticipation of the answer. She is so ready for that answer to be 'yes,' to have someone to direct a month's of anger, frustration and rage at. Somewhere she can finally point to and go 'THIS IS YOUR FAULT!' But... seeing Izzy's reaction, she feels it drain from building rage to general annoyance. Rho sighs and sits down. She pats the ground next to her. "Come here, sit." It's not an angry tone, but it is a rather stern one.

Izzivix looks back at Rhodie. She pauses and as she approaches Rhodie, she takes on her true shape. It's that that lays down on the cool glass flooring beside the demihuman. She looks down at Rhodie. Her heavy forepaw, with its claws, right beside the smaller woman. "I'm a diviner. I can see things beyond sight. But I can't take you back to your home, and I cannot take you from it," she speaks in a calmer tone back in her normal state.

The demi-setter closes her eyes and nods in acknowledgement. She takes a deep breath, and exhales through her mouth. "Our legends and heroes... as much as we wish they did, don't happen like that. They're the results of people being put into bad situations, or good people simply trying to do what they think is right. We wish they were born the way you describe, it would make finding them so much easier... but it isn't. Izzivix.. I'm not a hero, not the kind you're wanting. I can help people, sure, but I'm... I'm not even sure WHO I am anymore. My brain's been scrambled, things shuffled, new stuff added... Even if that wasn't the case, I'm in no position to be fighting someone on the scale of a dragon."

"More importantly, you can't just thrust 'destiny' on someone and expect them to just go along with it. That's a big thing to drop on someone, even if they're not all jacked up like me...." Rhodie pauses and looks up at Izzivix. "But.... ask me. Ask me if I'd be willing to help."

Izzivix is quiet for a long moment. Her head bowed. Her eyes closed. "I understand," she says. "I'm going to go to my room for a little while. Before I left, I told your boyfriend, the magus, that I'd find them." She picks herself up and walks past the giant water table. She looks down into it. She lifts her hand and traces a claw in the liquid. "I'm only eighty," she says, "But that's still more than enough time to study beyond a common magus. I can't send you to your home, but I can let you see it for a moment."

Rhodie gets up and follows, "I can't kill a dragon, not yet anyway, but maybe working with the others we can find something out that'll help. I know your heart is in the right place, there's just... a lot to digest here." She blushes, "We're not.... I mean, yeah I'm interested but..." She waves it off and steps toward the water table.

Izzivix speaks gently. Instructing. "Put your hand in the water and think very hard about your closest memory of someone you've left behind." The dragon steps around the high table, looking into it. She exhales flame over the waters, stops and draws a sigil in the liquid. Time and again she looks up at the star chart. "Focus, and open your eyes, and you will see."

Within the glassy water an image forms from ripples. Ripples coalesce into shapes. Shapes take on vibrant colors. The cool water shifting to a mirror into another world. A familiar one so distant from Rhodie. So far from where she is. A home. A quiet one. A door opens, a woman walking outside.

And then the image disperses. "I'm sorry, Rhodie, I'm sorry. I don't think I can," Izzivix says, "Your mother is alive, but, there's nothing I can do to help you get home and seeing her. People miss you. I've read the comments. Okay most of them miss you. Some are just very rude."

Rhodie does as instructed, watching in awe as Izzivix works her magic. She looks up at the star chart and for a moment, a familiar sight, a familiar face and then....gone. She reaches for the image, but then pulls her hand back. Silence, but she gently places her hand against Izzivix. "No, it's OK, Izzivix. I... I'm kinda coming to peace with being here. Maybe not entirely just yet, but I'm getting there." Rhodie looks up at the star chart, and rubs her eyes with her free hand. "They'll be able to move forward, and I need to be able to do the same. Thank you."

She laughs, "Oh I can just imagine the trolls thinking they finally ran me off. Jokes on them. I'm hanging out with a magically talented dragon." Rhodie gives Izzivix a pat. "I'll help you, not sure how yet, but I'll do what I can."

#Ask Rhodie #rhodie #izzivix #pritchard #donnel #dragon #irish setter #ranger's tale #rhodie's tale

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