Dominique Klopirl, in fairy robes, and Woodwick in nymph robe.
Tale 5: Hara Fystan and the Dragon Princess (chapter 3. Two Seers 3/5 ) part 2. Stories of Fey
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By chance, Hara’s first lecture included all the school’s mage students. The academy simply said what courses the students needed to take to graduate in their field. Which year they decided to take each class, was irrelevant as long as the subjects was taken in order. Mixed age classes were common, because student’s friend groups often opted to be in the same class. All the mages were societal disgraces, and thus friends bonded over a common misfortune. Or common interest, depending how you look at it.
The young mages had formed a cohesive group. Most of these mage students also had familiars, and all had eye and hair colours indicating that they had gone dark. Except for the nervous dirty blonde boy, with the green eyes, freckles, and golden eagle on his shoulder. He looked like a regular person of Grand West, if Hara had ever seen one. If he had gone dark, it didn’t change much. All the youths, as expected, had varying levels of attention and interest in the lecture; which was mostly Hara introducing himself. At the end of class, he requested Morgan Cynedom to see him. Behold, the quiet Grand West boy with the eagle approached.
“Hello, Morgan. I have some questions for you.” Hara asked. He was a little bewildered a simple third year student had woken up an entire magic forest, gathered all the beast stones, recovered over a hundred historical magic books from the age of eleven, and looked like he was about to faint from anxiety.
“I could tell Woodwick was a fairy because Naiads are my favourite, and I’m very knowable about them. I like him, and I’m happy you’re letting him live on my forest; that was a good choice. If you have books form the Northlands, where you’re from, I would love to restore and read them. I also found your grandfather’s notes on Woodwick; which was bad because that’s how everyone fond out. Your grandfather was cool, mine is dead though. I’m a mage, are you? do you need anything else? Why am I telling you all this…” Morgan rambled. He spoke so fast, Hara nearly missed it.
“Thanks for sharing, Morgan. Now take a breath, you’re not in trouble. I also don’t want you to feint, you’ve gone pale. If you care to know, I did have a selkie say I was a mage years ago, I want my grandpa’s notes back please, and Woodwick is technically my uncle.” Hara started “Me and Dominique want to protect him and this school by making me write a wicked proposal! This should help give me time to certify this magic forest, as a conservation area. Also, I don’t have any journals, my grandfather just fed me lore he learned from the fey he cared for. Maybe some readings from the school library too.” Hara went on.
“Hehe, you forgot to breath too,” Morgan snorted, noticing Hara started gasping a bit. “Yeah, there are some incredibly good, yet occasionally dark records in the library. I found journals from three different mages between the school archives and the tower on Tiberius Gate. Complete works actually.” Morgan shrugged. Seers, or observers of magic, often had long nervous information dumps among themselves and others; two of them together led to the most long-winded nonsensical speeches imaginable. Asking a seer for information may require grabbing a bowl of popcorn first.
“That sounds like a good idea, Professor Hara. If you want to propose this magic forest is worth conserving, under the law, you should know it extends from Tiberius Gate, all the way through the school and village, and down to the boardwalk. It’s really big. I can show you a map, I have many. Including an entire codex written by Tiberius that is entirely comprised of poorly written maps made by mages from around the world, stuffed together and bound like a mock-duck. It, on the other hand, is not a good read.” Morgan said. He had that same whimsy when talking about magic as Hara did at that age.
“Well, alright! You’re the mage of this forest, right? So, you must know all the fey and magical stuff about this place. What is something the wizard community would find so cool, that they would want to never touch it; but in a keep it safe way, not in a burn it down way.” Hara asked.
“Easy. The Beast Kings of fey plan to place one of every extant royal fey here. Half-human and half-magic. Super rare. Some have already been crowned with One True Loves! Before the weekend, you can come with me to the Shadow Veil to see what else can hop over. I need to get my uncle’ permission for you to come over first. Until then I think Bea, one of the twin Terralith Trees from the gate, is in your grandfather’s fey conservatory.” Morgan smiled. Perfect, thought Hara. There is so little know about Royal fey, that the research would be endearing and insightful indeed.
Hara had never dreamed of seeing a royal fey. Seers can get international prizes for finding one. Morgan had a scholarship coming his way, if he was telling the truth. Additionally, there is no doubt Morgan’s collection of old books would have information just waiting to be shared with wizard community. It would indeed be an enchanting, endearing, and insightful way to paint Pepperidge, Hara, and mages in an excellent light.
One by one, Hara met each of the heirs the Beast King’s placed on the gate, just as Morgan said. First was a Leguid Mermaid named Brōc, who identified as male and was crowned by a Charming student. Then Hara met the twin Terralith Trees named Pamethelon and Beacon, who were given to Tiberius Gate when it was made. There was also an Aliki Wolf named Eobreth, who was Morgan’s first fey friend and the eldest prince of the wolf kingdom. Wyverndor was an illusive prize wining Acrean Gimm, who was gifted to Morgan’s cousin Regina, on Hara’s first expedition to the Shadow Veil. Soon there was a Holten Monkey, and a Hammen Ferret lounging in the conservatory too. His observation data started mounting, and Hypothesis formulated.
On Hara’s second trip to Shadow Veil, he got to see newborn Acadian Fairies; which were said to be extinct. The last records of them were in ancient tapestries recovered from the Far South. The baby Dominion Deer he saw, was also a fey assumed to be killed off by wizards. Hara was overjoyed to be surprised with the return of such magnificent spectacles of fey. The local Richen Raven princess Palladis, and her brother, had a habit of crossing Hara’s path as well. Morgan informed him richen ravens were only the princesses; then introduced Hara to the lost lore of Grimethorpes. Hara said it was ok if Morgan studied the Griminthropes on his own, as an undergrad project; of which Hara was willing back up. Hara loved fey, but he drew a limit at giant corvids with skulled heads that eat rotting flesh.
Excluding the dark Griminthropes, royal fey were ethereal and radiant; they looked like they were beasts made of white opal, pearl, gold and silver. Even in human form they looked enchanting. Checking his notes, Hara counted nine heirs out of ten fey kingdoms. Hara would need one of each, at least, to finish his research. The royal fey he was missing, belonged to the Dragon Kingdom. These were the radiant white scaled and gold spined Kingdom Dragons. As dragons are the most powerful fey, and thus their father was the greatest of The Beast Kings; Hara was too intimidated to ask favours from him. If King Mage Morgan, brother to all ten of the Beast King’s didn’t know where to find a dragon heir, Hara would be lost.
Hara pulled Morgan aside after school one day, to inquire about where he might find a royal dragon. He had already sent in his proposal, and had it accepted. He was in hot water if it turned out his sample was insufficient.
“Morgan, what about a Cynedom Dragons? Soft, pearly, with golden horns and spikes. Able to breath any magic fire, and have impenetrable scales. They can change size even, from what I’ve read. One of those you know? The last one heard of was being forced to guard the wizard vaults, in the bank of The Capitol of the Grand West. It was awful; people protested for years to no avail. It was rumored the poor thing had been there for fourty years.” Hara said.
“No, that was the Dragon Queen, Quellelthan. She’s actually human. I replaced her with the eldest daughter Laurellan; who was happy to take the job. She happily guards human treasure for lemon deserts, because she loves the power it gives her over them. She’s just like that. But Laurel, a Cynedom Dragon she may be, is too caught up with her new position to help with your research. She can’t just leave and move into this forest. If she doesn’t protect the bank, the wizards might acquire a new dragon unethically.” Morgan said.
“I just finished and submitted a proposal! It was accepted! And now you’re telling me I’m out of luck again? Research requires materials Morgan.” Hara wailed. Morgan was taken back by a grown man panicking like a kid who forgot to finish their homework. It was a nice role reversal. Morgan raked his brain a minute while Hara reverberated with dread. Then Morgan remembered what Quellelthan told him after he freed her.
“Well professor, I didn’t say that you were ‘out of luck’ exactly.” Morgan laughed
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