Here Be dragons (open)

[Deleted]

“Dragons…..dragons……dragons…..huh....no dragons.”

The muttering, low voice whispered over the pages of a turning book, nearly inaudible in the papery hush of the library. The voice belonged to a small man, his blond head bent over the tome he was perusing. Apparently not reading to any deep degree, he passed over page after page in a search for, obviously, dragons. Yet another ‘history’ book mentioning nothing of the beautiful, glorious, wonderful race of dragons.

Well, perhaps he was a bit biased. After all, Jace was a dragon.

Still, nothing wrong with doing a bit of research on yourself. After deciding to get himself out into the world, albeit in human form, Jace was quite interested in knowing how many humans actually knew of his race. So far, it didn’t look like that was many. A few books made passing mention, but only vague things, such as hearing great wingbeats at night or a glimpse of a spiky beast in the distance. Nothing good, nothing to prove that anyone else had the courage to actually let the humans in on what was apparently a big secret. He didn’t understand why it was a secret – werewolves and vampires were pretty common knowledge, and demons and ghosts and angels walked the streets. Why not a few dragons? It wasn’t like they were coming in their true forms to mingle with society: they’d keep it all nice and polite by assuming the form of the majority of the population.

Closing the book with a resounding thud, he shifted it to the side, adding to a small stack. Most of the morning had dissolved in such a fashion, this reading and browsing and searching. Leaning back in the chair, Jace stretched his muscular arms above his head, cracking his back with a sigh. Even in this dim light he looked gloriously tan, he reflected, and his muscles were quite impressive. One benefit to this soft, smooth body was that it was so much easier to see the admirable anatomy beneath. Still, as lovely as he found his current form, it would not match up to the flaming blues of his scales, nor the shimmering gold of his wings. Ah, it was too bad for the humans he was not gracing them with the majesty of his dragon self. Then again, they were a skittish race and would probably run away.

Suddenly a noise interrupted his self-praising thoughts. He brought the front chair legs down with a creaking thud and spoke up.

“Hello?”

[Luna Dragonwing]

Simone often traveled about to see what it was about Yalanzens that made them worth remembering. Thus far, the Mayor had given her a tour and then tried to charm her into his bed. While she had accepted the former she'd declined the latter so skillfully that he hadn't been insulted. Now she was left to her own devices to explore to her heart's content. As she perused the library and ran her fingers lightly over the ancient texts she wondered why a book called Fifty Shades of Grey Would be kept behind glass. Surely the color couldn't be that interesting?

It was then that she saw the young man doing the same as herself, exploring and seeing what the library had to offer. He was practically falling out of his chair when she walked by him, "Hello. Exploring the library too?" she asked him quietly. Her honey colored hair framing her face gently as she looked at him with her brown eyes. She wore a simple gown of the lightest shade of blue that made her hair show off its highlights. Her makeup was simple and not over done as she regarded him with curiosity.

[Deleted]

Ah, a woman. Libraries seemed to attract that gender more than they did males - most of the curators of the building were older women, spinstery types. She was not one of those, and in fact he did not recall seeing her here before.

"Not so much the library as a few choice subjects," was his reply.

A shame she wasn't one of the helpful women who staffed the place. Not that they wanted to help him out much anyways. He had a bad penchant for talking too loudly, being too boisterous, and overall giving off the air of an uncouth ruffian. LIttle did they know that he was nothing of the sort. He would never harm a book, and he'd definitely never start a fire in here. Being as intimate with the element as he was, he knew that there was nothing more that fire would love than to devour these dry, brittle pages, remnants of trees and leaves, which were fire's oldest food source. Even Jace would be hard put to control a large flame in this building, though of course he could, he reflected.

"What brings you to this hallowed house of knowledge?" he queried, leaning forward over an unopened book, "researching anything interesting?"

She really didn't look much like the reading type, not in that dress. Then again, he didn't look much like a reader either with his heavy boots and ripped-off sleeve shirts.

[Luna Dragonwing]

"Its always good to know what others know about you." she nodded to him good naturedly as she tossed her honey blond hair over her shoulder lightly. These halls hold interesting records all the way back to when humans, as the Yalanzens called themselves then, first came to this world." she murmured as she pointed to the ancient disks that were behind sealed glass. "Imagine the stories they tell." she mused as she looked back at him, "Were you looking for something specific?" she asked him as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"I like reading about the cultures I am in diplomatic relations with. It always helps to know a people via their own works and what better way than the library?" she asked him rhetorically as she moved with a graceful stillness that the draconic race possessed. Sitting down across from him she raised an eyebrow, "What brings you here?"

[Deleted]

Little did the lady know her first statement was totally accurate. He wanted to know what the Yalanzens knew about dragons. So far the little he'd found was totally inaccurate and grossly underestimated the awesomeness of his race.

"My interest is of the mythological sort," he explained, gesturing to the book entitled 'Myths and Fearsome Legends', "Yalanzens are rather imaginative sorts and I am interested in the things they portray as fable."

Well, diplomat much explained her appearance. Pretty, young, strong looking - females were generally better diplomats than males in his opinion. Especially when the ones you were trying to connect with were males. He himself tried very hard to always be aware of the females and the way they tried to coerce him. Sometimes he would turn it around on them. Yes, Jace knew he was attractive, and he knew how to use that if he needed to. He would make a horrible diplomat, at least the kind of diplomat most people thought of. All that wiffling and waffling and going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth......no, decisions were best made quickly.

"A diplomat, eh? Boring sort of job, but I guess someone's gotta do it," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulders, "so I take it you're not from this planet? Come through a portal?"

[Luna Dragonwing]

"Well that makes sense. There is the hint of truth in myths after all. Not much more than that but still...its enough to serve as a warning." she nodded as she looked over at him from her chair. She folded her hands in front of her casually as Jace spoke with her, "Its rare to find the truth but it does exist." she said with a slow smile on her face. "If you know where to look."

"My people came through the portals a thousand years ago looking for space to stretch their wings. We found Yalanze big enough to suit our needs and allow us to hide in plain sight away from those that posed a threat to us. But then you should know your own history." she chuckled with a twinkle in her eyes. "What brings you here, brother of fire?" she asked him warmly, "I'm just one of many diplomats but your tale is probably more interesting than my own."

She waited to see what the blond haired male would say. She hoped he was as good natured as he seemed to be. He didn't look to be too upset to find that the information in these halls was grossly inaccurate. There was a reason for that, if Yalanzens knew Dragons really existed they would panic and possibly riot. None of the races wanted that. It certainly didn't help the situation any.

[Deleted]

It was as he spoke that he noticed the smell....the familiar, tantalizing smell. Smelled like mist and wind and breezes from the north. Mentally he berated himself for not recognizing it sooner, but then again his race rarely saw their more flighty relatives. It was also not a strong scent, not like his own powerful one of fire and heat and flame. She probably knew exactly what he was when she walked in the door.

He chuckled. "Yes, although I did not myself come through. Yalanzen, I suppose you could call me," he told her, scratching his head, "not much suited to be a diplomat, however - not suited for it I suppose."

He knew his race had diplomats, of course - most races did. Everyone needed a finger - or a claw, as it were - in the pulse of politics and happenings on this world and others. He knew one of the fire diplomats vaguely, but had never found much interesting to talk with him about. That feeling extended to much of his own race. Fire dragons, being by nature hot tempered and quick to speak, were not exactly the most sociable of creatures.

"But of course these dusty books have very little REAL information," he murmured, knowing she would easily hear it, but no human would be able to make it out, "I am merely seeing what they do know. So far all they have pinned down is dragons perhaps in the caves near the volcanoes, not that anyone would dare go that close to find out."

He gestured to an empty seat beside him.

"Care to join in a peek? Or perhaps you might know more of the minds of the Yalanzens and what they know about us. Don't pretend you are being a diplomat for the 'greater good' or some high born sense of pursuit of knowledge. Information seeking and meddling is what a diplomat does, yes?"

[Luna Dragonwing]

"We each have our purpose. I suppose I would be rather bad at anything that involved a forge given how my element would have it blowing up in my face." she chuckled and nodded as they spoke. She took the seat he offered and she relaxed with a bit more serenity on her face. It was nice to be around her own kind even if he wasn't of her element.

"Their dragon myths came with them from their planet of origin. They haven't worked on changing anything or updating the information. Its simply too hard for them to get quality information unless we choose to give it and given that they are allied with Vampires...well its not going to happen unless there is a lot more debating going on. She did lean forward at his suggestion and opened a book. Seeing the story there she pointed to a black dragon, "That looks like a cat more than a dragon." she murmured as she showed him an image of a children's dragon. Her face showed amusement as she looked over at him.

"Well yes, we all know what I do and why but there is no reason to not be polite when we can be." she winked at him as she relaxed and crossed her legs, "Its as much about seeing what they know and letting them know what we want them to. Its a dance. Just depends on who is leading when."

[Deleted]

He chuckled along with her. An air dragon attempting to work with fire? Yes, that would end most disastrously. Then again, he wouldn't fare well in a windstorm. It had been a while since he'd seen another dragon about in human form. Most of his kin tended to stick to their lava pits and caverns, preferring to just live out their lives in secrecy. Boring, really. Much more interesting to get out and about.

"Well I hope for the sake of the dragons in these stories that they didn't exist," he said, shaking his head at the oddly rendered beast, "they don't capture the majesty and magnificence of a dragon at all! Plus they are all different renderings - I doubt they had any real basis in fact on their world. Still, interesting that they are similar to us in many ways."

He enjoyed studying the things the minds of the Yalanzens made up. Some of them were quite ingenious, others just plain amusing. Such a young, young race. Maybe they had to be so vibrantly creative to make up for living such a short time.

"Politeness is just a nice way of saying you won't tell someone what they need to be told," he countered, "never had much use for it myself - much easier to just get to the point. They have some saying about that...something about a spade being a spade? Doesn't make much sense, but the point of it is that it rarely helps to not just point something out when you see it. Too much of their muddled little lives revolves around the falsehoods they try to keep with each other. Silly, really."

[Luna Dragonwing]

"Well this is true but for coming up with something whole cloth its pretty impressive." she agreed as she looked over at him with a smile." she relaxed a bit more in the chair, glancing at the books on the shelves, "Their creativity seems only to have grown in the years they've been on the planet. Its good to know that there is still hope out there. So many of our kind hide in caves or castles and never see what is beyond their nose. It is sad really." she sighed a bit.

"Well there is getting to the point and then there is enjoying the journey to get to the point." she said with a gentle shrug of shoulders. "And then there are egos one must contend with so really by the time you take in all the variables you end up wandering even if you're not meaning to. I figure that I have time to be patient and eventually it always pays off so I try not to worry too much about it."

"So what do you like to do besides wander?" she asked him out of curiosity. Tilting her head gently as she spoke to him, an interested look in her face as she leaned forward to listen to what he had to say.

[Deleted]

"Sad indeed," he agreed, nodding his head.

More dragons should be out and about in the world, watching what went on around them. It was true that few races had the longevity of dragons, and therefore passed in and out of one's life like a mayfly, but that was no reason to at least try to get to know a few people. Despite their petty fights and weak bodies, the humans were interesting. After all, they had created most of this library.

"Bah, time," he snorted, "have enough, too much really, but then again it is so very boring to wait about for years and years for something to happen that you set into motion decades ago. Perhaps it is because I am still young, but I don't want to spend half my life waiting around."

He wondered how old she was. Probably at least five centuries, if not vastly more, to have been chosen as a diplomat. They would never let someone like him, a rash youngster, go out and try to move the world with his words.

"Well, I do like to observe all the clever ways these people get about and live their lives without our gifts," he admitted, "and sometimes I meet a few if they seem worthwhile. Other than that I suppose I do what any dragon in his prime does - try to see the world and expand my knowledge. Moving on to advanced spells, of course, as well as just trying to explore this world entirely. I am actually thinking of joining their 'Brigade' as well - have you heard of it?"

[Luna Dragonwing]

Simone listened to what the younger dragon had to say and steepled her fingers together, "Oh you won't be waiting for long. Too many people think that peace is the only thing that diplomats work towards. What we work towards is something longer reaching. It may seem boring to you now but there will come a time when talk is past, Jace. When that times comes lines will be drawn and the fighters will take their place in the grand scheme. This is not a world won by diplomacy alone." she said gently.

"The brigade is indeed a good place for someone seeking adventure. I have known more than my fair share of dragons in my time who have worked for the Brigade. It is an honorable place to learn more about the world around you should you chose to." she nodded as she placed her hands on her knee and leaned forward like a carefree teenager. Her smile genuine as she spoke to him.

She felt old compaired to the young dragon that sat before her and yet she knew she was a baby to some. Her own loneliness was still there no matter how hard she tried to push it away. She missed her mother deeply and prayed every night that she found peace wherever she ended up. Her face went sad as she sat there caught in her own thoughts for a moment. The breeze moved her honey tresses and she exhaled gently.

[Deleted]

"Well thank the gods that may be for that", he said loudly with a grin, "I am all too ready for that time - action gets results. No offense to your profession, of course."

He was glad she had at least heard of the Brigade, and held a good opinion of it. Although fire dragons were not by nature sociable, he was not a recluse. Yes, he liked his space, but every few decades one needed to get out and about. Plus he was probably doing this world a favor - too many dragons were too skittish or secretive to be out in the world like he was. Their race was supposed to be a strong and powerful one, not hiding in shadows and lurking about.

"So what do you do besides try to solve the world's problems through meetings and talk?" he returned, leaning forward as she did, "surely your life isn't all traveling about and talking to old men who think they have lived a long life."

He noticed she looked a bit sad - perhaps she was sad she wasn't free to join the Brigade or do something more with her life than sit in long talking sessions. Well, she was a dragon - she could leave if she wanted. Hell, as an air dragon she could probably just whisk away one day like a swift wind and leave it all behind. She seemed like the stodgy responsible type, though. Even if she did dislike the job, she probably wouldn't leave it just because she was bored.

[Luna Dragonwing]

She smiled a bit wryly, "We all have our times and places, mine is just before trouble starts and after it ends, mostly." she amended as she looked at him with a tilt of her head as she crossed her legs gracefully and waved off any slight he may have meant, "None taken." she said with a shake of her head and reassuring smile.

She watched what his reactions were, he seemed to be absorbing knowledge like a sponge and she didn't think it was a bad thing. One needed to be fast on ones feet to survive this world. As calm as she was even she knew that. When he asked her what she did for a hobby she looked sad again, "I used to dance, before my mother died. After she died I lost my muse for it. She suffered horribly and it tore my heart to see it." she exhaled and shook her head, "She was murdered. I decided the best way I could honor her memory was to try and keep bloodshed to a minimum. I may not always succeed but I do try." she shrugged sadly, her brown eyes looking down at her shoe as if looking at it would bring the reality too close for her and she could not bear it.