Introduction: Jackdaw + Skender
Jul. 20th, 2016 05:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonmagitechThe rain came on suddenly, and swept through the desert in a gray wall, pushing frantic dragons ahead of it. It was not a magical storm this time, or at least no more magical than any natural storm in Lightning territory; but it still precipitated a certain amount of alarm. No one wants to be caught in the open when lightning strikes.
A trio of dragons huddled under a rock outcropping.
"I thought deserts were supposed to be dry," said Byron.
"It appears that your scientific genius does not extend outside of your field," said Elvire.
"You know, I don't recall asking you to come along."
"We get storms periodically," interrupted Siltwine, quietly placing her tail between the two of them. "The canyon'll be flooded up to the third floor by the time we get back, probably. It doesn't get so bad out by the eastern cliffs, but we're closer to the Water border than them and things get weird sometimes."
"I'll bet," Byron said, not entirely sure what he meant, and turned to look out across the desert. He frowned. "Is that smoke?"
"Probably a vulture kettle," Siltwine said.
"Do vultures fly in the rain?"
"Actually," said Elvire, "I believe those are seagulls."
A brief, confused pause ensued. Siltwine said, "Bishop gave me one of her shield charms, just in case..."
It didn't take them long to reach the plume, a few thousand seagulls wheeling and screaming above a jagged rift in the earth. There was also a Guardian there, waving her hat and swearing at the birds, who turned and scowled at the three of them when they drew near. "Maybe you can tell me what this is all about," she snapped, as if it was their fault somehow.
"Well..." Siltwine said.
"Tell us what happened," said Elvire.
The Guardian rolled her eyes. "How the fuck should I know? I opened this spot up—" She pointed at the rift. "—next thing I know there are these birds all over the place. They keep diving at me when I try to dig. Assholes."
"They came out of the ground?" Byron said.
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
"But now they're..." He muttered something to himself, and then made a slashing motion with one hand. Several of the birds dropped sharply, and after quite a bit of angry screeching they clustered on the ground nearby.
The Guardian said, "What the f—"
"I stopped the updraft," Byron said. "It seemed like it might help."
Further discussion of this point was precluded by a strange gloppy sound which caused everyone to turn toward the birds; or rather, where the birds had been. In their place was a blue-black and disconcertingly gooey mass that, as the four of them watched, swirled upward and eventually coalesced into a smallish Nocturne.
The Nocturne looked down at their hands and said, "That sure was weird," before walking over to everyone else as if nothing strange had happened at all. There followed a Discussion.
The Nocturne's name was Jackdaw, they explained, and they had been trapped in a strange limbo since, oh, they didn't really know when exactly, but something weird and magic had happened—their fault, they added cheerily—and they'd not been real since then. Whatever the Guardian had done to open up the ground like that had also opened something in, well, maybe the fabric of reality? Jackdaw wasn't sure, but they did know that it had brought them back as a flock of birds and they'd been so freaked out they hadn't noticed anyone around until Byron took away their updraft.
The Guardian, who had reluctantly identified herself as Skender when introductions went around, listened to this with a skeptical expression. She said, "What about all that mass? You were a hell of a lot of birds a minute ago, and I don't believe for a minute that you weigh as much as they would have."
Jackdaw shrugged. "Beats me. I was a Snapper before."
"But—"
"A lot is unexplained right now," Siltwine said quickly. "Maybe if you come back with us, once the rain stops I mean, someone can figure out your...situation. At the very least we can figure out exactly how long you've been gone."
"Sounds good!" Jackdaw said. They didn't seem particularly perturbed by anything that had happened.
Skender grunted. "You do that. I'll be by later to talk about salvage rights." She pointed an accusing finger at the rest of them, and climbed down into the rift, grumbling to herself all the way.
A trio of dragons huddled under a rock outcropping.
"I thought deserts were supposed to be dry," said Byron.
"It appears that your scientific genius does not extend outside of your field," said Elvire.
"You know, I don't recall asking you to come along."
"We get storms periodically," interrupted Siltwine, quietly placing her tail between the two of them. "The canyon'll be flooded up to the third floor by the time we get back, probably. It doesn't get so bad out by the eastern cliffs, but we're closer to the Water border than them and things get weird sometimes."
"I'll bet," Byron said, not entirely sure what he meant, and turned to look out across the desert. He frowned. "Is that smoke?"
"Probably a vulture kettle," Siltwine said.
"Do vultures fly in the rain?"
"Actually," said Elvire, "I believe those are seagulls."
A brief, confused pause ensued. Siltwine said, "Bishop gave me one of her shield charms, just in case..."
It didn't take them long to reach the plume, a few thousand seagulls wheeling and screaming above a jagged rift in the earth. There was also a Guardian there, waving her hat and swearing at the birds, who turned and scowled at the three of them when they drew near. "Maybe you can tell me what this is all about," she snapped, as if it was their fault somehow.
"Well..." Siltwine said.
"Tell us what happened," said Elvire.
The Guardian rolled her eyes. "How the fuck should I know? I opened this spot up—" She pointed at the rift. "—next thing I know there are these birds all over the place. They keep diving at me when I try to dig. Assholes."
"They came out of the ground?" Byron said.
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
"But now they're..." He muttered something to himself, and then made a slashing motion with one hand. Several of the birds dropped sharply, and after quite a bit of angry screeching they clustered on the ground nearby.
The Guardian said, "What the f—"
"I stopped the updraft," Byron said. "It seemed like it might help."
Further discussion of this point was precluded by a strange gloppy sound which caused everyone to turn toward the birds; or rather, where the birds had been. In their place was a blue-black and disconcertingly gooey mass that, as the four of them watched, swirled upward and eventually coalesced into a smallish Nocturne.
The Nocturne looked down at their hands and said, "That sure was weird," before walking over to everyone else as if nothing strange had happened at all. There followed a Discussion.
The Nocturne's name was Jackdaw, they explained, and they had been trapped in a strange limbo since, oh, they didn't really know when exactly, but something weird and magic had happened—their fault, they added cheerily—and they'd not been real since then. Whatever the Guardian had done to open up the ground like that had also opened something in, well, maybe the fabric of reality? Jackdaw wasn't sure, but they did know that it had brought them back as a flock of birds and they'd been so freaked out they hadn't noticed anyone around until Byron took away their updraft.
The Guardian, who had reluctantly identified herself as Skender when introductions went around, listened to this with a skeptical expression. She said, "What about all that mass? You were a hell of a lot of birds a minute ago, and I don't believe for a minute that you weigh as much as they would have."
Jackdaw shrugged. "Beats me. I was a Snapper before."
"But—"
"A lot is unexplained right now," Siltwine said quickly. "Maybe if you come back with us, once the rain stops I mean, someone can figure out your...situation. At the very least we can figure out exactly how long you've been gone."
"Sounds good!" Jackdaw said. They didn't seem particularly perturbed by anything that had happened.
Skender grunted. "You do that. I'll be by later to talk about salvage rights." She pointed an accusing finger at the rest of them, and climbed down into the rift, grumbling to herself all the way.
