Dragon's Egg - Act II

[Nihal]

Eventually we reach the swallow water. I stop, allowing him to get down and walk the rest of the way, while I take another breath of water.

I won't go any farther.

My things are all over the ground. The shoulder strap of my backpack snapped, so did my belt. I can't even see my spear, seeing only the faint glint of the rings that once were in my hair, now scattered on the ground with the tatters of my ruined garment.

Oh. I am naked. What a pity, I liked this set.

I'm not uncomfortable, I would happily return to my original form as naked as I came into this world. The prospect of never changing back is worse than the shame.

This knife can't have such powerful enchantment. It is temporary, of course. If not I'm sure they know how to revert it back at home... But I can't breath outside the water. I can't leave this place. What will I do? I'll starve. Unless I... oh... argh. I don't want it. I want to turn back! Damn!

I jump back into the lake.

Daaaamn!

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Oh! I thought I head a splash! Thankfully, Mauve got him.

"I have blood on my hands… can someone please help Sir Cadell?"



Nissa, why didn't you tell me Sir Cadell fell in the drink?

Mauve got him. You and Ankari need this.

 

[Ireth]

The cold air bites harder through my soaking armor and clothing as I climb down from fish-Mauve's back and walk through the shallows toward the shore. My waterlogged quiver weighs down my back; I grimace at the thought of my bow and arrows being ruined by the water. Will they dry out, I wonder, or are they warped beyond repair? At least I have my sword... wait, where is it? I dropped it, so it must be here somewhere, close to the dead monster. I bend slightly, peering into the water for a glint of steel by my feet.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

She's not turning back.

I call out to Darin. "I know you have some kind of magic in you, Darin… this transformation that Mauve is experiencing—have you ever seen anything like it?" I stop talking for a couple seconds. Focus on the cut. Separate hide from meat. "If Mauve stays like that…"

Don't.

"I brought it to her. That damned knife! It was a souvenir. First weapon to penetrate me. I discovered its power and… was amazed at how Mauve used this discovery. But there must be a way to undo it!"

Don't blame yourself.

"Mauve? Can't you just… I don't know… channel your magic into the knife again? Sorry if this is a stupid question. I don't know how magic actually works, or if you need words, or if you can even use magic in your current form."

I could have thrown it away, Nissa.

You were worried someone would find it.

Someone did. Because I didn't throw it away.

"I'm here for you Mauve. Talk to me! You have a knife for a hand. Scratch a message on the floor if you cannot speak in this state. Please… if you have any questions, answers, anything to say at all—even if you hate me for showing you that damned knife and figuring out how it works—just say… something…"

Fueled by water.

"Maybe write long enough for the knife to dry. Even if you stick your head underwater to breathe, let the knife dry. If water fuels the magic, maybe you can turn back if the knife is dry?

"It's worth a try, isn't it, Mauve?"

 

[Nihal]

Baldhart is worried. I watch quietly from the lake as she turns to the dwarf then to me again.

"Maybe write long enough for the knife to dry. Even if you stick your head underwater to breathe, let the knife dry. If water fuels the magic, maybe you can turn back if the knife is dry?"

...of course! She's right! How come I didn't think of this? I was too busy freaking out, wasn't I? Mauve, you're such a child!

I reluctantly move to the shore. She looks so nervous I wish to grab and shake her, but I don't think it would be a good idea; in my current form it wouldn't be well interpreted. Watching the others out of the corner of my eye I crouch besides the margin.

What should I write?

With awkward movements, I start to write with my dagger-hand.

F... O... O... L...

I erase it.

T... H... A... N... K... S...

Well... I think I can at least smile. It's going to be funny.

I smile at her, baring my sharp teeth and hurry back to the water, moving to the part of the lake where when sitting my neck gets submerged, allowing me to breath. I hold my dagger-hand out of the water.

I bet that will be tiring.

 

[Ireth]

I retrieve my sword from the shallows of the lake, and head quickly ashore to dry it off and take stock of what is going on now. Coming up to Baldhart, I stand and watch, pulling the cloth back up over my face to guard against the stink of the dead monster and its voided bowels. Mauve writes on the stone floor with the knife, then puts her head back under the water. I hope Baldhart is right, and her fish form is not permanent

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Ankari… I need to stop what I'm doing for the moment. Mauve needs me and… I'm the one who gave her the knife and told her how to use it."

I wash may hands in an area not too close to Mauve, then dry them off on my cloak, then my dress when I'm sure my hands truly are clean. I grab Mauve's cloak, which is much dryer than mine and a better material. I make sure the upper part of my mauve gown is wrung out enough. Mauve will want this if this actually works.

I take her cloak in one hand. I rub it along the stone blade. With my other hand I steady her wrist.

"Nod? She's scaly… slippery. Can you help me?"

Nod dries the knife while I hold Mauve steady. I pray that this actually works.

 

[Nihal]

I wonder if she knows she's wetting my warmest piece of clothing. Hah, I'll freeze to death.

I wait patiently, without uttering a word of protest. As if I could.

 

[Steerpike]

With the fight over, people are able to turn their attention to other matters.

Cadell is wet and cold, having been retrieved from the water by fish-demon Mauve. He manages to retrieve his weapons. The bow isn't warped, though experience tells him the water could affect the elasticity of the wood, taking some power away from the weapon. Once it is thoroughly dried, it can be checked.

Ankari and Baldhart cut the thick hide from the creature, with Baldhart leaving after a moment to attend Mauve. The creature's hide is very thick and exceptionally durable - it looks like it could make good armor.

Mauve scratches some words into the rocks and then returns to the water, Baldhart and Nodrick helping her, trying to keep the knife dry in an attempt to reverse the transformation. The knife dries easily enough, though it no longer appears to absorb water. The drying has no visible effect.

The battle was fierce, but relatively short. Minutes pass as Ankari skins the creature, Cadell tries to get warm, and others attend to their post-battle needs. Within perhaps ten minutes of the battle, Mauve suddenly goes rigid, her muscles tightening and her body wracked with pain. Baldhart and Nodrick hear the popping of joints and the crack of bone and cartilage. She undergoes the reverse transformation right before their eyes, muscles twitching uncontrollably even as they hold onto her. The transformation is violent but takes only around ten or twelve seconds. When it ends, Mauve is back in human form, knife in hand and wearing not a stitch of clothing. She is fatigued and appears hardly able to keep herself afloat, much less stand on her own two legs.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I pull her out of the water and wrap her in the cloak. "Let me know when you can speak, Mauve. I have clothes for you. Not much, but… better than none at all."

 

[Nihal]

Pain... pain pain pain PAIN!

I would have screamed if I had voice for it and my jaw wasn't locked. My whole body is stiff as before, but unlike before I don't feel so well. Then, it stops as suddenly as it started. The water is too deep now, my limbs, heavy, and I start to sink, being held in place by Baldhart. Again, she carries me.

Cold! I stiffen too keep the shivering in control.

"No. Bag." I relax and try to smile to her, but my teeth are chattering.

 

[Ravana]

The monster hisses, raising up on its middle and hind legs, waving its tail in an attempt to knock Algernon away, but it is no use. Algernon is in too close and has a grip on the creature's body. He tries to flip it over, but the creature is too heavy. …

The creature's jaw snaps shut and it straightens its spine, first two pair of legs shooting out to the side. Deep red blood spurts from the new wound and the thing's bowels evacuate, filling the chamber with a foul odor emanating from the general vicinity of where Algernon holds the creature.

"Ick. I seen worse, though."

Seeing Cadell emerge from the water, Algernon says "Good idea!" He shucks his shield and pack, then wades in to around waist depth and removes any lizard gunk. (He'll also wipe down shield and pack as necessary.)

When he's done, he goes over to the boat to inspect its seaworthiness. Or continued seaworthiness—in hopes it wasn't damaged during the fight. Looking over at Ankari and Baldhart, he says "Oh, hey! Save the hip bones. An' mebbe the jaw."

((Actually, he'll come help them once he's done doing the other stuff.))

 

[Ireth]

I raise my eyebrows at Algernon. "Don't think I went in there entirely willingly, because I didn't."

I sigh and rub my arms. Thrice-blasted cold. How soon can we finish this and get to somewhere warm? Maybe another battle will warm me up. Not that I really hope for one, for the sake of everyone here.

 

[Ravana]

I raise my eyebrows at Algernon. "Don't think I went in there entirely willingly, because I didn't."

The barbarian grins. "Figgered mebbe ya chose that 'stead o' one o' us. I was too busy t' catch, and Baldhart already had the little feller on her."

He ponders a moment, while continuing his work.

"Oh, hey, didja know that in case of emergency, your hand can be used as a floatation device?"

((No, he doesn't really say that second part. ))

 

[Sparkie]

Nothing can quell a growing infatuation quite as fast as watching the object of you affections become something monstrous. All the while I say nothing to Mauve. I don't even look at her. I just busy myself by lending a hand to those who need it, Baldhart for instance...

Rydh heals Baldhart - 5HP.

Once Mauve changes back I still can't look at her. This time it's because of my own guilt, not her appearance. I just wander around a bit near the boat, wondering if and when we'll explore the area that Nod saw from afar. No one moves to the boat, so I say aloud "Shall we split up? Some stay here and some explore the other shore?"

That'll get 'em thinking...

 

[Ireth]

My teeth chatter with cold when I speak. "No, we shouldn't split up. Too dangerous. Who knows what's on the other side? We may need every last man and woman here to fight it."

 

[Sparkie]

I can't argue with that kind of logic, so I smile at Cadell and say "True enough. What if that thing had a clutch of eggs?"

 

[Nihal]

"I can't fight yet, I'm exhaust-t-ted. Some mi-minutes."

Those cold waters didn't bother me too much when I was... I don't know exactly. Demon fish? I've never seen one and couldn't see it again. I raise my eyes to Baldhart.

"I'm-m fine. Don't blame yours-self." I wish I could say more and say it properly. "Thanks."

I only need to get some rest and get warm, then I'll be as good as always. No, better. That was amazing!

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Rydh heals me. "Oh, thank you so much, Rydh! I was going to eat these berries until I was better to save your magic, but after eating one, I thought I'd puke if I had another! They're certainly not called good berries for their taste!"

((Baldy is at full health, and the party has 13 berries… if they feel like a full meal, I figure Baldhart wouldn't have eaten all six at once. She'd try one first, since she never ate one before.))

Rydh wanders off. He doesn't look at Mauve the way he did before. Maybe because… aw, Nissa, it's better not to think about it. I feel so awkward drying her off like a mother with a child.

You mortals worry about stupid things sometimes. You all fought a huge, people-eating beast and lived, and you're holding a woman you just helped not drown after helping her not remain a fish for the rest of her life.

Right…

I carry Mauve—still wrapped in her cloak—which still is awkward for both of us, I'm sure. I bring her to the same corner of the room where she gave me cover while I dressed. Nod is kind enough to bring her bag over before leaving us.

I'm cradling her like a baby wrapped in a blanket. Nissa?!

Feel awkward or let her freeze!

I hold her in one arm—she's so light! I envy her in a way—and hastily remove my bear skin cloak. I wrap her up, hold her close, and—sorry, Nissa—I really feel compelled to explain, "I'm just gonna say it—it's awkward for me, too. You tell me when you can move. I assume you have a change of clothes in your bag. I'll hold up my cloak so you can change without putting on a show."

Baldy, you're going to be a valkyrie. You will see mortals in much more awkward positions than this. You never disappoint me in battle, so don't start flaking out at a moment like this!

"Mauve, that's not what I really want to say to you. I want to tell you that the knife is something I carried since the start of my journey. I had been trying to figure out how it worked, and when I finally did… that thing—I… I thought it would swallow me. I wondered if all I would have accomplished in my journey was to bring a knife from the sea to the northern continent to you, so you could cast that spell—as if in life I was just a tool for you!

"I want you to know, I saw it as a good death."

 

[Nihal]

"If your life... res-sumed to bring the knife to me... t-then it would be a hell of a waste; I'm glad you're still only one piece," I answer in a teasing tone, wishing to lighten up the mood.

I hold her arm. "Don't feel guilty. It was amazi-ing, I couldn't tell, I had no voice. I can move, it's only hard t-to make effort. I need t-to get dressed, the children will get impatient." A certain thought occurs to me, making me chuckle.

"H-how come I always end running without clothing in this bloody tunnels?"