THE REAL LIVE JOURNAL EXHIBIT A WEEK TWO -- THROW BACK THE LITTLE ONES
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* could not fathom why his liege had assigned *HIM* to guard duty; such a menial task would normally be assigned to a hatchling no more than three centuries of age. He was one of the elder members of The Great Race, and was one of only three who could properly refer to his Lord and Master as Grandsire. He had served The King of the Dragons long and well, and had been among the first to spring to his liege's defense when She-Whose-Name-Must-Never-Be-Spoken had turned and assaulted his lord before She fled into the night, never to return. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* had done nothing to deserve such demeaning treatment. True, he had recently commented to his liege that it had been exactly ten millennia since She had left... but surely his liege understood that the statement had not been made out of malice...
No matter. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* was a faithful servant of his king, and would perform the task to the best of his ability. If the king waished to be left alone then all visitors to The Royal Warren would be turned away without exception. True, he was growing bored as it had been a full month since his liege had given the order, and word had quickly spread among The Great Race that The King Was Not To Be Disturbed. The tedium of having no one to talk to was beginning to fray his nerves--
He noticed the scent first: It was sharp and pungent, and carried more than a touch of ozone. For a moment he thought that a Storm Wyrm might be approaching... but the sounds were all wrong. Whatever was coming up the Grand Passage toward The Royal Chamber was far smaller than any member of The Great Race. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* unravelled himself to his full forty meters of length. He looked forward to confronting the interloper; it would help break the monotony, if nothing else...
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* wasn't sure what to expect, as the odor of the visitor was unlike anything he had ever encountered before... but when the creature turned the last corner and came into view, he was quite surprised. It appeared to be one of the two-legged races -- they called themselves Hoo-Mans, or something similar. It was clothed in a simple blue garment that covered most of its form -- a robe, perhaps? No matter; it stopped at the entryway and waited to be formally noticed. Well, as much as Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* appreciated someone to talk to, this stranger needed to learn that he could not simply walk into The Royal Warren. So Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* laid himself out comfortably, and decided to test the creature. According to the Great Race's Code of Hospitality and Conduct, a guest could not speak until spoken to first... and in the dragon's experience, most members of the younger races could stand to learn the art of patience. So Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* silently relaxed and waited...
-*-*-*-
The sun rose and set three times outside... and the creature did not utter a sound. Indeed, it barely seemed to breath as it stood there like a statue. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* grew more displeased by the minute during the last day, and eventually he snarled at the creature in his frustration: "WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
Although its mouth and lungs were far too small to do the job properly, the little creature spoke back fluently in the Draconian tongue with only the slightest accent: "I humbly greet you, Child of the First Fire. I am called Corey, and I am heir to Ellak the Archmage. I seek an audience with your liege, The King of The Great Race."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* narrowed his eyes and glared down at the interloper. The Archmage was a friend to The Great Race... but there was a problem with the creature's claim "You make a grand boast, tiny one. But the Archmage has no mate, so there is no way he could have sired you."
"I said I was his heir, not his spawn. I was a foundling, but he was kind enough to take me under his wing."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* growled. "You have proof of this?"
The little creature reached inside a pocket of its garment, and withdrew a small, exqusititly made golden orb. "This trinket was given to Ellak by your liege; I am certain that you recognize the workmanship. My master told me that I should present this as proof that I am his heir."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* did recognize the bauble... so perhaps there was some truth to this creature's claims. But there was still one other problem. "The King is not receiving visitors. You must return another time."
The little creature did not move. "I have come a long way to speak to your liege regarding a matter of the utmost import. I humbly request that you tell Him of my arrival, in the hope that He might receive me now."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* began to grow angry. "Did you not understand what I said? The King is seeing no one."
The creature was unfazed. "I believe He will want to see me, once He knows I am here."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* normally would have displayed far better manners... but his liege's distemper had weighed heavily on him in the past month, and his orders were explicit. "Hatchling, you must leave this place. Go now before I do something rash."
"I am not leaving here until you tell the king of my arrival."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH*'s blood began to boil. "Go. Now. If you make that request again, I cannot be held responsible for my actions."
"I told you I am not leaving until you announce--"
For the first time in centuries, Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* truly lost his temper; he opened his maw and with a mighty roar he unleashed his fire-breath on the little creature. Well, he had warned the interloper. A moment later, he heard the door to his liege's chamber open, and the king entered the room. "What's going on out here? I told you I wanted peace and quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* quickly bowed his head in apology. "Forgive me, my liege, but we had a trespasser--"
A loud bellow echoed off the walls of the chamber: "*PRESENT* *ME*!"
It had been made by the interloper.
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* turned to face the creature, amazed that it was still alive. At first he believed that the screature's skin had been burnt pure black... until he realized that the dark patches were nothing more than the soot and ash of the being's garments which had stuck to its skin when they were incinerated. As for the creature itself, it appeared to be completely unharmed -- the blast of flame hadn't even singed its eyebrows. It still held the orb in its right hand, even though it now glowed a bright yellow from the heat it had been subjected to. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* was stunned; no being had ever survived his flame before. Confused, Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* exclaimed "What?"
"Present me!" the creature repeated. "You assaulted me without just cause or provocation. You have violated The Great Race's Code of Hospitality and Conduct, and I have the right to demand a boon... or request satisfaction in Trial By Combat. So either present me to your liege--" The creature bared its teeth in a formal Challenge Display. "-- or prepare to fight to the death."
For a moment, none of the three said a word... then The King of The Great Race bellowed "What is this Two-Legs babbling about?"
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* squinted and took a good long look at the creature. It was so tiny it seemed he could crush it with his claws... except this thing was obviously not at all what it appeared to be. Despite its small size, it was extremely tough and powerful and rather egotisical.
Not unlike a typical member of The Great Race.
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* turned to face his king and spoke in his most polite, formal tone. "My liege, I am... honored... to present the Two-Legs known as Corey... the adopted hatchling of The Outlander known as Ellak the Archmage."
It was a long, long time before anyone said anything. It was the king who broke the silence, speaking to the small creature. "You are Ellak's heir?"
The little one bowed its head. "I have that honor, Your Magnificence."
The king hissed long and loud, not at all pleased. "Then you should be aware that as his heir, you are responsible for all his debts and obligations. Long ago, your master made a promise to Me, personally. A promise he has yet to fulfill."
The creature appeared completely unfazed by the king's declaration. "I am aware of this, Your Magnificence. I have come here today to discuss the matter--."
"*DISCUSS*?!" The king's roar was deafening, yet the creature did not flinch in the slightest way. "WHAT IS THERE TO *DISCUSS*?!"
The creature responded in a quiet, polite tone. "Your Magnificence... how can I possibly find You a suitable consort if I do not know what qualities You seek in such a companion?"
For a time, the king was struck dumb. When He finally did start making sounds again, Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* briefly thought his liege was choking... until it became clear that The King of The Dragons was, in fact... laughing. It had been so long since the king had laughed He was unused to performing the action, and it initially sounded rough and scratchy... but He quickly became better at it. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* had not heard his liege laugh so hard and so well... since She-Whose-Name-Must-Never-Be-Spoken had left.
Eventually, the king calmed down, though He remained in good spirits. "Attend me, Corey, Heir of Ellak. We shall go into My chambers and discuss the matter at length." The little creature did as it was bid... and after several hours it left The King, and passed by Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* on its way out.
The dragon looked over the tiny creature once more. "You truly intend to fulfill that obligation?"
The creature replied in a deadpan tone. "I do."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* mulled that over. "It seems an impossible task... but it was a pleasure to see my liege in such good spirits again." He paused for a moment. "I apologize for my earlier behavior. It's just--"
"There's no need for you to explain." the little creature interjected. "I sometimes have difficulty being civil when my master is in a bad temper."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* gave his best grin. "I think you and I shall become great friends, Corey... and I look forward to your next visit."
No matter. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* was a faithful servant of his king, and would perform the task to the best of his ability. If the king waished to be left alone then all visitors to The Royal Warren would be turned away without exception. True, he was growing bored as it had been a full month since his liege had given the order, and word had quickly spread among The Great Race that The King Was Not To Be Disturbed. The tedium of having no one to talk to was beginning to fray his nerves--
He noticed the scent first: It was sharp and pungent, and carried more than a touch of ozone. For a moment he thought that a Storm Wyrm might be approaching... but the sounds were all wrong. Whatever was coming up the Grand Passage toward The Royal Chamber was far smaller than any member of The Great Race. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* unravelled himself to his full forty meters of length. He looked forward to confronting the interloper; it would help break the monotony, if nothing else...
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* wasn't sure what to expect, as the odor of the visitor was unlike anything he had ever encountered before... but when the creature turned the last corner and came into view, he was quite surprised. It appeared to be one of the two-legged races -- they called themselves Hoo-Mans, or something similar. It was clothed in a simple blue garment that covered most of its form -- a robe, perhaps? No matter; it stopped at the entryway and waited to be formally noticed. Well, as much as Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* appreciated someone to talk to, this stranger needed to learn that he could not simply walk into The Royal Warren. So Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* laid himself out comfortably, and decided to test the creature. According to the Great Race's Code of Hospitality and Conduct, a guest could not speak until spoken to first... and in the dragon's experience, most members of the younger races could stand to learn the art of patience. So Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* silently relaxed and waited...
-*-*-*-
The sun rose and set three times outside... and the creature did not utter a sound. Indeed, it barely seemed to breath as it stood there like a statue. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* grew more displeased by the minute during the last day, and eventually he snarled at the creature in his frustration: "WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
Although its mouth and lungs were far too small to do the job properly, the little creature spoke back fluently in the Draconian tongue with only the slightest accent: "I humbly greet you, Child of the First Fire. I am called Corey, and I am heir to Ellak the Archmage. I seek an audience with your liege, The King of The Great Race."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* narrowed his eyes and glared down at the interloper. The Archmage was a friend to The Great Race... but there was a problem with the creature's claim "You make a grand boast, tiny one. But the Archmage has no mate, so there is no way he could have sired you."
"I said I was his heir, not his spawn. I was a foundling, but he was kind enough to take me under his wing."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* growled. "You have proof of this?"
The little creature reached inside a pocket of its garment, and withdrew a small, exqusititly made golden orb. "This trinket was given to Ellak by your liege; I am certain that you recognize the workmanship. My master told me that I should present this as proof that I am his heir."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* did recognize the bauble... so perhaps there was some truth to this creature's claims. But there was still one other problem. "The King is not receiving visitors. You must return another time."
The little creature did not move. "I have come a long way to speak to your liege regarding a matter of the utmost import. I humbly request that you tell Him of my arrival, in the hope that He might receive me now."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* began to grow angry. "Did you not understand what I said? The King is seeing no one."
The creature was unfazed. "I believe He will want to see me, once He knows I am here."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* normally would have displayed far better manners... but his liege's distemper had weighed heavily on him in the past month, and his orders were explicit. "Hatchling, you must leave this place. Go now before I do something rash."
"I am not leaving here until you tell the king of my arrival."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH*'s blood began to boil. "Go. Now. If you make that request again, I cannot be held responsible for my actions."
"I told you I am not leaving until you announce--"
For the first time in centuries, Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* truly lost his temper; he opened his maw and with a mighty roar he unleashed his fire-breath on the little creature. Well, he had warned the interloper. A moment later, he heard the door to his liege's chamber open, and the king entered the room. "What's going on out here? I told you I wanted peace and quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* quickly bowed his head in apology. "Forgive me, my liege, but we had a trespasser--"
A loud bellow echoed off the walls of the chamber: "*PRESENT* *ME*!"
It had been made by the interloper.
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* turned to face the creature, amazed that it was still alive. At first he believed that the screature's skin had been burnt pure black... until he realized that the dark patches were nothing more than the soot and ash of the being's garments which had stuck to its skin when they were incinerated. As for the creature itself, it appeared to be completely unharmed -- the blast of flame hadn't even singed its eyebrows. It still held the orb in its right hand, even though it now glowed a bright yellow from the heat it had been subjected to. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* was stunned; no being had ever survived his flame before. Confused, Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* exclaimed "What?"
"Present me!" the creature repeated. "You assaulted me without just cause or provocation. You have violated The Great Race's Code of Hospitality and Conduct, and I have the right to demand a boon... or request satisfaction in Trial By Combat. So either present me to your liege--" The creature bared its teeth in a formal Challenge Display. "-- or prepare to fight to the death."
For a moment, none of the three said a word... then The King of The Great Race bellowed "What is this Two-Legs babbling about?"
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* squinted and took a good long look at the creature. It was so tiny it seemed he could crush it with his claws... except this thing was obviously not at all what it appeared to be. Despite its small size, it was extremely tough and powerful and rather egotisical.
Not unlike a typical member of The Great Race.
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* turned to face his king and spoke in his most polite, formal tone. "My liege, I am... honored... to present the Two-Legs known as Corey... the adopted hatchling of The Outlander known as Ellak the Archmage."
It was a long, long time before anyone said anything. It was the king who broke the silence, speaking to the small creature. "You are Ellak's heir?"
The little one bowed its head. "I have that honor, Your Magnificence."
The king hissed long and loud, not at all pleased. "Then you should be aware that as his heir, you are responsible for all his debts and obligations. Long ago, your master made a promise to Me, personally. A promise he has yet to fulfill."
The creature appeared completely unfazed by the king's declaration. "I am aware of this, Your Magnificence. I have come here today to discuss the matter--."
"*DISCUSS*?!" The king's roar was deafening, yet the creature did not flinch in the slightest way. "WHAT IS THERE TO *DISCUSS*?!"
The creature responded in a quiet, polite tone. "Your Magnificence... how can I possibly find You a suitable consort if I do not know what qualities You seek in such a companion?"
For a time, the king was struck dumb. When He finally did start making sounds again, Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* briefly thought his liege was choking... until it became clear that The King of The Dragons was, in fact... laughing. It had been so long since the king had laughed He was unused to performing the action, and it initially sounded rough and scratchy... but He quickly became better at it. Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* had not heard his liege laugh so hard and so well... since She-Whose-Name-Must-Never-Be-Spoken had left.
Eventually, the king calmed down, though He remained in good spirits. "Attend me, Corey, Heir of Ellak. We shall go into My chambers and discuss the matter at length." The little creature did as it was bid... and after several hours it left The King, and passed by Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* on its way out.
The dragon looked over the tiny creature once more. "You truly intend to fulfill that obligation?"
The creature replied in a deadpan tone. "I do."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* mulled that over. "It seems an impossible task... but it was a pleasure to see my liege in such good spirits again." He paused for a moment. "I apologize for my earlier behavior. It's just--"
"There's no need for you to explain." the little creature interjected. "I sometimes have difficulty being civil when my master is in a bad temper."
Grrr-HH-MMnnNNn-rrr-*UH* gave his best grin. "I think you and I shall become great friends, Corey... and I look forward to your next visit."