OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part 10

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu has taken a different shape than is usual for her. A dragon, yes, but one of quite different build and coloration!

This shape is more serpentine, although it still has four legs and wings. Her body and her wings are covered in feathers that are all the colors of the rainbow. She fusses with some of her wing feathers, the claws of this shape far smaller, as dexterous as human hands.

"How do I look?" she asks, a little nervous about her appearance.

Comments

[brave_kreyu]

"I am not certain what it is I enjoy," Xenophon admits. "I know farming, was raised to follow in my father's footsteps as his only son."

"There is a peace in it, tending the land. But the farm is gone, the legacy of my father, and his father, and his father's father."

[27_53]

"You will find it, when you have less to worry about. Once this 'debt' has been dealt with and your sister freed, you will be able to truly LIVE, not just survive."

Skellig stirs the contents of his bowl with his spoon.

"It is an adjustment. Like grief at times, oddly enough. But you will learn how to live once more."

[brave_kreyu]

Xenophon nods.

"I do not mean to pry, Sir," he begins. "But that sounded, sounded like you were speaking from experience."

"Was it from before...." he glances at Kreyu, sound asleep on his lap.

[27_53]

"It was," Skellig nods softly, glancing down at Kreyu. "I was in a rather rough state when we first met, and I have grown quite a bit since that time. I am grateful for the things she has helped me discover."

He lightly runs his fingertips over Kreyu's ears, smiling as she shifts towards his touch, still fast asleep.

"Both through this world in our travels and on a more personal level."

[brave_kreyu]

"They do say that three color cats are lucky." He chuckles softly. "Perhaps she is your luck, and mine," he quips.

He gives a small yawn, frowns at his own 'weakness'.

[27_53]

The frown is noticed, but Skellig does not comment outright on it.

"You have done well to gather firewood, this will last us easily until daybreak," he says. "With the wards Kreyu has put around our camp here, we will not need to keep watch."

Nevermind Skellig could hear people or creatures coming from a mile away...

He glances down at Kreyu. "The trick will be getting myself into my roll without waking the sleeping cat," he muses.

[brave_kreyu]

"You might be able to shift her a bit, into your arms," Xenophon suggests?

Xenophon will slide into his own bedroll and fall asleep fairly quickly.

So long as he's careful, he can shift Kreyu into his arms without fully 'waking' her.

[27_53]

Using his ability to make things lighter works in his favor; he carries her carefully as he goes and places one more hunk of wood into the fire, then settles himself down on the bedroll; with his wings as they are, he tends to sleep on his stomach, but in this case he takes a position on his side, his arms stretched out enough in front of him in a circle to give her a 'nest' to curl up in next to his shoulder and face.

Her purring is quite soothing, as she is doing so softly, even asleep as she is!

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu curls up in the 'nest' he's made for her, content.

He might still be awake when the stars come out, when the moon rises. An owl calls, bats fly above, night creatures are about. There's nothing dangerous to THEM though.

They can sleep soundly until dawn.

[27_53]

Sleeping outdoors is comfortable, familiar in ways he can't quite describe in words from a human tongue. Hearing the sounds of the owl's call, the bats as they hunt, other animals moving about (staying well clear of them - not only are there people, but there is fire, and the scent of predators) in the dark... all of it is soothing, in a sense.

And her purring added to that makes sleep come easily for him.

(He stays light, as a precaution, but that is habit more than anything.)

When he stirs awake as the sky lightens, there is fur in his face, nearly in his nose - someone had gotten closer overnight!

[brave_kreyu]

She did! The lure of her husband too strong to ignore! One feline eye opens, slowly, then closes. She snuggles just that little bit closer to Skellig.

Xenophon is starting to wake, although not quickly. Someone is not a morning person.

[27_53]

Xenophon also deserves to rest after the stress of flight upon a dragon's back! Skellig will not fault him for that.

Without moving his body or opening his eyes, he shifts his hand to let it rest lightly upon her back; as close to a 'hug'as he can manage with her in this form.

[brave_kreyu]

She presses into his touch just a little, purrs louder.

"Morning," she says at last, voice soft. "Wish I could kiss you."

[27_53]

Leaning down, he presses his lips to the top of her head, kissing her fur between her ears.

"It is the thought that counts," he whispers.

[brave_kreyu]

"Thank you, love. I, I find I want a great many things. To wrap my arms around you, brush your hair out of your eyes, help preen your feathers. I have never missed having hands so acutely, before."

She rubs her cheek against him. "I should hunt my meal before Xenophon is fully awake. Just have to remember not to go UNDER the water this time."

[27_53]

"We will make up for all of that once we have finished our work in Mycenae," he promises.

Casting a glance in Xenophon's direction - he has rolled over and buried his face down into his pillow - one corner of Skellig's mouth lifts in a smirk. "You should, but I think we are allowed another few moments here before you must hunt."

[brave_kreyu]

"Then I would spend them with you, like this," she answers. "Unless there are things you must see to?"

[27_53]

"Nothing that is pressing," he says gently. "Other than my desire to keep you close."

With another long day ahead of them, they ALL deserve a bit of sleeping in, right? Right.

[brave_kreyu]

They DO deserve a bit of sleeping in, of course they do!

Or they don't deserve it and they do it ANYWAY, whichever.

Still, eventually Xenophon begins to stir in earnest and Kreyu bids Skellig goodbye for a moment to go hunting.

(He can hear her heartbeat, clear as anything, know that she's alright.)

[27_53]

In the time that she takes her leave to hunt, Skellig makes good use of the time to busy himself with briefly freshening up (just a wipedown with a linen cloth) and gathering more water to boil for breakfast.

"I know we packed a few varieties of tea we picked up while in Amikaya..."

By the time she returns, he and Xenophon are both halfway through with a light meal and Skellig has a cup of hot tea sat beside him here he is perched on his blanket.

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu can't come back in cat shape, alas, the meal needs to digest and there isn't room enough for it in her feline form.

It's hard to miss her, sparkly as this dragon shape is in the sunlight. "Good morning," she says to Xenophon who gives a greeting in return.

[27_53]

The 'bird' portion of Skellig's brain takes over - SHINY! - when he sees her feathers glittering in the sunlight, and his mood brightens greatly.

"Good morning, my love." He smiles warmly. "I figured it was safe to start eating while you were away from camp, give us all enough time to digest our food before we would set out to the sky again."

[brave_kreyu]

"A very good idea, love," she tells him. She is ENTIRELY dry, thank you very much, and her feathers are in order.

She raises her head, tastes the air. "And the wind is blowing in our favor today."

"You think we will make it there today?" Xenophon asks. Kreyu nods in answer. He seems both excited and nervous at the prospect of their arrival.

[27_53]

"Perhaps you were right about luck," Skellig says to Xenophon. "On several counts."

Quick travel means this could be Xenophon and his sister's last day as slaves! If they are able to find the man who holds the 'contracts easily...

[brave_kreyu]

THIS trip proves to be much shorter, as they can see the city they are headed for by mid afternoon!

She lands in a set of ruins outside the city, concealed from prying eyes.

"I'm nervous," Xenophon admits.