A grylan nudges Stormdancer and whispers quickly to him. Shortly afterward, with little fanfare, Elizarraraz, Queen of the Shkrill, arrives flanked by 3 of her own Shkrill, and escorted by almost a dozen Grylrans. She alights near the riverbank where Stormdancer is, her own clanmembers gripping positions above her in the trees and looking very much like vultures in countenance and demeanor. "Stormdancer!" she exclaims. "Its been _so_ long." She gapes her beak in a wide grin, her clanmembers bobbing their heads up and down and hissing.
Ausith says, "You will keep your Personality, Jeice. Just...most of your old memories will be gone."
Srric swoops in from above.
Srric has arrived.
"There are many memories I shall be glad to get rid of," Jeice's voice trails off as he notices Elizarraraz and her entourage. He blinks at the ugly countenanced gryphons and a huge block of discomfiture settles into his spine and legs.
Stormdancer rises to all fours, mantling slightly as he watches Elizarraraz sweep in for a landing. "Eli... how... pleassssant to see you again. Almost enough to give creedence to those who say the saying of a name calls the named." His eyes are narrowed, and his body language is... guarded.
Ausith looks up at the gathered Shkrill gryphons, and can't help but think the words "Peanut Gallery" when he looks at the ones shrilling from the trees. He shrugs the odd phrase off, and focuses his attention on Elizarrarraz.
Srric clutches tightly to his perch and leans well forward, gazing down on the assembled non-Shkrill like he is perusing the sphere's most enticing buffet.
Surukk tromps along from the riverbank, having just washed himself again. He *chrks* loudly to alert the Shkrill and Stormdancer to his presence. Windhaven is represented here by Ausith and he it seems.
Stormdancer advances to meet the honored guest, his stride and posture one of supreme confidence.... despite his less than cordial relationship with the Shkrill.
Elizarraraz gestures expansively with a claw. "I couldn't help but noticccce... well, your entire clan strung out against the river. Certainly there /can't/ be problems at home, can there be?"
Jeice watches Stormdancer with no tiny amount of frightened curiosity, and miraculously he stands his ground, observing Stormdancer while trying to keep the threatening gryphons in sight.
Ausith hmmphs. Count on a Shkrill to miss a billowing cloud of smoke a mile high.
Surukk steps forward. His crest and ruff are not up, however.
Ausith stands and joins Surukk, putting himself beside his friend and clan-fellow.
Surukk dips his head a few degrees. "Queen Elizarraraz, we meet again. I see you brought your entourage as well."
Stormdancer advances to easily within striking distance of the Shkrill queen. "Ahhh, your skillfull scouts were seen about... they may have noticed a few ssssmall changes. And you have come to extend the legendary Shkrill hosssspitality, mrhrrrr?"
Surukk glances towards Stormdancer, exchanging a Look.
Surukk steps forward as well, beside Stormdancer. Isn't THAT interesting.
Jeice steps closer to the focus, although his old body's senses tell him this is a very dangerous event occurring. No one has told him that these gryphons are Shkrill ones, after all.
Elizarraraz swivels her head toward the older Windhaven Trademaster. "Surukk, an honor of course. I've heard Windhaven fares very well these days..." she pauses, turning back to Stormdancer who comes closer. "... as compared to Grylra." She flicks her tail beneath the gaze of her personal guard. "If I had come to extend our legendary hospitality, dear Stormdancer, you wouldn't have been warned." she says sweetly.
Surukk cocks his head. "I am happy to say that Windhaven's prosperity is such that we have had plenty to share with our unfortunate brothers of Grylra, and our warriors have been brave enough to face the Krrzn'tai directly. Where have the Shkrill been, I wonder, Queen? In hiding?"
Elizarraraz fakes a gasp of shock. "Hiding?" she puts a claw to her breast, beak agape. "Surely not, dear Surukk. Why, my ambassadors offered to send our forces to help your unicorn mages any way they could - by keeping them safe from the Krrzn'tai or from... any other accidents. Yet, sadly, they were spurned."
Jeice settles down to his haunches, near where the action is grouping, near enough to hear and observe the interactions between the gryphons. He notices the clan name, Shkrill and looks even more interested in the events unfolding.
Stormdancer's facial feathers shift to what must be a faint smile at Surukk's words. "Now, now, Surukk. Elizarraraz has her own troubles at home, mrhrrr? Her great forces must understandably be concerned at this gathering, not so terribly far from the long-standing and righteous Shkrill borderrrs. Surely less than an hour's flight, even." He bows slightly... facetious, possibly... but definitely giving the Shkrill leader respect, despite the fencing of words.
Surukk shakes his head. "I've beaten your 'Best', before, and then let him live out of sheer pity, Elizarraraz..that...Khasra, was it? I imagine that based upon such poor performance, the offer was wisely turned down. But, his crippled prowess aside, what have you come to beg for?"
Telgan hisses under his breath at the mention of the little incident with the unicorns...
Stormdancer keeps his gaze upon Eli, though his feathers ruffle slightly in curiosity about this conflict. He's heard of the fight between Surukk and Khasra. Most have. But it's still an interesting thing to have said.
Telgan pads over to stand beside Surukk and Ausith.
Elizarraraz looks at Surukk. "Yes, perhaps it was wise for you to turn us down. Who knows how many Grylrans might have lived today had Windhaven pride allowed my clan to prove its devotion to expelling the invaders." She turns toward Stormdancer. "So many dead... they will be mourned in across the sphere." She ruffles her feathers a little. "Your own fighting ability is respectible, Surukk, I didn't come to doubt that. As for why I'm here... why, surely not to beg. I certainly wouldn't, since my troops are less than an hour away and rested and well fed, and the Grylrans here are tired, weary, homeless." She pauses, catching breath.
Ausith looks at Telgan, and grins. "I wonder what brings *them* out here? Cannot be anything good, I wager," he murmurs quietly to Telgan.
Telgan smiles a bit. "Greetings, Queen of the Shkrill. Come to show off your new.. toys?" he inquires, taking a step forward.
Stormdancer's eyes narrow slightly, and the irritable twitching of his tailtip gives notice that he hears Eli's words... and that they may possibly find more fertile ground than Surukk, or other Windhavens, would like to know.
Elizarraraz mms at Telgan. "I'm sure Sssrric will give you a personal demonstration, Telgan," she says sweetly.
Srric snorts openly, loudly, and derisively at the assertion of Khasra being Elizarraraz's best. Surukk should be so lucky that he never has to fight the Shkrill's best, though Srric eagerly wishes him that misfortune.
Telgan says, "I doubt that would be necessary. However. If you feel the need to prove your 'devotion' to our cause, I'm sure there is a way you may assist us."
Elizarraraz sniffs amusedly. "So I see that the Windhaven want our help *now*." She gapes her beak a little. "A little late for the Grylran aeries, but, better late than never, no?"
Surukk says, "The interesting thing about Windhaven Pride, Queen, is that we slow and fat flowerchewers managed to make it here, while the Shkrill couldn't seem to find either the strength or bravery. I suspect that is because of your internal troubles. You see Windhaven and Grylra side by side here, and we know what you have. We'll be delighted to save your lives... again... so you may devote your time to finding safer holes to burrow in."
Srric shifts just slightly, his tree rustling and creaking. The wicked curve of BoneScythe glimmers where it lays strapped in easy reach of his foreclaw.
Jeice comes to realize how much of an outsider he is here.
Telgan clears his throat. "Hem. Yes. Well. It seems that, among the other amusements you've found in Fort Crag, there is one or two artifacts we wish to purchase."
Surukk waves a foreclaw dismissively. "You could perhaps go and tend to... Shhharrraaahhh, with the toys in your burrows. We know she is alive, and returned. And she has her eyes on you, Elizarraraz."
Ausith chuckles at Eli's remarks. "You offering to kill Sharrah for her, Surukk?" he says, leaning close, but loudly enough that the others can hear.
Surukk draws the name out with some seeming delight. Shaaarrraaah.
Stormdancer 's head swivels to rest his gaze upon Surukk as he speaks. "Mrhrmmm... that one would cause dear Eli some considerable discomfort, I'd imagine. And now that the Krrzn'tai have tried their poisoned cutting limbs upon the great western aeries... perhaps now they might think it's the eastern lands that hold the fattest, easiest meat."
Srric hisses long, low, and soft, but carrying. Shaaarrrraaaah.... one he hopes to soon teach a personal lesson in why these ancient weapons were called WingReapers.
Surukk asides to Ausith, but clearly meant to be heard.... "The sad thing about the Shkrill is not that they are mocked, or that they are pitied... but rather, that they are so utterly inept at grasping any large situation. We gave them the chance to be diplomats, and traders, to gain some measure of respect---and the Shkrill failed, utterly, like a wing-cut fledgling. Crash! into the thickets! Nothing beyond the reach of a claw is within the Shkrill's understanding, it seems. It certainly explains the cowardice."
Telgan glances back at his comrades. "Please," he says in an undertone. "This isn't a good time for fledgeling-baiting games. I need to speak with her, and this is as good a time as any."
Ausith folds his ears down, in a display of mock sadness. "Oh, aye...such a sad case, really."
Elizarraraz flicks her wings along her side, her vulture-like entourage scanning her from above. "I welcome my former Queen's challenge. I do not fear her. Perhaps you'd like to see Sharrah at Fort Crag, Surukk? I'm sure she would be /so/ receptive to your trade deals. I encourage you to visit, if she were to wrest the monolith from me." She cocks her head toward Stormdancer. "Perhaps, and we will meet them with as much force as we feel necessary. Of course, no Grylran will be around to see that, since its likely the Krr'zentai will have eaten every one of you."
Surukk nods to Stormdancer. "Telgan, they have nothing that any of us could care about having, and certainly nothing that we couldn't replace or make better with our spare time. Besides... they aren't traders. They're _traitors_. ...the words only sound similar.
Stormdancer shakes his head, settling his weight comfortably onto his hindquarters. "The Grylra are not quite so well devoured as you might hope for, Elizarraraz. We take our idle leave here as we wait for the rains to wash away the dust and ashes of the bugs who were victim to our fury."
Telgan clears his throat, giving Surukk only a LOOK. It says, I'll explain later. Don't make this difficult. "A few items," he says loudly, trying to drag the conversation to someting more productive than insults. "...which will aid us in constructing the spells to repair the shield wall."
Surukk looks at Eli with half-lidded eyes. "You, Sharrah, there _is_ no difference. Just the color of feathers and the form of the posturing." He glances at Srric. "Will you please let us know when this visit is meant to impress someone...?"
Elizarraraz hisses a little at Telgan. "That's right. We have nothing that could _possibly_ help defeat the bugs and save Grylran lives. Listen to your master, he is wise. He's right after all, we Shkrill couldn't _possibly_ be able to grasp the machinations of Windhaven aspirations."
Elizarraraz looks over at Stormdancer. "I came here not to beg anything, but to offer you the chance to save some of your clan's lives. I'll understand, of course, if you put your faith in the power of the Wirtkil mountains."
Telgan rolls his eyes. Ayeeeee.. "When you would like to discuss the matters, please let me know."
Surukk dryly comments, "All you _have_, Queen-of-the-moment, is the remains of a clan that once mattered, and the leftovers of those who lived before you with more dignity and bravery than... what is left... of the Shkrill. You are playing with the bones of the past, unsealed from an armory left by better gryphons, but the Shkrill themselves are... " He pauses to choose the correct word, and let it drip with poison, "..outdated."
Jeice sits there, for the most part inert, listening to the puzzling conversation, not grasping a concept except there seems to be as much conflict with these Shkrill as there are with the insects others try to tell him about.
Stormdancer mrhrrrs, looking briefly at Telgan, who seems to know something about all this. "Ssso... what is it that you wish to speak of, Eli. What treasures have you unearthed from your clan's.... greater age."
Telgan mutters, "A greater age for all of us."
Elizarraraz shrugs it off. Of all the clans, the Shkrill are completely untouched by the insect holocaust. Her gryphon wings are complete and undamaged, and they've all been fortified with weapons of the Shkrill armoury. "We honor our ancestors, dear Surukk. Its a shame you've forgotten them." She cocks her head toward Stormdancer. "Srric can show you a little something we're outfitting many gryphon wings with," she says.
Elizarraraz sneers a little at Telgan. "As for you, we offered our help. You turned us away. We don't offer twice."
Elizarraraz hopes Stormdancer heard that last part. We don't offer twice.
Telgan says, "Only a Shkrill would think robbing a caravan constituted help."
Ausith watches the gryphon named Srric, wondering what the little drake will do next. A known rapist and murderer, he puts nothing past him.
Srric gathers himself and springs from his tree, descending on the group in a wing-flared rush of wind. As his hindpaws touch down he flicks long tapered wings, rearing as one claw draws BoneScythe with a wicked hiss of metal on leather. Brandished demonstratively overhead, the crescent blade glints with reflection, and more, as ripples of reddish light play along the edge. Srric does love drama.
Jeice wishes he was back in the sanctuary of the estate back on QR-50, where he can be doing something creative, instead of sitting here, witness to a conflict that is surely none of his concern.
Telgan jumps back half a length, and freezes, with one foreclaw in the pouch on his chest...
Srric readies BoneScythe for battle, sending bright red sparkles along the edge of the blade.
Jeice's golden-flecked yellow eyes spring open wide as he is drawn out of his secretive reflections by Srric's drama.
Stormdancer mantles and snarls quietly at the flagrent display of ancient magics, his weight settled evenly upon paws and talons, wings shifted slightly from his body. He looks only momentarily at the weapon itself, then fixes his gaze on Srric... the unstable one, even more sociopathic than the average Shkrill. The Grylra guards who escorted Elizarraraz and her envoy to this spot tense as well, prepared to attack if their leader should give the word.
Surukk glances at Srric and appears---well---_bored_. "Does THIS toy have the side effect of expelling the cowardice from a Shkrill heart? We've fought and died but we faced it as warriors. Not like the fearful little Shkrill!" He laughs. "You peep like little hatchlings, Shkrill, but when it comes time for the fight you're away at the Crag, impressing yourselves with how clever your plans are, but all the rest of us know, it's still just hiding away. The way it is, Shkrill, is this: You'll fight the Krrzn'tai to save your own skins, or you'll die, because they'll come for you. No amount of pretending you're helping Grylra, Windhaven or Shrilk will change that fact. It's very well known you little Shkrill don't _have_ the bravery it takes to defend a Sphere, as your absence in each fight has proven. You fledglings should stay in your little burrows where you cower---or wait---was that "the plan to let the Krrzn'tai kill off the Windhaven and Grylrans so we can then be supreme over all of Shrilk" plan? You're a joke, Elizarraraz." He glances at Srric. "And your little fledgling too."
Surukk chirks a burbling laugh at Elizarraraz and Srric. His feathers shiver, he starts laughing so hard.
Ausith mantles slightly, ready to leap on this creature, should he move to harm anybody. No doubt, however, the warriors here will handle such a threat better than he ever could.
Jeice glances at Surukk, completely perplexed.
Telgan 's foreclaw slowly slides out of his chest-pouch, holding a small, wooden square. He glares at the weapon in Srric's claws, growling softly. That's ancient magic, Great Magic.. and the Shkrill don't deserve to have it.
Elizarraraz shrugs at Surukk's rant. "We don't go where we're not wanted, dear Surukk. That's all. Surely you Windhaven would have been a little perturbed at my sending an entire Shkrill wing into Windhaven territory. We offered to help you, you said "No". That's all there is to it. Now I extend a similar offer to Grylra. We'll see if the Grylran remain Windhaven puppets until they are extinct."
Surukk has to sit down, he laughs so much. "You mean this was _it_? You came all this way to threaten you have "well rested" cowards and some toys in the claws of a pet maniac? He'd burst his heart before a fight finished, if he was chased hard enough to be IN one!"
Ausith nudges Surukk. "Rrrr...I do not think this is very productive, just now," he murmurs.
Surukk says, "Bring your wings, Elizarraraz, and let them all die off. More food for everyone who matters in Shrilk. You had your chance at being a gryphon, and the Shkrill remained significantly less."
Ausith whispers "And no need to make the crazy one any madder than he usually is, either."
Surukk whispers "So what? Bring it on." to Ausith.
Srric does not glance towards Elizarraraz, his black gaze hard and unussually lucid on Surukk... but no less murderous than ever before. "Let me kill the fat stoolpacker for you, my Queen. He will not be mourned, or missed... especially not missed when his skull is used as your urinal?" His head tilts slightly, sizing up Suruk's guffawing form. "He can have one taste of -real- combat before his foppish life bleeds out on my claws."
Surukk looks at Srric and dryly comments, "My, such big words you've been trained to speak." Then looks back to Eli.
Elizarraraz raises an eyeridge at Surukk. "Oh, pardon me, did I miss something? I was speaking to Stormdancer as leader of the Grylrans. I didn't know you have taken on that role."
Tensely, Jeice turns his attention to Stormdancer, deeply wondering what his response will be to the offer of help.
Elizarraraz puts a claw on Srric. He might get Surukk, but he won't get several hundred Grylrans. There'd be no purpose. She doesn't say any of this... she just puts her claw on him.
Srric tilts his head, and murmurs to Elizarraraz, "The only role this wallowing tub knows involves his tail cocked over his back...."
Surukk says, "As you have seen, Windhaven and Gryla already stand and fly together. And we fight together. You are mocked for good reason, Elizarraraz, because your posturing has no value now. The Shkrill are proven cowards. The best help you can give to Shrilk is no help at all. When the fighting is over, we'll bring you some food."
Stormdancer turns, rather conspicuously, from Srric. "Enough." he says in a low, forceful growl... bordering on a snarl. "We will talk later, Eli. When the Windhaven are not sssso.... interested." He levels a less than pleasant gaze at Surukk. "It may be that the Shkrill have sssomething of interest that will not be quite so ... concerned with repaymentss and laws."
Srric is restrained by the claw... barely. He's unmistakably tensed and ready to strike without an instant's hesitation, but Eli's word is stronger than law for the wirey gryphon.
Ausith turns to Telgan, and looks questioningly at him.
Surukk looks levelly at Stormdancer. "Grylra will do as Grylra will, always. Grylra understands honor and debt and love of others. Grylra _has_ bravery."
Telgan says, "Surukk, enough."
Surukk boredly turns his back on Srric and Eli. "I only offered once, and you failed the Shkrill and all of Shrilk."
Jeice can literally see the unease in the air, and his ear tufts flick helter-skelter. He tries to focus on everyone at once and comes back even more dazed.
Srric gives Surukk a wide, bright grin-gape, then snaps his notched beak loudly and sharply. The challenge is unmistakable.
Ausith's confusion is plain on his feathered face. Somewhere along the way, he lost hold of whatever was going on, and, for the moment, looks a little dazed.
Surukk smacks Telgan firmly across the face with a wing-joint. "Be silent, child, I have had enough of your snide comments and feeble attempts at power-brokering. You are no mage, you are an attempt at one, and you have no bearing upon this Sphere's fate. You are out of your depth."
Surukk stalks away. "Fledglings."
Srric starts to take a step after Surukk.
Elizarraraz bows, lowering her head to both Surukk and Stormdancer. "I defer to your wisdom in making the right decision," she says. "As I said, Surukk - we offered to help the Windhaven, and you said No. Something about not being in Shkrill debt. Ever concerned with goodsss." She chuckles a little, and looks toward Stormdancer. "When the Grylrans speak for the Grylrans, come seek the Shkrill - for we have much in common. Farewell." She flaps her wings several times, taking her entourage with her.
Telgan stares at Surukk, beak literally hanging open.
Elizarraraz wings her way into the air.
Elizarraraz has left.