Author: Vela, Posted: Tue Dec 8, 2020 6:50 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Vela wasn’t a stranger to getting into tavern fights. She also wasn’t a pushover and had taught herself how to defend herself pretty early on from her thieving years in Vilpamolan. “COME ON YOU CHEEKY BASTARDS,” Vela screamed at the top of her lungs as Drake was trying to find her.

“You ain’t got shit on this angel,” she was yelling left and right as her speech slurred and she took a bottle and broke it over someone else. “I’ll fucking shank ya! You want a whore go to the brothel,” she yelled at the first guy she threw her drink on.

“Oh, go fuck you-” he got hit by Vela’s sandal as she took off her shoes and started to beat the man.

“No, you go fuck yourself,” she took someone’s drink and poured it on him before continuing to beat him with her sandal. “All of you are assholes and you don’t stop to fucking think about what it’s doing to others.” That came from somewhere but immediately she was tight-lipped as she kicked the asshole into the wall.

“Now, who's going to pay the damages,” the owner yelled.


“RAILE TALON TELL HIM VELA SENT YOU,” she yelled as she suplexed someone else now.

Author: Firesong, Posted: Tue Dec 8, 2020 6:29 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Being a draconian meant that alcohol had a lesser effect on Drake than he would have liked. It would take quite a lot of alcohol for him to even start to feel the effects, let alone get tipsy or even drunk, but Vela, despite her gung ho attitude, seemed to drink like a fish, and it hit her quick as a result.

So when a man came up trying to hit on her, she went off almost immediately. The result was a punch being swung almost instantly. Despite being almost completely wasted, she ducked surprisingly fast, and the punch hit Drake square in the jaw. Vela was back up, swaying with the sudden brash movement she had made.

Drake, meanwhile, had fallen off the barstool, and into the person next to him, spilling the man’s drink. At once, the draconian was shoved off, and he ended up on the floor with an angry patron standing above him. What was meant to be a proposition gone wrong had steadily turned itself into a full on tavern brawl.

The chain reaction was almost instant, and before Drake could even get up, half the tavern was already throwing punches left and right. The immediate thought on Drake’s mind was to find Vela and get her out, but in order to do that, he needed to at least clear a path to where she was. With some powerful punches thrown left and right, Drake cleared the two steps it took to find where Vela had been.

Hopefully she hadn’t moved.

Author: Vela, Posted: Tue Dec 8, 2020 6:17 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

“You can share the bed with me, idiot. You probably need it more than I do but since my back is fucked up I don’t mind sharing with you. I’m not shy so unless you are… You are fine to sleep with me.”

After a hot minute, she came down and found the tavern and stood by Drake, “Come with me, dragon boy.”

She was getting looking for being in only a shirt but honestly fuck them. She got them to the bar and plopped herself up on the stool. “Start the drinks.”

“Coin or tab?”

“Tab. Put it in Raile Talon’s name.” Oh, he was going to think she was just fucking precious. The drinks started to pour in and she started to down them. She didn’t talk much until a man approached her.

“In an outfit like that,” the man started.

“In an outfit like this you can go fuck yourself,” Vela took what drink she had left and threw it all over the man. “Get get easy pussy somewhere else dick bag.”

Author: Firesong, Posted: Tue Dec 8, 2020 5:48 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

With that, Drake and Vela left the shop and made their way towards the inn. The night was quiet and the sky was lit up with stars. It didn’t take them long to reach the inn, and with a note from Raile, the two secured a single room. Key word, single. Raile had some pull, but it was late, and the inn was full up.

“I don’t mind sharing. It’s the same as in the cave. I can take the floor,” Drake said. It was hard for him to admit, but he did want the bed. Having not slept properly for ages, being locked in a crystal and all, he wanted at least a night’s rest, but that wasn’t seeming likely anytime soon. “In fact, I think I’ll hit up a tavern for awhile. I could use a drink after everything.”

Drake was in the room long enough to set the majority of his gear down, and then made his way back downstairs, asking for directions to where the tavern might be. He didn’t have much silver on him, but enough that it would be a worthwhile trip to wind down.

And give me time to think. At the speed that everything was happening, he hadn’t had a chance to really process everything. The crystal, his memories, and his new partnership with Vela. A night like this would do wonders for it…

Author: Vela, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 8:14 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Vela waved her hand, “I forgot Rex was here. My bad, it’s hard to change habits after two thousand years and I’ve never really been around kids very long.”

Simone was comforting Rex in with Leilah before coming out with Everett. He seemed a bit happier now as Simone was wiping his nose, “Leilah says he is fine. He should be all better in a few days. She gave him some kind of berry mixture to help him though.” She held up the small jam jar. “He likes it.”

Everett let out a squeal and kicked his feet for the first time in a few days, “Yeah you feel better, don’t you? Auntie Lei fixed you right now.” Simone rubbed her nose to his and passed him to Lewis.

Vela tilted her head a bit, “So what the hell is your story anyway? I’ve never seen a cup break like that except just before I dumped Rhenakos.”

Simone tilted her head a bit, “I was fey-cursed and from a place called Auclair. It was a very long time ago possibly before you were born. Lewis saved me and killed me to free me.”

“No wonder Rhenakos said you lot were worse,” Vela was blunt but Simone just smiled.

“I wouldn’t say worse but Lewis and I have been very blessed with what we’ve received. So what is your story?”

“I took eight bolts. Six into my back, one in my wing, and one shot off my other wing. I work for Raile as his treasure hunter. Drake saved me so I am repaying him by getting him work,” she pointed towards Drake.

On the topic of rooms, she shook her head, “I’ll get a room in an inn with Drake since we’ll be working together we might as well get used to it. Besides you know me… It’s under the stars or a tavern room. Always has been. I need to keep on the move.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 8:03 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Rhenakos rolled his eyes, “You only say that now because you’re a sassy cunt. You weren’t complaining then, nor the twenty or so other times you practically hopped on and-”

The younger Rex put his hands to his ears, “I REALLY DON’T NEED TO BE HEARING THIS!” With that, he walked into the check up room, gladly taking that over the conversation that the adults were having in the room.

Raile shook his head, “I swear, that kid is going to have more trauma than he really needs growing up.” He looked at Vela and Rhenakos. “Do try to keep the stories a little tame around the kids, all right? I know it’s hard to do. Especially for you, Vela.” He gave her a look. “Anyway…once they’re done, we can hole you up in a room at the inn down the road. Unless Osiria wants to share a bed, in which case Rhenakos can sleep on the spare couch.”

The hunter rolled his eyes, “If that’s the case, I might as well steal Kali’s bed. She ain’t gonna be using it since she’s on another binge.” If the woman wasn’t ‘married’ to Raile, it was because she was more married to her work, even though the twins and Raile had a domestic partnership of sorts. It was an odd little family they had.

“Whatever works,” Raile said as he waved his hand. “Just as long as the kids get enough sleep. It’s hard enough as it is….”

Author: Vela, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 7:48 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Then it hit Vela when he said dad. “… You created a mini-you and he is just as bad at pick up lines as you! I REMEMBER YOU USING THAT LINE ON ME!” She was poking Rhenakos in the chest. “Something about falling from heaven too. Some real stupid shit.”

The angel took there and put her hands on her hips, “What is with you and fucking up at whore houses.”

“Oh, I have to hear this one,” Osiria put Izzy in her lap and looked up at her husband.

Simone held Everett and left with Leilah so the doctor could look him over. Everett seemed miserable but otherwise fine.

Vela set the scene, “So I met Rhenakos in a tavern in Vilpamolan. I was scouting for someone who could help me with this hell of a job Raile found out about. I was going to find a sealed tomb out in the desert and raid it for all the goodies.” She used her hands as she spoke. “And I found this asshole with three women in his lap. He saw me asking around for an escort and volunteered. The problem was we had to go get the information from another hunter who didn’t want to give it up.

It was crazy. The hunter was a horny bastard and he was in this brothel in Mamlak. So I managed to talk one of the whores into trading places with me. They were numbered and his favorite number was the one I traded with. Whatever to get the job done could always just have Rhenakos knock his ass out. Well, Rhenakos had to also go and be there so he ordered a whore too. Only he forgot my number and called it.”

Osiria facepalmed lightly. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes. So the thing about this whore house is that everything is out in the open. Everyone can see what you are doing and so on and so forth. I didn’t know this when we decided on this route. We had no choice but to go through with Rhenakos’s order and let me tell you… He’s a fucking pig.”

Author: Hellebore, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 7:35 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

The whole fact that Rex was having a checkup had put him into an angsty mood. But then again, he was the son of Rhenakos, which in, a sense, meant that almost everything put him in an angsty mood. Still, the ten year old took one look at Vela when he walked in, and his eyes widened. He tried to smoothly approach her, and with a smirk and a wink, tried a famously (bad) pickup line.

“Hey, do you come he-” he stopped. “Wait, is that my dad’s shirt?” he looked to see Rhenakos with his arms crossed, standing with a half smirk.

“Oh, so this is how you treat someone you meet for the first time?” the hunter asked. “Rex, this is Vela. Vela, this is my son Rex. It’s…complicated.”

Lewis scoffed, “Please. You hired a whore instead of a healer and got what you paid for.”

“She did patch me up though,” Rhenakos replied back heatedly. “Besides…you try looking up the right person when you’re half dead.”

“I don’t fuck up,” Lewis replied. “And the rare times that I do, I have backup.” He looked to Simone. “Speaking of, let’s get this out of the way.” He put his hand on Rex’s shoulder. “Everett first. Simone is telling me he isn’t dying, but…” He gave a look to Simone, who merely smiled and nodded. “Right…Everett first.”

Despite his calm demeanor, Simone knew that Lewis was panicking on the inside. But it was just a cold. And a light one at that.

Author: Vela, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 7:19 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

“Yeah… He hates you.” Vela chuckled a bit. “I don’t think his jaw looks right from the last time you punched him across the face.”

Once she was dried off she just took his shirt which was big enough to be a dress on her, “No thanks on the pants. Your shirts still cover me pretty good… If not more.” Did he get bigger? She tilted her head a bit. Or did she shrink? “I’m sure he’ll add it onto my tab. He always does.”

Vela smirked a bit as Raile spoke to her and nodded, “Yeah, we managed to get any of the metal out of the wounds too. Hopefully, she doesn’t charge you too much for the home visit.” She was still surprised that a goddess was related to Leilah and Kalina.

“You should tell Drake about how we got you started into the trade business.” She hugged Raile from behind and pulled at his face. “How we dressed up like fortune tellers and charged an obscene amount of money for fortunes.” Looking at Drake she picked up Raile’s cup of coffee. “I can read tea leaves and I have this thing when bad omens are about to happen.”

Just then the store door open and the Terrowins came in. As Simone crossed the thershold of the shop the cup that Vela held shattered. “Just… like that.” Her eyes went to Simone, “You are about to have bad luck.”

“I think the omen is her,” Leilah spoke up. “This is Simone, Lewis, baby Everett, and Rex.”

“How the hell does someone become an omen?” Vela stepped away from Raile.

“Long story short I’m a creature that death follows or so the legends say. I’m not entirely too sure myself. Lady Angela made me what I am.” Simone answered it casually. “We’re here for Everett’s cold and Rex needs his check-up this month just to make sure he’s gaining weight now.”

Vela’s eyes went to Rex and he looked… a little familiar to her. Where had she seen his face?

Author: Raize, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 7:09 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

The hunter sighed. “I don’t know if I exactly trust this Drake guy just yet, but I’m glad he was at least there to help. What was the bastards name…Cletus? Clarence?” He thought for a moment. “Ah right…Claude.” Rhenakos made a mental note to talk to Lewis later about a certain contract. After all, the assassin did owe him for the last ‘job’ he was required to do.

The hunter shivered, trying to suppress the memories. “Here, let’s get the rest of you taken care of.” He focused on helping get Vela cleaned up, and the two of them dried off and made their way to the room Rhenakos was staying in. He offered her a pair of his shirt and pants, which she graciously accepted for the time being. It was better than nothing.

“Raile can probably get you something better tomorrow,” he said as they descended back into the main shop.

Drake had preoccupied himself with talking to Raile, who had been telling stories of the days he had with Vela before he had settled down in the shop. They had an off and on kind of relationship when it came to cave diving. There were some jobs that required a bit of Raile’s finesse, not to mention the absurd amount of artifacts and other useful trinkets he had. He was just finishing up one story about how they managed to navigate a half destroyed, rotting ship out of a particularly nasty cove when the two came back.

“You look a lot better, Vela bean,” Raile said with a smile. “We’ve got an appointment with Lady Angela tomorrow to take a look at what we can do with your wing. Until then, I’d say just rest the best you can.”

Author: Vela, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 6:54 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

They had always been rough around the edges with each other which is why they had tried to begin with. Rhenakos was just late on the growing up bit though and their chance was lost. Vela often blamed the demon he was hunting down for the bad omen signs that followed him.

Even with her wing missing Rhenakos made quick work of her and found herself almost questioning why she had let him leave to begin with. Until it dawned on her that it was she who had in fact ditched him. Letting him stay with her in the bath she leaned back enough to look up at him as he washed her.

“I can see you are trying Rhenakos. You and she seem to fit really well together.” She hummed softly as she closed her eyes. “You’ve grown up Rhen. I’m happy to see that. You’re right it’s a bit too late for us though but I am glad you have Os and Izzy.” She could only assume that Os was okay with him fucking around since he did it so openly where they lived. “If anything I bet Izzy is just like you and her… So it will take a bit of rearing.”

Her voice got a bit quiet as she reached behind her and found his hand, “For what it’s worth I know. I do care about you.” Her eyes found him again and she offered a smile, “but you were headed down a bad path and it hurt me to watch. The whole thing after Osiria’s death too…” It sucked to talk about feelings when she wasn’t used to showing how soft she was. “And if I had stayed…” Did she have to say it? She would have been the one he killed.

She patted his hand. “I bet it looks super bad doesn’t it?” She couldn’t see her back but from Drake’s reaction, it had to be bad. "Drake scared them off and I think Sularia's military drove them away so I have no idea where the hell he ended up or I would give him a piece of my mind." She sounded tired now that she was relaxing in the water.

Author: Raize, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 6:44 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

There was a half knock at the door, and Rhenakos slipped into the washroom. If Vela noticed him, she didn’t seem to care, and he stripped off his own clothes, and came towards her, taking a look at her body. There were new scars since the last time they had seen each other, and he frowned. Without a warning, he came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“Hey Vela,” he said with a grin. “Thought you could use a bit of company!”

With the force only Vela could have supplied, she elbowed him in the stomach, and as he bent over coughing, leaned over into his face with a smile. “Why hello, Rhen..” She hadn’t exactly kicked him out, and this had always been the way they interacted. For Vela and Rhenakos, this was almost romantic.

Almost.

Rhenakos recovered, and roughly countered by pinning her down on the floor. The two were smiling at each other. Business as usual. Once they had run it out of their system, Rhenakos offered to help clean her up. Between her wing, and the newer bolt wounds she had received, she could definitely use it.

“You know…” Rhenakos said as he gently scrubbed behind her lower wing joints, “Os and I really do get along. It may not seem like it, but…we’re trying. Izzy was…a problem, but we’re trying to get back on track. I’ve calmed down a lot.” There was sincerity in his voice. “And I know it can’t work between us…I’m not what you’re looking for. But I’ll always be here to help when I can. You know that…”

Author: Vela, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 6:27 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Vela glared towards Rhenakos, “Yeah, I do. Though Drake ain’t half as mouthy as you are. At least I’m making progress.”

Leilah made a face as she looked the wound over more, “It’s no good I thought I could be the one to remove the stump but I’ll have to call my mother.” Her eyes went to Raile, “Gods know what she’ll charge for this since she doesn’t know Vela.”

Vela stood up making a face and looked at Raile, “I’m going to go get cleaned up.” Excusing herself she made her way upstairs and found the washroom. Carefully she pulled her clothes off and sealed her wings so she could get the water going.

It was hot and the steam felt good on her skin as she put some herbal soak in the water. It would sting back at least it would feel good on her after a hot minute.

Author: Firesong, Posted: Mon Dec 7, 2020 6:22 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

“I don’t know exactly how much credit I deserve in that rescue,” Drake replied modestly. It was true that, had he not been there, Vela would probably have met a gruesome end. Still, he didn’t quite feel like it was best for him to take all of the credit. Vela had helped him, a total stranger with little memory, and even found some work. It wasn’t exactly the fairest of exchanges, but Drake was more than accepting of it.

“So Drake,” Raile started as he took a sip of tea. “What about you? You’ve been fairly quiet. Vela says you saved her, but other than that we don’t know much about you.”

The draconian glanced to Vela, and then to the group. It was hard to really tell them the truth of the matter, about how he barely had any memories that were worth anything. He thought for a moment, and came up with a middle ground answer. “I’m more of just a wanderer. I’ll admit I’m not sure how I ended up in the crystal, but before that I just traveled a lot. Nothing too fancy.” It wasn’t the perfect answer, but he wasn’t sure exactly what would be.

“Oooh, a mysterious boy toy,” Rhenakos cooed. “Sounds like you have a type, Vela.” Between him, the pirate captain, and now Drake, it definitely seemed she had a strong and mysterious type. Though, in Rhenakos’ case, the mystery vanished pretty quick.

Drake merely sighed at the comment, “You…really have a way with words, don’t you.”

Author: Vela, Posted: Fri Dec 4, 2020 8:19 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

“Hey, you liked this sassy shit so much you porked it a few dozen times in two days and we fucked that job up for Raile… Or doesn’t he know that’s why I botched it?” They had kept it a secret for long enough and now she had ammo against him. “It was before you found Rhenakos.” It had been a big job and Vela owed Raile a lot of money because of it but she had mostly paid it off now.

The angel sucked in her lips when she realized Raile heard her. “When the fuck did you get super hearing.” Vela kicked herself up in a seat next to Drake with Drake being between her and Rhenakos. She was watching Izzy practically eat him alive. “That’s a little hellion you got. She acts just like you.”

Finally, they discussed the past two years and Vela found herself out of the loop. “Man, look at everyone finding love and having babies. I’m jealous. But at least I’m not Mrs. Rhenakos, no offense Osiria.”

“None taken.” Os was just glad someone else was giving Rhenakos some shit instead of her.

Kalina was looking Vela over and Leilah had the medical kit out tending to her wing. “That was before I knew how he was. We met on an off chance when I needed a partner for that big ass job you handed me. I knew I would need back up and he was looking for a job so I hired him. We fucked around quite a bit and tried to make things work but… Rhenakos is Rhenakos.”

Leilah waved her hand, “I’m happy for Lewis and Simone. They have a big family after everything they went through. They are a lot more stable than most families considering Lewis’s occupation.” The twins were in Raile and Kalina’s laps asleep. Their bright red hair was an unusual sight for Vela to see but she noted that it matched their mother’s hair. Leilah got out a few tools, “I’m going to have to cut it off… Completely.”

“I figured… I got hit with cannon fire and impaled to Drake. If it wasn’t for him, I would be dead right now. That crazy-ass air pirate ex-boyfriend of mine was the one who gave the order to kill me.” She explained to Rhenakos who had the unfortunate meeting with the guy as well. “I blew up his airship though. Gonna be a hot minute before he can get it back into the skies~ So Raile… Twin wives huh… Never took you for a guy who could multitask tits that well.”

Author: Firesong, Posted: Fri Dec 4, 2020 8:05 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Rhenakos rolled his eyes at Vela, but when she finally called him Rhen, he glared at her. “How about you not call me Rhen, you sassy shit.” There was about to be more talk from Rhenakos, but Osira passed Izori off to him, and he ended up having the girl start to climb all over him. She proceeded to start gnawing at his scalp.

While all of this was going on in the background with Rhenakos, Raile smirked. “It’s been quite awhile. We have a lot to talk about…but since you seem to know what I’m about to say, maybe we should skip it?” he joked. Despite the look on Vela’s face, he offered for them to come to the back room and sit for awhile.

By the time Rhenakos and Raile had gone over the past two years, Leilah and Kalka had joined in, and tea had been made. As Raile sipped on his tea, he smirked. “So you and Rhenakos, then, Vela? He does seem to have a type. Not surprising, though. I had a feeling.” Not much was missed by the sly merchant.

Drake was confused at most of it. It seemed they had a lot to say, but none of it was overly relevant to him. Still, it was a nice change of pace to being stuck in a giant crystal, so it was better than nothing. “It seems like you all have quite a bit of…history.” That was, of course, an understatement.

Rhenakos rolled his eyes, “You have no fucking clue. And we haven't even mentioned the Terrowins. Knowing them, they’ll show up here with another four kids in the next week.”

Author: Vela, Posted: Fri Dec 4, 2020 7:54 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

As Raile repeated word for word what Vela said he would do she just smirked up at Drake, “Fucking told you~” She said it in that sassy way but just loud enough that Raile could hear with his new Rosenite hearing.

Vela was standing against one of the support beams with her arms crossed when Rhenakos came down the stairs. “It’s been. You still bat shit insane?” Vela quirked an eye up at him before looking at her wing. “Yeah, I need a healer to look at it. I think it’s gonna have to be amputated all the way. Shame I did like the thing that you did~”

Osiria came down the stairs with Izzy who was behaving for once, “Oh.” She had heard the conversation. “So that’s where you learned how to do that thing.” Vela only took a few seconds to look at Osiria’s hand to Rhenakos’s hand.

“You fucking move fast. What happened to… OSIRIA STOP TALKING. OSIRIA SHUT UP. OSIRIA I KNOW I’M A FUCKING JACKASS.” She mocked Rhenakos’s voice.

Osiria was chuckling, “I’m Osiria. This is our daughter Izzy.”

“My apologies that you are married to this guy… He killed you right?”

“Yeah, but that’s all water under the bridge now. We’re all good now.”

“…” Vela looked at Raile and gave him the ‘They are both fucking insane’ look that she had from time to time. “That’s good. Your little girl looks just like you Rhenakos.”

“So you… did things with Rhen?”

“He always told me not to call him Rhen. Are you going soft Rhen. I was his girlfriend for three hours.” Vela made sure his wife knew she wasn’t a threat of any sort. Osiria did an ‘oh’ face and passed Izzy off to Rhenakos. “You should have Leilah take a look at that?”

“Who the hell is Leilah? And since when the fuck do you stay put in a place?” Vela finally wanted some answers from her boss.

Author: Firesong, Posted: Fri Dec 4, 2020 7:45 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Drake was helping the best he could, but he wasn’t entirely sure what they were looking for. Vela was on a constant look out for things, though, and picked most of the ruins clean of anything of value. With the bag in hand, they made their way to Sularia, and from there it was a straight trip to the town of Jayou.

Drake was impressed at first. The shop they had entered was well stocked, and seemed to be doing great for itself. And then he saw the owner, a man who looked as though he hadn’t slept in a week. Despite this, he had a smile on his face, and welcomed Vela with a warm greeting.

“Vela! You’re alive! I haven’t seen you in ages! Those dead drops have been coming in handy, though. I’m glad you’ve still been supplying them. Have a bit of catching up to do on the silver portion though. We can look over the books later.” He looked to Drake, and frowned. “Well, that’s a shame. But we aren’t thieves.” the merchant held out his hand. “Raile Talon, at your service.”

“Drake,” the draconian replied as he shook Raile’s hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

“What brings you to these parts?” Raile asked, yawning.

“Well,” Drake started. It was hard to really explain. “Let’s just say I’m between jobs at the moment and looking for work.”

Raile perked up at this, and suddenly he seemed more awake. He cleared his throat, and clasped his hands together. There was a sparkle in his eyes, the telltale sign of a deal to be made. "It does seem as though I'm in a bind here, though. Drake, you said your name was? You see, I sent Vela on a special trip for that particular artifact. Quite a bit of silver, you see…so how about we make a deal? I'll let you keep that relic there, on the grounds that you help me out a little. You scratch my back, I scratch yours? I'll obviously pay you for your troubles…but a cut of it will of course be helping pay off the silver I put forth into her expedition. Of course…this includes interest.”

Drake gave Vela a look, and then looked back to Raile. “Sure…I guess. I could…use the work.”

The merchant clapped his hands, “Good deal! Let’s go ahead and work out the contract then.” He pulled out a notebook and started immediately scribbling. “Let’s see…cost and supplies, profits, percentages…carry the dot here, and…”

From the corner of the store, a large, red-haired man came down the steps, yawning and scratching the side of his face. It took him a moment to register the new guest, and he woke up a little. “Oh? Vela!? How’s it been?” He noticed that a chunk of one of her wings was missing, and he frowned. “That doesn’t look good. And if I remember correctly, that was the wing that made you-”

Author: Vela, Posted: Fri Dec 4, 2020 7:33 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Vela watched him with interest and shook her head. “We all have our demons. My ex-partner kept seeing his dead girlfriend. He would wake up screaming and he would argue with her. Apparently, he had killed her. Haven’t seen him in a while though.”

She got their bellies full and set up their bedrolls for the night. They took turns keeping watch since her idiot ex-boyfriend could have still been around. In the morning, she dragged him deeper into the ruins. “Well, your sword was what I had retrieved for my boss but he won’t be angry if I let you have it… It is yours after all.”

She cleared her throat, "It does seem as though I'm in a bind here, though. Drake, you said your name was? You see, I sent Vela on a special trip for that particular artifact. Quite a bit of silver, you see…so how about we make a deal? I'll let you keep that relic here, on the grounds that you help me out a little. You scratch my back, I scratch yours? I'll obviously pay you for your troubles…but a cut of it will of course be helping pay off the silver I put forth into her expedition. Of course…this includes interest…" She mocked her boss.

She gave him a grin, “I’ll get us some relics from here to get you started but Raile is silver-tongued. You might as well go along with it. You don’t have a job and I could use a new partner in crime as it were. Rhenakos was nice when he was around but after we dated… then his girlfriend incident… I had to stop going with him. He turned into a nutcase. He is also an idiot though it’s hard to describe how he is without you witnessing it. We dated for three hours.”

It took them three hours in the underground ruins for Vela to pick it clean. She had three sacks of different types of artifacts from old spoons to actual treasure. “Carry these please,” she had Drake carry two of them since her body was still sore from the damage it suffered. “Alright, let's make our way out of here and to Sularia.”

Surprisingly her ex-boyfriend had left probably because of Sularia’s military forces. They got a mage to open a one-way ticket to Jayou. It was just past noon in Jayou when she opened the shop door. She looked uninterested in everything. “Yo boss man. Been a while since I saw you in person. Your relic? The sword? A bust… belonged to someone already,” she motioned to Drake.

Author: Firesong, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:50 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Drake hesitated when she asked about his problems. How to explain it? It was definitely complicated. Way more complicated than a lover’s quarrel. At least, he wanted tos ay that, but he figured that would be rude to say in this instance. So he sighed instead, and got himself ready to try and explain it.

“I…can’t remember much,” Drake said after a moment. “My memories are scattered, at best. I can remember key things…easy things like my name and how to speak. But anything else is a struggle. Friends…family…” He paused. “Hell, places I’ve been, favorite foods, even what little magic I’ve used…” He shrugged. “Something is definitely wrong. But I think it’s okay for the time being…” His hand went to the pommel of the blade. “Just having this makes me feel at ease. It’s important…even if I don’t know why.”

He sighed, leaning back against the cool stone, closing his eyes. “The only memory I have right now that I can hold on to is…a warm hearth, and children sitting by the fire. There’s a woman in a chair, reading to them. They’re all happy. But…I can’t see their faces.” Drake smiled. “It’s a nice memory, but…” There was a flash of something large, a towering darkness that seemed ready to devour all. The celestial dragon sat up suddenly, hand gripping the hilt of his blade.

We’re safe here. There’s nothing here.

“Sorry. I guess I’m just jumpy.” Drake let his tension go, and smiled again. “The boar should almost be done.” But there was a sinking feeling in his chest. Those people by the hearth…they were probably long gone. Devoured by that darkness.

Author: Vela, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:42 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Vela stared at it and then it’s sheath. “Probably, he has a bad habit of taking from people. I’m glad you could get it back.” She saw his wince but she didn’t comment on it, she felt wrong asking about it.

“They are slippy little bastards that much is for sure,” Vela nodded in appreciation. “They are sore. I might have ripped my stomach a bit bending but it isn’t nearly as bad as it was,” she showed him the bandages she had put around it. It was spotted with blood. “Got into a fight with the tent.”

She twisted the smile on her face to a frown and sighed. “I don’t know but they could be out there waiting for us. He is normally thorough and likes a waiting game.” She poured them both some tea and handed him a cup.

“This is most definitely worse than that time in Baltil,” she let out a groan as she stared at the fire. “I spent three days hiding under a bunch of gold from a dragon thanks to that idiot shooting me into its lair.”

Her hand went for where her lower wing used to be. She made a displeased noise as she moved her hand back to her cup, “What about you though? Are you having problems? I saw you wince earlier. Being stuck in that crystal for god knows how long might have had repercussions.”

Author: Firesong, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:36 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Drake was thankful for the sword when Vela produced it. When he took it, a strange wave of relief washed over him. The weight was familiar, and he felt as though he had been reunited with an old friend. This is mine… As if to hit the point home, he took the end of it to the sheath he had, and it slid in perfectly.

“I’m…pretty sure that this sword was stolen from me. Maybe even by those sky pirates…” Drake winced. Whatever he was trying to remember was too much. Just don’t push it. He let it go, and thanked Vela before departing into the darkness. It was about twenty minutes before he returned with a small boar across his back. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“There was a small pack sleeping. This one was the only one I could nab. They have a great sense for predators…” He set it down in front of the flames. Vela had done some great work getting the place set up for the night. “You did a good job. How are your wounds?” As he spoke, he pulled out a knife and started to address the boar. He made quick work of it, and soon they had it roasting over the fire.

“It won’t be the best meal, but it’ll at least be filling,” he said as his stomach growled. “What’s our plan for tomorrow, then?” They had at least escaped the heat issue for the night, but come morning they would need to find a way out of the desert.

Author: Vela, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:27 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

She looked up at him and smiled a bit. “Was a sky pirate for a little bit. That captain is my ex-boyfriend. He stole from me so I blew his airship up. Every once in a while he finds something I want and so I take it. He almost had me this time though so thank you.” It was a spat, there was no reason why they continued their fight except for the fact that there was nothing better for Vela to do. “For the most part, it is pretty safe. I spelunk down into ruins by myself and come out by myself. I don’t have to worry about anyone other than myself.” She let out a sigh and looked up at him. “I’ve been doing this a very long time.”

She saw him reach for his sword and she was disappointed to see that he in fact didn’t have one at all. It looked like he had lost it in whatever chaos had put him in that crystal, to begin with. “Don’t sweat it too much. What’s the worst possible thing that could happen to us down here besides dying.” She shrugged it off nonchalantly. “We should be fine,” she reassured him a little more seriously this time.

“That’s a handy trick to have… Even my sight isn’t great in this darkness,” she patted his shoulder giving him a thumbs up. At least she could be supportive. “Yeah, I can.” She rummaged around in her bag and looked up at him.

“Here,” she pulled the sword out. “I stole this from them. You should be able to use it to get food. I’ll have the camp set up by the time you come back.”

It was easy for her to pull out the blankets, the tinder, and everything else they would need. They had quite the setup. Even her wings had been locked away behind magic though her back still looked red and tender. She was setting up a tent with the blankets in them. A campfire was roaring and a kettle was blowing steam.

Author: Firesong, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:19 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

“A treasure hunter?” Drake asked curiously. “Sounds kind of dangerous.” He shrugged, though. None of that was really his concern. What she did with her life was her choice. And obviously it hadn’t gone well this time. She was lucky that he happened to be here. When she asked the question of how he got into the crystal, he simply shrugged.

“Couldn’t tell you. I only remember pieces and parts of it.” Drake wasn’t lying either. The memories that he tried to grasp were so broken and fragmented, that it barely mattered. He followed her to the entrance of the cave, all the while staring at her back, where he could still see the tender flesh from where her missing wing was.

“Here, maybe I should lead the way,” he said, reaching down instinctively for a weapon. Wait…where is…? At his hip was a sword sheath, but no sword. Well I obviously own one… He frowned. There were vague memories of him using magic and fighting hand to hand, so at least he had some way to protect them should anything happen, but the fact that he was missing his sword was disconcerting.

It meant something to me. The weapon did… That was what his instincts were telling him, but he couldn’t remember.

As they entered the cave, Drake snapped his fingers, producing a flame at the tip of his fingers to light a path. He looked a bit surprised at how easy it was, and that he could even do it at all, but decided to try and hide his surprise to Vela. Perhaps best if she doesn’t know… Down they went into the caves, picking up debris in order to light a fire as they saw it. Soon, they entered the clearing that was stated on Vela’s map.

“If you set things up here, I’ll see if I can’t track down something…edible.” He didn’t have high hopes, but at the worst, he was sure he saw some lizards on the way in.

Author: Vela, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:02 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

“Well shit,” she let out a laugh but it was hesitant. She wondered if she would be able to fly…

She screamed as the bolts were pulled out but thankfully he did it fast enough that the potion kicked in for those wounds too. She let out steady breaths as she paced herself. Taking his hand she was helped up though she was a bit wobbly. “Vela. Though I am sure that you heard him yell it.”

She had a sheepish smile and she looked around. “No, I was trying to avoid the desert during the descent but I guess when my wing got blown out that I was sent deeper into the desert.”

She looked at her spilled bag and she made a face, “Really?” She managed to put everything back into the box and pulled out a tablet. “Luckily for us… It doesn’t matter where we are.” She tapped it to make sure it worked and suddenly the tablet projected a map of the inside of the chasm.

“Mmm,” she looked to the left and she looked to the right. “We might be able to find refuge in this structure here,” she pointed to what looked like ruins inside the chasm. “The stones are normally made so that the heat doesn’t seep in and if we are lucky there will be stuff to burn for a fire so the cold shouldn’t be too bad. I have blankets too.” She kept the tablet in view as she spun it.

“Entrance is about fifty feet from here going that direction,” she pointed. “I’m a treasure hunter… by the way. What the hell were you doing in that crystal anyways?”

Author: Firesong, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:52 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Drake looked to where she was asking about her wing, and shook his head. “No good. The wing’s gone. You’ll have to deal with that later, though.” The potion was doing its work, and for that the celestial dragon was thankful. But she was right. The bolts needed to come out. Between the two of them, they managed to turn her over.

“Six bolts,” he said aloud. He put his hand on the first one, clean in the center of her back. “Ready?” Without waiting for an answer, he tore the bolt out, tossing it aside. One by one, he yanked each one out, ignoring her screams of pain. The other options were far worse, and Drake knew that.

“You’re in luck. The potion is still healing it,” he said as he rolled her on her back. “I think that’s that.” The warrior stood up, and looked around. A hell of a chasm. And it’s hot… He was already sweating through the light travel clothes he had. “We can’t stay here. We’ll have to move. The desert doesn’t get any colder at night either…”

Sure. I can remember that, but not where I was before this.

He glanced down at the angel, and held out his hand. “Drake. Do you…know where we are?”

Author: Vela, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:42 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

The magic made quick work as one would expect from a legendary goddess. Vela came to when Drake had his mouth to hers but just barely. She could feel the healing tonic go down her throat. At least he wasn’t some pervert looking for quick kicks. She had that going for her. “My wing,” she wheezed a bit. Her vision was still hazy.

“The left one,” her voice was so weak still as the magic quickly repaired the damage done by the crystal. Her purple eyes were vibrant but they were fading luckily it stopped as the potion worked its magic. She closed her eyes. “Thanks.”

It was sloppy work but she had actually managed to get the sword away from him. If only she knew that the owner of the sword was the man who had saved her. She would have shit herself right then and there. After a few moments, she managed to regain enough consciousness to pull herself up or at least try to. She winced heavily from her stomach wounds. Her wings were a bloody mess.

“Hey, dragon man,” she looked up at him. “Bolts. My back. Can you pull them out? My wings too.” She was well aware that it would cause more damage. “Quick before that potion wears off. Don’t mind my screaming.”

Author: Firesong, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:35 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Drake felt good. The best he had felt in a long time. He was finally free of that infernal trap, and he could even stretch his wings out. The dragon let out another roar, spreading its wings before finally retreating into itself, slowly returning back to the form of a man. He was careful, making sure to catch the angel in his arms, and gently let her down.

“Oh. This is much worse than I thought…” Drake stated with a stern voice, looking over the wound. Not good. Let me… He scrambled over her person, looking for anything she had that might help. What’s this? A…box? Something was screaming at him to open the box. Against his better judgement of rummaging through another’s things, he opened the box, and reached in.

“What a mess…” The box was obviously magical. He pulled out a variety of different things, weapons and useless trinkets and items. “Is she some kind of hoarder. Nothing…” His hands found a small flask. He popped it open, and took a sniff. Potent. And it smells like medicinal herbs. Whatever it is, it can’t hurt at this point. He poured some over her wounds, and then took a swig himself, putting his mouth over hers to force some of the liquid into her mouth.

He carefully lifted her head, making sure she didn’t choke on the liquid, and then waited. Please work…it has to work.

Author: Vela, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:25 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

If Vela had been awake she would have told the captain to eat her ass. They hadn’t been on good terms since she blew up his airship and she had only added to that number since then. She had once been part of his crew but decided it wasn’t for her after she caught him stealing from her.

The vibration caused Vela to regain consciousness a little bit but no a lot. The wing that been damaged vibrated enough that it fell off. It had barely been hanging on but at least the weight was gone and she felt better about that much.

She could feel a heartbeat below the vibrations as her hands grasped at the scales. “Eat…” She took a sharp breath as her eyes looked down to where the captain could be. “EAT MY ASS YOU SON OF BITCH,” Vela let out in a roar. She let in a heave as she felt blood leave her mouth.

“You…” The captain stared at her. “Whatever, she’s almost dead. We’ll settle this next time if there is one.” The captain turned around and beckoned his people to follow.

“Oh fuck off,” Vela laid her head down on the dragon’s back. Her breaths were heavier now and they were few and far in between. If she was going to die he was going to hear how she felt. “I’m done,” she coughed. Probably. If wasn’t she wasn’t done then that was a fucking miracle on her end.

Author: Firesong, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:17 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

What? Drake had felt something. A vibration. This pulled his focus for once, and he made an effort to move. Still no good. He could hear words. A voice. She sounded in pain. It wasn’t much after her words vanished when he smelled it. Her blood. She was dying. I can’t have that happen, now can I? But that still didn’t solve the problem he was having. I still don’t know where I even am.

There were more voices now. Angry ones. Triumphant ones. They were mocking the dying woman. Calling her a thief. A liar. A thief… Something stirred in his memories. They were at the edge of his consciousness, as if tempting him to try harder, but they slipped through his grasps yet again. How infuriating.

Outside of the large crystal that Drake was encased in, the sky pirates had crash landed their ship. A small group of them had surrounded the chasm, noting that their prey was no longer a threat. The captain made his way down into the chasm, followed by his small team, to retrieve the stolen artifact.

“Looks like this is it, Vela,” he said as he laughed. “Your time is up. Tonight, the Nightingales feast.”

Oh. I think I just remembered something!

The crystal that Vela was impaled on started to vibrate, humming in the hot air. The captain took a step back. “What the hell is she doing!?” There was obvious worry laced in his words. “There’s no way she could be doing anything.” It was then, that he started to realize what had happened.

About a week ago, the pirates had come across a lone man with great, black wings. Thinking him an easy target, they attacked him for the weapons and silver he may have held, but in the end, he proved to be too much of a match for them. So, they wasted one of the precious artifacts they had lifted. The artifact somehow froze the man in a stasis, and as he fell, his weapon landed on the deck of the ship.

The captain was now staring at that very man encased in crystal. And it was then, that the crystal started to crack.

That’s right…I’m a dragon. The crystal exploded outwards as a great, black dragon erupted into existence, roaring. The chasm shook with the tremendous sound, echoing throughout the desert. And resting on its back, was the wounded angel woman.

The dragon’s crimson eyes leveled with the captain, and a booming voice resonated in the chasm. “I think it’s best if you went on your merry way…”

Author: Vela, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:01 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

She had been tracking them for a while. They were notorious sky pirates that had an artifact. It was a sword that she had caught a few glimpses of when the sky pirates would show it off. They called themselves the Nightingales. They were a fierce lot of pirates that been around almost as long as she had been. Her wings extended as she glided along the flying vessels. They hadn’t noticed her yet.

Good.

She managed to fly through a porthole thanks to how small she was. Pulling up her goggles she looked around and folded up her wings for a quick escape. She dodged much of the staff and finally got into the captain’s room. He was sleeping. Good.

The sword was on a pedestal. Slowly she reached for it and took it off. Stashing it in her shoulder bag she tiptoed over to the side of the room and put her hands to the wall after lowering her goggles. “Thanks for nothing~” She cooed.

It startled the captain who stared at her. “VELA!”

The side of the ship exploded and she soared out and dive-bombed down. The captain had it coming after all. He had scammed her out of her hard-earned silver. She nimbly evaded magic shots. She could see the desert incoming and she prepped her lungs for the air change.

It was almost suffocating but she barely managed to dodge the last blast. Bolts were fired next. “GET HER. KILL HER NOW! Don’t lose her in the sand!” She could hear the captain’s big mouth. She had underestimated the number of bolts though as it hit her up her back and one of her lower wings. Losing one of her four wings caused her to spiral.

What she hadn’t expected was the impact as she impaled herself on a crystalline structure. “Fuck,” she coughed some blood. Her fingers tried to grip at the structure trying to free herself but it was lodged quite good in her center mass. “I give myself… Maybe five minutes before I pass out.” She pulled off her goggles and through them so she could get a better view as she gritted her teeth.

“This is,” she struggled with her words, “worse than that time in Baltil.” Her five minutes were up pretty fast as she passed out.

Author: Firesong, Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:44 PM, Post Subject: Fallen Angel [P/R]

Well this is a problem.

Drake wasn’t sure how he got here, or why. There were pieces and parts that wanted to come back to him, but whenever he tried to focus on it, his head started to hurt. There were parts of his memory that were vivid, though, but he ignored those. Those particular memories scared him. But those were the easiest to ignore. Where the hell even am I?

The last thing he remembered was something involving a group of individuals on the deck of an airship. They were all running around, scrambling and yelling. And then something had hit Drake, and that was the last thing he remembered. It’s cold. He shivered. Or at least tried to, but he couldn’t move. Hmm? It didn’t make sense.

The cold and isolation made him think back to a memory. This one was surprisingly easy to grasp. A warm hearth, and children laughing. And a smiling woman. But who are you? The warmth was nice, but he couldn’t see their faces. I can’t…

All alone, Drake was trapped in a crystalline structure, half buried in a chasm in the middle of nowhere. The heat was unbearable, but didn’t seem to have any effect against the cool, shimmering crystal barrier that kept the celestial trapped. There was no telling how he had gotten there, nor how long he had been entrapped by the ice.