The day was cool and yet comfortably so, a few clouds in the sky and a very light breeze to keep the bugs away. Over all it was a beautiful day for many, including the current resident of the ruins area, one that few would likely try and bother. For within an old courtyard in the ruins, now grown fully a small field almost, lay a forty foot tall dragon, curled up and sleeping soundly, with the drone of snoring coming from him as he breathed. The dragon was almost as long as he was tall with a massive wing span when his wings were open to carry his bulk into the sky. His scales were grey and he just looked in great health, age was hard to judge of course, he could be a hundred, or a hundred thousand, it was too hard to tell his age.

He had two horns jutting out the back of his head, and large claws on his paws, and, as he yawned in his sleep, large fangs to boot in a wide mouth that could easily hold a full grown deer or even a moose if he was hungry. And he often was, it took a lot of energy to fly around the lands with a frame his size and the altitudes that he normally travelled at.

The beast snorted in his sleep and his back leg kicked out once as he made a grumbling nose and rolled over slightly, crushing what was left of a wall was that behind him. He didn't even notice, just kept on sleeping, his thick hide and scales protecting, not to mention who in their right mind would wake a sleeping dragon his size?

That was just foolish!

It hadn’t taken long to torch down the entire bandit camp. Her job as far as she was concerned was done. She was to disrupt the bandit route and clear the way for the caravan to go through. Now the bandits would have to recover greatly before they could use the camp again for such a purpose.

She set out from the mountains before she saw the raid group coming her way. “Shit,” she cursed as they came her way. They must have somehow seen through her magic. Varsha’s bright red hair despite her dark clothes was a dead give away even in the pitch black night.

Pulling out her two khopesh and waited. There was about ten of them. That was a small enough group that she could attack. Varsha sprung from the shadow and jumped onto the first of the ten. She put the khopesh pair to his neck and slide them across. She watched as his skin as it mummified. She was quick to kill his horse before moving onto the next. They were confused as she continued to assault. That was until one managed to catch onto her quick moments. She had mummified the last nine before the one left managed to stick multiple arrows in her torso and some into her leg.

She slashed the last one as soon as she got close enough and watched him mummify. She coughed up some blood as she limped her way to the ruins. She began to pull out some of the arrows thanking the gods that they hadn’t been razor edges that would have tore more as she pulled. Dropping the arrows she rounded the corner of some of the walls only for her green eyes to spoke the beast. “Shit…” It left her lips rather loudly. She stumbled closer to him and put her bloodied fingers against his scales.

There was a good chance she was dead now. Her eyes rolled back and Varsha’s body slumped over to the ground. Her breathing was shallow through all the wounds but at least she was hanging on.

The beast was still asleep when the wounded woman came over to him, stirring slightly when she swore rather loudly.  It was this that got his unconscious mind working, and his nose caught the scent of her blood in the air close to him.  It was what woke him up from his sleep and his eyes fluttered open and he yawned, taking in a deeper breathe and sample of the scent of blood, odd, he hadn't been hunting yet today.  So where had the blood scent from?

The dragon blinked a few times and looked around, feeling the warm blood on his scales now and then as he moved his head saw the woman laying there bleeding next to him.  He leaned his head down to look closer at her, badly wounded, she was passed out it seemed but she was still breathing, though it was shallow.  He took in her looks, she was pretty and he liked the red hair.  Hacesh thought for a moment, he was an intelligent dragon, and the form he was currently in wasn't his birth form either, just one he used to sleep in when he didn't want to be bothered, though that didn't always work out.

He carefully reached out one paw towards her and focused his magic, and a white glow surrounded his paw before it gently flowed around the woman's form.  His magic, given what he was and his age, was fairly strong and her wounds healed and her body was restored to full health once again.  He didn't wake her, however, if she had passed out it would be more like a sleep now since her body no longer needed to heal, but perhaps still rest, he could do little for someone being tired.  Rest was always good anyway if one could get it even after being healed as she now had.

Hacesh curled up again as he had been, but he didn't fall asleep, instead he stayed awake and stretched out a wing to give her some shade as she rested.  Until she woke up, he just waited and laid there thinking.

Varsha was in a world of hurt even in her dreams. They were dark and grim like the days of her training. She hadn’t ever gone with her father too often. Mostly because her mother deemed it too harsh for a girl. Varsha wasn’t fully drow and the drow tended not to look on people like her with a good light. It didn’t take long for her father to abandon her… Saying something about how her blood was weak. In reality, Varsha knew it was his blood that made her weak. Out of everyone… perhaps her mother was the strongest person in the world to her now.

A groan left her lips as the dragon healed her. It washed over her like a warm ocean wave but it was nothing like the flowering warmth of her mother’s magic. It was a few minutes longer after Hacesh rested and watched Varsha. That was when the fireflies started to swarm. “Varsha….” The voice called like a lullaby. “VARSSHHAA.”

“Not now mother… Five more minutes.” The half-drow said as she rolled on her side away from the fireflies out of habit. “Go kick one of the others out of bed first.” Clearly, Varsha was out of it as the fireflies took the shape of a woman. The body of fireflies kicked Varsha’s leg and the drow flung up. “Over a hundred children and I’m the one you have to wake up?!”

The goddess put her hand on her hip before wagging her finger. “How many times do I have to say… Check the job out fully before you take it. They were waiting for you Varsha. How stupid do you have to be to take it?” Angela’s voice was calm but the magic around them was anything but. The whole mountain was shaking. The plant life and grass was growing at a rate only heard of in legends. “You are lucky that you stumbled onto someone who would help you! And lucky that I am on the other side of the continent or you would be getting a sterner talking to. Now up, you’ve rested enough.” Two crates materialized from the ground and the firefly figure put her hands on them.

“Next time be better prepared.” The earth stopped its shaking and the ruins that had fallen apart drifted up and reattached themselves to their proper places. “And thank you for saving my child… a favor is in order for later.” The fireflies dissipated and Varsha sat there in shock.

“The nerve… of that woman.” Varsha scoffed a bit as she got up and looked at the dragon. She bowed softly. “I’m sorry that I have disturbed you. What my mother said is correct. I was careless and I thank you for taking care of me.” Her clothes were all stained red in her own blood.

He hadn't fallen asleep again when a voice caught his attention and the dragon opened his eyes and looked around to see no one, an odd swam of fireflies, but that was all.  Yet the voice called again, a name, and it made the woman he had healed react, telling her mother five more minutes.  Hacesh's head raised a little and he took a better look around, still he saw no one, but the woman was clearly reacting to something talking to her that he could hear as well.

The dragon looked back to the woman and was about to shoo the fireflies away when they suddenly took the shape of a woman!  He blinked, over three thousand years old and that was something he hadn't seen before.  He removed his wing and settled it back on his back again as he watched the woman of fireflies kick the other, Varsha, if he had heard her name right, and the drow looking woman was up rather quickly.  She wasn't full drow, Hacesh could tell that much about her, and from what he knew of their culture, she was probably an outcast, but at least it seemed she had her mother still.

Hacesh watched the scene with a small grin on his maw, the mother scolding the child, he wondered at what job she had done to become so wounded, but figured he'd have a chance to ask later.  But when the mountain started to shake and the plants and grass started to grow at an exponential rate the dragon snorted and looked around, who and what was this woman that she could command such power?!

He watched the two crates appear from the ground and then looked back to the firefly woman as the ground stopped shaking and things went back to normal before she spoke to him directly.  He nodded to her.  "You're welcome."  His voice rumbled from him before she dissipated and his attention was back to Varsha when she sat up.  He chuckled lightly at her comment while she stood and then apologized and thanked him.  "It is alright, you needed help, and you're welcome."  Hacesh replied as he stood up as well with a yawn and stretched himself out like a cat a few bones popping and cracking as he did.

But then his body started to shift and he started to shrink and after a moment he stood instead on two legs, standing seven feet tall with wings that made him taller coming from his back and a five foot tail.  He still had the two horns on his head and his scales were the same colour, included in his shifting however, and this was more because over the centuries it was just easier when encountering new people, he was wearing a loin cloth of heavy material so it would stay in place and keep himself decent.  Not that he cared about being naked, and he found it amusing that, no one ever seemed to care that he was naked when he was forty feet tall on four legs, but would get squeamish when he was in this form on two legs.  People were silly.

He smiled to Varsha.  "It is a little easier to talk in this, my natural form.  I am Hacesh, by the way."  He spoke.  "I have to ask, if you don't mind, what kind of job was it that caused all of this?"  He asked curiously.

Varsha gave Hacesh a smirk before shrugging. “Only because I got myself into trouble that I couldn’t deal with… Which means it is doubly my fault then before.” She didn’t need to apologize again since he accepted her apology already. Her green and red eyes watched as he stretched much like a cat coming out of a comfortable spot. She sort of felt bad about getting him up.

Once he began to shift it almost startled her but there were stranger things in the world. This was the first time she had ever watched a dragon become more human-like. She tilted her head more and watched him make with a bit more interest. It was odd almost being as tall as a dragon now and that thought made her chuckle a bit.

“I can see how the other form would be concerned intimidated by the right people,” another smirk as she spoke and a laugh. “My name is Varsha though I’m guessing you might have gotten that by how my mother spoke to me earlier.” For that she was truly sorry that he had to witness that. “I took a job clearing out a bandit camp but what I didn’t know was that they must have gotten tipped off I was coming or worse yet I was set up. Mother appeared to have known the details more than I did but… There honestly isn’t much that she doesn’t know. I should have checked the employer and information more before I left Adeluna.” An annoyed sigh left her lips.

“I’m sorry if my mother startled you. Normally she isn’t so… agitated is the word.” Varsha’s lithe form turned and she opened the first craft before dropping the lid on the ground. Emptying it out on the grassy ground there were potions, clothing, weapons… Perfect for a person of Varsha’s talents. Even the clothes were tailored for her skill set.

The second crate made her jump as as a rapidly growing Harenian Lizard came out of the crate. It had a saddle on it’s back and a note. Taking the note she read out loud, “Stop traveling by foot like an idiot. This should serve you well… His name is Thistle, just like the plant.” Another sigh as she stared at the lizard who was looking up at her. “She is a pain in my ass.”

Varsha began to get undressed, seemingly not caring that Hacesh was there. Her back was littered with glittering tattoos of different colors that stuck out from her dark skin. It was almost like gold and silver had been weaved through her body. “Mother is one of the Gods of this world… I would regularly not say it because people wouldn’t believe it but… her little display of power tells me you would believe me. She gets upset when we’re not careful or don’t ask for her help.” She pulled on her new pants and shirt as she looked back at him. “Sometimes it is hard because we want to help her but there’s no possible way to help a person like her. The only way to help is to stay out of trouble and I’m afraid that for some of us… Trouble finds us.” Varsha gave a soft smile.

“I’m actually surprised she paid you no mind… Normally she gets all nosey and starts to ask questions. The problem in the Harena must be quite bad if she isn’t bothering you.” There was a frown across her face. “That’s where she is right now… Helping out with the crisis they are having. She’s an expert healer on top of being a goddess so she is quite the resource.” After a moment or two she shook her head and chuckled. “I guess I find myself so boring I would rather talk about her. I can’t even stand in her shadow. What are you doing here in Ancense anyways? You got me curious.”

Hacesh nodded slowly to her words but a with a grin.  "But you're alive, right?  Luck, fate, call it whatever, you're on the right side of the grass and each day you survive is another day to make something better."  It may have been cliche, but it was what he felt needed to be said anyway, try and bring her spirits up.

Hacesh made his change to a smaller form, noting her interest in this new form.  He listened to her story, attacking the bandit camp but thinking that they had been tipped off about her attack, or possibly she was set up.  Hacesh grinned as an idea formed to better get on her good side, more than he may have been now.  "But, are the bandits taken care of?  They know you got away wounded and possibly to die, but, if there are any left, would be a good message to have you walk back to fight them with me as back up."  He suggested.  "Like I said, you're alive, that's what counts, you learn and you move on, you can't dwell on the past.  Trust me, as someone who has had as long a life as I already have, if I dwelled on it too much I'd probably never sleep."  He chuckled, he had had good time and dark times, as anyone else, but his age gave him more of each than most.  He had children, some were only a few hundred years younger than he was, some were thousands of years in difference.  He remembered each one and would know them on site, despite how long it may have been since he had seen them.  But he had lost some as well, killed by hunters, rival dragons for a mate or a cave, and it had always been heart breaking to be sure, but his kind were long lived, he couldn't keep their deaths weighing him down for the rest of his life.

Varsha spoke more of his mother, apologising as well.  "I was more curious about the fireflies and the voice until she made a human form out of them."  He replied and watched her open the first crate.  Clothing, potions and some weapons fell out, which made sense and all looked well made.  It was the second crate that made even Hacesh start a little as lizard of some sort popped out and started to grow rapidly before them.  "Well, even I have to say that's something I haven't seen before."  He chuckled as he listened to Varsha read the letter from her mother.  "Ah, but the kind of pain in the ass that you can always know is there for you, like it or not.  My mother would have done the same for me most likely."  He laughed, his mother was of course long dead, at least twelve hundred years now, but Hacesh had been her only child in all her life, so she had been more protective of him than normal.

However, Varsha then started to undress in front of him, and Hacesh stared for a moment before glancing away trying not to be weird.  But the tattoos on her back of many colours, the gold and silver like it was bands of it woven under her skin was just too hard not too look at.  She was beautiful, and Hacesh was having trouble suppressing some thoughts, which would be embarrassing since he was only wearing a loin cloth.  But lots of practice helped him keep himself controlled, but he was no less pleased at seeing her undress before him, wondering if she even thought that a beast like would have interest in a female like her.

But she had been speaking that whole time and thankfully Hacesh was good at splitting his focus so her heard what was said to.  Her mother was a Goddess, which explained a few things, and he had nodded when she mentioned she thought he'd believer her.  She mentioned trouble in Harena but Hacesh hadn't heard anything about it so he was curious and wanted to ask, but she posed a question to him first.  But first he said.  "You aren't boring, Varsha, at least I don't think so.  Have you thought about not trying to stand in her shadow?  You are your own woman after all, don't compare yourself to her, if you are, you aren't the same and likely never will be."  He offered.  "As for what I was doing, not much.  I came out this way to hunt, which I did, and then decided on a nap and the ruins were close so that's why I was here"  He explained but then asked what he had wanted to.  "What is this trouble speak of in Harena?  I haven't heard anything myself, then again few bother to walk up to me and tell me things unless they have to, or I ask them directly."  He chuckled.

Varsha thought about it good and hard. “I’m not sure. I know I killed all of them that went after me but there’s nothing saying that was all of them there. Might be a good idea to check just in case.” She was hoping that it wasn’t the case and she had gotten all of them. They might have known she was coming but she had been delayed several days in her trip. A miracle since Hacesh had been there to heal her at the right place and time.

“She does that… She really likes fireflies for lighting things up and they like her as well. Even if she doesn’t hold command over animals the fireflies seem to understand her in a way.” When the lizard came out of the crate she laughed a bit with Hacesh. “I have to say the same thing. That is new even for her.” After a minute or two of thinking about her mother, Varsha smirked. “Don’t I know it… She will always be this way.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t think he would have been interested in her. It was more so that she had been around men for all types of jobs. Eventually one would stop being so shy about every day changing. It was a natural thing after all and clothing was often described as a formality in the Rose household if you let Angela rant long enough. Green eyes shifted to him as he spoke and she thought about it. “I guess I haven’t. Others spend much more time comparing me to her so I guess I’ve never thought about not letting myself do it as well.”

Varsha finished dressing and tilted her head at Hacesh. “Sounds like the type of life my sister would love.” She chuckled more thinking about her older sister Furtuna. Once the talk turned to Harena she shook her head. “Old magic that’s all I know. It’s older than my mother. An old god’s magic that once turned a whole plain into a desert. All the life was just sucked from it all because a sacrifice hadn’t been made. We’re from that way, just past the Harena is the Arri desert and in the Arri Desert is the Sularia Oasis. That’s where I was born. So it is way too close for comfort knowing the problems are up that way.”

“Basically the whole damn desert has been invaded by the undead. Mother is up there providing support from an outpost and healing the wounded who try to venture into the undead city that sprung up. I don’t know all the details about it but it’s troubling enough. To think that she is having problems with it just shows you how strong the old gods were before their powers were taken down several notches.”

There was a pause in her thoughts as she went back to her mother and her shadows. "You know if you saw my mother I suppose you would understand why I feel the way I do about being her shadow." She chuckled a bit. "I know it sounds weird but growing up I watched men practically kill themselves just to get a chance to talk to her, even just to look their way. It's a confidence thing I think because I don't consider myself anywhere near the level she is when it comes to beauty. She might be a goddess but even before she was… people would try to get her attention." She had known he was watching her and maybe he could have some insight for her. It didn't bother her but maybe she didn't need to be as harsh on herself as she was.

"Hm, well, it's up to you if you want to go back and I can help, just ask."  Hacesh replied to her, he as well thinking that it had been very lucky for him to be where he was when she arrived, and being able to wake him up.  At the mention of her sister Hacesh chuckled.  "Not always the most exciting life, I'll admit, and it can get lonely at times, then again my own fault for being so high up in the mountains sometimes."  He chuckled again, it had been cold and lonely, but for a while the solitude had done him some good and put things into perspective for him.

But Varsha then went onto explain what was happening in the desert, after undressing and then dressing of course, and the dragon put on a look of concern at the information she was giving him.  "That is troubling indeed, old Gods coming back, never good.  Their magics are powerful and they're rarely nice to.  I'll have to head that way and see for myself what is going on.  If your mother is having that much trouble, then, yes, I go and help fight against that evil."  Hacesh spoke, his intention clear, as lazy as he could be, such old magic was not good for the lands now.  If a Goddess was having trouble than adding an powerful dragon as he was on her side may help to tip the balance in her favour that little bit more.

Varsha moved the conversation on once more, back to herself and her mother.  She confessed more of her feelings about herself and her mother, speaking of how her mother had had men always after her, and Varsha didn't consider herself on that level of beauty.  Hacesh had a chance here to help her feel better about herself, and he knew it, so he chose his words carefully as he replied.  "Varsha, you are very beautiful, no matter what you may think, your beauty is your own, you cannot compare yourself to anyone else, even your mother."  He smiled.  "I confess, when you were changing I was watching, it's hard to ignore someone who is as beautiful as you are when they are changing that close to you.  A dragon I may be, but beauty goes beyond race, in my opinion.  The tattoos you have are stunning, I haven't seen anything like them before in my life, they make you unique indeed."

He stepped a little closer and went to gently take her hand in his, if allowed and then kissed it gently as well.  "Never believe yourself lacking in beauty, you are gorgeous, and if others don't see you, then they are blind, or perhaps scared of your beauty.  Your mother now gets attention for what she is, not what she looks like."  Partial truth perhaps?  "That aside, you aren't your mother, Varsha, you are you, and your beauty is your own, so own it."  He grinned.  "And should you ever feel like you're doubting yourself again, come find me, and I can help you."

Varsha studied the dragon for a long time and nodded to him. “It is best that I go back and finish what I started. The fewer enemies one like myself has the better the world will be… Especially for my mother.” It would mean that she was safer than before not completely safe but a mercenary never was. “I made a stupid mistake and I would be happy if you would help me finish it.” She chuckled towards Hacesh and nodded. “I have many, many sisters who do a great many things… I have few brothers but they are kept close to my mother. One even is being groomed to take over her crown for her should she wish to abandon her role… Not that she ever will.”

The urgency in the desert was something that Varsha was desperately trying to avoid… Not because she was a coward but because she needed to make sure not to cause her beloved mother trouble. Though in the end, it appeared she did just that anyway. “You can always come with me Hacesh. I will be making my way up there after this. I suspect that she will have some of my siblings helping her… if I know the mighty Angela Rose, and I would like to think I do, she is acting as a healer and protector. That is what a mother does after all.” She offered a kind smile to him.

It wasn’t often that Varsha felt the need to be weak but this time in front of this dragon, no he was a man in dragon’s flesh, she decided to be. Her worries and her fears were made known and a weight came off her shoulders. Many of Angela’s daughters had the same problem this much Varsha knew. She smiled up at at Hacesh’s words as he held her hand and chuckled. “That makes me feel like I could hold the entire world if only for a moment Hacesh. You are right that beauty transcends race. My mother has proven that time and time again with my many siblings of many different races.” She thought about her tattoos and remembered getting them fondly. “Mother did them. She weaved arcane energies into my back like needle and thread… Imbuing them with silver that sparkled like stardust. Gold that even a dragon would be jealous of.” She winked at the last part. “That’s her talent after all… creating life and works of art only mortals could dream of.”

Thinking back on the meaning of them. “They are the stars of the night sky. They guide me even in the cloudiest of nights… Or the brightest of days when you cannot see the stars above. They are a guidepost. The silver veins that run across some of my body are nothing more than scars but my tattoo… It is special. It was made so that even in the darkest of times I will have a brilliant light to guide my way home. So that I remember who I am and where I came from. That I am not just a drow who has been kicked out of her clan but a goddess’s daughter with a warm comforting home that I can return to. For all the struggles I will ever find myself in I know that home isn’t far away. Be it the Awakening Gardens of the Goddess called Mother or Sularia, home of the Rosenites. I will find my way back… Through hell or high water.”

She moved her freehand hand so she could lightly touch her back over her shoulder and smiled at him. “That’s the meaning. It might be silly to some but it has saved me on more occasions than I care to say. In Sularia, family is everything. From the tiniest Rosenite to the biggest Rosenite. From the weakest Rosenite to the strongest Rosenite. We are all family regardless of blood. We are a united empire under one woman. The Matron Mother of all Rosenites. She is my grandmother many times over. She is my mother’s grandmother several times over. Her watchful eyes have kept Sularia safe even before the time of my mother being a god. That’s what makes us powerful… That’s what makes us strong. Family. Unity.”

She returned his kiss to the side of his rough face. For all the war she had seen Varsha was soft, quite possibly due to the healing properties of Angela. Most warriors had rough skin but not Varsha. Instead of harsh scars, she had works of art to remind her of past trials that she had overcome. She would continue to get stronger despite what her other blood had said. “But you perhaps are right with that Hacesh. I suppose I need to stop thinking in terms of putting myself behind her.” She took his clawed hands in hers and pressed her lips to them delicately. “Thank you Hacesh. It has been a long time since anyone has ever said such a thing to me… Though perhaps it is because I refuse to show myself to many. You are the first I’ve spoken my troubles to…” Her eyes of green and eyes were almost glistening form the happiness and resolution she felt. “Perhaps it is time to more so walk next to her then trying to stand behind her.”


Her dark cheeks flushed a bit darker as she looked at his hands in hers. “I should probably let go… shouldn’t I? With the bandits still out there I mean.” She looked away not really out of being shy but more so because there was a job to do. She wasn’t a shy person, at least she didn’t think so. “Help me right what was wronged. Then I shall show you the north if you wish.” After a few moments, she smiled up at him rather slyly. "Whatever comes after that is up to you Hacesh." Showing that she hadn't forgotten his words earlier. She was a tad curious about him and he was handsome in his own way.