Day ~112~

Rea and Sereda were woken up by a half dozen apologizing maids.  That was something she'd never forget.  Sereda didn't really care and shrugged it off.  Rea was slightly tempted by certain offers of apology... until Sereda laid down the law.

After a grand breakfast they were standing in the backyard, near the smithy.  Once again, annoying the heck out of Rea, they were interrupted.  A dwarf had shown up to express apologies on behalf of the forgemasters.  Rea declined an invitation, her business here was almost over anyway.  When she realized that her wife wasn't invited Rea asked the dwarf to wait while she writes a return message.  Rea sort of wished that she could see the look on their faces when they read her "Fuck you very much!" letter.

The unfortunate dwarven messenger was on his way and Rea once again faced Sereda.  Equipping her guardian garb she planted the tower shield.  Bracing herself she shouted, "Let's do this!"

Sereda shook her head absently and began to pummel the shield.  Every resounding blow brought more attention from the servants.  Within twenty minutes Rea was sweating under the pressure, her shoulders were shaking and she was being slowly pushed back.  When her armor clinked against the smithy's outer wall Sereda stopped.  Servants let out a resounding cheer at the impressive display of physical prowess.  They had heard what their spoiled princess did to the assassins, half of them hadn't believed it until now.

Ability [Block Lv. 1] learned.

Ability [Block Rank Up].

Ability [Job-Shieldbearer] learned.

Ability [Guard Boost Lv. 1] learned.

Ability [Block Rank Up].

Switching back to mage garb she smiled at the huffing giant. "Got it, thanks."

"Anytime, next is?" she asked, while catching her breath.

Rea looked towards the mansion, "I'd like to get a staff, then we..." The ophidian realized she hadn't really thought about it.  "There's a couple different things we can do at this point, we'll talk about it tonight.  Know a good place to buy mage gear?"

Sereda shrugged, "you're out of luck. Vestlei may have a few mage gear shops because of Denarius, but you won't find any here."

Rea had been itching to try something out for days now, "Where are the best staves at?"

"Dunwalt bragged that they make the best in Kelaseran."

Rea grinned ear to ear, southwest along the mountain range it is.  "Let's get ready for a slight journey."

"Slight!?  We're going to Kelaseran right?"

Rea twiddled her thumbs while sauntering off, "I'm gonna blow your mind... or mine, we'll see."

Sereda shook her head and followed after Rea.  As it were they didn't need to go into town for shopping.  The maids and butlers had already stocked them a decent amount of travel supplies, more than they'd need to play it safe.  After a few goodbyes the pair were once again on their merry way and heading south.  Before leaving the town another dwarf... no the same dwarf as earlier came sprinting after them.  Rea chuckled at him as he extended an invitation to both herself and the wife of Rea Ainsworth this time.  After slight discussion the pair decided it would be best to not ignore the dwarves.  They were trying to build bridges here after all.

Minutes later they marched back into the same meeting place as last time, same bellowing horn call and all.  Rea was pretty sure that the dwarves were pissed at her.  Sereda stood behind her silently.  As the dwarven men took their seats Rea waited patiently for introductions to begin and finish.  There was obviously no need to introduce herself.  When they asked if it was true that she is a runesmith, Rea whipped out her hammer and left a two meter wide spider web crack in the middle of their council.  She really wasn't in the mood to convince with words.  Quickly changing back to her garb startled the dwarves.

Seeing that she and the dwarves who had brought runesmithing to them had told the truth, they continued.  The forgemasters went on to go over what those dwarves had planned to do with runesmithing, Rea smiled because they were doing exactly as she had asked them to.  Spreading runesmithing, and runic infusion abilities among all the races.  The reason she had been summoned however...  Within seconds Rea was shouting at the top of her lungs.  The dwarves had to stop their guards from rushing in.  Sereda was already standing there in all her steel glory, clutching her bow.

Once again, surprised by the sudden steel nature of her wife, they clammed up.  Rea asked, "You called me here because you want a monopoly on runesmithing?"

"It's too powerful to trust humans or elves with, too lucrative."

Rea shook her head and looked down, clenching her fist and biting a lip she glanced at Sereda.  Just then another forgemaster spoke up, "That's why we're telling you to keep what you know to yourself."

Sereda heard the familiar cracking of Rea's knuckles, so she herself spoke next, "It would be best if you didn't tell Rea what to do, especially if it's something driven by greed and self interest."

"Runesmithing is our heritage, our right, we don't have the obligation to share it, and you've not the right to use it.  If you do try to spread runesmithing we will deal with you.  That is a..."

He shut the hell up as soon as Rea's twisted visage looked up from the ground, the air around them dropped a few degrees as she spoke acidly, "The god of runes chose me, a human, to bring it back into this world.  I shared it with the dwarves, good dwarves betrayed by ones like you.  They will do as I asked them, they will seek to better this world and reclaim their home.  I've made friends with a dozen dwarves that are your betters in every way.  You sicken me.  Not only did I give you back this lost art, I solved your wyvern problem.  I asked for no reward, yet I am rewarded with threats!"  Rea turned to leave while flipping them an obscene gesture.

The dwarves shouted for their guards to slay them.  Sereda easily killed the first two as they charged towards her, they hadn't expected the steel on her body to suddenly extend spikes.  Three more armored dwarves came charging in only to be permafrosted to the ground.  As Sereda dealt with the first two by unleashing steel arrows, Rea made an example of the last dwarf.  When he raised his shield she equipped her marauder garb and brought the runic hammer down.  A flattened mess of flesh, bone and blood was all the dwarven warrior left behind.  

Once outside, Rea asked Sereda to lead her to a deserted place.  Upon arrival she didn't bother questioning Rea, her trust in the ophidian was unerring.  "I'm killing those dwarves, meet me a few miles to the south of town.  I'll make a spire of ice for you to spot."

Sereda grabbed her arm, "I'm going with you."

Rea shook her head, "A wyvern is about to eat those forgemasters in their own meeting hall."

She was only puzzled for a few moments, it happened in the span of less than ten seconds.  Rea had activated transmogrification for the first time.  Standing on all fours in front of her was a majestic wyvern nearly ten times her size.  Black scales lined with intricate blue and red patterns.  Rea shuffled back and forth a few times then flapped her wings a bit.  Using telepathy she instructed Sereda to leave.

As soon as the bronze woman was out of sight Rea leapt onto a building and looked towards her target.  Buildings, ground, the entire city seemed to shake as she hopped from one roof to the next, ignoring screaming people she burst through the council chamber's archway.  All fourteen dwarves were still bickering angrily when she made her entrance, at first they froze, then they screamed in horror.  Rea did as she'd seen the druid do, opening her maw she unleashed a sweeping inferno across the room.  The power was on a completely different level and nearly brought the building down on top of them.  Two dwarves had managed to avoid her spell.  As she devoured a screaming dwarf in one bite her tail swung and crushed the final fleeing dwarf.

Turning to the exit Rea quickly barreled out of the chamber, she didn't want to kill any innocent dwarves and leapt with all her might.  After a few powerful flaps of her wings she... fell on a building.  Shaking off that embarrassing moment Rea gave it another go, she'd sort of felt it the first time.

Several attempts later, Rea was flying and blaming squirrels for her ineptitude at this new task...

Dwarves, humans, and elves screamed fearfully as the massive black wyvern flew north.  Rea kept flying until she was sure no one in Lumansolice could see her.  She then circled wide to meet up with Sereda.  Nearly two hours later Rea was pretty sure she was directly south of Lumansolice.

TransmogrificationForms-

1 - Ophidian: Variant

2 - Ophidian

3 - Lizardman

4 - Wyvern

5 - Dwarf

Using transmogrification to effortlessly turn back into her ophidian variant form, Rea quickly formed the spire of ice.  As the warm summer breeze assailed her, she took a seat up high.  Looking down, she washed away taste of dwarf.  Cursing under her breath, she realized exactly why Melqart had thought to assassinate the dwarven runesmiths.  If all dwarves were like Locke and his dead forgemaster fellows... luckily they weren't.  Ignoring what the power vacuum she'd just left in Lumansloice might do, Rea watched north like a hawk.

Within the hour she spotted Sereda... and about a hundred fleeing people.  She must have seriously scared the heck out of them.  The first thing Rea did after greeting Sereda was point her followers in the direction of Vestlei.  Rea unashamedly claimed that Denarius the hero could easily fight off ten wyverns of that caliber.  The reassured people left in a hurry as Rea and Sereda dove into the Luhwan Wildwoods.  Nearly an hour later they were resting near a pine tree, Rea was a little surprised that she actually felt happy to be here again.

"Wyvern?" Sereda finally asked.

Rea made some chomping motions with her maw, "That big one, with the wind magic, it wasn't a wyvern.  I ate an orc druid's heart.  Rare and legendary ingredients seem to give abilities."

Stolen novel; please report.

Sereda laughed, "That was still impressive.  I mean, the one we fought was big, but not that big."

Rea shrugged, "You won't see me complaining about it."

"So we're heading to Kelaseran?"

Rea looked southwest, "There's somewhere I'd like to pay a quick visit, if you don't mind."

"Where?"

Her lips curled into a slight grin, "Home, I guess?"

Rea reverted back into her wyvern form.  Wanting to let Sereda get used to riding her, she didn't fly.  As Rea barreled through the wildwoods she let out a deep laugh.

"What's so funny!?" Sereda shouted.

The last time I was here things were different, I was the one running for my life.

Sereda didn't bother responding, she wasn't too happy with the telepathy thing.  Within the hour Rea could see familiar territory, in the distance a waterfall's familiar sound boomed across the wildwoods.  After letting Sereda down she reverted to the lizardman form.  Her wife nearly attacked her.  Taking a closer look at herself Rea wasn't sure what to think.  Her scales, that should be green, were all faded black.  Red and blue tattoos lined her arms and upper back.  The tail... she was pretty happy to play with the tail again.  It was an oddly familiar feeling.  Sereda interrupted her fun, "I think your [Natural Beauty] and [Charm] is still active."

Rea grinned, "Why?"

"Because we're not the same species and even I think you're..."  Sereda shut herself up, she didn't wanna give Rea any ideas.

"I should visit alone, they eat humans."

Sereda began to make herself a little camp, "I'll be here when you're done... unless I wonder off to hunt something."

Rea gave her a very, very serious look, "The squirrel population is expanding too quickly, if you get bored kill a few hundred."

Baffled by Rea's statement she just nodded in approval.  As Rea walked through the familiar pine woods she tried to get a little more comfortable in her body.  It honestly wasn't all that difficult, not much different from her lizardling form... just curvier.  She didn't realize until she was waltzing up to the guards that her appearance was a bit of a problem.  Without even introducing herself they both took a knee.

Rea cocked her head sideways, before she could speak one propositioned her, "Won't you mate with me tonight?"

The other shouted, "Quit stealing a march, I saw her first!"

Rea chuckled, "Sorry boys, I'm taken.  Is Steve still the chieftain?"

After a few quick apologies she was let in, Rea tried to ignore all of the attention she was getting.  At least they weren't trying to eat her.  Waltzing through the first chamber, the one lined with stalactites and stalagmites, she stopped to take a peek in the incubation chamber.  The guard of their eggs then proceeded to offer his services...  Rea lit his tail on fire as she walked towards Steve's room.  The familiar smell of this moldy cave was making her pretty happy for some reason.

Level 74 [Lizardman-Chieftain], same old Steve, blue tats and all.  "Steve, I'm glad you seem to be doing well..." Rea looked skeptically at the two lizzys who were sharing his bath.  Steve was busy...

After peering at the beautiful black lizardman female for a good five minutes he shouted, "Rea!?"

Rea was pretty pleased that he recognized her, "How have you been Steve?"

His snout pursed into a wide grin, "Life as chief has been good, especially after a little pain in the tail left."

That one cost him the warm bath, all three lizards quickly got out of the now freezing water.  As the females left them, Rea spoke up, "I really was just passing by, thought I'd pay a visit."

Steve frowned, "Is that really all?"  Rea's antics were still fresh in his mind, and she had been exiled.

"If you'd prefer I could set your bed on fire..." Steve's snout smiled widely as a moderate dragon awoke, "not that kind of fire."

The frowning lizardman went about getting them a platter of meat, Rea waited patiently for his return.  As they shared a meal she asked, "still eating people?"

Steve shrugged, "It's the way things are."

Rea didn't hold back, "If I ever see you attacking someone who isn't hostile, I will take their side.  The clans gotten bigger since I left, expand too far and you'll draw attention from someone who can wipe you out."

"If it happens, it happens," Steve looked at the bed again, "sure you don't wanna set my bed on fire?"

Rea got up to leave and snapped her fingers, she ignored the panicking lizardmen who tried to put his bed out.  Three flaming tails later Rea was standing in front of the cave, she'd gathered a crowd.  Not wanting any of them to follow her she decided to put on a show.  Pouring mana into her left hand tattoo made it glow that familiar white aura.  Within five minutes Sereda charged out of the woods full speed.  The lizardmen took up arms until Rea stood between them.  Grinning at Sereda she reverted to wyvern form in front of the lizardmen.  As soon as Sereda hopped on she took flight.  Rea was... rather pleased with herself.

Ability [Chieftain's Exiled Daughter] altered, [False Lizardman Goddess] learned.

Rea was enjoying the power rush of suddenly flying through the sky, so much so that she almost missed something.  Off in the distance, not far from the entrance to Telur'thal'mir, the dwarven ruins, was a group of people.  Judging from the way they were moving it was likely that they intended to go in.  Thanks to superior wyvern eyesight, and [Psychometry], she was pretty sure they'd be as good as dead.  After a brief warning she circled back and began their descent.  Within a minute the pair were marching to intercept.

A small group of eight came into view not long after.  Rea waved to them, and received an equally courteous greeting.  Looking to the only [Hero] class among them, a level 14 [Hero-Wanderer] decked out in leather armor and a curved greatsword, she asked, "Heading to the dwarven city, under the mountains?"

"Yes," he answered.  Short and sweet.

Rea peered at their party setup, a priest, two high mages, three guardians, one warrior, and the hero.  "I've been inside if you'd like to hear about what you'll find, in detail."

The wanderer cocked an eyebrow and brushed his flowing black hair away, "any information is appreciated."  The hero signaled for his party to make camp.  The wife and wife pair sat on a hastily erected earthen bench.  "Introductions first.  Julius Vector of Tal'ma'tarn, wanderer."

Rea gave him a slight nod, "Rea Ainsworth of Vestlei..." thinking that she really wants this man to take what she says seriously, Rea decided to not hold back, "runesmith, dual-element sage, spellsword, and martyr."  Seeing the look of disbelief she added, "[Job Access] unique ability holder."

Sereda chimed in happily, "Sereda Ainsworth of Lumansolice, unique job."

Rea hadn't expected her to call herself Ainsworth.  The wanderer peered at them inquisitively, "You don't look like sisters, or even cousins for that matter."

Sereda held up her hand and poured mana into the wedding tattoo,  the man looked absolutely dumbfounded.  Rea cut in with a slight cough, "anyways, I'm not lying when I say runesmith, I saw the look you gave me."

The wanderer took a very heavy breath as his shoulder's dropped, "perceptive.  That is indeed why we're here.  I've been ordered to uncover the secrets behind it."

Rea looked southeast, in Tal'ma'tarn's direction, "Aren't there a bunch of dwarves sharing those secrets?"

He nodded, "They seem to be, but my employer is... distrustful.  He's under the impression that they're holding back.  Knowledge is power after all."

"They wouldn't do that, the dwarves want to spread power and gain influence.  It'll take an army to even hope of reclaiming their home.  Those ruins are filled with some rather scary monsters, one the size of a tower chased us out after all." The man looked towards their goal, the recently excavated entrance to Telur'thal'mir, "I was with them in there, a lot of dwarves died and the only reason we got out is because they knew exactly where they were.  We had a steel wall of dwarves and a few hero class warriors to deal with more difficult enemies.  No offense, but you don't strike me as a good match for bone horrors."

"Bone horrors?"

Rea erected a nearly four meter tall model of the first one she had fought... floppy appendage and all.  She then explained how resilient to slashing, piercing and magic it had been.  Their party certainly was lacking in blunt equipment, and he didn't want to wear their priest out on an undead monster.

"I can't go back empty handed..."

Rea acknowledged him, "How about this, spend the night here.  I'll scribble down every rune and stoke I know, what they do.  You can go back and compare that with what the dwarves have been teaching."

With a single nod the man agreed to her deal, he hadn't been looking forward to walking into a death trap anyway.  An air of relief fell over the party as they finished preparing camp.  Rea didn't bother telling him that she would be leaving out a few of the more... catastrophic runes.  She could only hope the dwarves had enough sense to do that as well.  The party of adventurers weren't really sure what to think when their visitors set up an icy dome... until they heard some very intense muffled howling.

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