Dragon detectors and lessons in Familiars 101

Hilda

Okay, while this is all nice and such...

"How will we know if they're asleep or if the dragoness is away if we daren't get close?" I ask the mage, managing to not snap at his in exasperation.

I find myself . . .anxious here because we're SO very have odds stacked against us, given the situation. But we'll do it all the same or die trying, damnit! Family is precious.

"You might be able to scry such things," I remind him. "But you won't be with us and we can't."

Not like he's going to risk his neck in coming along with us, you know!

"I have just the thing," the mage says.

And what an odd thing it is at that! It's a crude looking little thing. Something like a puppet show toy you'd see at a traveling faire, or so I would guess from the tales I heard told about the campfire of the odd doings of human beings. Yes, a crude little toy puppet who's arms raise and lower (and make an accompanying sound if the user wishes) to indicate the proximity of certain species of the reptilian persuasion.

“This little switch on the side can be used to differentiate between certain age categories,” the mage goes on to explain. “It is still very much in demand for the . . .non-traditionalists of those who find themselves needing to slay dragons.”

IN other words those people who dabble in magic so as better able to kill dragons who make themselves a problem to others, the mage adds sourly to himself, remembering some of his more disagreeable encounters with those he termed hide bound, muscle headed knights who were too much of traditionalists for their (and those they’d sworn to protect).

No, they’d rather used cold, “honest” steel to settle their battles with dragons and NOT dirty their lily white hands with magic and magery. Such attitudes had played part in why he was out HERE in the border areas and not in the more “civilized” areas of the kingdom.

“It should help with your needs but beyond this . . .not much more can I give without risking the dragons wrath,” the mage finishes up. “And you know my position on that.”

“Yes, we do that and respect that,” Gilda puts in, placing a restraining hand on a frowning Nightfall’s shoulder. Not that the elf was going to speak out (again) about that, but why take chances? “But now for the other pressing need you sought me out for,” he finished up, mentally putting on his mantel of ‘instructor’. “Now, by now I know that you two giantesses know that having a familiar gifts you with certain abilities. In this case the ability to shift form and fly. >{? “But of course you also need to learn a few methods on control, else you risk succumbing to the natural inclinations of your body whilst in your shifted forms,” the mage adds, deadly serious. “I know you know this but it bears repeating: learn these lessons well or you shall fall under the demands of biology . . .

“And risk possibly never again regaining our rightful true selves.” Gilda says softly.

1. “Don’t want that!” Braveheart protests, alarmed at the very idea. “Love masters as they are!! No want them to be changed and lost!!”

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