MagiStream

Larathen shrugged. "Well, my campsite's back the way I came, and I really don't think you want to start traveling this late at night. Yes, it's a nice night and the moon is full, but you'd still be better off waiting until dawn, at least, and starting your journey well-rested. Whatever's off in that direction can certainly wait for morning." If Kura came back with him, perhaps he'd be able to find out what, exactly, she was doing here. He hoped it wasn't for any sinister purpose - she seemed like such a nice person. "It's not that far a walk back to where I'm camped, and I'd certainly appreciate the company." Kura intrigued him - if her odd words weren't the result of an injury, and she still seemed no more than slightly shaken by the fall, then there was a story there, and Larathen could hardly wait to learn what it was. "We can talk on the way - anybody who falls from the sky like that must have an interesting story or two to tell."

"Of course," Kura smiled broadly-. "It's up to you. I'm supposed to stay with you, anyway. I'm not sure why, but I know I am." They walked for a moment before she started chattering again. "Are you traveling by yourself? Where are you headed? And as far as falling from the sky... I know there's a reason I was sent here, but I forget what it is for the moment, though I know it involves you and me and the Gods fearing a war between human and dragons." She said the words as if they were of everyday importance, nothing special, as if she was merely commenting on the weather, still smiling in a friendly way at Larathen. He seemed so nice.

Valkorian would probably have glared the truth out of Kura by now, Telnevarius would have cheerfully (and inadvertently) intimidated a story out of her, Sathieura would have suspected a trap and hexed Kura the moment she started talking, Ekaira would have headed back the way she came as soon as she saw a person at the bottom of the crater, and Garal Stonebreaker would have...been Garal Stonebreaker, there was no better way to put it. Larathen, though, saw no reason not to be friendly to Kura - his initial suspicions were seeming increasingly less likely the more she spoke - and was only too glad to answer her questions (though he certainly wasn't going to admit to being a dragon to someone he'd just met).

"Yes, I travel alone - I've never met the right traveling companion," he said. True enough, though not for the reason she'd probably think. "And I travel wherever I wish. I really don't have any set destination at the moment - Goldenfield Village is the closest settlement to where we are, but it's really at its best in the autumn, from what I've heard - so we can certainly go discover where your mysterious flash of insight might lead."

Larathen wasn't quite sure when he'd decided to travel with Kura, but there was now no question of just parting ways in the morning. Yes, he was taking a risk in traveling with a stranger, but he had to know how this all turned out - especially considering the second part of her statement. "You, me, and the Gods, huh? So does that make you a human, a dragon, or something else entirely?" he said, partly joking and partly serious. If whoever had sent her truly wanted to prevent a war between humans and dragons, then they had his full support. Larathen still wasn't sure he completely believed what she was saying, but it made a good story, and it would be nice for a change to have a traveling companion he just might be able to trust.

((And if Larathen and Kura ever make it to Larathen's village/town/whatever, Kura might just get to meet a few of the characters mentioned in the first paragraph. I'll try not to overwhelm the RP with NPCs, but there are a few characters I really want to use.))

((Cool beans; we can definitely include it. c: I certainly don't mind NPC's; they add to an RP, as far as I'm concerned. =]))

Kura smiled and shrugged. "I think I'm just a lower level goddess. The beings that created me were upper-level, and that means they can create life and destroy it without entering a physical realm. I know I can't do that... And I know I'm not a dragon like you, or a human completely, even though this form is sort of modeled after humanity's pattern." She paused. "You are a dragon, aren't you?"

"And what makes you think that I am?" Larathen asked, trying to keep his voice casual. There was no way she could have known what he was by looking at him - his hands and ears would look perfectly normal with just the light from the moon to see by - and spells for detecting dragons in human form, while they existed, were either too unreliable to be useful or required so much preparation as to make them largely impractical. Larathen couldn't quite believe that Kura meant him any harm, though, not when she seemed so unconcerned at the thought that he might really be a dragon, no matter how she knew what he was, and so he was more curious than alarmed.

Larathen wasn't quite sure he believed Kura's claim of being a goddess, but wasn't about to ask her to prove it - he'd heard too many variations on that particular joke. On the other hand, it would explain a lot about the way Kura acted and spoke if she were in fact new to being mortal. Well, even if this were some sort of trick (which he was increasingly starting to doubt), it certainly made a good story, so he was perfectly willing to tag along wherever she wanted to go.

Kura shrugged, sensing a thread of mild tension in Larathen's tone. "I'm sorry, I've startled you, haven't I?" she asked, gently patting his hand. "I didn't mean to. I...I mean, I don't really know how to talk to anyone. They just drop things in my head, like pointing me where to go and telling me to stay with you. And that you're a dragon." She tilted her head and looked at him curiously. "Shouldn't I know that? Or am I not supposed to know?" From someone else, the questions may have sounded sarcastic, but because Kura genuinely had no idea as to the answers, she just sounded deeply curious.

"And by "they," you mean the Gods, right?" Usually, people who claimed that the Gods spoke to them were to be avoided at all costs, but he didn't get that sense from Kura. She seemed certain he was a dragon, however she knew, so Larathen decided he might as well stop pretending he might not be. If she were this new to the world, she probably didn't know why her words would have upset him - that, at least, he could help with.

"As for why I was startled by what you said, that's simple enough. You'll see this more clearly in sunlight, but there's really nothing to distinguish me from the average human - not as long as I keep my shirt on - and, well, the war you mentioned has been a threat since my grandparents were young, and I expect it will come to pass in my lifetime. In all the years I've been traveling, the only people (besides other dragons, of course) who've had even an inkling of what I might be were wizards, and they generally weren't inclined to be friendly toward dragons. Now do you see why I might have been alarmed by your words?" He shrugged. "If you know, you know, so there's no point in getting upset about it now. Once we get back to the campsite, I might even transform for you." "Not far" had a different meaning for Kura than it did for him, Larathen suspected, as all the traveling he'd done had made him very used to walking, but it still shouldn't be that long of a walk.

Kura nodded. "Yes. I don't remember their personal names, but they were the Upper Gods. I'm a lower Goddess, I think."

She listened carefully to his words, smiling when he finished in understanding. "I won't tell anyone, then. If it's a secret, I'll keep it, don't worry. I know how cruel some humans can be to dragons..." She shuddered at the images the Upper Gods had given her in demonstration. "It's terrible, how some dragons and humans treat each other. It isn't right." She smiled a bit wryly. "I think I'm supposed to stop all that nonsense, though. So at least there's that, right?"

Larathen nodded. "No, it certainly isn't right. I know I'm not the only one who wishes there were some way to peacefully resolve the conflict between humans and dragons, but sometimes it feels that way." And as for his family - well, best not to go into that now. "I think the only thing that hasn't been tried yet is intervention by the Gods, so maybe you're just what's needed to put an end to the conflict. For now, though, it's late, I'm tired, I'm sure you're tired, and we're nearly back at camp." And how they were going to manage with one tent between the two of them he wasn't sure - at least the night was warm enough that it would be fairly pleasant sleeping outside, if it came to that.

Kura nodded in agreement. "Yes. Tonight, I think... Well, I know this isn't a short task. I won't be finished today, or tomorrow, or the next night. There is somewhere I need to go, someone I need to meet..." She shook her head and smiled at Larathen. "Yes, for tonight, I'm more than happy just to get to know you, Larathen. You seem very interesting."