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Moonreaper it is.


But gee, I wonder what a moonreaper is?

Next chapter update: I'm halfway through chapter 11! Miracles!

Eleven. Moonreaper

"Perhaps... perhaps Nikko should read this, first," Raistlin said quietly, his strange golden gaze resting on the sorcerer. Nikko's face remained carefully blank as he accepted the translated letter from the naga.

"Is there any particular reason it was written in a dead language?" he asked before he looked at it.

"More than likely to protect you," Raistlin said.

Red frowned at the two of them, who were currently locked in a dramatic, serious-face stare off. "Are you going to read it, or are you going to gaze into each other's eyes for the rest of the afternoon?" Raistlin, with a slight huff, moved to sit in his chair by the fire. His eyes remained on the humans, prepared to assess their reactions to the letter. Red leaned over Nikko's shoulder almost comically, pressing against his back and gazing at the letter. Hands steady as he held the letter in front of him, Nikko silently read it.

'Nikko, the Moonreaper, the great Runaway Sorcerer of the Arkene. Your reputation proceeds you, reaching even The Keep of the Magi.

The mission that you are accompanying the magi Red on promises great danger. The Black Hunters, a vile group that disgraces the name of magi, will only make it more perilous. My intelligence informs me that they have doubled their efforts to find and kill you. I cannot stress how important it is that they not achieve this. Obviously you do not wish you lose your life, but you are essential to the success of the mission. Red, for all her power, cannot hope to complete this alone.

You possess great power, Moonreaper. Not only what you have in your Soul Stone, but another, greater power that has not yet been tapped into. You must find it, and use it. It may save your life, and the lives of those around you.

Be aware that Evil seeks Evil. Should one power have a common enemy in you, another may join them, and you will find yourselves being assaulted from every angle. Be in a constant state of vigilance, and never let your guard down. Should they see one sign of weakness, they will find a way to use it to their advantage.

My informants have reported that the Arkene Godstone has not moved in over a century. The Winternorn Lake is where it may be found. Study the area for a few days - if nothing appears amiss, simply send any Ice Phoenix to me with a note. However, should any suspicious activity be noticed, you, Red, are to use the Teleportation Spell I have given you to return to me immediately. Unfortunately, the spell will only transport one person. However, I am sure you know your own spell for Teleportation, Moonreaper. If you wish to accompany Red back to me, you may do so.

The Arkene is not as cold as it has been in the past. You may see green where there was once naught but frost. Note everything you see, as I would like a report on the land. Try not to draw too much attention to yourselves - the Black Hunters originated in the Arkene, and not even the natives take kindly to the presence of a sorcerer anymore. If you find yourselves in need of an ally, the Ice Nomads are known to still be friendly to both magi and sorcerers - you may find refuge with them.

I am sure you both notice missing pieces in the mission. I will explain everything once I know that the Arkene Godstone has not been tampered with.

May the Gods watch over you, and safe travels.

Keep in mind always, Moonreaper; The night is not ruled by darkness.

-Thane

"Is he always this cryptic?" Nikko asked, glancing at Red from the corner of his eyes. Red shrugged.

"Usually. Do you have any idea what this untapped power is, O Great Runaway?" she asked, leaning back against the couch. Nikko sighed and scanned the letter again, and a third time before answering her.

"Not a clue. The only power I've ever known is what is in my Soul Stone. Unless he's talking about the wayward magi somewhere in my family."

"Well, I'm sure we'll find out what it is somewhere along the way." Red turned to Raistlin. "Have you heard word from Jacob and Elena?" The naga shook his head.

"Not as of yet. However, the package you ordered arrived. I had Bard put it in your room," he said.

"Excellent. Nikko, come with me." Red walked to the door, Nikko following, but his eyes remained fixed on the letter. "Thank you for the translation, Raistlin. I'll see you later."

--

"May I ask you why you're shoving me into your bedchamber and shutting the door behind you? This isn't to say I'm not all for enacting the implications of such an action, but it might provoke gossip," Nikko quipped lightly.

"I ordered you clothes."

"What?"

"Yours are nearly threadbare. You need better duds if we're going to be wandering around the Arkene, looking for a giant rock." Red opened the top of the small crate and pulled out several wrapped packages. "You're just a bit taller than the man I used to date, so I ordered yours a size bigger. They should fit you." She tossed one of the packages at him. "If not, I'm sure you can magic them into submission."

Nikko unwrapped the package and out tumbled a soft white shirt and pants.

"They're made of alpaca wool; expensive, but they'll keep you warm. They're also strong - they'll protect you from most blasting attack - fireballs and lightning bolts." The sorcerer looked up at her with concern.

"What do think we'll find up by the Godstone? Are we really going to have fireballs lobbed at our backs?"

"Or our fronts," Red answered cheerfully. She was trying on her own white woolen cloak, tucking her bright hair into the hood. "I'll weave spells into them tonight. Spells of protection and warmth and durability. You can enchant your own, if you wish." She pulled on a pair of white gloves and wriggled her fingers in them.

"When do we leave?" Nikko asked.

"As soon as possible. I was going to take Paladine with me, but Thane seems to want us to travel underwing, so we're only taking Daiki and Pryce. They'll get us there quickly," she said. Nikko nodded. A glint caught his eye, then. He looked to a small table by the door and saw four beautiful figurines, each in a different shade of gold or purple, with magnificent little blown glass wings. The figurines were fantastically detailed, and were of a hybrid bird/dragon creature. He turned to fetch his book on Creatures and nearly fell over.

Red was shirtless, and the only thing covering her breasts was a white cotton binding cloth. It was not wrapped tightly, for she had no need too hide her femininity. She was pulling her own white shirt from its package. Nikko gaped at the sight of her, his cool composure falling away, along with his jaw.

"Does the sight of a woman wrapped only in her bindings really undo all of yours?" Red asked, casting a sidelong glance at the sorcerer. Nikko simply blinked at her. She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, it's not like you haven't seen a woman, many women, in various stages of undress. If we're going to be traveling together, I'm not going to hide behind a rock every time I need to change, and I don't expect you to behave that way, either. I'll be the mature one, and you can pretend to be mature."

Nikko closed his mouth and turned away. "This woman is going to be the death of me."







Short chapter is short. A little bit of filler, a little bit of the direction I'm trying to take this story in.

"I'll be the mature one, and you can pretend to be mature."

I love that! Red is so sarcastic.
I can't wait for more. It keeps getting more and more interesting.

I don't think Nikko knows quite what to make of Red- she keeps him on his toes at all times

Which is good for him

love it :3

lol xD

*dissolves into silent laughter*

Oh, Red, how I love you You are so awesome

Red
Another well written chapter. Was bursting into laughter toward the end of the chapter.

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Twelve. To The Sea

On the morning of their fifth day at Shoal Keep, Red and Nikko prepared to set off once again. Daiki and Pryce, to whom Nikko had bonded with quite well, were impatient and ready to fly. Each had a small pack attached to them that was enchanted with Red's own Bottomless spell. The packs weighed no more than usual, but were stuffed with clothes, food, spell components, books, and other miscellaneous items.

While Nikko spent time playing with (harassing) Daiki and Pryce, Red made her rounds of the keep, saying goodbye to the household staff and any of her companions that she could find. She stopped in the Library last, with Siobhan following closely behind her. Raistlin sat on the cushions by the magnificent bay window, looking out at the ocean.

"Come to say your farewells already?" he asked quietly. Red smiled, her lips tight.

"Hopefully next time I'm here, it'll be for a while longer. I've missed home," she said. She ran her hands along the smooth wood of the table. "If I fake my death, Thane won't be able to send me on any more missions." Raistlin glared at her.

"Do not joke about that." Red sighed and moved to sit next to her friend. The naga was tense all over and ground his teeth. "This journey doesn't bode well."

"I know it doesn't. It reeks of all sorts of chaos. It might force me into an early retirement," she chuckled. Raistlin didn't smile. He was clearly not taking this as well as Red had hoped. He reached behind him and produced something small and flat and wrapped in a soft cloth.

"This is for you, from Thane. He sent it with that Quetzalcoatl a few days ago." He handed the object to Red, who carefully unwrapped it. It turned out to be a mirror, a small thing about the size of her palm, its edges were smooth and undecorated. Inspecting the back of it, there were no inscriptions or images.

"What is it?" Red asked. Before answering, Raistlin produced another mirror, identical to the one she held, and showed it to her.

"They're communication mirrors, and they look like an old pair. Speak my name while holding it in front of you, and you'll be able to see and hear me," he said with a smirk.

"This is great. But, why would Thane give these to me now? It's just a standard mission, for now, isn't it?" The naga pursed his lips.

"I think that Thane believes that this mission could get very ugly, very fast." Raistlin paused. In a moment of affection, which were few and far between with the naga, he reached out and covered Red's hand with his own. "Be careful out there, Lynn. Thane's... predictions, if you are so inclined to call them, are usually correct." Red's playful expression softened, and she smiled gently at her friend.

"I'll play it safe, Raist. Don't worry yourself too much. I'd say 'what could possibly happen?', but we both know the answer to that one."

--

Red and Nikko led the Lunar Hippogryphs to the cliff behind the keep. The wind buffeted them, and Daiki spread his wings and flapped them a few times, shaking off a few loose feathers.

"Why are we about to walk off the cliff?" Nikko asked, craning his head around Pryce's neck.

"Flying north through Synara to get to Arkene would be too dangerous. The Black Hunters would expect us to go that way. We're flying out to sea; we'll go up and around and pass over the jungle. It'll be a little more tiring, but there should be less encounters." Red hoisted herself up onto Daiki easily, settling comfortably on his back. "Sit up behind the wing joints. Don't be afraid to hold on - you won't rip his feathers out," she told Nikko, watching with amusement as he scrambled in a very un-Nikko like way onto Pryce's back. When he was finally settled on without wobbling, he looked at Red and nodded.

And then the Lunar Hippogryphs, their riders clinging tightly, leaped from the clifftop. Red let out a whoop of delight, and Daiki, the more rambunctious of the two, skreed loudly and clawed at the air in joy. Nikko clung to Pryce with a look of pure terror on his face. He'd never flown before, and plunging from a cliff wasn't a very good first impression. And then the beast below him spread his wings, and they caught the air currents. They glided back and forth for a moment or two before evening out. Nikko released his death grip on Pryce's feathers and looked around. They were high above the sea, and when he looked out, he could see for miles. Shoal Keep quickly faded to a small dot behind them, and the sorcerer had a feeling he was saying goodbye to comfort and safety for a long while.

The wind rushed past his ears, and he could feel the muscles of the hippogryph below him, feel the beating of the massive wings that held them aloft. He patted Pryce's neck. The hippogryph made a pleased clicking noise with his beak and tossed his head. Nikko glanced at Red, and she was smiling at him, also pleased, apparently with the camaraderie growing between the sorcerer and her creature companions.

They flew on for several miles, unable to converse for the wind ripping through their ears, but playing games nonetheless. The hippogryphs, fond of racing one another, would initiate sky-races and would nip at each others' tails. Red took the games even further and sent a teeny lightning bolt over at Nikko, who ducked it and sent one right back. This continued for a while, the spells varying (at one point, Nikko sent a volley of rainbow feathers at Red) until their mounts, growing tired of being hit by wayward spells, flew out of range of each other. Despite all the cajoling of their riders, the hippogryphs remained distanced from each other.

The weather was perfect for flying, and all was smooth sailing until an arrow whistled out of nowhere and stuck itself straight into Nikko's shoulder. The sorcerer doubled over and grappled with Pryce's feathers, trying to get a solid grip on them to prevent himself from falling off. Pryce screeched loudly, alerting Daiki and Red.

"Nikko!" Red shouted, and without being told, Daiki sped up to him. The magi looked up and saw a man in a dark cloak astride a Molten Bone Dragon. The man already had another arrow nocked and ready to fire. They hovered above the two, the fire within the Bone Dragon burning brightly.

"Get into the jungle!" Red shouted. Without a moments hesitation, Pryce dove back toward the coast and sped toward the jungle, a rapidly wilting Nikko still clutching at his neck. The man in black tried to get the Bone Dragon to follow the Lunar Hippogryph, but the creature would not obey. A Molten Bone Dragon dared not venture into the Jungle of Raza - their inner flames would set the entire jungle ablaze, and the offending dragon would more than likely been torn apart by the guardians of the jungle, the Manticore. Instead, the creature fixed his attentions on Red and Daiki.

As the Bone Dragon dove, so did Daiki. He was smaller and swifter than the large dragon and was easily able to avoid its fire breath attacks. Another arrow zoomed by Red's head, missing her temple by mere inches. Calling forth her magic, she hurled a lightning bolt in his direction. It grazed the man's leg and she could hear a roar of pain from above. Smiling grimly, she guided Daiki into a carefully controlled dive, further away from the dragon. Red patted the hippogryph on his rump and he began to fly toward the jungle, hopefully to catch up to Nikko.

Unfortunately, the man in the black clothes had no intention of letting Red go, for another arrow flew past her shoulder. Just as Red was building another lightning bolt, a loud shriek was heard from above, and then the crash of a large creature into the Bone Dragon. Red looked up quickly to see Hyperion, her golden Crystalwing, digging his sharp claws deep into the dragon's bones. Another shriek came from the giant bird, one that clearly told Red to get out of dodge.

Red knew that her Crystalwing could handle a Bone Dragon and a hyper rider, but Nikko was in the jungle with a hippogryph that couldn't take the heat or humidity. She squeezed Daiki with her thighs and he took off, plunging into the jungle.

The two of them crashed through the trees, branches slapping Red's face and Daiki's underbelly. The hippogryph landed quickly, realizing that he couldn't fly through the thick foliage. He let out a warbling cry, calling out to his friend. In just a few seconds, another cry answered his, one that was not far away at all. Without even the slightest touch from Red, Daiki was off in the direction of Pryce, his rear hooves kicking up clods of moist earth.

A short but hard run brought them to a tiny clearing dappled with sunlight. Pryce stood over Nikko, who was lying on the ground on his back, clutching the arrow protruding from his chest. A small amount of blood escaped from the wound and stained his white shirt. Sweat was beaded upon his brow and his breathing was coming in shallow gasps.

Red nearly fell from Daiki's back and scrambled to him, dropping to her knees next to him.

"By the gods, it was poisoned," she whispered.









Aw shit, we might have a dead sorcerer on our hands.

NO!