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--- story:ravis_late [2025/12/15 10:09] – Cinder
+++ story:ravis_late [2026/02/23 16:43] (current) – Cinder
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 Robert found his body relaxing a bit as a wave of lethargy crossed his body, the adrenaline fading. \\
 //"Hmph...yea opening up old wounds, to fulfil some personal desire for closure...that is pretty selfish."// \\
-He looks her over properly, without the lens of fear. //"I see you did bring something to share at least, Food and Drink....well i cannot be a rude host. Common inside we ca talk more over wine."//
+He looks her over properly, without the lens of fear. //"I see you did bring something to share at least, Food and Drink....well i cannot be a rude host."// Robert opened the door to his home. //"Common inside we can talk more over wine."//
 <WRAP centeralign>
 ====Chapter 2: New Legacy ====
 </WRAP>
+Robert stood back. Realising a small issue, Looking up at Ravi's face she seemed very embarrassed but also accepting. She was indeed over 8ft tall and such a large woman would have difficulty with most doorways. \\
+//"Do not worry...my place has high ceilings, just be carful upon entry..."// Robert said holding back the awkwardness of the situation. \\
+Inside, the air was warm, a fire place bathed the house in comforting heat. the smell of spices, bread and wine whispered in the room, following those smells would surly lead you to the kitchen. High ceilings, cobblestone walls, light wooden floor and high quality furniture. You would be surprised to learn there was a cemetery outside such a refined cosy home. \\
+Ravi managed, relying on her flexibility and the sturdiness of the house to squeeze her way inside. Luckily, nothing broken, only embarrassment. The floors creaked and Robert let out a sigh of relief that nothing ad fallen over.
+Small Knick knacks were displayed on many shelves, Wooden and metal sculptures, Story books as well as Research Books. Empty bottles of wine, shoes, tools and a few portraits of people. Some were a magical capture, photorealistic and seemed to move ever so slightly with blinking and breath, while others were traditionally painted. You would notice some of the smaller older pictures had one of the people's faces roughly cut out as if done in a rush or anger. \\
+Ravi didn't recognize anyone in the pictures, aside from Robert. She assumed the one cut out was his brother, the one he was chasing all those years ago, the one he killed.
+Ravi dare not move too much, despite the rather spacious home the last thing she wanted was to cause issues. Scanning the room looking for a space of floor to sit. Robert noticed her 'Umming' and 'ahhing', knowing what she was looking for. He started to move some of the chairs aside tipping Ravi to do the same. Opening up a big enough spot Ravi sat down cross legged seeming quite proud that now she was less of a danger to the house. \\
+Even sitting the Crimson haired woman was taller than Robert. he couldn't help but scratch his head in bewilderment, until eventually. //"How in the hells did you end up like this?"// Robert blurted out. //"You were only chest hight last time I saw you, I know for a fact people tend to stop growing after they reach adult hood....but you,, didn't seem to get that memo!?"// \\
+Robert's emotions running high, the down of the adrenaline now letting him take in the situation a bit better, the ridiculousness and oddity of the evening. \\
+Ravi was caught off guard by the sudden outburst. staring wide eyed at Robert blinking, Unsure if he was about to attack or tell her off. \\
+//"uhhh...i mean, its a bit of a story but i can give you the cliff notes?...if you really want to know?"// Ravi spoke, unsure of her words, unsure if Robert was being genuine about his question. \\
+//"YES!....please...Ah Gods. Its just alot, ALOT to handle. Here you show up after decades, I didn't even know you were alive, Some days i question if those events in Exilis even took place, But my axe...its all the proof i need."// Robert took the bottle of wine Ravi had brought and popped the cork effortlessly, as if he had done in 100 times before, taking a swig straight from the bottle. \\
+//"After all these years, after what we...what i endured....i had expected those that i had been with to be dead or in a sorry state like i am...You killed Zonotar....Venium we lost...Lekgolo vanished into the mist..."// Robert took another swing before turning to face Ravi, a bit more bite in his voice. \\
+//"Then you show up, Even brighter than usual....and monstrously proportioned..."// He took a quick instinctive glance at Ravi's body, her curves, hips, chest before adverting his gaze again."// Its ridiculous isn't it?....at least i think it is. Me becoming an old, drunk grave keeper while you became some monstrous bimbo beast!"// \\
+Ravi raised her hand to debate his simi-harsh words, but paused, he wasn't wrong...maybe he could have been a bit nicer saying it though. She paused for a while, the crackly of the fire place filling the silence between them. \\
+//" I'm sorry Ravi, that was uncalled for"// Robert spoke without looking, taking another swing of wine \\
+//" no no no"// Ravi cut back. //"You are right, i, i mean we have changed....and i got....an end of the deal. i wouldn't say its 'good' but it certainly is fun."// \\
+There was another long pause before Ravi broke the silence again. \\
+//"Robert...i am more than happy to tell you what's been going on in my life. if you tell me whats been going on with you...I brought a few more bottles of wine so we can recall long into the night....if your willing to share a drink with a bimbo like me?"// Ravi let loose a soft smile. \\
+Robert chuckled, turning to Ravi. //"Hey, some of my best friends are mistresses of the night...But i would be happy to share a drink with an old comrade"//
+----
+The two did just that. \\
+Ravi told robert of her adventured through the //Promised Archapeligo//, the treasure store she opened in Covania, how she got roped into a Lich cult and paid with herself to try and rescue people she once considered friends. She told him of the months working for the lich and what a nerd he was. \\
+Of her escape and of her new job in Uthasil. she then became more personally telling Robert about her family. the less than loyal choices she has made and the children that have come of it, and her children's children, Officially a grand-parent.
+Robert spoke of his story in a different tone. His time right after Exilis, searching for the others, loosing hope and his faith. taking the position of Grave keeper. and seeing the faces of those coming and going. \\
+but this changed when he mentioned something unexpected. \\
+//"You see her? the young girl in my pictures. her name is Talia the 2nd, my daughter"// \\
+Ravi Gasped, a bit over dramatically. //"your not a virgin Robert?"// \\
+//"Oh shut it!"// Robert blurted out, mouth full of wine. //"You shouldn't make such crass jokes to your elders."// \\
+Ravi pouted //"Um i am sure i am older than you by a few hundred years."// \\
+//"HA!"// Robert laughed. //"Sure you have been alive. But age comes with experience and those experiences is shown on our faces and felt in our bones. You still look and behave like what...thirty? And a grand-parent. pha you haven't earned the tittle of 'old'"// \\
+There was a bit of laughter and back and forth before the topic was brought back.
+Robert spoke of his daughter, Talia the 2nd. Named after his mother. //"She was a good kid, despite the circumstances. Sometimes i think she was a sign from the gods not to give up just yet. But it wasn't going to be easy."// \\
+He goes on tell of her rebellious phase. 'Father's life is boring' Talia would say. she craved adventure. //" But even when she was born i was old. By the time she came of age i was even older. to go on an adventure now seemed....reckless.// \\
+//"oh come on Robert"// Ravi spoke up. //"its never too late to adventure in this land. there is enough potions and magic to get even the slowest Tortle on track."// \\
+//"it wasn't about being old"// Robert shook his head. //"it was about feeling old. i said its felt in your bones. its hard to shake that feeling."// \\
+There was a pause between them before Ravi spoke again. //"So where is Talia now?"// \\
+//"I Don't Know.."// Robert said quietly as if saying the words too loud would invoke some bad omen.
+The silence in the home was cold. Despite the warm fire it seemed only loneliness settled. \\
+There was a loud slap, Ravi slapping her knees in protest. //"Alright. Then i will find her!"// \\
+Robert didn't process the words right away, Turning to Ravi. //"what?"// \\
+//"I will find Talia!"// Ravi spoke loudly, straining her back sitting upright. //"If you don't know where she is then i will find her and bring her back!"// \\
+//"Ravi please there is no need"// Robert stood up. //"She is a grown adult. We do't need to bother her with her life."// \\
+//"Nuh uh!"// Ravi stood up herself wacking her head on the roof. //"fffffsshhhhh OWOWOWOWOW. LOOK ROBERT! i go bother my kids all the time, sometimes twice a month. ad i have a much longer life than you! this is not good stuff. and i will not allow it! Don't you wana see Talia the 2nd again?!"// \\
+//"Of course i do!"// Robert tenced up. //"but what place do i have to demand her attention.."// \\
+//"you have not right!"// Ravi almost shouting. //"its not about a right. its a want, a desire. a selfish desire but its something that cannot be satisfied by anything else! I will go find her."// \\
+//"Ravi wait.. please..."// Robert looked away in thought. //"If you do this....if i ask you to do this...promise you won't force her...i just want to know if she is okay...maybe how she is doing. if she may consider coming home for a visit soon."// \\
+Ravi nodded and began to move, getting out of the house carefully before stretching. //"Alrighty. Yea! i can do that no worries!"// Stepping outside the night was rather cold and a wind gust rolled over the hills. Ravi's red hair picked up and swirled by the wind yet she seemed unbothered by it. \\
+//"Wait wait! your not going now are you?!"// Robert hurried outside, the cold coast winds causing his joints to ache. //"there is no need to be so rash"// \\
+//"Nope! I am already a few decades late. No more waiting Robert. Its time I fulfilled something promised to you. I just need a lead. You told me she went to Ashlem Rise on a expedition of sorts?"// \\
+//"Aye"// he nodded //"That's what i learned from the city. but that was over 5 years ago. she could be anywhere now."// \\
+//"A lead is a lead Robert. Somewhere to start is better than nothing at all"// Ravi started to warm up, doing big stretches and loosening up as if she was about to start a marathon. The Moon a cresent above with the bright starts filling the night sky, the glow of Ferrabreeze in the distance. \\
+//Will it be difficult for that bird of yours to fly in these winds?"// Robert asked, with a tiny bit of excitement. \\
+//"i Don't imagine these winds would even phase Remington."// Ravi chuckled a bit awkwardly. //"Yeeea however that's not the problem....i have actually outgrown Remington so to speak...well i mean literally, my growth has made it difficult to fly on his wings...however i picked up a few tricks From an old Blood hunter and working with a lich. Might wanna stand back a bit"//
+Robert stood back, Bracing the door before it got caught by the wind. Even in the night, the light was just enough to see the monstrous transformation on display. \\
+It sounded like Ravi was in pain at first, she might have well been. As her body began to swell and a swirl of primal energy wrapped her body. The sound of bones cracking, reshaping, expanding. The tearing of clothes, The groans of Ravi changing pitch to be something lower, more monstrous. \\
+Robert stared wide eye unable to look away, He feared if he could see it in the clear day he might run. But the dark night concealed enough for the mind to bare it better. He caught the flash of large claws, Sharp teeth and a mane of wild crimson hair. \\
+A Werewolf? Was Robert's first though. it made sense now, she looked the animlisltic part and she had mentioned long ago about being cursed. Yet Her form would continue to grow as her groans turned to grumbles and roars. Her body sprouted massive wings. her stance became quadrapedric. a lashing tail soon to follow and the shimmer of hard scales in the moonlight. \\
+//"n no Werewolf....a a Dragon?! a Weredragon?!!?"// Robert had seen alot in his long life, But in this moment he thought perhaps there was still much more to see. \\
+Ravi let out a deep sign of hot breath as her transformation finished. Her Piercing yellow eyes intensified from her transformation like starts in the dark. Her silloet was large. Perhaps the size on an ancient dragon. \\
+She stretched out similar to a cat. Her claws digging into the earth. Looking over to Robert she saw him in a combination of shock and confutation. //"Robert? Hey don't go freaking out. its me. Your resident bimbo Ravi."// \\
+The Dragon Ravi walked over an huffed a puff of flame on the touches outside, lighting up the area and revealing Ravi's form more clearly. \\
+It seemed the reveal calmed Robert down. Looking over her he noticed that much of her body was not scales but that same dark brown fur she had in her humanoid form. Scales only partial covered sections of her legs, wings, tail and other parts of the dragon body. Patches of fur on the body are longer than the rest and shared the same crimson red she was known for. A mass of crimson red hair runs from her head down her back like a mane. Her head has to massive thick horns with a slight twist in them. Her wings are gargantuan, as they should be for such a large form. They could easy cover a squadron of soldiers and have room to spare. Her same cursed eyes, an air of danger but the way she looked at Robert, an air of desire? or perhaps a desire to help. \\
+Robert gulped, Found his body shaking slightly, Adrenaline or fear he wasn't sure. Maybe just surprise...or maybe it was hope.
+//"i will be sure to send letters back with updates as much as i can Robert"// Ravi's voice, deeper and more monstrous but still hers, full of determination. \\
+//"Wait Ravi!"// Robert called out. //"a Dragon in this nation? that's a death sentence. The Soldiers and people will execute you without reason."// \\
+//"Its fine Robert."// Ravi pulled a smile of sorts, as well as a Dragon could smile. //"I will be carful, Flying at night nobody will see. and During the day i will be to high to. Besides."// Ravi spread her wings preparing to fly. //"A Death to help you would be an honest death indeed"// \\
+With a beat of her wings enough the shake Robert's house and bend the trees. Watching her disappear into the night sky as her shadow crossed the stars.
+<WRAP centeralign>
+====Chapter 3: Hunting in the Borderlands ====
+</WRAP>
+Ten days of travel over the nation of //Covania//. Flight was rather calm which was expected during the season. what was more important was staying out of sight. Many a Covanian citizen would look to the sky just out of habit looking for flying dragons such as herself, Cloud Cover was handy over the //Golden Coast// yet when the region gave way to the harsh sands of //Narod Desert// so too did the clouds. \\
+Travel by foot or fly higher? On the ground would be far slower, But Flying High still runs the risk of being spotted. Time a nagging thing in her mind so the risk was worth the time save. \\
+Her great wings took her high into the sky, The temperature dropped the higher she climbed and breathing was effected. //"Not to High. Passing out this high will be the death of anything."// \\
+Finding a good ratio of high and comfort of flying took a bit of effort but eventually she found a good spot to cruise along. she could barely see any fine details bellow, she hopped her figure was likewise passed off as a bird or other flying creature that wasn't a dragon.
+The Days went by uneventfully, Ravi flies until fatigue begins to creep its ugly head where she descends for rest. Spending a little time to enjoy the silence of the scenery around her. Being alone for the first time in the long time, She always had **Remington** but now he has joined another and she is alone, truly alone. It is nice but not welcome.
+----
+Ashlem Rise came into view. After a few more days Ravi is at the base of the natural mountain border. But things are alot more active than she had thought. It seems there had been a battle here, a Big one. There are several soldier tents and camps around the area. Ravi had seen the smoke while flying in and had made a discrete descension further away to transform out of sight. Though even her humanoid form was far from stealthy. \\
+----