[Round 1] R'wign vs. Nautic

[rii]

R'wign vs. Nautic

Round starter: R'wign
Time: Morning, overcast

—

[glamourie]

Okay, so he’d gotten the date wrong. He’d thought it was going to start the first day of the Gather – not his fault there wasn’t concrete information anywhere. He’d have saved dressing up for the right day if he’d realized. Oh well. Live and learn.

As it was, R’wign had… nothing to make him look exceptionally special. He hadn’t dressed up properly – not the way he’d wanted to, anyway. He didn’t even have Riaren with him, because he’d gotten the time wrong and returned the baby to Meira. That fact dented his confidence significantly, too. R’wign was fond of telling stories, but his best were told to his son, usually when they were alone with his firelizards. He felt awkward just randomly blurting out stories in front of strangers. That there were also holders… well, there was a reason he wasn’t a harper (and the fact that his voice sounded like a dying wherry had little to do with it). He didn’t do so well in front of strangers. At Selenitas he was comfortable being completely crazy because… it was Selenitas. It was home. It was the only home that he knew; Nerat and Healer Hall were nothing compared to what he felt at Selenitas. Blossom was just a nearby Hold – it wasn’t home, and the people there were strangers who all looked alike to him. Blond hair and blue eyes. They all looked identical; they were mutants. It didn’t help that Blossom Hold reminded him of Marra. He actually felt sick with anxiety, which he knew was all in his head.

His outfit was actually dedicated to M’ta… and would probably get him thwacked. He’d purchased a pair of black leather pants that laced up the front and he literally sneaked out of the weyr with them to keep his weyrmate from strangling him. Upon arrival, he’d learned about the contest starting and… quickly tried to wing his ‘costume.’ It didn’t fit the Gather theme all that much, and his only saving grace was that he was scarred up all over his torso. He’d stripped the cream-colored tunic off, and then folded it up into a neat rectangle that he used to push the longer strands of his hair back. The black locks stuck up awkwardly. Next to the upraised stage, R’wign tossed his boots off and he mentally prodded his firelizards; they returned from the Weyr with a roll of unused bandages that he wound over his feet and tied around the ankle. Good enough. It was a very good thing that M’ta had convinced him to start carrying around blades. Without the shirt, it actually worked perfectly for what he was planning. If he managed to speak without throwing up, that was.

Lighting onto his shoulder, Ellie gave a pleasant flute and nudged R’wign’s jaw. He reached one hand up to pet the gold flitter’s head and took a deep breath to soothe himself. It would be okay. He was not fixing to make a fool of himself. Or, well, he was, but it would be okay because he always did. He kept repeating that mentally as Grouch settled on his shoulder opposite of Ellie. Roxie settled on his head, on top of the cloth, and he held his arms out to his sides. On the left one landed Crash, while Stumpy and Hazard landed on the right. It was exceptionally rare for him to have all of his firelizards with him but they could sense his anxiety. He hadn’t ‘rehearsed’ so he had no idea how well all of them would compliment whatever story he ended up telling (he had an idea before, but it was all blown to bits by his mistake).

You will be fine. Just imagine that no one else is there. Ignore the crowds; tune them out. You like telling stories. Pretend they are crèche children if that helps?

Right. Pretend it was children. Easier said than done – though Checkoth’s confidence in him was almost thick enough to cut with a knife and that helped. At least someone believed in him. He crinkled his nose and eyed the raised platform. His competition was someone named Nautic and he didn’t know the name. Nor did he care much. One hand came up to adjust his eye patch as he eyed the stairs of the raised platform. He bit down on his bottom lip, took another deep breath (determined to prevent himself from vomiting all over the audience as that would be very hard to explain). He was supposed to go first – so he would. He turned his head to look at Ellie before nudging her with his nose. The unspoken request was clear: Go.

Of all of R’wign’s firelizards, Ellie was the one closest connected to R’wign. It was because of that, and the fact that she was above average in intelligence for a firelizard, that she not only understood what he wanted – but was able to deduce a way to help. She didn’t quite know what he was planning, but if he wanted her to fly up toward the stage, she could do that. Fluting, the gold fluttered her wings and then gave a very loud screech that no doubt echoed over the crowd. Her wings flared and then she took off, flying in vivid loops over the stage… and her colorful fair followed; all of R’wign’s firelizards joined their gold in a series of quick loops around the stage. Gold. Bronze. Brown. Two blues. Green. A full rainbow of draconid shades flying in perfect harmony – except for Stumpy, who lagged behind chasing his own tail. Typical Stumpy.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Don’t faint.

R’wign waited at the side of the stage for a moment. His firelizards circled and when they were on the end of the stage opposite the steps leading upward, he moved. He didn’t take simple steps, though. R’wign instead actually leapt up onto the stage, wrapped feet smacking against the hard wood audibly. He hunched, one hand coming up as though to shield his eye from the sun. It wasn’t bright enough for that to be problematic, but it added to the illusion.

“S’bright today, she is,” R’wign began, injecting just enough of his natural accent into his voice to sound different. He was from Nerat, from a fishing hold, but he’d spent enough time in the South to fake accents very well. He wasn’t trying to disguise it for once, for effect more than anything else. He had to force himself to speak louder to be heard, as R’wign wasn’t a naturally loud entity. “You see ‘er thar, right?” One hand went up to indicate Rukbat high above – it was early enough in the day that the sun was visible, despite being overcast. Not the ideal weather for his story, but oh well. He made a show of squinting. “Y’know if you fly toward the sun fer too long, what happens, aye?” He turned back toward the audience, experiencing a wave of vertigo. Why, oh why, did he have to start? He did better building off of other people – or he was sure he would. R’wign pushed the discomfort aside to settle down on his knees, the leather of his pants creaking as he ‘whispered’ (loud enough to be heard) to everyone nearby. “She’ll burn yer ship to ashes, she will. A cruel mistress, she is, our sun. Aye, she’s how I came ta be here ta begin with. Silly me, I didn’ believe – and my ship, she lay in ashes. Nigh ten turns I’ve been ‘ere, and I can never go home. S’what I get for testing her patience.”

The firelizards settled down, with Grouch flying back to R’wign’s shoulder. The blue turned toward the audience and twitched his wings, barely resisting the urge to scold. R’wign rested his hands on the wood for a moment, before one pointed toward the people, motioning to all of them in kind. “But ye don’t believe me. Ye think, ‘The sun did na burn his ship, he’s a fool. Rocky passages caught ‘er by the hull and crashed, likely. Sun’s just a sun.’ S’what they all think. Her wrath is terrible, though, and unbelievers… well… ye see what happens to those who donna believe.” His head turned toward Grouch and he nodded (Grouch scolded at that exact moment, irritated by R’wign turning attention to him; the healer ignored that). “Tha’s my crew. Yes, yes… they were all human once. Jus’ like me n’ you.”

Leaping to his feet from his position on his knees (without the use of his hands – there were some perks to being rather flexible and prone to eccentric behavior), R’wign turned and waved toward his firelizards, seemingly in sorrow. Ellie gave a melodious flute that was loud enough to carry, and R’wign prowled across the stage to the center. Once there, he turned his back to the audience before dramatically adding. “All this fer that stupid treasure – wasn’t worth it, wasn’t worth it… came to be here fer turns, probably die here.” Turning to look over his shoulder, he adjusted his eye patch and looked at the audience with a raised eyebrow. “What treasure, ye ask? That be the one she hid here – yeh see, if ye sail into tha sun for too long, ye find this place – her secret home, and all ‘er gifts throughout the years. I don’t s’pose you folks believe in legends?”

Turning on his foot, R’wign rocked on his heels, one hand coming down to trail over the wicked feline scars that trailed up his side, over his back. His stomach was a tangled mess of various scars – from the feline mauling to Aberath.

“Yeh do, don’tcha? An’ ye think ya can just waltz in and get the treasure fer yerself…? I bet ye don’t even know how it got here an’ what it is to begin with, do ye? Fine then!” He threw one hand up in the air, waved it impatiently, and pointed at the crowd once more. “Settle down, settle down – ‘er story’s a long one, ye know. Have patience for a foolish sailor; she’s gazed on me for far too long. Let’s see if I can remember ‘er tale good and proper…” R’wign made a show of tapping his jaw and looking thoughtful, before ending with a glance toward his partner – previously ignored completely; it was his cue to pick up the story after R’wign’s introduction of, “They say it started with a fire – tha’s why she always burns ships…”

[Tashe]

Storytelling. It was something that was not unfamiliar to Nautic, having to dress up wasn't either. He worked in the Creche, and telling silly tales was almost in the job description, but that was the problem. The crowd before him was a motley bunch, consisting of old grandfathers to young children. Nautic wasn't used to trying to appeal to such a range of ages. And frankly, it made him nervous. But he would do it, he knew he would. It was a manner of pride for the Wherling, if he chickened out of simply telling a story, he'd never forgive himself. Especially since it was something he loved to do, Nautic without drama was not Nautic at all. It was too bad though, that the morning was cloudy... but maybe the young man going before him would use it somehow in his story. Wouldn't that be clever. Maybe he could use it if R'wign didn't. That made him think.

What would storytelling be if you didn't dress up? Nautic, not knowing what the Rider would start with, dressed in all black. He oiled back his hair so that it was away from his face, though the oil made his hair look considerably lighter, and had lined his eyes thickly with charcoal. He also had a change in clothing, in case R'wign started out more cheerfully. But it would only work if the first part of his story was long. Looking over at the Rider as he took the stage, Nautic smiled at him, both for encouragement and appreciation for his outfit. Knowing not of course, that it had been improvised. He really had wanted his Salamandyr there with him, but she had passed out on his bed and (angrily) told him to leave her alone when he tried to rouse her. Scooting as close to the edge of the stage as possible, while still being hidden off stage, the Wherling bounced from one foot to the other and wrung his hands. His movements slowed in intensity when R'wign began to speak.

Immediately, Nautic recognized his theme. And knowing that, he momentarily debated with himself, choosing in the end to complement R'wign's costume by doing a quick change of his own. Double tasking as best as he could, the Wherling rummaged through his bag, praying that the other would spin a longer tale. Pulling out a bright yellow swatch of cloth, Nautic removed his bootknife and sliced through the fabric, rending it in two long pieces. Folding the first half over and over again, the Wherling eventually tied it to his head, but not before making his oiled hair stand up at different angles. He folded the second twice before tying it around his waist. The bright yellow was a startling contrast to the black he wore. He wasn't a sea-farer like R'wign, no, he was a messenger. A messenger for the tale of the sun. Stretching slightly, he tucked the bootknife back into its sheath before returning his total attention back onto R'wign.

Grabbing the railing, Nautic leapt up onto the stage as his partner gave him a signal, hoping his sudden appearance might just startle the audience. He gave R'wign a glance before turning sharply to the audience, his arms outstretched, almost pleading them to listen to the sun's story. "The sun ya' see. She was a lady once. And she was beautiful, with 'er 'air of gold, an' 'er skin! Oh 'er skin was rivaled by no'n." He would have to apologize later for stealing R'wign's idea for an accent, but Nautic wanted to complement the other man, not contradict. "No'n 'cept the moon! Aye, she was a lassy too, once 'pon a time. 'Er 'air was silver and 'er skin so pale. The sun, she 'ated the moon, she was jealous of 'er 'cause men liked to look 'pon her more. The moon was calm an' gentle like. While the sun, she was more feisty an' unpredictable." Nautic slowly lowered his arms, placing his hands on the railing. He then leaned forward ever so slightly, offering the crowd a sad look.

"But one day, see, she met a man. An' 'e was 'ansome. An' the more he was around 'im, she could see that 'e was charmin'. 'E was a sailor, a captain, an 'e 'ad sailed all over the world." Nautic put a hand to his heart. "She fell in love with this man." Taking his hand briskly away from his chest, he scowled at the audience. "But lil' did she know, the moon herself 'ad also fallen for the Sailor. But the man! The man, 'e knew that both the Moon an' the sun loved 'im. An' 'e turned greedy, as any man would when loved by too such beauties." He swung his head sharply to the side, as if he was disgusted by what he had said. But it was also a cue for R'wign, because it gave him the opportunity to wink at the Rider. It would be his turn soon. " 'E kept it a secret. Knowin' that if the Sun ever found out, she would be very upset like..."

[glamourie]

Well. That was interesting… and unexpected. R’wign kept the confusion and surprise off of his face, settling for his head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side. As Nautic spoke, he crouched down, head bowed, as though returning to the shadows – listening ever intently, but not in any way snatching attention back to himself. He mentally prodded his colorful fair to be silent and not interrupt, but R’wign himself sneaked a glance at his opponent – who looked as if he honestly belonged at Blossom. Not good. He certainly didn’t look like most of the audience. His stomach gave another flip-flop and he schooled his expression to calm, letting Checkoth reassure him. Just pretend like he was telling a story to the crèche children… or to M’ta. Right. He could do that. He could. Shame the kid seemed more comfortable than him though… R’wign’s ego took a small bruise at that, but he forced his anxiety down. After the round, he could go have a bunch of pies to gorge himself, win or lose. That would make him feel worlds better.

… she would be very upset-like…

Glancing at his partner/opponent, R’wign quirked an eyebrow and then leapt to his feet. He mentally disregarded acknowledgment of the story as a competition. The goal wasn’t to win (or so he kept telling himself over and over) – it was to keep the audience amused, and he spun on the balls of his feet to face the audience again.

“And ye know what they say ‘bout a woman scorned, aye?”

The healer stretched his arms out to his sides and then indicated one finger toward the sky. “Well, tha turns, they passed by slow. Ye see, men of the Sea, they not be likely to make their minds up too fast. ‘E thought ‘e had it all, and yeah, I guess ye could say he did. Sailors praise the lovely Sun for her guidance, giving direction and purpose, but it’s under tha Moon’s cool silver gaze that we flourish best – ‘cause see, the Sun, her heat is maddening for too long. Ask any sailor, E’ll tell ya – tha moonlight and stars are the best friend of Seamen for travel, and the Sun helps cover most ground. With the beauties of Night and Day both on his side, ‘ow could ‘e go wrong?”

R’wign turned away again to look up at the sky, one hand coming up to his chin. He took a step to the side, feigning a drunken – or perhaps heat-maddened – wobble as he went. “Well, ye see, during tha light of day, She would give him gifts – our Sun, our beauty. Gifts of clear skies and calm seas to lead ‘im to his stores, to treasures men could only dream of. Ye see, it’s a little known fact, mates – thar be islands here, laden with gifts beyond yer imagination. And she led him to ‘em all, and she kept the brewing storms away. Fer it would be unfortunately if her love were to be gone, aye – she’d mourn him for all time. She knew he noticed her, fer though she was tha Sun, she could hear him bespeak time and again… whispering, ever so softly to her…”

The healer spun back toward the crowd, one hand coming up to his nose. “What she didna know was that when she vanished over tha horizon, unto the ends of the world, when darkness overtook the sky… it was the dreadful Moon who received his whispers; aye, for ye see, these two ladies could never be out at once. When the Sun was out, the Moon was gone, and vice versa. So ye see, mates, his ploy: neither could ever catch him at his antics. The beauteous Moon would guide him to land, to drink and merriness, and the glorious Sun would lead ‘im to things that glittered and glistened, that sold for impressive amounts, and between them, why, he’d be rich beyond words – in love, in gold, in praise…

“But ‘e was a fool, too, ye see… fer he forgot one thing that all men, lost in greed, forget. Nothing can stay secret fer long… and our lovely Sun, she’s wily and slips our world in front of that vixen of a Moon from time to time. We call that an eclipse. But sometimes, sometimes when tha moon’s darkened, ye can see the Sun sneaking her way up over the horizon… And when that happens, she sees everything...” His head cocked to the side and he dropped down to be kneeling again – letting Nautic pick up from the mention of a horizontal eclipse.

[Tashe]

As R'wign spoke his first line, Nautic grinned slyly, as if they knew something amusing that the audience didn't. The exchange lasted only a moment, and the Wherling receded quietly to the side of the stage in much of the same manner that his partner had. Taking an unassuming position by kneeling on one knee, the blond curled his hand into a fist and bit down on his cocked pointer finger, concentrating on the story that was being woven. So far, it seemed as if they worked well together. Which was more than Nautic had hoped for. Even if he didn't win, the Wherling would certainly be a good sport about it. In his eyes, either way he would win. By the enraptured look on the faces of those in the audience, they had certainly caught their attention by the words they wove.

Although he tried to keep a straight face, Nautic cracked a smile more often than not. He loved where this story was going, it was unusual and it applied to the Blossomites by tying a sailor's position into the love triangle. Shifting quietly from one knee to the other, the Wherling folded his hands under his chin and balanced his elbows on his knee. He had to pay close attention to the Brownrider if he wanted to keep the story going.

"And when that happens, she sees everything..."

Raising to his feet, Nautic nodded slightly as he passed the other, letting the corner of his lips twitch upward briefly. He didn't want to ruin his somber impression. Turning to the crowd, he began. "Everythin' indeed. It was on such a day that the Sun discovered what 'er love was doin' behind 'er back. As she peeked up o'er the 'orizen, the Sun saw the sailor cavorting with the Moon. Whispering sweet nothin's and praisin' 'er beauty that 'e said compaired to no other." He offered his hand to the audience. "But ya' see, that was w'at 'e 'ad said to 'er! Our lovely Sun was crushed, 'er 'eart broken to pieces! 'Ow could this man, this sailor that she loved sa dearly, say tha' to the Moon?" Nautic then made a fist with the outstretched hand. "The Sun grew furious, she was no fool! She wou'na be taken for one! 'Ow dare this 'uman man!" Slamming his fist down, Nautic grasped on to the railing as if he was holding on for dearlife. "She began ta 'atch a plan. She wou' get back at the man fer breaking 'er 'eart, and at the Moon fer stealin' 'im away from'er."

"She 'ad to wait. Wait till the moment was right. But that didn' mean she cou'na mess with the sailor, though she always feigned 'er innocence in tha mattah." Looking over to where the lake was in the distance, Nautic pointed in that direction. "She let tha storms toss 'is boat to and fro. Big ones, small ones. Ya know what they be like. Some she sent his way were fierce as her boilin' temper. An' the islands she sent 'im to, were no longah filled with treasure, but rusty metal and wild things. 'E asked 'er why she no longah sent 'im clear skies, or sent 'im to fortunes untold. But our wrathful beauty always pretended she 'ad been busy with some importan' task." His eyes went back to the crowds before him. " 'E believed 'er of course, for 'e knew she cou'na know about 'im and the Moon. An' 'e 'ad done nothin' ta wrong 'er. An' so 'e thought 'e was in the clear, thou' 'e was growin' a little wary of the storms."

Glancing over at R'wign, he continued. "An the Sun, she seethed and simmered. Waiting, waiting fer the next chance to get them both in tha act..."

[glamourie]

“… and tha chance, it would come to ‘er soon enough, aye, ye can bet’cher self on that,” R’wign said as he rose to his feet again. He glanced toward Nautic, but his positioning out the boy on his blindside and it was impossible to see his face or his reaction. He assumed that he was at least enjoying himself. He didn’t sound unhappy. Some of his own anxiety was beginning to abate, partially because no one had kicked him out of the stage for completely sucking – he must not have been too terrible. It was fortunate that he was a very good actor (turns of experience helped) so most of his agitation wasn’t showing. He spun around and half-dashed to the edge of the stage again, his bandaged feet moving almost soundlessly. R’wign came to an abrupt stop there, crouching for the audience to get a good look at him, his head tilting up just slightly. He could hear his own heartbeat thudding in his ears as he looked over the assembled people. One hand came up and he cupped his mouth as though to be whispering, for only the people there to hear. “Our mistress tha sun, harsh though she is, she’s conniving, ye see… and she was not about to settle fer just any revenge. Nay, for no pain cuts as deep as love gone sour… and the bitter aftertaste is oft more’n others can bear.

“And ‘er chance came much sooner’n she thought, too!” Leaping from his crouched position, R’wign turned back to the firelizards, who glided around and chattered frantically with a little mental prodding to Ellie (she took the hint, and the rest followed her example). “Yeh see, with her rage at ‘er sailor man, the storms she brewed became steadily worse. Soon the days ‘came black as night, yeh see?” One hand went up to the overcast skies, which were actually blocking out the sun; his voice implied it was a new development, even though it had been that way from the start of the … ‘round’ as it were. “Tha clouds, they brewed, and with them came a darkening so as to make the sea a dangerous mistress indeed. Tha waves were treacherous enough that many a sailor, they said only a fool would think to brave them, fer her anger was terrible enough that she made no effort ta break through the storms and help. Yet still our sailor-fool thought, ‘My mistress will keep me safe, she will’ and off he and his crew went…”

R’wign waved his hands toward the sky, his voice carrying a note of frantic. “But tha Moon, she’s more intelligent than most give her credit for; beauty and brains, she has. And even though we cannae see her, she can see us… always.” Was that ominous enough? R’wign glanced back at Nautic, and then he turned to actually circle around him, walking in loose loops. “Ye see, the lovely Moon, she saw the storms a’brewin’ and a sense of foreboding filled her being. Did she know what her sailor lover did under light of day? Aye, for the Moon can sometimes be seen peeking through the clouds in daylight. She knew and loved him still, she did, and it was for that reason that her decision was made – something had to be done, and quickly, to keep her lover safe!

“Desperation showed its colors. Many a time, our planet comes between the Moon and the Sun to darken our nights – but what no one then knew was that tha Moon could sneak her way out in front of the Sun herself! Terror led her choice; if her lover saw her, perhaps he would know that they were caught; mayhaps he would not take the risks and be swallowed up by the sea…”

R’wign lifted his hands and made a motion of one moving in front of the other, as though to indicate exactly what happened. “So she moved, and as the Moon eclipsed the Sun, daylight came dark as night, save for an eerie circular glow high above, as a warning to our fool sailor. From high above, our Sun gave voice to her fury for all to hear – first as flames that fell from above as though from the stars themselves, and then with an angered cry –” And with that, the healer dropped to his knee right next to Nautic, giving the boy the chance to leap up and continue the story from the mentioned meteor shower.

[Tashe]

This story was more than interesting, it was so amusing that a Harper should make a song out of it. The tale of the Sun, Moon and Sailor. Or maybe just the tale of the Sun and Moon... well what ever the title this imaginary harper picked, Nautic just hoped that someone somewhere was writing down their story. He would like to read it in it's entirety, having the time to take the entire story into account rather than having to plan out the next move. Crossing his arms over his raised knee, the Wherling sighed and closed his eyes, listening closely to R'wign. They still had to tie in the treasure Rukbat kept and the fire. As the Rider drew closer to the end of his portion, Nautic had a general idea of how he was going to weave in at least one of those vital plot points into his turn.

Looking up as R'wign circled him, Nautic visibly shrunk closer to himself. Making it very obvious that he was watching the other man's every movement, he tried to portray uncertainty on his face. Tapping his fingers gently on the side of his leg, the younger man applauded the other for tying in more space events. They should go into story telling together, they seemed rather good at it. Wait, hadn't he already told himself that? It was no matter though, for it was his turn. He leapt for the rail and vaulted onto it, balancing his weight so he wouldn't fall. Thrusting his pointing hand to the heavens, he continued from where R'wign left off.

"... she sent one o' them falling flames down toward the traitorous sailor. 'E had foolishly set sail before tha' Moon could warn 'im." Moving his finger from the heavens to a particularly large man in the audience, he looked to be a sailor, but then again he might not be. Either way, he wanted the audience to turn and look. It was the effect he was going for. "But tha Moon, ye see. She 'as control o'er the sea an' the waves, and the Moon made a wave so big tha' it blocked the captain's ship from the fire. It fell back in ta the sea harmlessleh. She did her best to calm tha seas, but the Sun was powerful, 'cause she was at 'er zenith." He brought up his other hand and pushed them out to either side while shaking them very slightly, signaling that the sea was very bumpy but not yet deadly. Leaping down backward, he continued when his feet were once more planted firmly on the ground. "By then, tha sailor realized that 'e 'ad been found out. 'E put tha things togetha, and knew then that the Sun 'ad known fer a long time now. An' that tha storms an' islands 'ad been all on purpose."

"The Sun o' course was even angrier by tha interference of tha Moon. But she knew that by tha' Moon moving into 'er path gave 'er the chance ta make 'er pay." Itching his chin Nautic eyed the sailor that he had pointed at before, arching an eyebrow at him as if questioning everything about him. "An' so the Sailor 'ad to watch as the Sun bombarded the Moon with her fire an' fury. 'E felt 'elpless to save 'er, despite all o' 'is strength. The sailor did the one thing 'e could do to save tha Moon who 'e loved. 'E pleaded to tha Sun to stop. 'E knew if 'e could get tha Sun ta stop an' turn 'er attention onta 'im, the Moon could escape." Snorting he turned to the side, standing in profile to the audience with his arms crossed, he was once more the advocate of the Sun. "But tha Sun, she still 'urt so badly. She was loath ta stop an' 'ear the sailor, an' she almost didn'. But as she listened ta the sailor plead for the safety o' the Moon, the Sun began to seethe again. She would let tha Moon go, yes, but onleh 'cause the world unfortunateleh needed 'er. Tha sailor was na so lucky." He glanced over at R'wign.

He stretched his hand out as if to pet the Gold Firelizard, letting a weary look cross his face. "An' as soon as tha Moon slipped out from in front o' the Sun, the Sun she set alight the man's ship. Searin' the planks and makin' the ropes burst inta flame..." Crouching down in front of where Ellie was perched, as if he was pleading with her miserably. She was the Moon and he was the sailor, would she ever forgive him for giving himself up for her safety?

[glamourie]

Ellie cocked her head to the side as Nautic came near to her and she eyed his outstretched hand curiously for a moment, not quite understanding. Her confusion whirled through her eyes, but the gold leapt forward onto his arm and rubbed her entire body up against the wherhandler’s jaw affectionately. He wasn’t Hers, but he was playing with Hers, and that made him okay, even if she’d never seen him before. Hers was enjoying himself and above and beyond all else, that mattered to Ellie. Her tail wove gently around the boy’s wrist, affectionate, and she flapped her wings repeatedly. The look was that of a worried, fussing female – something that Ellie did very well. The mental reassurance she received from R’wign made her flute loud enough that the crowd would undoubtedly be able to hear. No need to be upset~ no need at all~ See, see, she wasn’t unhappy with him, she wasn’t. Silly, silly.

Good Ellie. Such a sweet firelizard. He knew she was confused but – at least she was playing along. He didn’t want the flitters helping only his side of the story, after all. That took away from the enjoyment of the audience and that was the most important thing. R’wign glanced at Nautic, able to meet the boy’s face for the first time, and he offered a slight nod before leaping to his feet and spinning back to face the crowd. Very important that they be able to see him. The story was almost over – which meant he had to wrap it up for the most part, so that Nautic could draw the conclusion out. Difficult, but… manageable. He’d left it open really well for that. Most of his queasiness was gone; just like being a goofball in the infirmary, right? Only with an adult audience, rather than children? He could manage. He’d be okay.

“Well ye can imagine ‘is fear. First the mast snaps in two, embers lighting up the storm-darkened day, and the waves are in a right tizzy from the winds and the Moon’s fear – for ye see, she was thrown back into the night and could see not a sign of her sailor; would he survive tha Sun’s wrath? The smell of burning, it was so thick ye could cut it! There was no choice, ye see, they had ta abandon ship – all into the sea, fer the life boats were the first things to collapse into smoky ash. Many were pulled under by the storm, lost to the depths of the sea – and the ship itself, well she sank down into the black abyss, taking with her the only light save for that of the lightning. It seemed certain that tha fool of a sailor would meet ‘is doom thar, out in tha ocean with none but the moon to mourn his loss…”

Making exaggerated drowning motions, R’wign bowed his head. He waited a beat, as though to mourn, and then dashed – literally – up to the edge of the stage.

“But! Ye see, our Mistress had other plans. Ye see, see, she did love him, bloody fool that he was, and watching him flounder there, clinging to some of the burnt debris, her heart broke. She couldna watch the man she loved die. She had to do something to save him. Ye see, she only meant ta hurt him, as ‘e’d hurt her, ta scare him for hurting her so… not destroy him utterly! Hastily, she cast aside the clouds, letting ‘er light shine through onto the sea… and with it, revealing a small spit of land, barely an island at all. It had trees an’ fresh water, it was enough to sustain life, and she guided her soaking wet and tired man there – where he and those of his crew that remained would surely survive…”

R’wign turned back toward Nautic, speaking clearly the last words, which were intended to be ominous. “But her wrath with ‘im wasn’t through yet, no no… that fool of a sailor needed ta be kept away from the treacherous Moon for all time… and tha Sun knew just how to punish him. She would make herself the only one he could talk to, and maybe someday he could love ‘er as she did ‘im…”

[Tashe]

The Gold flitter's reaction was better than he hoped it would be. He had been expecting maybe a few fluttering cheeps of surprise or something else along those lines, but Ellie had surpassed that. Smiling slightly as she rubbed against his chin, Nautic held his arm as stable as he could. Ducking his head as the Gold flapped her wings, the Wherling cooed happily under his breath. A few moments passed after Ellie fluted before Nautic raised his head and stroked her neck with his other hand. He continued to praise her quietly until it was his turn to speak again. Standing slowly, so as not to dislodge the female from his arm, the young man turned and paced over to the railing, looking only at Ellie as if she had him entranced, though he obviously addressed the audience.

"Tha sun, she took from 'im all of tha treasure that she 'ad given 'im. Takin' away all of 'is fortune and hiding it close to 'erself. If 'e wanted it back, 'e would 'ave to go to 'er to get it. But then... then she did somethin' that she 'ad never done before." Using his free hand, Nautic swept his arm out across the audience before bringing it around to point it in Ellie's general direction. "She turned 'erself and 'er man into Drag'ns. Brilliant shinin' Bronze and Gold Drag'ns. And she turned 'is crew inta Flitters." He lightly stroked his hand over the Female's tail, before gazing back out over the crowd. "Tha Sailer could change back inta a 'uman, yes, but only in 'er presence. And 'e 'ad to fall asleep before tha dark of night took over, to conserve all o' tha energy 'is massive body needed ta survive. 'E could not see tha Moon except in the briefest o' moments. Tha Sun, she thought she deserved ta be a little selfish. It was she who loved 'im first after all. And now, they could live togethah for as long as time continued ta tick on by." Crossing his free arm behind his back, Nautic slowly began to inch backward, his destination was to end up more or less right next to R'wign.

"Tha sailor, er, Drag'n 'e now protects tha treasure 'e once coveted. An' the Sun she lets no'n go near it lest they are true o' 'eart about ther love back 'ome. And those who aren't... well ye can see fer yerselves. Only thiss'un remained a 'uman, and it was 'is crew that sought tha treasure for reasons that called 'pon the Sun's anger." Putting a hand on R'wign's shoulder, he nodded gravely before drawing it away and looking back to their enraptured audience. "'E lost 'is ship, an' 'is crew. An' so will ye if ya try and take the Sun fer granted. She takes care o' us all, ye would do well to mind 'er an' thank 'er. Lest you end up like the Sailer and 'is men." Nautic let his last words sink in. Taking a step forward he bowed at the waist, making sure he didn't deposit Ellie on the ground. The Wherling then retreated a step and motioned at R'wign, redirecting the audience's attention to the other so he could take a bow. Their story was done, and now, he wanted something strong to drink and give the Rider a good pat on the back.

[rii]

Rah! Rah! Rah!

The crowd is in an uproar.

Winner:

by one vote

R'wign!

(The crowd feels both should go on, but alas..)