Languinre

Alasahe inclined her head to Dae and exited. Despite herself, she found that she was starting to feel... excited. She had imagined that the other riders would be much the same as Amir: crass and irritating. But both Dae and Ben seemed like mild personalities. Fiir followed dociley and lowered himself so that Ben and Orpheus could climb onto his back. She didn't have to prompt him to rise into the air. For all of his years, Fiir was no where near the stately creature the Griffin seemed to be. He craved contentment and he got it from simple things. Flying, cutting through the wide, clear skies of Mundus Alter and knowing that there was nothing there that could best him, that was all he needed.

"So I've never been to Languinre," Ben started, "do you know the way to the Fae forest?"

Alasahe glanced behind her. The boy looked a bit uncomfortable, but looked determined not to speak on it. She favored him with a small smile. "My visits there have kept me to the coast and their capital. From what I've heard, the forest is northwest of Languinre City." She frowned thinking about it. "The fae are not a kind of monster I would trifle with lightly..." she muttered, more to herself. The problem with fae was their obsession with words. Faeries were all about deals and trickery. They could not lie, so they were experts at twisting the meaning of words.

Alasahe was not particularly good at watching what she said.

She shook her head slightly. She didn't have time to doubt herself. This was her first quest as not just the Melgrove, but as the Dragon-Rider. She would not-- could not-- fail.

"Lay back and relax. We'll be riding for a while yet," she called behind her, sinking her mind into Fiir's and relishing the easy confidence the dragon had in the power of his own wings.


Many hours later, Alasahe, Ben, Fiir, and Orpheus finally set their feet in Languinre Town. As much as she would hate to admit it, the city was always a wonder to her. The buildings in Melgrove Town were open and airy, the residents welcoming the sea breeze. The buildings in Languinre Town, however, were large and imposing, crafted so that they swept along with the lush landscape. Alasahe patted Fiir's side and looked down at Ben. "It's late. Shall we find an inn and wait for Dae?" The urge to talk down to the boy had faded completely during the journey. The very first Dragon-rider had been a child ruler and Melgroves tended to take on their duties young. Ben, more than anything else, seemed capable to her.

---

"The fae are not a kind of monster I would trifle with lightly..."

Benedict frowned. That was not what he wanted to hear. Though he expected the fae not to fold over lightly hearing Alashe's warning made him more wary.

What is fae?

Can I eat it?

Can I kill it?

We can kill it.

Be still, Ben thought, patting down Orpheus's heads even before they could wag their collective tail. New monsters excited them more than new animals because they had more leeway for hunting...even if it didn't always end well. It excited Ben for different reasons seeing as Orpheus made for excellent bait when he wanted to sketch new creatures.

"I'll keep that in mind when we meet them" Ben nodded, although the smile on his face was entirely false.

He stayed silent for the rest of the ride, deciding to pull one of his few books from his backpack. Curious Creatures and Maniacal Monsters was a book written by his predecessor, a young lady of only twenty or so years old. Like him, she was a prodigy who traveled with her monster and loved all there was to love about exploration. She included detailed drawings, imprints of samples, and anything else that could have helped future explorers. Unfortunately, she met her end before anything else of value could be entered. Benedict, of course, ended up being the rightful owner of said book despite that he had no real intention of adding to the guide.

When they arrived he slid off of Fiir with as much grace as a lithe boy could while Orpheus chose to leap off and bark at the dragon in an almost smug tone due to the fact that Fiir was the one who had to carry the triple-minded pup around. Ben didn't really mind as Fiir likely saw the dog as a mere pest but he still gave the dog a dirty look before agreeing with Alashe.

"Hopefully he knows not to walk ahead of us," he murmured, "Orpheus should be no issue so long as we muzzle him tonight."

Benny you underestimate us.

We have never had a problem escaping.

Just like you.

---

Dae was happy when he and Aquarian had finally made it out to sea. The sea was a far better place than the desert. He didn't have to worry about drowning in the water thanks to Aquarian and he didn't have the oppressive heat of the desert breathing down his back. He even had the cool misty spray of the ocean as they moved to keep them cool. All in all, it was smooth sailing the short distance to their destination and faster to. Aquarian really was quite amazing with his ability over the water. He propelled them over the waves and what normally may have take about 3 days, he cut down to a day and a half. He really didn't want to face a Kelpie and the longer they waited, the longer that became reality. And at last, they made it to the shore. They anchored and Dae and Aquarian hurried on their way. He really hoped he didn't get his crewmen involved in this.

Aquarian hurried ahead and grinned. "I see them! They are already on the beach."

"I know. I don't think we could miss that dragon if we wanted to," Dae grinned as they made their way towards their party.

Ugh, Dae could already smell the stench of the unicorn's rotting flesh. It made him want to gag. Death was awful in itself but with the unicorn, there was a far murkier smell to it and the open water didn't much help with the rot. It was so bad. They needed to get to the carcass quickly. He knew it was going to turn soon. He walked up behind the party then just as he caught the tail end of Alasahe's words. "You needn't wait. I am here," he answered. "It is good to see you both and with the wood. Good. Let's get to this carcass before it is too late." Dae started to hurry then, Aquarian at his side.

Unfortunately, they were too late. Dae skidded to a halt a short distance from the carcass as he saw an inky blackness bubble around the unicorn's remains. The unicorn itself had been left to rot and the natural process had mutated the once majestic creature. Nothing had come to eat it however so it was untouched by animals but that didn't stop the weather or purification. Bones were sticking out of the taut flesh and it was peeling from the horse's gaping maw. The bubbling liquid was coming from the deep wound in its chest where Dae had to assume the killing blow was struck. He could already see the unicorn was beginning to breath and twitch. Shit. Shit. Shit! "The wood! We need the wood now! Blast it with fire!" he called as he looked back to his party urgently.

Before the wood could be passed to him or thrown at the carcass however, the bubbling spread to devour the entire horse and it started to twist and pop. Slowly, the goop conformed to the outer contours of the horse and it got to its feet. A screech like that of the Night Mare fiend filled the air and Dae and Aquarian both covered their ears least it pop their eardrums. The goo that once covered the creature was sucked right back into the wounds as it healed and the decomposition had regenerated to living flesh though it didn't regain its healthy vigor. The once proud unicorn with hair of star dust now boasted fur the black-blue of a deep seeded bruise. It's main and tail crinkled to mimic the waves of the ocean and it to darkened to a misty blue but retained its deceptively silky texture. Its eyes brightened to glow as hot as embers and its horn molted into a pale blue fin that flattened against its forehead.

If one looked close enough, they'd discover that the horse's skin was covered in scales and its mane were tendrils of seaweed; sticky and slimy to ensnare victims that came close enough to touch it. The strands drooped limply against its skin and there was yet an air of death and purification about the reanimation. Thick poison oozed off its body like oil and muck and it killed whatever it touched. The ground it was standing on was already pooling with the greenish substance. Though alive, the creature looked sickly and twisted. It was thin and bony and the blakish color made it look as if it were still purifying. Even its mouth sported sharper canines and it gave a frightening grin, bone still exposed. Perhaps it was the kelpie people spoke of when they talked about the Night Mares that dragged souls to the underworld. It certainly would fill dreams with terror.

The kelpie snorted and kicked the ground with its foreleg, feeling the hostility in the air and knowing it needed to kill what stood in its way of freedom. Its goal was to reach the water. That is where it felt safest and where it could maneuver far faster and hide beneath the waves and drag any who dared to follow after. It gave another blood curling scream as it charged straight ahead towards the water. Instantly fins unfurled from its head and down its back as well as on each hoof for maneuverability. As soon as it reached the water, the hooves would change completely to strand like fins and the stories of old told how fast the horses could ride the waves and flee.

Dae's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed one of his throwing knives and let it sail through the air towards the horse. It hit the Kelpie in it's flank and it screamed but it didn't slow. "Aquarian! Stop it!"

Aquarian hissed, showing he truly wasn't human for the first time as his fangs extended and fins erupted around his ears and arms. He extended his hands and a wall of water rose up, pulling the water away from the kelpie and slowing its hooves in the mud. It neighed in frustration but it didn't stop.

---

"You needn't wait. I am here."

"Good timing," Benedict noted as he watched the two men approach.

The stench of the rotting unicorn permeated anything that once had life and curled around their seeped as though the oncoming fight would not be enough of a memory.

Too late.

Too late.

TOO LATE! Orpheus chanted, the three growling at the ensuing transformation.

For all of their uselessness they had a knack for detecting other monsters by scent and the Kelpie was no different. The once-majestic-then-tragic form now morphed into something worthy to ride the sea. Bruise-colored scales wrapped around the stag's body whilst tendrils of seaweed replaced the mane and bones stood out under the skin. It was no longer a creature of purity and life but a reaper meant to punish those who killed him in the first place.

It's poison!

The wood was useless!

Kill the beast before it reaches water.

The water protects it.

In one of Orpheus's rare moments of lucidity, they provided sound advice that prompted Benedict to light an explosive and fire it via slingshot toward the Kelpie. Dae and Aquarian had taken the liberty to part the seas so the tiny bomb would at least turn the beast their way (if not enrage it more). He had to be careful with his timing however. They didn't explode on contact they would be put out by the waters.

"Melgrove you already know this but I can handle myself," he said as he opened his backpack, "I restocked on bombs before we left the city so take what you need and I will provide support where I can."

---

Aquarian hissed in his anger as he pulled the water away from the Kelpie. Instead of trying to touch the distraught creature's mind, Aquarian had to use his abilities to glean information of where the damned horse would charge next just to keep the water away from it. If he failed, the Kelpie would get into the water and if he went after it... not even he would be able to stay away from the creature's poison. It would secret the nasty bile into the water and once Aquarian breathed it in, he'd be done for. He would not let that happen. He had no intentions of dying or put Dae at the butt end of Meg and May's tasks. If he died, the riders would be tasked to kill Dae just as they had been tasked to kill the unicorn's rider. So, he did what he could to keep the water at bay, perspiration already dotting his skin and his arms aching. There was a lot of water to move around after all and he had to do it quickly. The damn corpse was fast.

Thankfully, Ben's bombs and the burning fae wood was doings its job thanks to Alasahe and the dragon. The horse neighed, rearing up on its hind legs when a well placed bomb went off in front of it. Another burst with a bit of fae wood hit its leg then and it gave another shriek in pain and building rage. The horse pawed the ground in its new found targets and charged at Ben. Ben was the one throwing most of the bombs and he was a smaller target. Always best to destroy the smaller ones before going after the bigger targets after all. Everywhere it stepped, it left the bubbling poison, littering the ground with its own traps. Clothes would prevent it from seeping in, but as soon as it touched skin, the poor sods would start feeling the weakness before they even realized they were poisoned.

Dae himself was trying to figure out the best way to stop this creature. It would be too toxic to get up close so his claw blades would be useless. As soon as he got close enough, the horse would drip its toxins on the blades and he was sure it would get on his body. He bet even the Kelpie's blood was poisonous so that wasn't an option. He he'd have to use his throwing knives but he had a limit. The bombs were doing more damage to the creature than his knives. He needed to stop it from charging though. It was getting too close to Ben and the Cerberus might try and bite it which would lead to both its death and Ben's. Dae quickly unsheathed two of his knives and hurled them at the creature; its legs specifically. He was rewarded when one of the daggers founds its mark and slashed the kelpie's leg just just as it pressed its hoof into the ground. The horse screamed as it tumbled, thrown off balance.

The Kelpie got to its feet, its eyes glowing and snorted, fumes shifting into the air and it changed its course to run straight for Dae instead. Oh shit. Dae quickly grabbed three more daggers as he shuffled back and threw them at the horse. One of the daggers embedded itself int he horse's shoulder, the second grazed its side as it sailed pass the horse and the third hit another leg muscle but this time, it didn't slow the horse. It was pissed and his knives were only enraging it. Since this tactic wasn't slowing the horse, Dae started to run. He knew he couldn't outrun a horse but maybe he could out maneuver it. Dae could hear other bombs going off near the horse so he tried to stay clear of anything that his companions were throwing.

The hair on the back of Dae's neck rose and he felt the icky sensation of ice crawling down his back. He could smell the hot dank breath of the Kelpie behind him, feel its presence just behind him and hear its hooves pawing his steps. He wasn't going to be able to get away. Dae tried to maneuver to the left to bring himself to the horse's left instead of its path but the horse screeched as it extended his neck and clamped its sharpened canines into his left arm. Dae cried out at the pain as he pulled free one of his last four throwing knives and stuck it into the creature's neck. The horse screamed and tossed Dae back and the young man stumbled backwards from the force and fell to the ground.

He heard Aquarian hissing and wanting to join the fray but Aquarian only fought with his claws and fangs or water. In this fight, all those things were useless. That was one thing the Kelpie didn't need; water. Aquarian just had to keep the water at bay and it seemed he had to pick up that task again since the horse was now rushing towards the water again to get away from all of its attackers. Dae knew he was in Alasahe's and Ben's line of fire but at this point, he'd rather die in an explosion than by poison. He scrambled to his feet to try and get away as he called out, "Blast it!"

---

Fae wood, right. That made sense. If they couldn't burn the ground they could burn the Kelpie with his bombs. Though they had a limited supply, the magic of the fae coursed through each strip which made it flexible yet rigid, sustainable yet volatile. It would protect them so long as they managed to position themselves correctly.

Let us go.

We won't disappoint you!

We'll kill him!

The cerberus wagged their tail with vigor as they darted over to fetch the wood and attempted to fling it toward the sea monster. Unfortunately Ben had the foresight to grab it away from the trio.

Human what are you doing?

Leave us be!

We will kill you!

"Kill me all you want but the fight will be lost if you all die," Ben hissed as he slung another bomb at the Kelpie.

It hit the monster's eye in conjunction with one of Dae's knives much to everyone's satisfaction, but the blast radius was a tad too close to the siren rider. They were quickly realizing that while the fae wood explosives were effective they were coming at the risk of Dae and Aquarian's lives. Ben didn't want any rider's blood on his hands but given the nature of their fight he wasn't sure how to proceed. Did he want to kill one to save the many? Would this blast be enough to kill the Kelpie in the first place?

He turned toward Alashe who was on the other side of the fight. They didn't have much of a chance to save him, even less if Alashe became too focused on taking down the beast but it was worth a shot. Using one of the more flexible twigs, he bundled several bombs together before turning to the Melgrove woman. They only had one shot.

"Be ready to pull him," he whispered to Orpheus.

The Cerberus grudgingly nodded as it grabbed the boomerang and tossed the roped object toward the duo. Though they held onto one end of the rope, the boomerang managed to catch onto the ground near the Kelpie.

"We're not letting you die so easily."

---

Serafina looked between her two companions and sighed. She to couldn't wait till all of this was done. There was a chance that she and Everglade would not make it out alive but at least with their deaths, they could be reincarnated and everyone else would be safe. That was a comforting thought if nothing else. She still hoped that it didn't come to that however. There was much she wanted to live for and next time, she may not have the same drive that she had this time around. She sighed to herself and looked over at Amir and gave him a nod of thanks and squeezed his shoulder before she got up on the magnificent Griffon and got herself comfortable so she didn't topple off while they were in the sky. Huh. Trytheus could dump her in the air and she'd fall to her death, thus finishing what Meg and May wanted... she hoped that wouldn't be the case.

At the man's words, she arched an eyebrow. He wasn't using it as an excuse? He was different from the other riders? He had a sword handed to him at a young age and thus couldn't be an individual? That didn't make sense to Serafina. They all had responsibilities, titles, expectations to live up to. They were all riders and held the previous riders' legacy on their shoulders. It was a heavy burden and one she knew well just like Trytheus. She was upset that she couldn't connect with the man right now. She thought she would have gotten along with the noble knight of Amstra. Right now, she only found his logic muddled. Had she not been handed herbs and the healer's staff so that she would become the next healer? Everyone had been set on her being a medicine woman just like all her predecessors before her. She had to fight that destiny to get where she was now. She had still taken up the craft but that hadn't stopped her from becoming a swords-woman and living differently. It had been a hard rode to get over the assumptions and expectations but she had done it. Trytheus could do it to if he really wanted to. But instead, he found himself in learned helplessness. For now, Serafina just shook her head and kept her mouth shut. She didn't want her fear of being dropped to become a reality.

---

Dae looked over when he heard something hit the floor beside him. He thought it was a bomb at first and tensed but then saw it was a boomerang with a rope tied around it. He dove for it as the Kelpie jumped over his falling body. It neighed and reared up on its hind legs. It was intent on getting at Dae since Dae had kept stabbing at it and it wasn't happy. Orpheus started to pull him just as Alashae lit the wood and bomb and tossed it towards him and the Kelpie. He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't feel the heat of the bomb however. He frowned and opened an eye to see he was wrapped in a bubble of water. Aquarian had saved him from the explosion. Aquarian wasn't about to just let his rider die after all. And since the water wet the rope, the rope didn't burn from being so close. It allowed the three headed dog to pull him away from the screeching horse. When he was safe, he gave a sigh of relief, the bubble of water evaporating around him. That was close. He wince as he moved to sit up and touched his bleeding arm. The wound was already looking nasty. He hadn't felt the poison yet but he knew he was going to feel it soon.

The kelpie itself was panting and neighing in its pain. The last bomb had done a number on it and did much to sap its energy. The poor thing turned towards the water again and pawed the ground, the water nearby snaked towards it then. The creature was desperate to wrap it around itself like armor. Aquarian wasn't having any of that. He hissed and started to draw the water back. The two then started a water version of tug-a-war. Thankfully, that didn't last for very long. Serafina and Trytheus were fast approaching the scene. As soon as they neared the land, Serafina leaped off of the griffon's back.

"Everglade! Stop!" she cried. The horse turned its head, letting go of the water enough that Aquarian was able to completely pull the water away from the burnt horse. The kelpie neighed and galloped towards Serafina who ran towards him as well. The two stopped abruptly and the Kelpie reared; past memories and new personality causing it to be at odds with its wants and desires. The horse whined and pawed the ground around Serafina but didn't quite attack. Serafina's heart was throbbing for her companion and she reached out to gently and placed a hand on the horse's snout. The kelpie reared again, threatening her to keep her distance. The horse was about to turn away but she hurried to grab a hold of the creature's lead. "You will stop this instant! You are better than this, Everglade! I know you don't want to do this. Calm yourself! I demand you get a hold of yourself and stop leaking your toxin all over this world! You are sworn to protect it!"

The horse neighed and tried to pull away but it was quickly weakening against her command. A wild kelpie was tamed once its bridle was grasped and it must do the bidding of the one that snared it. Everglade panted and snorted at its rider and pawed the ground a few more times and blinked at Serafina before the command finally settled in place. The horse dropped its head and leaned forward to rest it on her shoulder. Serafina smiled. It worked! It really worked! She couldn't believe it! A smile colored her face and she hugged the horse's neck and nuzzled him. He did smell foul but he didn't smell as bad as decaying flesh anymore. He just smelled like seaweed gone bad. "There, there. I am here now, Glade. I am here."

Dae watched the two connect a bit surprised. He hadn't realized a kelpie could be tamed and here the unicorn rider made it look so simple. None of their attacks had killed the creature. They had only weakened it. It almost made the whole fight look foolish. At least with the kelpie on their side, they had another creature that no one would want to trifle with. Dae got to his feet then and swayed where he stood, suddenly light headed. Aquarian was instantly at his side and helped Dae keep to his feet. Dae winced when Aquarian let a tongue of water wash over the wound to clear away the sand and dirt. It stung badly and the rider was already beginning to perspire as the toxins began to do its damage.

"Lady Unicorn rider, are you certain the kelpie won't continue to poison what it touches?" Dae asked then.

Serafina looked over at him and shook her head. "Once the kelpie is tamed it will do as asked. The toxin it secrets is a defense mechanism. Now that he isn't being attacked, he won't harm anyone. Is everyone all right? Has anyone been poisoned?"

"I have been bitten," Dae confirmed.

Serafina's eyes widened and she rushed over to the rider and all but dragged him to the ground. "You mustn't exert yourself! It will only make the poison spread!" Serafina rushed away from the group to head to the tree line that harbored blossoms as white as moon beams. She picked a few before she hurried to Dae's side once more and ripped the rest of his sleeve off. She plucked the petals and rested them on the wound before ripping pieces of her own dress to dress the wound. "That should keep you stable for now. These blossoms are the only thing that the kelpie's venom doesn't pollute. You are still going to get sick since these weren't applied right away, but you won't die from the poison at least. When we have a moment to rest I'll make a paste to rub your wound with to help the rid your body of the toxins."

"Thank you. I appreciate your aid."

"Of course! I would never leave someone to die, especially if it is because of me." Serafina got to her feet and glanced behind her to see the kelpie standing behind her. She turned her attention then to everyone else then and made a small curtsy. "I am the queen of Languinre, Lady Serifina Constantinescu. The uni-er... kelpie behind me is Everglade. It is a pleasure to finally meet all of the other riders of this generation. And what are your names?"

"Dae Valen, Chief of Sui Generis. The person beside me is my companion, the siren Aquarian."

Aquarian gave a bow and a smile to the lady. "Pleasure," he purred.

---

The next few moments happened in a flurry of bursts. First was the blast of the bombs, then Orpheus's well-timed obedience, and finally the presence of another rider.

Kelpie friend.

Who is the white one?

Why is she saving the beast?

As quickly as Orpheus managed to save Dae, they dropped the rope in favor of running up to the Kelpie and white-haired woman to bark at the duo.

Land killer!

Land killer!

Land killer!

Kill the land killer.

Though Ben would have normally told the trio to relax he had his own reservations about the strange creature.

"You're the old unicorn rider," he stated as he untied the boomerang.

It made too much sense as he observed the scene unfold. She grasped the bridle and it seemed to calm from there, being tamed. The unicorn rider had become a Kelpie rider. It seemed almost too convenient.

Honestly he had to wonder if this as Meg and May's intention from the beginning. Benny was young, but not stupid and he knew that the twins were a cunning sort and the riders were far too scarce to merely throw away. They had a special power to them that nobody else could touch. Plus it would take too long to grow another pair. Look at Ben. Ben only kept up due to his prodigal status. Well that and the fact that his set of riders were all great in their own right.

He pulled out a small notebook and began sketching the image of the now-tame Kelpie, writing a few notes on the poison (thank you Lady Unicorn Rider) and then moving onto the woman herself. She, like past unicorn riders, had a formidable look about her while exhibiting a delicate aura. It reminded him of a toxic flower to be honest. Roses were too cliche and not pretty enough.

"Of course! I would never leave someone to die, especially if it is because of me. I am the queen of Languinre, Lady Serifina Constantinescu. The uni-er... kelpie behind me is Everglade. It is a pleasure to finally meet all of the other riders of this generation. And what are your names?"

He watched her curtsy.

Yeah roses were definitely not pretty enough.

"Benedict Trish," he said plainly, "and my beast should be..."

Evidently Orpheus had been following behind the Kelpie and barking at the water-horse before moving onto the owner.

Traitor!

Can we kill her?

She helped the Kelpie!

"Ah yes. That's Orpheus."