The days slowly passed by for the duo and Luther, who as usual left them alone for the most part. All the while on their trip to the cove they kept their weapons close and always kept an eye and ear out for any possible future dragon attack, thankfully there was none. As the days had passed, Neden had asked Dreux several times what happened when the dragon attacked, and he only ever gave her the same answer, that she'd find out in due time. That it'd be better she found out by someone that wasn't him. Reluctantly she listened to him and they continued with their daily things, sitting down for breakfast, chatting, talking about their pasts and home life, more so Neden on the latter than Dreux.
But eventually, a small island appeared in the distance, that only grew larger and large the closer they got to it. Neden's eyes widened as they slowly grew closer to the island, this was the first time she was outside of her village back in the mountains, and everything amazed her, from the color of the skies to the smells, to the sights, the people she had brief encounters with back at the port. But not all was well with her, all the way from the port to now, she had been sick to her stomach whenever she looked at the water. She had never learned to swim, and as she had almost drowned as a child years ago, it further cemented her fear of water in her, even now. And for well over a week she was surrounded by dark, deep water and nowhere to go.
But as their boat came to a stop as it made a soft thud as it hit the sandy shores of Dragon Cove, Neden looked around, seeing several other boats large and small beaching as well. Clearly, they heard the call as well, as no one would normally come to this place, and as she looked up she clearly understood why. The name gave it all she needed to know, there was indeed a cove, but more so awe-inspiring to her, was the fact that on the cliffs above, there loomed large and frightful and otherwise beautiful beasts. She couldn't help but have her jaw drop as she looked up at them, something familiar, and almost safe made her feel at ease being with them. But she couldn't place her finger on why. She looked up at the large beasts once more as the others began to gather into a group with a large rock before them, she smiled at them then looked back down and felt her stomach turn.
"You alright, Ne?" Dreux asked as he had stayed back with her by the boats.
Neden looked at him and shook her head, "I-I was on the water for so long...It feels weird to be standing on-wh-what is this?" she asked as she looked down, and knelt, taking some of the golden colored texture in her hand and seeing as it seemed to fall like water between her fingers, but had a texture she had no familiarity with. It was warm and soft, but also brittle in a sense.
Dreux looked at her and chuckled, shaking his head as he answered her question, "It's what is called sand, Neden. It can be found on beaches like this, or in vast majorities in deserts, completely made of this. Have you never seen this before?" he asked, with genuine curiosity, for how little did Neden really know of the world outside of her village, it anything.
Neden's eyes widened a little as he explained what it was, she squeezed it in her hands a little, and as she unfolded her hand, she saw it had formed into a compact texture and appearance. " I...I didn't mean to-" she started as she dropped it and looked at Dreux with a slightly sad look on her face as if she had done something wrong.
Dreux shook his head yet again and chuckled as he knelt down beside her, gently placing his hand on her's, "It's alright, Neden. It's what sand does. It can be molded into many shapes, or even smelted down with enough heat to make glass. You didn't do anything wrong." he gave her a smile and gently ruffled her hair as he stood up, and helped her to her feet.
Neden nodded at him and gave him a shy and bashful look on her face as a slight blush covered her cheeks. She shook her head and looked at the slowly forming group that was up more against the rocks and cove itself, "W-we should probably meet up with the others now..." she said softly in her clan's tongue, and quickly tried to recorrect herself by speaking in the common tongue, "I-I mean-" she was cut off as Dreux gently took her hand.
"It's alright, Neden. I can understand your clan's language, if not perfectly. It'll take you some time to learn to speak with the common tongue but don't be ashamed." he gave her a kind smile and led her to the others.
They stood in the back of the group, eyeing the others and seeing who the others were that heard the voice. Dreux recognized the fact that there were a few elves, a succubus, which he noted was a rare sight indeed, what appeared to be a female dark elf, which was another rare sight, and two human looking people that stuck together, a male and a female. But what struck him as odd, and caused a small smile to spread on his face, was the scent of a Draconian, not Neden, but another one. He looked where the scent came from and saw that it belonged to the rather tall woman with blonde hair and dark red eyes, another rare sight, a Draconian with red eyes. He turned back to Neden and smiled, now seeing how she wasn't alone.
His attention was taken from the Succubus who had apparently decided she was to be the leader, to the female elf with blue hair and the man she was speaking with, the male elf. From what transpired, the tears and hugs, clearly a sign of that they knew each other, which brought a smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Neden was currently not feeling very well and had to excuse herself as she quickly ran to the boats, knelt down and emptied the contents of her stomach, and stayed near the water's edge for a few moments in case nausea came back to her. But after a few moments, she dusted herself off and cleaned her mouth and regrouped with the others, remaining silent as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes darting over the others, and her eyes stopped as her eyes scanned the woman that made Dreux smile. She felt a small blush cover her cheeks and immediately looked away from her and back to the woman with wings, as the others spoke, deciding on what to do.
But eventually, a small island appeared in the distance, that only grew larger and large the closer they got to it. Neden's eyes widened as they slowly grew closer to the island, this was the first time she was outside of her village back in the mountains, and everything amazed her, from the color of the skies to the smells, to the sights, the people she had brief encounters with back at the port. But not all was well with her, all the way from the port to now, she had been sick to her stomach whenever she looked at the water. She had never learned to swim, and as she had almost drowned as a child years ago, it further cemented her fear of water in her, even now. And for well over a week she was surrounded by dark, deep water and nowhere to go.
But as their boat came to a stop as it made a soft thud as it hit the sandy shores of Dragon Cove, Neden looked around, seeing several other boats large and small beaching as well. Clearly, they heard the call as well, as no one would normally come to this place, and as she looked up she clearly understood why. The name gave it all she needed to know, there was indeed a cove, but more so awe-inspiring to her, was the fact that on the cliffs above, there loomed large and frightful and otherwise beautiful beasts. She couldn't help but have her jaw drop as she looked up at them, something familiar, and almost safe made her feel at ease being with them. But she couldn't place her finger on why. She looked up at the large beasts once more as the others began to gather into a group with a large rock before them, she smiled at them then looked back down and felt her stomach turn.
"You alright, Ne?" Dreux asked as he had stayed back with her by the boats.
Neden looked at him and shook her head, "I-I was on the water for so long...It feels weird to be standing on-wh-what is this?" she asked as she looked down, and knelt, taking some of the golden colored texture in her hand and seeing as it seemed to fall like water between her fingers, but had a texture she had no familiarity with. It was warm and soft, but also brittle in a sense.
Dreux looked at her and chuckled, shaking his head as he answered her question, "It's what is called sand, Neden. It can be found on beaches like this, or in vast majorities in deserts, completely made of this. Have you never seen this before?" he asked, with genuine curiosity, for how little did Neden really know of the world outside of her village, it anything.
Neden's eyes widened a little as he explained what it was, she squeezed it in her hands a little, and as she unfolded her hand, she saw it had formed into a compact texture and appearance. " I...I didn't mean to-" she started as she dropped it and looked at Dreux with a slightly sad look on her face as if she had done something wrong.
Dreux shook his head yet again and chuckled as he knelt down beside her, gently placing his hand on her's, "It's alright, Neden. It's what sand does. It can be molded into many shapes, or even smelted down with enough heat to make glass. You didn't do anything wrong." he gave her a smile and gently ruffled her hair as he stood up, and helped her to her feet.
Neden nodded at him and gave him a shy and bashful look on her face as a slight blush covered her cheeks. She shook her head and looked at the slowly forming group that was up more against the rocks and cove itself, "W-we should probably meet up with the others now..." she said softly in her clan's tongue, and quickly tried to recorrect herself by speaking in the common tongue, "I-I mean-" she was cut off as Dreux gently took her hand.
"It's alright, Neden. I can understand your clan's language, if not perfectly. It'll take you some time to learn to speak with the common tongue but don't be ashamed." he gave her a kind smile and led her to the others.
They stood in the back of the group, eyeing the others and seeing who the others were that heard the voice. Dreux recognized the fact that there were a few elves, a succubus, which he noted was a rare sight indeed, what appeared to be a female dark elf, which was another rare sight, and two human looking people that stuck together, a male and a female. But what struck him as odd, and caused a small smile to spread on his face, was the scent of a Draconian, not Neden, but another one. He looked where the scent came from and saw that it belonged to the rather tall woman with blonde hair and dark red eyes, another rare sight, a Draconian with red eyes. He turned back to Neden and smiled, now seeing how she wasn't alone.
His attention was taken from the Succubus who had apparently decided she was to be the leader, to the female elf with blue hair and the man she was speaking with, the male elf. From what transpired, the tears and hugs, clearly a sign of that they knew each other, which brought a smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Neden was currently not feeling very well and had to excuse herself as she quickly ran to the boats, knelt down and emptied the contents of her stomach, and stayed near the water's edge for a few moments in case nausea came back to her. But after a few moments, she dusted herself off and cleaned her mouth and regrouped with the others, remaining silent as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes darting over the others, and her eyes stopped as her eyes scanned the woman that made Dreux smile. She felt a small blush cover her cheeks and immediately looked away from her and back to the woman with wings, as the others spoke, deciding on what to do.