The dorms around the mage's complex are rather quiet in the evening, and moreso around the cabin where Timothy Zabender once lived. The chipmunk has been missing for a long time now, so long the rumors behind his disappearance have started to fade.
This quiet is momentarily broken as a bright flash of light and power occurs on the very spot that someone claimed to have seen the chipmunk apprentice mage disappear. The Arius gate disgorges three tired forms, before closing again.
Kainudy rubs her head. "Blah.."
Delachiel smiles quietly at Kainudy, then looks at the chipmunk who finally has returned home.
Timothy looks around and feels like he's on yet another alien world, even though he knows this was his home. He seems unsure of what to do next. That, and to those that know him, his eyes seem to hold a bit more in the way of years than you would expect for someone his apparent age. "Well, we're home."
Delachiel nods. ~~Indeed we are. How are you feeling?~~
Kainudy looks around. "You live here? And this is a school? Where are the fraternities?"
Delachiel glances at Kainudy. ~~Never too tired to party?~~
Timothy blinks at Kai, "The cabin is mine. And it's the school for scholar mages. What's a fraternity?"
Delachiel says, ~~Well, regardless, we should find a place to stay in.~~
Kainudy says, "It's a sort of dorm for the males that don't actually need an education. Better make sure your cabin is unoccupied though.."
Timothy nods and pads over to his cabin, and tries the lock spell. Nothing happens. He tries again, "Maybe I've forgotten the combination?"
Delachiel shakes her head. ~~We've been gone for a while.~~
Kainudy suggests, "Try knocking."
Timothy shrugs and knocks on the door.
Delachiel pulls up her hood.
Kainudy notices Delachiel's attempt at disguise and whispers to her, "I forgot to ask, but what do they think of dragons on this world?"
When the tired chipmunk knocks again, he finally hears some rustling and someone comes to the door. He moves back and to the side a bit, to make it hard for them to see Kai or Delachiel.
Delachiel whispers to Kainudy, ~~I don't think they've ever seen one.~~
The door opens and a rather lovely looking doe, wearing only a sheet draped around her shoulders, comes part way out and says in an annoyed voice, "It's rather late in the evening. Who are you and what do you want?"
Delachiel smiles quietly to herself and observes Timothy.
Timothy, very tired in both body and spirit, does smile a little bit as he guesses who commandeered his cabin. He chitters, "I'm Timothy Zabender, apprentice Scholar Mage, and tell Tavos I want my cabin back."
Delachiel eyes the park for any apparent signs of aging.
The doe hmmfs, "Timothy Zabender was snatched away by some evil demons and is probably dead. I mean..." at which point she sees Kainudy, and then the hooded Delachiel, and gives Timothy a sudden look. Her eyes widen so much that the whites show and she suddenly bolts for the woods, "AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!! A ghost!!!!!!!!"
Timothy watches as the doe loses her sheet, but doesn't seem to notice.
From inside a male voice shouts, "What the heck is going on out there? Sheila?!"
Kainudy blinks after the doe, then turns back to see who the other voice belongs to.
A bit of weariness creeps into Delachiel's voice. ~~I guess it's been a while. And now we have to deal with the fuzz again...~~
Timothy pushes his way past the startled Tavos as the buck's rage turns to shock at the sight of his friend. Timothy turns to Delachiel and Kainudy, "C'mon in, I doubt "Sheila" will raise too many eyebrows. The guard is familiar with some of the pranks that go on here."
Delachiel rests her gloved hand on Tavos's shoulder as she passes him. ~~You should perhaps try to look for your friend. She may be cold out there. Please extend my apologies to her.~~
Tavos blinks, "She'll run straight to her sisters house a few blocks away. Timothy? I mean...I saw you disappear with her (and points to Delachiel) and...who's she?" (pointing to Kainudy)
Kainudy pokes her head through the doorway, and pulls in her wings tightly to get through the door.
Timothy yeeshes as he looks at the mess Tavos has made of his cabin, "It's a very long story, one I'm not really up to talking about right now. This is my friend Delachiel, and Kainudy."
Delachiel bows politely as she is introduced.
Kainudy waves a bit.
Tavos scrambles slightly as he goes to put his tunic on, finally remembering that he's without clothes. "Er, nice to meet you two. A lot has happened while you were gone Tim. A lot."
Kainudy curls up on the floor, trying to keep as out of the way as possible in the small room.
Timothy clears off a chair for Kainudy and a small couch for Delachiel and himself, tossing the various items stacked there onto the floor and starts looking for some food, "Well, you can tell us all about it before you help me dig this place out."
Delachiel finishes appraising Tavos as he dresses, and steps to the wall herself, looking for a place to sit and perhaps eventually even sleep.
Tavos nods while looking at Kainudy with wide eyes. "Who..what are you?"
"I'm a dragon," Kainudy replies. "A tired one."
Delachiel grins softly, appreciating Kainudy stealing the attention from her.
Tavos blinks, "A real dragon? Do you know how much a single dragon scale could go for?"
Kainudy narrows her eyes at the buck, "About 200 lbs of venison, I'd wager."
Timothy finds some water, a few rolls and some apples. He hands some to Kai, then motions for Delachiel to sit next to him on the couch. He chuckles at Kainudy and says, "Don't even think it Tavos. She's a friend first off, and second off I can't stand the smell of charred deer."
Delachiel settles down next to Timothy, but politely refuses the food, leaning against his side lightly instead.
Tavos hmmfs, but shrugs his shoulders and sits down on the very messy bed. "Fine. Fine. Here I take care of your place while you're gone, and I get insulted. So, what do you want to know?
Kainudy crunches down the apple in one bite.
Delachiel says, ~~What has happened since our departure, and what we should know.~~
Timothy snugs against Delachiel and nods, "Basically. That, and I'd like to know if your mother raised you to be a slob. ;)"
Tavos hmmfs and raises his nose a bit, "Not my fault I can't afford a maid. Well, let's see. You were part right. Those weird six limbed winged space pets were the actual spacers, and they did land in the town square shortly after you left."
Delachiel says, ~~Felitaurs, I think they are called.~~
Kainudy perks her ears.
Tavos nods, "They call themselves Chirpy'taurs or something. They also have this odd little mini dragon with them, and something else with wings. They set up a small temporary base outside of the town limits when they moved something they called a "gate" into our skies overheard. Things have been really weird ever since."
Delachiel says, ~~People from different worlds, I would imagine. How has the trade developed?~~
Timothy scritches Delachiel's ears, and tosses Kai the apple the elfess refused to eat. "I could enjoy simple weirdness for a while."
Delachiel smiles gratefully at the scritch. ~~How do people relate to the off-worlders and the Chirr'T'Thar?~~
Tavos, "Well, it's ok. They mostly just pay for the rights to orb..orbit their stuff, and land nearby. They mostly buy raw materials, and a lot of our cattle. Oh, and they do like our jewelry. The clothiers are really annoyed, afraid the spacers will start a "back to nature" trend by their refusing to wear clothes. Oh, how do they get along? Well, that's part of what I have to tell you.
Kainudy munches the second apple while listening closely.
Timothy whispers to Delachiel, "He only tells stories his way, so we have to be patient."
Delachiel nods, smiling quietly, and listens.
Tavos hmmfs at Timothy, but continues, "Well, I mean, they are really weird. Four legged critters who are sapient and all. And they are friendly, I mean really friendly to nearly everyone. For some reason their females seem to take an instant dislike to me. No concept of good breeding is my guess."
Delachiel says, ~~The Chirr'T'Thar do have quite some experience in breeding, as a matter of fact. You would probably not enjoy their females, though, they can be kind of rough.~~
Tavos hmmfs, "Not what some of my friends tell me. Though they don't admit it publically, too many people think they are animals. I still can't figure out why they aren't attracted to someone of a good family."
Timothy coughs into his palm to hide his laughter.
Delachiel says, ~~Perhaps they have their reasons.~~
Kainudy says, "They're carnivores."
Delachiel says, ~~But, please, continue. How long /has/ it been since we left?~~
Tavos hmms, "That was just before the spacers landed. That was early summer. It's now mid 'winter' for here. About six months."
Timothy sighs, "So much for graduating on time."
Delachiel says, ~~Perhaps something can be arranged. I could put in a friendly word on your behalf.~~
Tavos nods, "Considering whatever you've been through, I bet you can trade information for a waiver. Heck, if you can get the dragon lady there just to talk to him, I'll bet he gives you a faculty position."
Kainudy arches her eyeridges at that comment.
Timothy kisses Delachiel's forehead and purrs, "Leave Kai alone Tavos. So, you said, things WERE going well with the spacers?"
Tavos nods, "Yep. Till they started talking about being attacked by space pirates. They felt that we might be a target now, so built a lot of stuff quietly, with only part of the councils permission."
Delachiel rubs Timothy's shoulder while listening.
Tavos hmmms as he watches his friend, "Looks like you finally found someone Tim."
Timothy nods quietly, "For a while at least."
Delachiel smiles quietly, then rubs her forehead. ~~War.~~
Tavos's jaw falls a bit, as if the veiled lady has taken yet more wind out of his sails. He snorts, "Yes, war. We we're lucky, no real casualties. But the skies lit up with fire, and all these pods full of armored wolf like things fell all over the planet. Quite a few of the Chirpy'taurs died from what I understand."
Kainudy says, "And what is the situation now? Is there still fighting?"
Timothy sits up a bit and sighs, "Oh no. More killing? A war?"
Tavos shakes his head, the antlers glistening in the one mage light that's on in the room. "No, it's over now. Considering how outnumbered they were, the spacers won. And finally got rid of all the troops that landed a few weeks ago. But they seem to feel it's not over. That, and the fools on the council seem to think that it's partly their fault."
Delachiel says, ~~I would listen to the Chirr'T'Thar in such matters.~~
Delachiel says, ~~Did they give any indication on what they suspect the problem is?~~
Tavos frowns, but finally nods. "So would I. The scary part is this enemy of theirs gives no reason. Fights on no matter what. Attacks and attacks again. The felitaurs think that they come from a larger system, and want more resources, maybe even entire planets."
Kainudy says, "Or they're just trying to get rid of their excess population."
Delachiel says, ~~Power, resources, greed, the thrill of killing...~~
Timothy hmms, "Maybe the same thing Kai. If they have too much population, that would explain why they want more planets. So, what, in their infinitely finite wisdom, has the council decided to do? Tell the spacers to leave and paint a bunch of concentric red and white circles around Haven?"
Delachiel says, ~~Have any of the wolves been captured?~~
Tavos shakes his head, "They refuse to be captured. Seem almost mindless in what that Coppernickle fellow said was "pack behavior". Nasty."
Timothy shudders at the thought of yet more evil and carnage.
Delachiel says, ~~I'm surprised at that. There is always a way to capture someone alive.~~
Kainudy says, "Not if they are bred not to be captured."
Tavos shivers slightly, "Not when they beat themselves against their restraints till they die. The felitaurs asked me to try and help question them, as one of my better spells involves that...it was hopeless. You may be right Kainudy."
Delachiel says, ~~Unless they have some method of killing themselves when captured... Correct chemicals or magic to cause unconsciousness and suitable restraints work quite often.~~
Delachiel says, ~~Just tie all limbs down so they cannot move.~~
Kainudy says, "The Chirr'T'Thar are not exactly experienced in interrogation techniques, Delachiel. }:)"
Delachiel's tone is quite interesting, contemplative. ~~I see.~~
"They just howled and struggled, refusing to eat till they died from...from being restrained I guess. Yeah, I don't think the spacers like this kind of stuff. They really do not enjoy the fighting, that's for sure."
Timothy shakes his head, "I'm glad to hear they are all removed from the planet."
Kainudy says, "How many were landed?"
Tavos hmms, "Hundreds of pods were released. About 20 or 30 landed, with about 2 dozen on each. About 600 of them. Armored and with what the felitaurs called "energy rifles."
Delachiel says, ~~I don't like those weapons they have. They're... Oh well.~~
Delachiel says, ~~And all of them have been eliminated?~~
Tavos nods, "The spacers were pretty determined to get them off the planet. It wasn't easy, and some of them got hurt pretty badly. But they seemed to do better against troops than against their ships. Oh, and guess what our council decided?"
Timothy shakes his head, "Do we really want to know?"
Delachiel tilts her head?
Tavos leans back against a dresser, "They nearly decided to tell them to leave Nexus. Instead, they politely "asked" them to move to a big ole rock out in the ocean with a volcano on it. Tylen is very happy, he figures to get a lot of money out of them as he controls the boat trade here. Wonder if he remembers they can fly and carry cargo?"
Timothy blinks, "The island a few miles off shore? It's an odd place, but it probably will be fine for them. Tylen and the council may have outwitted themselves. Not that that's too hard to do."
Delachiel says, ~~Interesting. Perhaps the council will eventually learn diplomacy as well.~~
Delachiel snugs tiredly against the chipmunk.
Kainudy hmms.
Timothy and Tavos smirk a bit at that. Tavos finally asks, "So what have you three been up to?"
Kainudy says, "Any word on where these invaders were heading next?"
Delachiel says, ~~A long, long story. Do you think we can stay here tonight?~~
Tavos shrugs, "No one's sure. The spacers are talking about setting up more defenses around their home systems."
Timothy gives Tavos a look and he finally puts his hands out to Timothy, "Hey, I know it's your place. Sure. I sleep in my room normally when I don't have...company anyhow. Just let me get dressed and grab Sheila's things. I won't tell your advisor you're back, as you'd probably disappear again and make me look like an idiot."
Timothy nearly says something, but refrains while his friend gathers up a pile of clothing, and a couple of rucksacks. He looks at Kai and Delachiel and then grins at the chipmunk, "Quiet shy type. Yeah, right. ;)"
Kainudy glances at Timothy as well..
Timothy shakes his head and throws a shirt at Tavos, "Enough. Get out of here, and I'll see you in the morning. And keep your muzzle shut, ok?"
The slender, black figure sits quietly, standing up and bowing as Tavos departs the dorm.
Timothy snugs Delachiel as the door shuts and hmms, "I'll change the lock spell in the morning. Want to dig out the bed Delachiel? And how about you Kai? I should have some extra blankets and a pillow around for the floor or the couch."
Kainudy glances from Timothy to Delachiel. "Sure you two wouldn't rather have the place to yourselves? I can sleep on the floor, and my wings will keep me warm, thank you."
Delachiel nods and proceeds to clear the bed of all the items collected on it, neat and meticulous as always. ~~No, Kainudy, please stay.~~
Timothy nods, "Heck yes. I'm only up for sleep anyhow, and after everything...I'm not going to have you leave."
Delachiel undoes her veils and lowers her hood, kissing Timothy's cheek before curling up on the bed.
Timothy throws his dirty tunic on the floor, tosses on a simple flannel shirt and curls up next to Delachiel, exhausted.
Kainudy curls up on the floor, and tucks her head under one wing.
Delachiel wraps her arm around Timothy, protectively, perhaps a bit possessively, and drifts off to sleep.
Kainudy drifts off to sleep, thinking, "At least Copernicus can't blame the war on me.."