Magic In The Air

*The barmaid cups her hands over her mouth.*

Barmaid<So, I just heard that the King is looking for people to help on a mission to fight a dragon! But you better hurry, if you're interested, because they're leaving soon!>
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*The captain starts laughing, until Lilith pulls out a small shield. It has her bust (the statue kind of bust, perverts) over an artist's depiction of a meeting at the round table. A banner above the head sports her name & the whole thing is leafed in gold.*

L"Yeah. Merlin made it for me. So, how long do we get the boat for?"

"A dragon, huh?"

[Normally, that'd be suicide. But an order from the King would pay a pretty penny...or ruby.]

"Well, can't pass that up, can I? Guess that ale will have to wait."

*Samuel rises from his seat and heads out of the tavern.*

*Ari stares at the shield, amazed*

[That's so pretty... I wonder if I can touch it.]

*As Samuel exits the tower, he hears some women bickering with a ferry captain. When he looks over, he sees that they're both armed & one has royal guard armor. There's also some kid with a sword in tow.*

Captain<Err...what did I say about the boat, again...?>

[Well that looks like a very promising start.]

*Samuel walks over to the small company. He notices the beautifully decorated shield.*

[A shield like that has to belong to one of Arthur's Knights!]

"I think you were saying you'd allow passage. After all, the King has sent us on a very important mission."

[I love when I get to make an entrance.]

*Ari points his sword at Samuel, looking at his chest.*

Ari: <..W-Who are you?>

"Easy there, Killer. I your reinforcement. You know fighting a Dragon ain't easy. The King figured you'd need all the help you could get."

[Come on, lies, keep me alive again!]

"Name's Samuel. Samuel Young."

*Samuel gently places his hand on the tip of the sword and moves it to the side, away from his chest.*

OOC: I forgot to note Thiera in my description of the situation.

T"I don't think that--"

L"Welcome aboard! ...What? We need pawns."

*Ari stares at Thiera and lowers his sword. His dark blue cloak's hood's shadow is hiding his eyes, as usual.*

[O-Oh..]

*Samuel turned to the pretty young knight that approached them. He shook her hand*

[Wow, this trip just got better.]

"Name's Samuel, a pleasure to meet you."

*He gives her a wink and turns to the others.*

"A pleasure to meet all of you. And please call me Sam."

L"Nevermind. You're fired."

T"Lilith!"

L"Fine. Come if you want."

*Lilith & Thiera board the boat.*

[hm...Lilith may be trouble.]

*Sam follows them onto the boat.*

*Ari walks on board. He walks over to a hidden corner of the deck and sits down next to his sword, staring at the floor*

[I hope we get there soon..]

L"Hey, Lianne, want Ari as a Squire? I'll trade him for a pastry."

T"What is wrong with you?"

L"What? I don't teach."

*Ari shrugs and keeps staring at the floor*

[I never got to talk to mother... She'll be worried...]

*Samuel sits on the edge of the boat, listening to the banter between the group.*

[Gotta learn as much about these folks as I can. Time to listen.]

*Samuel goes to the bow of the boat, pretending to look out on the sea but very aware of the conversations behind him.*

[Poor Ari. They talk about this kid like he's some crappy item. A hot potato that no one wants.]

*Samuel started to get a little seasick and sat down, facing into the boat, watching his companions movements.*

~Timeskip!~

*The next day, the party is lead into a hall by a viking-looking warrior. There is a large table for feasting, but it's empty. At the head of it is a wooden throne. It, too, is empty.*

<King Beowulf apologizes that he can't be here to meet you in person. The dragon you speak of is known as Fafnir. There is already a man out hunting for him.>

T"But why would Fafnir come all the way to Camelot?"

<That is...a good question. Fafnir used to be dwarf. His insatiable greed & some cursed gold turned him into a monster. I can't conceive of any reason why he would abandon his treasure hoard.>
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*Malus is hanging out in that bar I keep dumping all of the new characters into.*

Malus sits at a table, a deck of cards next to him, and three cards lying before him. Anyone looking at him would've seen nothing even remotely like his true self; his hair was a dark black, teased into a long ponytail, and a pair of glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. His earlobes and nose were both longer and misshaped, with the assistance of some flesh-colored putty.

His fingers trembled as he began to flip the cards over, and he spoke slowly, with an exaggerated confidence. "Come on, come on! Find the queen, win twice your bet! I may not have the nimblest fingers, but that doesn't mean I can't give you a run for your money."

OOC: BEOWULF!!! This RP is getting better and better!

*Samuel walked through the hall, listening to the warrior. He was rather impressed with the architecture.*

"Wait! Some gold turned him into a Dragon? Seems a bit far fetched, don't it?"

*Ari follows quietly, observing everyone*

[Master Lilith obviously doesn't want me here.. and I'm still very weak.. Was coming really a good idea?]

OOC: I figure all of the badasses lived at once. That's usually how the Golden Age of Man is pictured.

<Not at all! You see, Fafnir & his brothers tried to hold the Gods for ransom. The only problem? They held Thor & Odin, but made Loki pay the ransom.>

L"So they tried to swindle a swindler."

<Yes. In the aftermath, only Fafnir was left alive. He's a terrible beast. A fire-&-poison-breathing flying behemoth whose only weakness is his soft underbelly & wings.>

L"And what's this Sigurd guy get out of the deal? Does he want the treasure? Fame? Or something else?"

<I believe it was his father's request.>