In all his life, Nir'wei had never ridden something quite as big as Scorn. Even a single normal-sized Jacadon dwarfed Traveller, with a forty-foot wingspan to the average Sohr Khal's twenty-five. The Storm Rocs of their Lightning Knight escort had wingspans of a similar size, but packed onto a much smaller body that made them look lanky and disproportioned in comparison. Even Peace, his Sigh, looked to the Jacadons as a bird would to a human.
Scorn towered over them all. Five times their size.
They flew across Rharne, into the borders of Cahryst. There they took off north, near Korlasir, following the warmer air currents of the mountains and cutting clean across the winding roads of wagon-travel. Avaern and its snow-plains beyond became a brief stopping point, before the final stretch across the waters, to the island of Scalvoris. Their destination lay on the far edge, where mountains had pushed up from the eastern coastline. Three stood tall among the rest, but smaller hills and lesser mountains had lifted up around them, creating a near-inhospitable landscape that had remained untouched. Far from human civilisation, at least as far as they could hope. High ground that the Jacadon could take better advantage of, as they had once in the Sunset Isles.
It was perfect, of course. Ever since his last discussion with Kura about 'the Jacadons', and since Scorn's declaration that he begin a new brood upon the island, Nir'wei had been mulling it over. He couldn't imagine Kura would have many objections. It was already far from humans, unused and practically inhospitable to anyone else. He'd thought that just a few Jacadon, a pair or two, wouldn't even cause a scare! It wouldn't be the first time exotic creatures from other lands had arrived, and they'd be directly under his care, where he could keep an eye on them!
Well, admittedly. He was now bringing a little more than 'a few'.
The moment they hit the southern border of Scalvoris, Air Elements flew out to meet them. An entire contingent, Enormowls bristling at the horde of creatures, each double their size, and vastly outnumbering them. They held sharpened pikes, light crossbows, and he swore he could spot a few with bolas' and slings ready to draw. Nir'wei - reluctantly - dismounted from Scorn at once to meet them on Traveller, whom he hoped would be a familiar sight to many while he flew down with arms raised. "Everyone, lower your weapons, by orders of the Scalvoris Council!" It still felt odd to flaunt any amount of authority at Elements already aiming arrows at him, but terrified though they must be by the Jacadons, he knew trained and capable soldiers - they wouldn't dare shoot down a Council Member themselves.
"I need an escort, East, to the Scalvoris Mountains. These Jacadon are under my protection and are not to be threatened or harmed under any circumstances, you DO NOT PISS THEM OFF, understand? Or it's all our damn heads." They just looked at him confused. He wasn't very good at raising his voice like this, but he hoped the threat of the huge flying lizards was the kind that made them sooner fly away and hide, than reach for a pike when they flew too close.
One of the Air Elements frowned and nudged his Enormowl closer, looking Nir'wei over critically. "We'll need to send word to the Alberach about this," he said with a nod towards the Jacadons still heading east, now with flanking clouds of the closely-observing Elements. "And the Militant. You're going to cause a right scare with this. And you can't fly them over the villages or settlements, tell them to divert around and keep to the coastline instead." Sound and reasonable advice. Nir'wei nodded.
"Send for them. In fact, tell Kura and Vega that the Natural Affairs Councillor is requesting to meet immediately at Windward Haven." The Element seemed surprised that he was so eager to face their judgement. Perhaps he thought that this wasn't how things normally went, and to be fair, it wasn't what he'd intended on either.
With their leave, he quickly returned to Scorn, anxious to be far from the giant Jacadon for even a moment, and guiding Scorn to fly at their left flank while Peace glided along the right. Though it would make their trip longer, flying around the outside of the island instead of simply cutting straight across, their supporting flanks made the journey just a little less stressful, and promised less concerned citizens looking into the sky to see the great shadows of the entire Jacadon brood migrating overhead.
It wasn't as though they'd be lacking opportunities to peek. Breaks passed, slowly rounding the island while using the warm coastal updrafts to glide as often as possible and propel them along without landing until the mountains were at least in sight. Because of their angle, they soared directly over Egilrun, and Nir'wei guided Scorn into raising higher still for the final stretch, just in case the locals began to stir. Beyond, from up high, he could already see the fortress built into the edge of the lower mountains further north, and Nir'wei led Scorn just shy, to a tall cluster of hills that bunched up around the mountains like a poorly-laid carpet. Other Jacadon flocked to him without needing further orders, and he dismounted shortly afterwards, already aware of Windhaven eyes landing on the unexpected tourists. "We'll wait here, for Kura. It wouldn't do well to avoid introducing ourselves, if we plan on maintaining good relationships," Nir'wei explained.
Scorn towered over them all. Five times their size.
They flew across Rharne, into the borders of Cahryst. There they took off north, near Korlasir, following the warmer air currents of the mountains and cutting clean across the winding roads of wagon-travel. Avaern and its snow-plains beyond became a brief stopping point, before the final stretch across the waters, to the island of Scalvoris. Their destination lay on the far edge, where mountains had pushed up from the eastern coastline. Three stood tall among the rest, but smaller hills and lesser mountains had lifted up around them, creating a near-inhospitable landscape that had remained untouched. Far from human civilisation, at least as far as they could hope. High ground that the Jacadon could take better advantage of, as they had once in the Sunset Isles.
It was perfect, of course. Ever since his last discussion with Kura about 'the Jacadons', and since Scorn's declaration that he begin a new brood upon the island, Nir'wei had been mulling it over. He couldn't imagine Kura would have many objections. It was already far from humans, unused and practically inhospitable to anyone else. He'd thought that just a few Jacadon, a pair or two, wouldn't even cause a scare! It wouldn't be the first time exotic creatures from other lands had arrived, and they'd be directly under his care, where he could keep an eye on them!
Well, admittedly. He was now bringing a little more than 'a few'.
The moment they hit the southern border of Scalvoris, Air Elements flew out to meet them. An entire contingent, Enormowls bristling at the horde of creatures, each double their size, and vastly outnumbering them. They held sharpened pikes, light crossbows, and he swore he could spot a few with bolas' and slings ready to draw. Nir'wei - reluctantly - dismounted from Scorn at once to meet them on Traveller, whom he hoped would be a familiar sight to many while he flew down with arms raised. "Everyone, lower your weapons, by orders of the Scalvoris Council!" It still felt odd to flaunt any amount of authority at Elements already aiming arrows at him, but terrified though they must be by the Jacadons, he knew trained and capable soldiers - they wouldn't dare shoot down a Council Member themselves.
"I need an escort, East, to the Scalvoris Mountains. These Jacadon are under my protection and are not to be threatened or harmed under any circumstances, you DO NOT PISS THEM OFF, understand? Or it's all our damn heads." They just looked at him confused. He wasn't very good at raising his voice like this, but he hoped the threat of the huge flying lizards was the kind that made them sooner fly away and hide, than reach for a pike when they flew too close.
One of the Air Elements frowned and nudged his Enormowl closer, looking Nir'wei over critically. "We'll need to send word to the Alberach about this," he said with a nod towards the Jacadons still heading east, now with flanking clouds of the closely-observing Elements. "And the Militant. You're going to cause a right scare with this. And you can't fly them over the villages or settlements, tell them to divert around and keep to the coastline instead." Sound and reasonable advice. Nir'wei nodded.
"Send for them. In fact, tell Kura and Vega that the Natural Affairs Councillor is requesting to meet immediately at Windward Haven." The Element seemed surprised that he was so eager to face their judgement. Perhaps he thought that this wasn't how things normally went, and to be fair, it wasn't what he'd intended on either.
With their leave, he quickly returned to Scorn, anxious to be far from the giant Jacadon for even a moment, and guiding Scorn to fly at their left flank while Peace glided along the right. Though it would make their trip longer, flying around the outside of the island instead of simply cutting straight across, their supporting flanks made the journey just a little less stressful, and promised less concerned citizens looking into the sky to see the great shadows of the entire Jacadon brood migrating overhead.
It wasn't as though they'd be lacking opportunities to peek. Breaks passed, slowly rounding the island while using the warm coastal updrafts to glide as often as possible and propel them along without landing until the mountains were at least in sight. Because of their angle, they soared directly over Egilrun, and Nir'wei guided Scorn into raising higher still for the final stretch, just in case the locals began to stir. Beyond, from up high, he could already see the fortress built into the edge of the lower mountains further north, and Nir'wei led Scorn just shy, to a tall cluster of hills that bunched up around the mountains like a poorly-laid carpet. Other Jacadon flocked to him without needing further orders, and he dismounted shortly afterwards, already aware of Windhaven eyes landing on the unexpected tourists. "We'll wait here, for Kura. It wouldn't do well to avoid introducing ourselves, if we plan on maintaining good relationships," Nir'wei explained.
