"Ahhh ... here he comes." Zel hopped down off the rock he was perched on and then slid down the cliff to the group waiting below. Xeros had finally showed up, and was currently perched in a tree, after having been apologised to by Sylpheel. Firia was giving Valtiera his afternoon bottle, and Sylpheel was cooing over Val. Gourry had fallen asleep under a tree, Amelia was fishing in the nearby lake, and Lina was watching Zel.
"Hey Zel."
"Yes Lina?"
"Is that guy who's supposed to meet us, Elkin, on his way?"
"He should be here within a few seconds."
Something large and mostly cobalt blue went whooshing over their heads.
"Or now."
"OH HO HO HO HO HO" Nahga began laughing again, and not for any reason Lina could see. She looked around as whatever it was circled a few times above them. Xeros was staring up at it in complete shock, his mouth hanging open. Firia was in the same condition as Xeros, and little Val was cooing and kicking his feet happily. Amelia had hit the dirt, hiding a bit behind Gourry, who was looking around blearily. Sylpheel had a death grip on Gourry's left arm and had plastered herself to his side. Nahga began laughing again. The blue whatever-it-was swooped down, picked up Nahga, glided over the lake, and dropped her in the dead center of it.
Xeros blinked, still looking stunned. And then Firia fainted again, leaving him to catch her and little Val before they hit the ground. Val cooed, reaching out to try to grab the blue whatever as it glided back to the clearing, doing a neat backwing to land. "I thought Valtiera was the last of the Ancient dragons." Xeros murmured, giving the newcomer a less shocked and more considering look.
"Actually, my family line isn't considered true Ancient, as several generations back, about a third of my ancestors wed into a royal elven line." The dragon's voice was a pleasant tenor, holding a faint whispery feel to it and a slight husky note.
A small part of Lina's mind noted that the dragon's way of speaking was much like Zel's. The rest of her mind was gawping at the first true ancient dragon she had ever seen. He was much larger than Firia's dragon form, and much longer proportion-wise of body, tail and limbs. The scales that covered most of his body were a deep, brilliant, jewel-like cobalt blue. A crest of red-brown hair began on his head right above his eyes (occaisionally falling into them) and ended about midway down his back. The feathers of his large wings were a blue so dark it was nearly black, and they shimmered with tones of pale reds, purples, and blues. A tuft of feathers also sprouted from the tip of his tail.
"The Lanserric?" Xeros asked, easing Firia to the ground and picking up Val, who was still trying to reach the dragon.
"Elkin Lanserric, pleased ta meetcha." His head lowered so that he was less than a foot from the still-wriggling Val. "Cute kid."
Val promptly leaned forward and grabbed onto Elkin's nose. "Led go ub my nod."
Zel stepped forward to help pry Val's little fingers off Elkin's nose. "Lonb bime o cee, bwo."
"Quite a long time, Elkin."
Elkin leaned back with a relieved sigh, rubbing his nose. "Kid's got quite a grip. Who were his parents?"
"Don't know, he was rejuvenated to baby status not that long ago."
Elkin blinked, his form beginning to shrink. "That has got to be some story, bro."
Hmmm .....
He had
forgotten that some of his
family
had dragon
lineage
Perhaps
it was time
for the twins ....