Day 38 (S28)

day 12 of the 2 weeks of diplomatic immunity

"We should to go back to the Sprite Light coven tomorrow," Kin suggested at the breakfast table.
"We still have a couple days before we need to go," Rina said.
"I'd also rather play it safe and get there a day early," Alice added.
"Fine..." Rina sighed, "Then let's get everything we need for spells and stuff while we're here."
They did a little shopping before their meeting with King Sullivan Frey at 10am.

They were greeted in the center castle's waiting room by some guards who escorted them up the winding stairs. They passed the courtyard and the dance floor, and ended up in the dining room with the throne on the end.
"Ahh, The Bound, welcome," King Frey began, "It seems you are one short - I have things I must speak to Aurelius about."
They were all silent for a moment, then Rina spoke, "He... he's passed away."
"Why do you keep saying it like that?" asked Alice, "Why do you have to sugar coat it? Just said he's dead."
Even the King seemed surprised at Alice's outburst, "I understand it is difficult to lose someone you love, everyone mourns differently."
"I'm not mourning," Alice said.
Kin and Rina just looked at the floor and didn't speak.
The king then spoke up, "Well... Then I will ask all of you. Do you happen to have his Black Dragon hide armor?"
"Yes, I have it," Rina said as she pulled it from the bag of Colding.
"Before we just give it to you," Kin started, "we want the same deal that you had with him. We get your armor and our debt in the ShapeSmithing shop covered if we win."
"So, Boulder, Parchment, Sheers it is, then?" asked King Frey.
They nodded.
"Then I shall play a round with each of you," he said, "Kin, please approach."
On three, Kin placed Parchment, and Sullivan placed Boulder.
"Ahh, good. One round down," said the King as he turned to Rina.
They both placed a parchment, then he won with sheers on a 2nd parchment from her.
"Alice, it's all on you," she said.
Alice and Sullivan placed boulder... Then Alice's 2nd boulder lost to Sullivan's parchment.

"Ah hah!" exclaimed the king, "Good fun, good fun... Now, please, hand me the armor."
Rina placed it on the table in front of him.
He picked it up, and a strange magic began to emanate from him. His nails grew long, and his fangs grew longer. His hair grew and his face looked ancient for a moment. Then, like it was nothing, he tore the armor in half - sending Black Dragon scales all over the room.
His appearance went back to normal, he picked up a scale, then he spoke, "Do you know what this means?"
"That you just destroyed some perfectly good armor that we were gifted by a god?" said Alice.
Sullivan laughed, "No... it means that there's another dragon out there. And I am going to find it."
"How will you find it? Is it not dead?" Rina asked.
"No," he answered, "this is hide from a dragon, but it does not mean the dragon is dead. With this, with these scales... I can scry or any other manner of things to find it. And hunt it down."
"You seem to have a complicated relationship with dragons," Rina noted, "You were neither surprised nor concerned when I mentioned the blonde Dragon woman a few weeks ago, yet you're nearly rabid for this Black Dragon."
The king chuckled, "I have my reasons. I have not traveled in some time, it will be... fun to have a reason to do so, again."
"Well, if you're looking to travel - feel free to join us! Or, at least me - once I'm done with a few things, that is."
"Thank you for the offer," he said, "Now, is there anything else you need from me?"
"No, King Frey," said Kin, "We will leave now."
"Thank you for coming," Sullivan said as they walked away.

"I just have one more question," said Rina, who stayed back from the group on purpose, "I was looking at a map of The Kingdom of Bolgroth recently. I saw there is a town called Freyscar in the center of the country. I'd like you to explain how you - a single man - made a scar on the land so deep and so wide that they would name it after you."
The king hesitated, then sighed. "That was... many years ago. Back when I was less... composed. I was less able to contain myself. Pennislovica was waring with Bolgroth, back when we were a more aggressive people. So I... I needed to make sure they never forgot our power."
"But that doesn't explain how you did it," Rina remarked.
"That, elf, is a part of my past - a part I would like to not linger on."
Rina gave a shallow bow, "My apologies, My King, I won't ask again."
He nodded back to her, and she left with the others.

On the way home, they see a new building. While this was not surprising as Castle Frey was constantly expanding and adding new buildings, this building looked old. It was small and appeared in the middle of an alley, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Let's go in!" said Rina, "You never know what cool things a place like this will have!"
"It looks sketchy... Are you sure you want to go in?" Alice asked.
"We might as well see what it's about," said Kin.
As they entered, they could barely see anything. The room was completely dark, except for one candle seemingly floating in the middle of the room.
"Hello deeries," a voice said, coming from the direction of the candle.
Then an elderly woman appeared in the light of the flame, and she lit more candles around her. There were hundreds, almost all of them half burned down.
"What brings you in today?" the old lady asked them.
"Do you sell candles?" asked Kin.
"Candles? Well I suppose," she said as she looked around, "What kind of candle do you want? One that will teleport you? One that will make someone fall in love?"
"I'd like one of those last ones," Rina said.
"Well, I don't have any," the woman said, "But if you want to buy a candle, I'm happy to sell one!"
"I want that one," Kin said as he pointed to a random candle off to the side.
The woman got a spatula, then scraped the half-burned candle off the floor.
"That'll be 1 gold," she said, and Kin handed it over.
"Ma'am, what's your name?" Rina asked.
"Oh, I'm Matilda, of the Daybreak coven," she answered.
"Oh! We are about to go to the Witches coven to become members of the Sprite Light coven," Alice said, "We plan to go tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow you say?" asked Matilda, "You mean today?"
"No, not today," said Rina, "tomorrow."
"But tomorrow is today!" Matilda exclaimed, "And today... is tomorrow."
She then gestured out the door, and the party looked to see that the outside was very different than the grey of Castle Frey - it was green and lush, with many trees and shrubs around.
"You are here - and it is today!" Matilda said.
They walked outside to see that they were in a whole other area now, and it was - apparently - the next day, as well.

We were on our way back home, when we saw a new apothecary-looking building in the middle of what used to be an empty alley. Except, the building looked old and crumbling. Rina wanted to go inside, so Kin and Alice went in, too. Inside was an old woman, Matilda who just had hundreds of candles. Kin bought a random one, half burned down. She said she was rooting for us in the Witch Trials to come, we said we were heading there tomorrow. She replied “Tomorrow? Today IS tomorrow. Tomorrow is today!” We were all confused, and left the shop. But when we exited, we were back in the area of the the Covens- this was a dimension door situation. It is now the next day - the day of the trials!

Next: Day 39 (S28-30)