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Caelin looked speculatively at the mouth of the cave a stone's breadth from her. The jagged outcroppings of stone, shattered wooden debris, and various armaments from past adventurers gave the maw of the cavern an appearance much like that of the beast within. A cold finger of fear crept down her spine at its sight, further increasing her doubts of the beasts alignment. She was a Dragon-singer, emissary between man and dragon alike, as well as a dragon-slayer by necessity. As such she was in full gear, weaponry, armor, and equipment alike.

As the sun began to crest over the mountains in the distance she sighed and began checking her gear. She knew what this job entailed, after all, she'd been doing it for 13 of her 27 years. She was to meet with the dragon, discern whether or not it was a fell beast as the villagers described, and deal with it as the situation demands. She liked her job to be honest, even the gritty parts where a dragon must be slain. She liked a civil chat with the perspective dragon, but she also enjoyed sparing the innocent from the temperament of those that have succumbed to greed. She was equally skilled as either or both thanks to her upbringing, after all, her mother was a bard and her father a paladin.

She sighed heavily as she inspected her azure blade, her choice weapon for slaying those that no longer kept within the doctrine. The longsword was magnificent in its design, the metals smelted into the blade to give it the superb strength that also lent it its blue color were among the rarest breed. Thankfully, the blade never dulled due to one of the many enchantments scribed into the pommel, among which also further improved the durability of the blade, saved it from corrosion, and even had a seal that would always return the blade to its current material. Her armor was of course nothing above par with any other dragon-slayer, simple full plate with a layer of leather padding and chain-mail as well, with her crest displayed on her signet ring. It wouldn't guard her against all of the beast's flames or its spells if it came to the nitty gritty, but her mithril armor was of course much lighter than it appeared and plenty strong. It aided in maneuverability that would otherwise have been lost.

She proved her maneuverability when she was assaulted by a thunderous roar from the cave, causing her to drop her blade into her campfire and fall on her hiney. The sudden drop caused her helmet to loose and spill her platinum hair down her back. She rolled onto her feet clutching the blade from the fire and spinning it so the tip angled at the eye of the crimson head peeking from the entrance. Both females froze as their gazes locked, confusion spanning the features of both, Caelin's violet eyes searched the dragoness again as if not trusting her eyes. While the dragoness' own amber hues scan the armored form as if surprised to see her, before sucking back into the cave.

"Enter", spoke the ominous female, in almost a purr.

Caelin was honestly bewildered. She called out to the female in abject curiosity, "Excuse me, are you, Barsaen?" She had heard nothing of a female living here. This was the den of Barsaen, who was not only not a red dragon, but also definitively male. She knew personally since he was the first dragon she'd ever been sent to investigate. Back then it had been a case of the villagers attacking him when he moved in, and of course he had defended himself. When the villagers weren't able to overwhelm him, Caelin was called in. They chatted it over and she had explained to the villagers. She gave the lord of that area her address for future needs, and she had been specifically called by the lord's lady when Barsaen had eaten him. The villagers had recruited a dragon-slayer in the area, but the slayer had gone missing. He was assumed dead of course since there had been no word.

The dragoness merely gave a small giggle before motioning with her tail for Caelin to follow. Caelin shook her head at the notion. Maybe the problem the lord had a problem with Barsaen's new mate. That sounded like the best option to her, but she couldn't deny her there was the option Barsaen had gone sour. She grabbed up her helmet and sheathed her blade at her hip. She went in the battle hoping for peace, yet geared for a war.

Stepping carefully over the various smashed weapons and other belonging at the entrance, she entered the den of the dragon quietly, well, as quietly as a knight in full plate could be. Still, she greeted cheerfully by the red dragon she met briefly before, despite the dragon being in an adjacent chamber. Now that Caelin had a good look at her, she could tell the dragoness was heavy with eggs. Which could be good or bad news, hoping for the better. Caelin began approaching the 'lady of the house', only to have the cheerful demeanor become extremely hostile. Flames could be seen at the back of the dragon's throat as she hissed her warning. Caelin quickly retreated outside the antechamber, under the watchful amber eyes of the mother-to-be, she got the message, Caelin was not to be welcomed in the apparent nesting chamber.

"She _is_a bit protective, but can you blame her? It is her first clutch." Spoke a familiar voice to Caelin.

Caelin quickly gave a bow, putting her left arm across her stomach in doing so...and gently touching the hilt of her blade. The copper scaled dragon known in common tongue as Barsaen stepped into the entry chamber from the main cavern and gave a likewise bow to Caelin, after all, they were old acquaintances. They held the bow for a moment before standing and greeting each another with a nod. Barsaen was a few centuries old by now, and honestly one of the few Cel'Nath dragons that ever left the curious mountain range. They were said to be even more affluent with magic, since one of their own special stomachs acted like a mana sink, probably from ingesting so much of them since the crystals were abundant there. His voice was rather gruff as he spoke, and while well-mannered. There was the hints of irritation in his tone.

"I apologize for having you called out here child, but the lord needed to be put down. He was becoming unruly and trying to take my wealth for himself through a 'treaty'. More lies have never been on a simple scroll.."

He trailed off into a string of draconic that Caelin almost wished she didn't understand. She rose her hands and waved them to catch his attention. When she finally had it he gave a semi-sheepish look. While Caelin spoke, her helmet giving her voice a metallic reverbaration that always made her feel as if she was listening to someone else speak her words.

"Peace Barsaen. I am aware of what has happened, but so are you aware of the consequences. There are rules to these things. Do you wish to be mistaken for a fell? I heard their first response was to send a slayer after you....I suppose he was slain as well?"

Caelin realized a few things all at once. One, Barsaen actually smiled at the mention of the slayer, when it was typically greeted by anger. Two, was that he was slowly raising the spikes along his back , typical of attacking. Three, the armor of the old slayer was cast inside the main chamber...unscathed. Four, the female was now blocking the exit. Caelin drew her blade quickly and immediately level it at the copper. He however froze in place, his expression that of shock and anger, but it didn't last, he turned spikes rising, bared his neck.....

And sneezed towards the back of his cave.

Sending a jet of searing blue fire deep into the depths. He sat there for a moment, before looking back smiling sheepishly. Caelin was feeling sheepish as well. He was trying to hold back a sneeze. The female continued out the exit, only having stopped because she sense he was about to sneeze. Caelin now feels silly, and noticing this Barsaen grins at her as she sheaths her blade. Looking to the snickering mate of the copper, she tried to pretend it never happened.

"Sorry sorry. Stress of the job. Don't make a big deal about it old timer.."

Of course this only caused a short stint of laughter from the dragon as his tail swayed slowly. Cutting it off after a moment, he settled down on his legs, laying his belly across the sand spread across the floor of the cavern. As he spoke in a resigned tone. "I bend to your judgment singer, only though, since last I checked self defense was not punishable by death."

Caelin looked back to him with a sigh, following suit by sitting cross legged on the floor before him. "I am sorry, but it must be done." She reaches for her pack containing all her documents and ledgers, only to be reminded she never put it on since she had been "summoned in" prematurely. She was sure the red dragon had it in for her. Maybe those pregnancy hormones or something. She was familiar with the fact dragons mated for life, and some sort of mental change occurred bonding them together in the act, other than that she didn't know more. Her "clients" weren't exactly eager to divulge that information, and she wasn't eager to ask. It didn't make her job any easier. Again with a sigh she stood, getting a curious look from Barsaen.

"E-excuse me. I seem to have left my documents outside," She explained as she backpedaled for the exit. She was only gone long enough to grab her pack, before coming back in. The female was now snuggled up with him, tucked under his wing as she lay comfortably next to him. She paused at the scene before her, but Barsaen's permitting nod set her at ease and she sat before him. "First things first though, we have to register your mate in this residence since the sentence..regrettably. Will apply to her as well....name?"

Another oddity struck Caelin. Both of the dragons suddenly seemed uneasy. The crimson dragon tucked herself more under her mates wing, while Barsaen seemed to struggle for words. Out of the blue he stated in his same smooth manner as before, but the tension in his voice was still there. He almost sounded, hopeful.

"Ifpesp'Ixen"

Caelin pulled out a book with an intricate carving of a dragon. Opening it, she merely stated the name. The pages lay still as Caelin waited staring at the pages. The crimson dragon looked curiously to her copper mate at the mention of the name, but quickly settles back down. It wasn't a bad name.

The books pages never turned and this puzzled Caelin as she stated the name again....still no result. "....miss Ifpesp Ixen...how old are you?" Ifpesp opens her mouth to reply, before Barsaen answers for her. "She is in fourth century I believe, why?" She nods in agreement to this, smiling contentedly.

Caelin only looked more worried at this, since looking at the dragons before her. Both of them appeared to be quite close to the same age. Neither of them were ancient of course, but they were both well above the age of adolescence. Caelin thought this strange as well, but drew no more attention to it, instead she scribed in the necessary information. "Right. Name for the human tongue?"

Barsaen gave a light chuckle, seeming to relax at the sudden change in pace, "Jackie." Caelin gave her own light laugh as she wrote it down. It wasn't that odd to have a human name nowadays. Dragons were getting tired of rough translations. Writing that down as well, she got out the book of rules, and flipping to the subject in question. She didn't need it herself, but it was there so if she was questioned on it, she could display it. Clearing her throat she stated simply.

"For one month, the dragon-singer in charge of said dragon, or dragons, under judgment, are not to leave their den. If they are to leave the den. The dragon-singer must be present."

Barsaen wasn't happy about it obviously, his mate nodded along lazily, but he didn't seem happy about it. "Is there any way there could be an exception? She is with child.." Caelin shook her head in reply. "I'm quite the nurse actually. She won't bear the first clutch."

The copper dragon was obviously displeased by his deep breathing, the long flicking of his tail, or even just the fact his face looked pissed. He didn't act on it though, and now that the judgment was given, and she had written in the book that it had been. If she didn't report daily, there would be others sent...for his head. Motioning to Caelin. He gestured to be alone. Obviously he wanted to talk to his mate, so Caelin took the hint, grabbed up the remains of the dragon slayer's armor and headed outside to her campsite. She was going to be here a while after all and needed to make the appropriate arrangements.

Long after the moon had graced the skies, Caelin moved the slayer's armor far from the den. The armoring was definitely male by the makes of it, so on the makeshift tombstone, made of the breastplate, she marked in, "To a brave dragon slayer, here he lays." She didn't leave his sword behind. It would sell well or service her apprentice when her time came to learn the ways of the blade. Saying a small prayer, she tucked the spare sword over her shoulder, and made for camp.

As soon as her tent was pitched, she went through the laborious ordeal of undoing all her armor. It was a pain putting it on, only to take it off later. She wished it was as easy as undoing a shirt or pants, instead of the 5 minutes max it would take to dress down to her small clothes if she was in simpler clothing, it took her a good 45 minutes of dressing down, cleaning, oiling, then setting Caelin was glad she didn't have to call one in, but even so, the idle thought robbed her of a perfectly restless sleep when she finally drifted off in her cot.

When the moon was high, a rustling would alight around her tent, but Caelin was deep in slip. Without a word, a strange figure entered her tent and approached her, the only thing in the figure's hand was a scroll. Approaching Caelin..the figure unwrapped the scroll from itself and whispered the incantation to the night. Caelin would shift uneasily as the incantation was completed, and for a brief moment, script covered every inch of Caelin's form, before the black characters sunk into her skin. This was the second time an incant ion of that sort had been spoken in secret in the dead of night. A smile spread across the face of the intruder before they exited the tent. As soon as they were outside they moved towards the cave again, their form growing and contorting, the last glimpse of the stranger was the glint of the moonlight off of copper scales, then it was hidden in its den. The deed was done.