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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 16, 2018 14:04:30 GMT
After going home and getting bathed and what not and spending time with her siblings, Aelyx headed out on horseback with Caleb to go and introduce herself to the Adaxios family, outside the walls of the city. Her brother hasn’t thought to check her ship for any spare clothes, as she left her brothers estate, wearing one of her sisters dresses, she met Caleb and changed into something more suitable for moving around.
She approached the compound with Caleb, her long silver hair trailing far down her back. As she reached the gate she smiled pleasantly at who ever was there.
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Post by The Terror on Dec 17, 2018 23:53:22 GMT
The compound was built near near what had once been a grand forest. It was here ten years ago that the Adaxios family began work on their own unnamed colony, a small trading outpost for reasons that Linyanti high society could not be bothered to recall. It is surrounded by a vast meadow where great trees had once stood. The cynic might suggest that Artumar Adaxios had desecrated nature in his search for glory and fortune. But a clever tactician might notice that there was no place to hide from the infamous archers of the Summer Isles. While journeying to the compound, Aelyx can already spot a band of elephants appearing out of the distant jungle. It appears they see her almost as soon as she sees them, for soon the parade is coming for her. Caleb is swearing by the Seven, for there are no such beasts in all the Seven Kingdoms. Atop the lead elephant sits Artumar Adaxios himself. He looks little like his uncle, but as an aristocrat, Aelyx has spent her life around powerful leaders. He does not carry himself like a lumber merchant, but like a king returning to his palace. The parade stops before her and Artumar calls down from his colorful pavilion, "My lady! I stepped out of the jungle and I thought I witnessed two suns to blind me. But nay, it was only your hair, glistening outshining its pitiful twin!" His accent is curious, reflecting a well-traveled life before settling here.
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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 18, 2018 0:05:39 GMT
Aelyx had seen elephants before, and was less astounded, but was impressed, herbrither even kept some elephants in his menagerie. So did not mock Caleb for his shock.
She watched them come out from the jungle and her eyes grew hungry, they seemed to come and go so easily from where she longed to be.
At the blatant flattery Aelyx couldn’t help but smirk a little, pulling her hair over one of her shoulders. “It seems I have caught you at an inopportune time, my Lord.” She looking at the massive beast he rode, but not feeling inferior for it, they amounted to the same thing. “Perhaps I should return tonight... spare your torches” she continued in her light, playful tone, that made it soun like the world could burn and she’d find it mildly amusing.
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Post by The Terror on Dec 18, 2018 0:31:28 GMT
"You would leave me in the darkness for so long?" He laughed as he responded, before descending from the beast. His clothes looked expensive, but Aelyx received the impression they were crafter here, not bought in Linyanti. No Volantene tailor stitched like this or used such colors. "Perhaps my lady might deign to join the heavens where she belongs before touring my pitiful shack?"
The other Summer Islanders were grinning at their leader's audacity. Caleb clearly wanted to say something very droll, but was still in awe of the great animals.
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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 18, 2018 6:47:27 GMT
Aelyx remembered what her brother said and stopped a more biting reply from coming out of her mouth, something about not considering the top of an elephant the heavens, she was a dragon after all, but decided against it. She was glad Caleb held his tongue too, but they would no doubt have a good laugh about it later on the boat.
“It would be a pleasure,” she said, jumping down off her horse without waiting for his hand, as was customary in Volantis at least, and stood before him, taking in how tall he was etc. “Are elephants native to hear? I have been lead to believe all the animals native to this jungle are dangerous.” She asked, looking him in the eye.
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Post by The Terror on Dec 18, 2018 7:06:18 GMT
"Indeed they are quit dangerous, my lady, for they will stomp your skull to jelly if you disturb them too much. But they are not meat eaters, so as long as you avoid their children, you should be safe from their wrath. And as for being native..." He shrugged in the most flamboyant way possible. "The Ghiscari and Valyrians have been transporting them to Sothoryos for millenia, or perhaps the reverse is true. However, there is a particular breed deeper in the jungle that does not mate with this group. They are even larger and are not so kind to strangers. Some of the Brindled Men worship them as messengers of the divine, though they have a rather messy and confusing cosmology. If you should ever encounter them, I would avoid the subject of religion. Now, my lady..."
Lord Adaxios began showing her where to place her hands and feet to climb up. He was not shy about guiding her directly with his own powerful hands.
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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 18, 2018 7:11:35 GMT
“I don’t know any of their language to be able to engage them in a philosophical debate,” Aelyx said, not minding being manoeuvred by him, though she managed o climb up easily, being lithe and nimble as she was. “I thank you for the advice, should I ever encounter a brindles man.” She looked down back at Caleb as she got to the top of the beast and grinned down at him.
“Do you even know who I am?” She asked with amusement.
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Post by The Terror on Dec 18, 2018 10:03:49 GMT
"Certainly." He exposited and climbed simultaneously. "Your brother may charge more, but my family does business with everyone, particularly at the docks where wood is always in high demand. And of course, your brother never travels inconspicuously. I know most of the lordlings by name, if not sight. I know there are only three Valyrian women in Linyanti who might ever come visit me. You are far less meek than I would expect of the scholar's wife and you are not wearing red like I would expect your sister to, so clearly... you must be Aelyx Caltarys. The Andal fellow is also rather a large hint once he opens his mouth." He reached the palanquin.
"I shall not insult your intelligence by asking you to guess my own name."
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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 18, 2018 10:43:47 GMT
“Caleb, yes he doesn’t quite fit in here does he,” she said, but it sounded like she considered that to be a good thing. “Well reasoned,” he clearly knew more about what was going on in The colony than she gave him credit for, which was her mistake, “though that’s why most Of us are here no?”
She looked over to the city, looking back to him with a grin as he mentioned that he needed no introduction, then back round to it, “I can see why you travel on one of these, the place looks much smaller and much bigger all at once.”
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Post by The Terror on Dec 18, 2018 19:31:18 GMT
Caleb followed along on foot as the caravan returned to the compound.
"I found Jafar when he was but a newborn calf." He leaned down and stroked her massive head. "He was the first friend I made in this land. Wyverns had just killed and eaten his family. He was frightened, so my uncle and I fed him leaves for hours until he followed us home."
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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 18, 2018 19:49:44 GMT
"That is a very touching story. I have never stayed in a place long enough to properly befriend any of their animals, Volantis included." She smiled down at the elephant and reached a hand out, glancing to Adaxios for permission before stroking him also. She knows she would be very angry if anyone touched Arrax, who she had left with Helaena for this particular visit.
"Are the wyverns really that dangerous then, to kill full sized animals like Jafar here?"
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Post by The Terror on Dec 18, 2018 20:26:34 GMT
"Quite. That is why we have never expanded very far south, and why your Lord Taernarys is so keen to bring as many potential dragon riders here. Your pets will be the vanguard of his new empire one day. But fortunately, they do not come so close to the sea. The prey is not as excellent or plentiful here."
He points to the distance, where Aelyx can just barely make out what seem like great winged animals flapping. If not for the mountain range where they occasionally land, she would mistake them for ordinary birds much closer to the compound.
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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 18, 2018 20:31:11 GMT
Aelyx did not look keen on the idea of someone else using her beloved dragon, and frowned a bit, but soon got distracted with looking at the Wyverns, "They are beautiful... they must be massive to see them at this distance," the pleasure in her voice at looking at the flying creatures was clear.
"The locals must have ways of dealing with them though... these Brindled men you mentioned. Are they not all over the jungle too?"
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Post by The Terror on Dec 18, 2018 21:07:21 GMT
"We only call them 'men' because they stand on two legs and use primitive tools and speak a sort of language. But they are not people like you or I. The gods crafted them from a separate mold than our ancestors. You will understand more clearly the difference when you see them, but suffice it to say, they are stronger and faster than any of us newcomers, and have found more cunning ways to thrive where others have faltered."
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Post by Aelyx Caltarys on Dec 18, 2018 21:21:44 GMT
"They can't be that primitive then... just different" Aelyx retorted, good naturedly, still looking over at the jungle, it looked like a terribly big adventure. "I have heard rumour you have a connection with them, a sort of... understanding, I am interested as to how that came about if they do not speak any northern tongues."
She leant back to look at him again after a while, a wide eyed excitement in her eyes, almost like a child who was being offered their choice of toy in a grand toy shop.
She liked the idea of 'when' she met them, not 'if', it gave her confidence that she would be able to go into the jungle and see these things for herself for better or worse.
"That reminds me," she said, "My brother is using me as an excuse to throw a party in his estate, we would be honoured... if you would join us."
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