At some point Elrodan rolled onto his side, the fall from sitting enough to rouse him. The half eaten meat still clutched in one hand though not with any intention to do so besides that of not releasing what was in his hand. He crawled towards the resting form of the dragonkin. He thought to cuddle up for added warmth and security but as he put a hand out to get closer, he stabbed himself upon one of her many spikes. The trees were unfriendly looking and would require flight, something he felt too tired to do. Instead, he went a bit closer to the fire, and put his arm under his head, then add fate would have it, he moved his head onto the meat. His eyes shut again, and he fell asleep.

(Unless you intend there to be done nocturnal creature bother us...)
Elrodan woke early. The sun hadn't fully risen above the horizon, and the final embers of the fire were smouldering away. Elrodan sat up and pulled the steak from off of his face. Placing it on a stone encircling the fire pit, he rearranged the sticks and fragments of wood that remained unburnt. "Hey Sparky. Good morning mate! Fancy having some fire getting our fire going again?" the little mote cracked with joy as it flew to the wood and with a couple of small fiery breathes, set the wood to a good flame again. Elrodan took the chance to sneak off and collect a couple more sticks with which to keep the fire tended until Izanami woke up. 

Izanami work from her sleep about as well as anyone could expect. The fire was low, the sun barely cresting the horizon, and birds only barely begin to chirp from the sparse tree tops. Bleary eyes opened to see Elrodan and his fire wisp working on rekindling the fire. "I'd hoped that would have lasted longer..." She muttered, if she hadn't been as exhausted she'd have collected more firewood before they retired for the night. Slowly she stood up, shaking off the dirt and yawning as she stretched her arms above her head and arched her back.

"I never miss a real bed." Izanami added groggily, sniffling her nose and shaking off dirt from her tails. "I'm half surprised you didn't run off in the night." She added, moving to check that no one had snuck up on their camp during the evening and run off with anything of value. Initial inspection seemed to imply nothing was missing, which greatly pleased the dragonkin. "I'm not used to company that isn't dragonkin." She rubbed at her chin, before reaching for her waterskin and promptly downing the remaining contents. "Well... We don't really have much food, I'd rather get back on the trail than waste time hunting for something to eat. Do you think you can last until noon?" Izanami had no idea how fast the metabolism of a fairy was. Especially with those fluttery wings, seemed tedious always hovering in the air.

Izanami shook the last drops of water loose from her waterskin, grimacing slightly. "We should refill our water at least before we head out. If we make good time we could be back in Darkveil by evening. But that is a mighty large if." The road was long and not particularly pleasant, and that was assuming they did not run into any inclement weather. The Ash Lands were famed for dust storms of volcanic ash and soot, coming down off the mountains when Darkolt decided to rouse from its slumber. Izanami looked east, the mountain seemed not to stir. No smoke billowed from its peak, even at this distance it was usually clear when the volcano was restless.

---

maltholloth

He smiled as he noticed Izanami wake up. "Oh it was OK. I was warm enough. I wasn't sure if you wanted it still going so I only the a couple on to warm you from the night cool. Guessing you probably don't need to heat up in the sun or by a fire." he says with a competent straight face.

As he sits by the fire, he picks up the meat he'd left to warm. "Hmm well in that case, I'll just chew on this. Not my favourite breakfast but I didn't really get much of it yesterday so I'm starving!" and with that takes a bite, then chews slowly in the way of one realising they don't want to be eating something.

After a few minutes and getting through some of the meat he stands up. "I'll go and get that water now. My mouth is so dry." and with that scooped up the water skins and headed off for the spring, this time at least remembering better where the tree was and what he was looking for. What he did forget was how he struggled with the two extra skins yesterday, still, he refreshed himself in the water and refilled everything to add full as possible. "If every last drop counts...". With that he decided to decided to use his wings to jump and skip along rather than trying to fly the whole way. It works but he still returns rather worn out. "Huhhh... If.. If I can just... Grab the rest of... That meat... And sit... On your.. Shoulder... Caaaan go.". With that he plonks himself to the floor and let's the straps from the water skins fall to the floor besides his hand.

"I do not, but that doesn't mean it doesn't help conserve energy." Izanami said with a yawn, as she inhaled and breathed out a jet of flame to rouse the fire into a decent sized inferno. "Means less work for my drake gland, which means less energy I need to burn. No pun intended." In a way, it was like an extreme version of warm-bloodedness. She gave Elrodan an amused look as he chewed on yesterday's meal. "Now you're speaking like a proper dragonkin. Were I alone I'd be off hunting some deer or elk right now, but with you in tow I'd rather make good time for Darkveil."

Izanami nodded in agreement. "You do that, and I will make ready us to leave." She spoke before watching the fairy fly off to whatever spring or stream he had found. In the meantime, Izanami had one stinking problem to deal with. The giant's skull had been left to rot effectively overnight, now spelling rather rancid. She had no desire to drag a rotting head all the way back to Darkveil. So she once more transformed into her giant size, hefting up the grotesque skull and peeling off what skin and muscle remained with her claws. Once that was finished she held it at a distance, bathing it in her fire breath until only charred bone remained. Once finished it smelled more like soot and ash than rotted flesh, to which she found much more preferable.

Setting the skull back down on her makeshift sled, Izanami returned to normal size as Elrodan returned with fresh water. Her poor fairy seemed so exhausted when he returned. Izanami sighed, feeling a pang of maternal instinct at the sight. Her twin tails reached down, one gently looping through the waterskin straps, the other coiling around Elrodan and lifting him onto her shoulder. "You poor thing." She said surprisingly sweetly, hooking the waterskins over the spikes that grew from her hips and lashing her twin tails to the ropes bound to her sled. "You may sit on my shoulder as long as you like, my brightly colored parrot. In the meantime, tell me stories of your homeland. I enjoy a good story, it makes the road more bearable." And with that, the two were off.

---

maltholloth

Once Izanami had brought the fire to a fuller flame, Sparky flew into it, dancing around and generally seeming to enjoy itself. "You can go hunting if you want? I mean I am excited to go to the arena but if there's something you want to do, I'd hate to hold you back from it."

Once he'd caught his breath, he starts thinking of stories. "I feel like I may know the answer, but what kind of stories do you want to hear? In guessing the battles of elves and such rather than the story of me and Selith drinking. And the tales of the animals or plants I can't imagine you would want?" while he sat on her shoulder, her wriggled to get comfortable then for dinner unbeknown reason stated to plat a section of her long blue hair.

Izanami shook her head no. "We will not starve anytime soon. Hunting is not necessary, it would only occupy my time. I would prefer make haste." The Dead Woods were no flowery western forest, they were not a place for woodsmen and hunters, trappers or traders. The ashen forest simply presented a region that must be traversed to enter or exit Darkveil from the west. The sooner the two had made their way through it, the better. Which is why Izanami was making her way down the dusty trail at a brisk pace, her load somewhat lightened by flaying the skin from the giant's skull and burning away its flesh.

"Selith?" Izanami said questioning as Elrodan recounted his options. She turned her head to meet his gaze as the fairy rested on her shoulder. "I know no Selith, explain who they are." She knew nothing of this name, only of Elrodan the fairy and Sparky his will o wisp. "Anything to pass the time really. The Deadwoods can be dreadfully... dull." As if that were not the truth. The wildlife was timid and sparse, used to hiding from nocturnal predators at night and avoiding the scorching suns during the day. Most of the birds were carrion vultures, they say eagerly waiting in the tree tops watching the travelers on the road. Hoping some of them were ready to expire so they could claim their feast.

Even other travelers were not a common sight on the roads of the Dead Woods. Much of Darkveil's traffic came by sea, and those traveling overland tended to be only small parties or merchant caravans. Save for Elrodan and the slain merchant, Izanami hadn't actually seen another living soul as she made her way out to the Deadwoods, and it seemed this would hold true on her return trip. The duo's only traveling company were the vultures, one of the foul birds shrieking at them from the treetops. As if telling them to hurry up and roll over dead. Izanami grew cross with the bird, exhaling a fireball aimed its way. It screeched and hastily fled from its perch. "Stupid bird." She muttered to herself, silently hoping her flames had struck too. She could have cooked and eaten it as she walked.

---

maltholloth

Elrodan changed his stance as to have one leg either side of her body and continued to braid her hair. Then with a smile and a sigh be began.

"Selith was a good friend. The best of friends. She was the same age as me and we both had a love for music. I can't tell you how many nights we'd stay up, dancing, singing, playing instruments while enjoying a few too many berry beverages than what we should. Those were the days."

He finished off a plat and takes hold of the next area, running his fingers through as a comb.

"There were differences of course, I went the way of medicine while she was possibly more of your mind. She revelled in sharp and pointy things, quite often learning to work with poison on them. It was never really discussed besides one time when it became rather heated after she had stuck poison into an Eagle. Not any eagle, but the chick of the hunts master. I was there at the time, but back then I knew not what to do with poison wounds. I stopped the bleeding but... Was useless to help. If it hadn't been for another wise in the arts it would have died but still, it was already too late and it had ever been a small and weak creature. We took a long time to get over that. Never speaking and barely looking at one another. I don't think either of us enjoyed that time away from the others company. Still, she gave way in the end and it led us both to study how to deal with poison. It was nice that what drove us apart was also what pulled us together."

With another sigh, he'd half cuddled Izanami's head then took the next section of hair.

"It was funny, I just remembered this time before that when we had recently got to know one another and we were flying around together, playing tag or chasing birds and squirrels in the trees as any young fairies do. We both were going around a tree for these squirrels and not looking where we were going. Bosh! We cracked ours heads together and spent the next five minutes crying and slapping at each other for it being their fault. When we realised it was dinner time, we weren't fully sure of where we were and rain had clouded the skies, we hugged each other all the way back as we flew. It's silly how we had been back then. I guess that's the fun when you're a child though."

With a small jump into the air, he moved around to the other shoulder and resumed his work on her hair.

"One bitter day, she returned from the patrol with several deep gashes. I don't know what she'd faced that day as she never revealed it, no matter how much I asked. Oh course I healed her, but I could tell something was wrong. Just the simple things that would bring a smile no longer did. A couple of nights later, we were drinking and she seemed back to her old ways. But at the end of the night she said she was leaving. The next morning in fact. She needed to hunt down the danger that had passed so near. I tried to tell her if it had passed then let it be, but she needed to stop it. To stop it from getting anyone else. She gave me a hug, thanked me for the night, then I never heard from her again for a week later the storm that took me came."

He let both of his hands rest on her head before attempting a final braid.

"I see." Izanami said simply, rather somberly as she listed to the fairy tell his tale. Good friends were hard to come by, and Elrodan's stories sounded like the childish days of fun and fancy that to Izanami... felt like a lifetime ago. Dancing by the fires with her nestmates, playing games of tag or wrestling. Listening to the elders tell stories of their famous ancestors by the light of the fire as they snacked on toasted marshmallows or grilled sausages. "Memories to be cherished." She added softly with a faint nod.

"The innocence of youth." Izanami said with a half chuckle. To be young and able to enjoy life simply for what it is. No responsibilities, no worries, just silly antics and adventures. Now all her adventures carried the weight of honor, glory, and expectations upon them. To fail was to suffer mockery and ridicule, and even her successes need be great enough to serve her station. Izanami couldn't simply be good enough, she was daughter of the clan patriarch. She was expected to be the best. She paid no mind as Elrodan played with her hair, were it anyone else she'd have set them on fire by now.

The finale of the story was a tale as old as time. Vengeance, honor, duty, or something somewhere in between. "I see." Izanami repeated, she was not much for words as she usually was. The disappearance of Selith was a story told too often among her clan. Scions biting off more than they can chew. The lucky ones had their mangled, beaten bodies recovered so they could at least be laid to rest with the dignity of a proper burial. The less fortunate simply lost to the wilderness, their stories coming to an abrupt end. Izanami touched at the braid in her hair with a hand, normally she let her mane of hair flow wild and loose. Her kind was not much for hair pieces and ribbons, never mind that they tended to burn up.

"Those of us who chose a life of violence know the risks we take." Izanami finally replied after what seemed like an eternity. "And with every battle we endure, every foe we face, we do so knowing it may just be our last. But... if we have lived nobly, even in death our story does not truly end." The dragonkin pointed far to the north, to the jagged peak of Yamata's Final Rest. "My kind has a saying, that each of us dies twice in our life. The first time, when the ember of flame drifts from our heart and we shed our mortal coil. Our souls reunited with the rest of our fallen kin in the afterlife." Her lips trembled a bit, the words were often hard to say. "And a second time, when our name is whispered one final time. We Dragonkin all strive for immortality, but we quest not for some Philosopher's Stone or fountain of Youth. We seek a glorious life, one who's song will never end. So that with that, our names may never die."

Izanami hoped her message was clear, she could not make it any more so. "Though perhaps not the way he envisioned, Yamata no Akantor found immortality. For as long as my clan yet draws breath, his name shall never die. And no, so long as you and I do the same, Selith's name shall live eternal in our hearts. It is not much to an Outlander, that I understand. But it is the most I can offer in condolences to your missing friend." Izanami let the silence that followed carry the weight of her words.

---

maltholloth

Elrodan felt what he had started out as a happy memory has somewhat brought the mood down. He agreed with all that Izanami had said. He would indeed find a way to create a song that would honour her name. Then when he returned home he'd find her there waiting and he could sing and laugh as it turned the situation around.

"There once was a fairy or three, merriment in a mulberry tree.
With drink is a swing and a ching, dancing around in a fairy ring.
The joyful songs were ever so loud, even the bugs danced so proud.
So they sung all through the night, and danced whenever t'was light.
Now the elves did hear of the sound, they sought it out, until was found.
The dwarven race next were to learn, how sweet the words of fairy turn.
Now they all had a giggle and jiggle, without worry, care or niggle.
If you ever meet the Lord of the dance, ask to see he's fairy prance.
Then you'll understand there's no better, than from fairy without fetter."

And with that he took to his flute and played in a similar melody as he'd just sung. After a couple of times through, he put back away his flute and stroked the braids in Izanami's hair, before bringing them towards the back tying then into a combined final plat.

Izanami seemed genuinely surprised at the tune. "Did you just come up with that? I can't say I'm not impressed. Your talents never cease to surprise me darling." Having a bard on hand certainly helped to lighten the mood. A part of her was excited to see what songs he would weave of her deeds the longer he remained in her company. "I'm curious though, who taught you to play a flute? My kind do not make for good musicians, we stick to drums and war chants." She flexed her claws, Izanami did not even think she could finger the keys on a flute with her talons. Maybe if she filed down her nails. But that would take an anvil, and a very large whetstone.

The road to Darkveil remained dull save for their conversation. Which in a way, Izanami was thankful for. As the sun rose higher in the morning sky more animals came out to set about their day. Rugged squirrels with relatively thin coats of hair, desert toads hiding beneath any kind of rocky shade. Vipers and sidewinders, rattlesnakes and cobras. Snakes were plentiful in the eastern regions, none larger than the Spire Vipers though. There was even a small herd of Deadwoods near not far off the trail. Smaller and more lithe of build than those of a more populous forest. Izanami briefly considered breaking away from the road to hunt one down. They spooked upon hearing the two talk though, and she gave a slight sigh as she watched a potential meal escape.

"Look ahead." Izanami said as she spied something peculiar. Not far along the road lay several bodies, face down in the dirt off to the side of the dirt road. Carrion birds already picking as their eyes and face. Izanami approached, bringing her sled to a halt as she knelt down to inspect the dead men. "Bandits." She replied, rolling one over to get a good look at his face. she pointed to the man's mouth, dried blood caked it thoroughly and his tongue had been cut out. A burned clawprint was seared onto his face, covering most of his nose and forehead leaving singed hair in its wake. "They were branded before they were killed. Marked for their crimes as a warning." Izanami smiled, rising back up to her feet. "Presumably by another fire drake. Maybe even a kinsman of mine." She gazed about for any sign of other dragonkin, there was none. "This is how we keep our lands safe. Frontier justice, is still justice."

---

maltholloth

Elrodan gave a little laugh, "I did. Possibly not my best work, but I thought it were needed. I fear I rather upset you and that should never have been.". He looked at his flute, it wasn't overly elaborate, nor was it of pure silver. Come to think of it, just being a shiny silver colour was as close to silver as this thing would come. The quality of the note neither matched that of silver or the charm of wood. "It was just other fairies, one or two of the elves too if I sat in on things or if they were merry enough. It is something I've done for about 10 years. My mother was more of a dancer and father a poet. So I guess there's that section explained. There's no harm in drums, I quite enjoy their sound and I'll tap along s well as any at a basic level. If there were to be a second instrument I could carry, I should expect something like the lyre. It should be better for me really and allow me to use my voice unlike the flute. Looking at those nails of yours, I could imagine string instruments wouldn't fare well either. Other percussion could be very adept, bells, or such too.".

It was then the bodies were pointed out that he looked ahead. "Would you just lay waste to them like this for being a bandit? Or only if they attacked you? I sometimes wonder if their hearts are dark or if they are trying to help their family... Times can be tough, but to choose crime... I don't think I stand with them in favour when they do, but doesn't stop the thought. Not that I'm the one to be putting pay to their lives. Quite the opposite. If they had recently died, I could always revive them... But I rather expect they wouldn't be thankful and change their ways. And it rather does take its toll. Perhaps one day I will practice on a person... I doubt a rabbit or quite the same.". He finishes with a chuckle. "Do others patrol or is it more likely one was sent after them, or perhaps even sheer bad luck?"..  He looks down at the bodies, a mixture of curiosity, shame, pity, loathing all muddled on his mind. 

Izanami furrowed her brow, looking back at her companion. "Yes." She said harshly, "My kind values gold and treasure above all else, but those of us who are wise do not stoop to banditry. Anyone who attacks me or my kin is a dead man walking, their motives are irrelevant." She flashed her claws, the seriousness of her tone made them seem even sharper than usual. "Times are always tough. The common folk pray for rain for their crops, health for their children, and a long summer for a short winter. They care little for kings and schemes so long they are left in peace." She looked down at the bandits, spitting an ember at their corpses. "They never are."

She gave a shrug, before returning to her makeshift sled. "Of that I cannot say. I would have to ask their killer to know. It could be anything. It could be bounty hunting, taking their missing tongues as proof of victims slain. I could be they ambushed travelers, only to learn the hard way they seriously underestimated them. I could simply be their killer lives nearby, and was tired of bandits threatening the countryside. I would not know." There was even the possibility these men were innocent, cut down and butchered to look like brigands. She did not like to dwell on that possibility. It sullied their traditions and made them unreliable as markers.

Resuming her march, one question still lingered on the dragonkin's mind. "Elrodan, did you say you could revive them?" She looked questioningly at the fairy. One eyebrow raised as she studied her small friend. "How do you possess such magics, if it is not necromancy?" Revival posed many questions. "How does it work? Is it healing magic? It must be... How long does it last? Must they be recently slain? How long is too long?" She was very curious, bringing back dead men was good money. If it was a common gift, she'd have certainly heard of it prior to this. "Is this something all your kind can do?" If it was, why was there no black market for fairies?

---

maltholloth

He should have expected that answer, and if he wanted to think about it, he probably had. "So are most of them reported, or very unlucky if they try against you?" he asks with a laugh.

He knew it was fairly powerful a magic, but perhaps he shouldn't have said... No, Izanami had no reason not to be trusted with the knowledge. "Yes, I have that ability to revive one who has died. It is something I've only done to small animals. There's no reason it won't be fine even on that giant had I chosen to. I may have learnt it by luck, I had strayed into an area normally only the elves go to. It was there I saw one of them perform this. I returned to the area time and again to try and catch sight of it happening and try and learn. It took a long time but eventually I found them doing it again. That time I watched more closely and paid attention. After trying it on some insects with only short term results, I found them in the village and asked them. They... We're not happy. After swearing to not reveal it to other fairies and showing what I could already do they let me know. I don't get why they would keep it from us.". He briefly wondered if it was indeed hidden from all fairies or if the elders knew, this seemed unlikely but it could help so many, it made no sense that they would hide it at all. Maybe they feared their enemies knowing it and using it. "Fear not, its healing magic. There is only about a day after they pass away that I can bring them back. The ties to their soul become too strained after that. I'm not sure what you mean by how long does it last... But if you mean how long are they alive for after. That's until they are killed or die. So by that same token, one who has died naturally I cannot help.". He hasn't expected so much interest but to a warrior, perhaps it was very valuable.

"It depends if I am being paid or not." Izanami replied sternly, she did not share the fairy's humor in the situation. "A group of armed bandits, drunk on stolen rum, seeing a lone woman traveling the roads unattended. They think only an easy target, or worse. They are always sorely disappointed." Many men had met their deaths at her hands, and many more would so long as Izanami continued her adventuring lifestyle. But matters of bandits and punishment were not her concern, this revival magic was.

Izanami stopped what she was doing, sitting herself upon her arched tails and listening to the story with great intensity. So Elrodan had learned this magic from elves, who it did not surprise Izanami one bit that had kept its secrets to themselves. Elves were... formidable masters of magic, having the luxury of being far older than most of the other races. It was only logical their knowledge of magic and its potential far exceeded most of conventional wisdom.

"You really should not go around telling others of this so freely." Izanami said with a stern look, as she rose back to her feet. "You're are lucky you've already taken the time to befriend me. Were I to find you with this knowledge alone, I'd have you in chains dragging you back before my clan elders to extract such knowledge from your broken body. There is much my kind could do with warriors who do not fear the kiss of death." Izanami resumed her march, with much to think about. "There are laws of life and death we as mortals are not meant to tamper with. The end result is always heretical, and perversion of life. Like necromancy." She would stew in silence as she resumed her long journey.

For a brief moment, Izanami had felt the flicker of hope that she had found a way to restore Yamata no Akantor to his mortal glory, even if she knew this a foolish thing to feel. It was the penultimate goal of any in her clan, and no doubt the unspoken home of most of the great dragonkin clans. The restoration of their progenitor meant they could create new, half blooded dragonkin to keep their bloodlines from further diluting and their numbers from dying out. It also meant having a godlike being to follow, for better or worse. Izanami shook her head, she was being naive. Yamata was long dead and no magic, certainly that of a fairy, would ever restore him. Believing anything less was a folly she would not allow herself to dwell on.

---

maltholloth

Her tone was quick to answer again, it answered his questions that he asked. He decided then to let the remainder of his questions on the matter drop. There were other matters that could be thought on. He decided to change topic.

"Are there any other dragonkin I should watch out for? Ones not to be trusted or hmm not as nice as you are?" it wasn't quite talk about her directly but he rationalised that she would have her opinions.

Izanami may have been right, he should maybe keep some skills to himself but he had felt like he could trust her... Most of the time. Still, he felt a little uncomfortable at the thought. "There are laws yes, but in the same way I can heal a wound, its that not part of nature too? If you leave an injury too long, does it not heal over, as with death, trying to bring them back, so it becomes as it should. There's that short time to each. Hmm although I guess that doesn't make full sense as some wounds I can deal with even after a long while. Hmm. I understand what you mean actually but while the soul is still there, they're not fully dead. After that point, I don't think they ever really are them. That is alive."