Empty Nest [Closed]

Avrae wasn't the only one with an ass that was killing her. Luxanna wasn't entirely comfortable either. She adjusted herself quietly in her seat as the other complained. Luxanna wore some of her normal travel gear. She had a bag of holding with her with some essential gear, though she rarely actually needed the things inside. She also wore the necklace that she had been given for her birthday. She hadn't been seen without it since then and wasn't taking it off.

Drake was also uncomfortable, but silent throughout the train ride. He entertained himself either by sleeping or staring out the window. Sleeping felt like a dangerous game with these three here. Him being the only man, he feared Luxanna's retaliation and Avrae's practical jokes, so he never really slept. Any bump in the train caused his eyes to shoot right back open. Tsubine mentioned the stop coming up and he couldn't help but thank the heavens. He straightened his back and began listening to the women as they talked. Though he wasn't, he did feel like the odd man out right now. Well, the only man out...

"Unless anyone has military connections, getting any records there will be difficult. Hillfort is a highly protected place and you'll need permits to get just about anything there. The only thing they do hand out are things in the public records office, but I doubt the locations of dragons, which are often likely to cause a panic if one is sighted in the wrong area, are part of those records. Does anyone have any connections like that?" Luxanna stretched her back and a loud pop could be heard throughout the room. "Ugh... I do not like these rooms... Next time, why don't we opt for a more comfortable room? May cost a few gold more, but it might be worth it, especially with how long we'll be traveling."

"Huh..." Well, you learn something new every day. Luxanna was annoyed though. Couldn't they just walk if that was the case? At least they'd get exercise. The train came to a sudden stop and a young red headed man entered the room to explain what happened. Luxanna recognized that accent and red flags were immediately shot up. If there was a problem with those in Grandview, she did not want to be here to fall in the middle of it. As long as their tickets were still valid, Daywood it was.

Drake was going to stand up, but Avrae got in front of him when she did first. He was going to do the polite and gentlemanly thing, but the women were in his way. He'd be lying if he said this didn't bother him. When Tsubine handed him his suitcase, he nodded in thanks, "I could have gotten it ya know..." Having women do this kind of stuff wasn't exactly what he was used to. It wasn't what he was taught, so they couldn't blame him if it bothered him. "Next time be faster on the draw." Luxanna said as she tapped the top of her own suitcase, "Thank you, Tsubine." A moment later, Drake was asked to get Tsubine's. That's better. "No problem." He stood up and removed her suitcase from it's place easily. He handed it to her and smiled, "'ere ya go, lil lady." he said and then walked toward the door. Luxanna scoffed. That accent he did when talking to Tsubine was annoying, even if it was his voice.

They arrived in Daywood and the place was packed. It was luck that the third place they had gone to had a couple open rooms, but that was it. Only a couple. Two. And to top it all off, they only had one bed each. Luxanna already knew where this conversation was going and so did Drake. The two eyed each other and sparks of lightning seemed to appear between their eyes. These sparks read "You are my rival". The two stood and glared at each other for long enough that the tension almost spread through the room. "We'll share a room." Luxanna spoke up with a smile, but there was evil behind that. Drake's expression fell to fear and he took a step back. "Avrae and myself cannot share a room. You and Tsubine will not share a room. And though I am the better candidate, I'd prefer nothing heinous come out of what people will say if this were to happen. Therefore, the better choice is for the lesbian to share a room with the heterosexual male. This is your choice." "I'll be sleeping on the floor!" "Yes. You will."

Luxanna and Drake were both disappointed, but what's done is done. It had to be done. It was the only way for things to be fair and for one or the other not to jump to conclusions. Drake and Luxanna were at war and Luxanna was a tactician. They all went to their rooms and Luxanna kept an eye on Drake. He didn't say much and neither did she. Once it was time to sleep, they went to bed and Drake did indeed sleep on the floor. He would have liked a bed, but he just felt it too inappropriate.

A few hours passed and Luxanna and Drake were both asleep. When the knock came to the door, Luxanna's eyes shot open and she stood up. She checked on Drake to see if he was still asleep just in time to witness a piggish snore. She rolled her eyes and went to the door, surprised to see Tsubine standing there. Luxanna was still fully dressed, even in her socks. The only thing that had changed was her shoes were off to the side. Her necklace was also on the dresser because she feared the chain snapping in her sleep. "Tsubine...? Is everything alright?" Luxanna blinked her eyes a couple times, getting used to the light in the hallway, "Uh... Sure, sure. We can talk." Luxanna stepped out and closed the door behind her, "What's wrong?"

Luxanna nodded and followed Tsubine out to the balcony. There was a wonderful cool breeze blowing through Daywood right now. From where they were, she could see people working on the train for tomorrow, but it seemed like the work was dying down, so that was a good sign. She looked to Tsubine to see that she was deep in thought and just waited until she was ready to talk. When Tsubine turned to her, Luxanna tilted her head in curiosity about that look in Tsubine's eyes. Luxanna had to wonder who's ass she was about to have to kick to make Tsubine look so worried about something, but soon realized it would have been her own. "What?" Luxanna raised an eyebrow. She answered a little more sternly than she had meant to and glanced away, cursing herself. A moment later, she got the words she needed to say. "There isn't anything about you that is unlikable, Tsubine. If I see nothing I can even dislike, hate is completely out of the picture, so no. I do not hate you. Did I say something wrong? Why would you even think something like that? I mean... I know I can be a little... off putting to some people, but I didn't think it was bad enough for you to figure I could hate you."

Luxanna leaned over the balcony and looked down to the street. "I forgot about that..." she thought as she listened to Tsubine's explanation. She said nothing. How was she to explain herself. She was surprised that Tsubine had actually not figured out that she was also a Zakation. "You weren't foolish." Luxanna said, "I said what I said and it caused you to think on that. That doesn't make you a fool, that makes you human. However, Tsubine, I do hate Zakatians. It's the same way I distrust elves. The same way Nadia is an important part of my life, you are as well. It's difficult to explain..." Luxanna stayed silent for a moment and began staring up at the night sky as she gathered her thoughts.

"The Elves, as a race, are a sneaky and hidden threat that many Aurorans aren't even aware of. They keep themselves in the forest, sticking to the shadows. We know little about them, what they can do, what they may be planning, and whether they're friend or enemy. Then we have Nadia... Nadia is not sneaky. Nadia is not hiding. She's sweet, loving, gentle, and more honest than she should be. I like her... And Zakatians are stubborn pig-headed fools that do not accept people for something they can't control. Being born different causes you to be shunned among Zakatians and it's a disgusting way to live life and to treat people." Luxanna stood up and turned toward Tsubine.

"And then there is you. You are an accepting, open minded, strong willed, and beautiful woman who has proven time and time and again that you do not share that same discriminatory mindset that the Zakatians have. Yes, you are born Zakatian, but your heart is Auroran. You accept every being for who they are, not because of where they're from or what power they may or may not hold. Arcadian's can often be similar to Zakatians, but their reasons are different. They dislike Zakatians because of the constant usage of Aurora's natural resources, while Arcadian's only take what they need from the land... It's why even I renounced my Zakatian Ancestry and assimilated into Arcadia."

Luxanna would not take a compliment seriously. If people should change themselves to be like her, she was doing something right. Everything Tsubine said about the Zakatians Luxanna kept nodding to. She completely agreed. She stopped when Tsubine mentioned how Zakatians were supposed to be. "The ideal Zakatian..." she thought as she listened to Tsubine. It was something that even she forgot. She felt that was more of a common sense thing. "I do remember there are some like you. If I did not, I would not be here with you now." Luxanna reminded with a smile. Tsubine went on and Luxanna stayed silent. When she got to the issue with her mother, Luxanna turned toward Tsubine with a blank face but shock and worry in her eyes. Tsubine's mother was sick? And had been sick for some time...

"We'll talk about that another time." Luxanna said. She didn't wish to speak about her past right now. Her mind was on a completely different and more important issue. "The woman you're talking about, Serenity Verdant... The government pays her each time she saves someone with CAE... Though, I guess since you're Zakatian, they wouldn't cover that. I've heard she's an extremely nice person, so it's possible just asking her would be fine... You may even be able to set up some sort of payment thing." Luxanna said with a reassuring tone, "There's only one place we can find out how to contact her..." Luxanna put up one finger, "Aria Grand. She trained there and someone there will probably know where she is at. We should try that... As soon as possible, so your Mother won't suffer anymore and maybe seeing her saved by an Arcadian... and an Arcanist will lighten your Father's heart."

"Well, we've got to go home sometime. We'll pass through there again and see what we can dig up." Luxanna smiled as she was hugged and returned it. She was surprised how long the hug went on, but didn't let up until Tsubine pulled away. "Yeah, get some rest." Luxanna nodded to the thank you and watched Tsubine return to bed. She stood outside in the cool air for some time, just thinking to herself. When she was ready about ten minutes later, she too returned to bed.

The group was back on their trip. Drake was uncomfortable the entire time. His back was aching and felt real sore. Luxanna was well rested, but through most of the trip she kept her eyes closed and arms crossed. As Avrae went on, the rest waited patiently for her to return. Once she did, the plan was explained. "None." Drake said. Luxanna was silent for a bit. They were going into a dragon's lair. Tsubine and Avrae were both dragons and Drake could obviously defend himself. Luxanna wasn't entirely the battle type. Sure, she could fight, but if this goes south, she would likely just get in their way. Oh well. "No, let's go."

Splitting up was not something Luxanna wanted to do, but if they had to Avrae was actually her choice to go with. Drake and Tsubine were both combat ready, while Luxanna had faith in Avrae's skills to protect her if things went bad. She wanted to disagree, but logic told her otherwise. She went along with Avrae after telling the other two to be safe. Luxanna was silent, paying close attention to the caves layout and some features that may hint to a dragon passing through. "Hm?" Luxanna was caught from her observations by Avrae's sudden question. She waited in silence a moment. "I doubt it. I've yet to find anyone has an actual attraction to me on a more personal level. Physical, yes, but she admitted that about Drake and myself during the first party we had. That means nothing toward an attraction deeper than outside appearance. However, I do know she is a good friend, very kind, passionate, and cares for every one of us... You two have gotten close, so how have you not asked yourself the same question?"

Drake was silent most of the trip to the mountain. The only time he spoke up was when Tsubine latched himself onto her. He used his other arm to cover her out of reflex and then brushed her hair back with his hand. "Nasty lil' buggers... Can't say I'm fond of bats either." he told her with a smile and chuckle. Splitting up was fine by him; He got to go with Tsubine and wouldn't have to deal with Avrae's constant pestering about his thoughts toward Tsubine. Drake walked beside Tsubine and kept wanting to poke at the floating sword. "That... is cool." he thought when she spoke up. "Hm?" He blinked and rubbed the back of his head. "Well... I'm sure Avrae's got Luxanna's back if anything goes south. And Luxanna can disappear on a whim from what I remember, so I'm sure they're both fine." he said and then groaned in worry a little, "If that woman brings the mountain down on us, I'm haunting her for one thousand years." Drake lowered himself and began examining some of the dirt, looking for footprints or any evidence that someone was here. "Honestly, not too sure..."

Luxanna wasn't believing the things Avrae was saying. With how Avrae often was, she figured this was likely some sort of joke or way to mess with her head. If Tsubine liked her, she'd come forward about it... Wouldn't she? "Then ask her to. I don't want her joining for something like a relationship. If she joins, it should be because she liked the Noir and wants to aid the guild in their goals." Luxanna looked around and narrowed her eyes, "Okay, so how far should this place be? I'm getting more anxious the farther in we go, like somethings gonna go wrong."

"Yes, that won't be hard at all. Their tracks will be fresh and since Luxanna always wears some sort of heel, whether small or long, she'll be easy to follow." Drake said and then changed to a reassuring tone, "Tsu... We'll be fine. They'll be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen." He then began examining the dirt and realized there wasn't anything here. "Nothing more than snakes comin' through here... Might as well head ba-..." When the ground gave way, the back of Drake's head hit the side of the hole as they fell. He did not land on his feet and ended up under the water. It took him a moment to get rid of the dizziness, but he was able to. He pushed himself up and looked around. "TSU?!" he shouted worriedly. He heard her call out and moved to her. He grabbed onto her arms and pulled her closer to examine her. "I'm fine, are you alright?"

Luxanna rolled her eyes right back. "So what would happen if you were wrong and they found this dragon first? Is this... I can't remember the damn name, but are they a kind enough person not to eat someone who ends up trespassing in their lair?" Luxanna had legitimate concerns about all of this. She didn't know the person they were hunting down and if it had been that long since Avrae had seen them, how did Avrae know whether it was even safe for Tsubine and Drake to maybe stumble upon it? Luxanna was becoming more nervous about all of this.

Once Tsubine said she may have hurt her ankle, Drake wrapped an arm around her waist and walked her through the water, but he too wasn't without his own troubles. Once they got onto the shore, he let her go and sat down, holding the back of his head. "Yeah... Probably." Drake took a deep breath. He was planning on resting after that fall. He looked to the place she was pointing to and nodded in agreement. When she asked if she could be carried, however, Drake raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No. We're going to rest for a while." he said in a rather demanding way, "You're ankle is messed up and I hit my head on the way down that damned hole... Sit." he pat the ground next to him, "and give yourself some time to recover." Once he knew he'd be able to relax, Drake took a few minutes trying to wait out the pulsing pain he had at the back of his skull. The silence was unbearable though, so after a while, he spoke up. "Uh... Before we fell, you asked about my tracking skills... Most of it is skill, but" he tapped right below his eyes, "I see three times as well than a normal person, so that helps."

So that must have been what Avrae whispered to Tsubine. "Hm." Luxanna nodded in approval and went on. The fact that they were this deep in the cave and didn't find anything was bothersome. "Avrae... I feel like we should go back. We've found nothing and we're pretty far in. I'd rather catch up to Tsubine and Drake..." Luxanna was showing a bit more worry than she usually did, but she was also way out of her element here. This was an uncomfortable situation.

Drake cheered up a bit. He had something that impressed Tsubine, that was nice to hear. The silence came again, but Tsubine brought up another cavern. He looked up and then back to her with an eyebrow raised. "You sure?" he asked and she explained, "That's something you get from being an air dragon disciple, right?" It had never been said before, but Drake had his suspicions ever since that conversation at the first party and finding out what Avrae was. Women usually confused him, but there were some dots that he was able to connect. "We found what we were looking for..." Drake stood up and dusted his backside off, "Let's go then." Drake began down the path she pointed out.

The journey upwards what a pain in the ass for Drake. All the twists and turns wasn't something he enjoyed and he was actually having a hard time keeping up. He played it off like he was fine, but he wasn't. Once they got there, he was quite relieved. Luxanna stepped through the portal Avrae and revealed and followed her in. It was a tight fit, but she got through with Avrae's help. It was then that she heard a elderly voice followed by a familiar one. Drake raised an eyebrow at Tsubine. "Uh... what?" he laughed at whatever the hell she had just said. She looked and saw Drake and Tsubine were already here.

"It seems we could have taken the same route." Luxanna said with a raised eyebrow. "No. Be glad you did not take ours." Drake sighed and moved over to a wall of the cave, keeping his eyes closed as the others talked. "Are you alright?" Luxanna asked with only slight concern, but it sounded more like 'what the hell did you do'.  When Luxanna and Drake were both introduced, they nodded in unison as their greeting. "I'm glad we were able to find you." she said and then motioned to Tsubine and Avrae, "This is your show, so get to explaining so we're not wasting too much of her time. I'm really not liking caves at the moment."