She Meets Elder Dragon Ra'oru

Robin's carriage was swiftly escorted up to the second level, where the second level's guards then escorted the carriage over to a grand estate, with an even grander looking forge. Robin hopped down from the carriage, watching with interest as servants lined the path up to the gate. the trumpeter immediately blew a welcoming serenade, as the servants bowed as one.

"Welcome, Hero!" They all called out as one.

Robin was rather surprised that the welcome was for her, but she steeled herself to head towards the door. If it was under Throm's orders, then it very well might be serious.

As she entered the house, and was brought to the large greeting hall, she could hear a loud gravelly voice reverberating through the walls.

"Hmmmph! It has been so long, why has the Hero not come yet?" The gruff voice growled.

"Don't be a green dragon behind the wings. It takes a while to get in touch with the enchanters, and you know it, you big lizard!" Throm's voice, though less loud, was also audible.

"Pfft! I don't care! If he doesn't come back today, then I will raze your castle to the ground, gift or no gift!" The gravelly voice seemed to belong to Ra'oru, the dragon.

Robin rounded the corner to see a small dwarf wearing a golden flame crown and a great dragon staring each other down, neither giving in an inch. She sighed. The fact that the dragon didn't attack was enough to tell that the dragon wasn't really hostile to Throm.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ra'oru. My name is Robin. I heard you wanted to see me?" Robin asked.

"Hmmmn!?" Both Throm and Ra'oru turned their heads to look at Robin, still locked in a standstill.

"Nie-phew!" Throm suddenly switched words midway, aware that they weren't the only ones present. Ra'oru glanced at Throm, hearing his verbal slip up. Ra'oru closed one eye and glanced at Robin, giving her an appraising look.

"So this is the current generation of Hero, huh." Ra'oru's voice rumbled despite him only muttering.

"At your service, Dragon Ra'oru." Robin enacted a princely bow.

"Hmmph!" Ra'oru snorted. "Put away your frilleries. We dragons like to speak bluntly." He glanced behind Robin at Chelsea who had just come around the corner. "It seems I wasn't the first one you came across, huh." He noted. "Well-....Huh?" Then he noticed Liam, who had followed right behind Chelsea.

Liam looked up, staring into the unblinking gaze of an elder dragon. "Can I help you?" He asked.

"...Tell me, youngling...What is your father's name?" Ra'oru asked, pondering something.

"...My father's name is A'zhure." Liam replied.

"That...is what I suspected was the case..." Ra'oru sighed. "A pity. He was an admirable rival. How have you stayed so long as a mere youngling? Was your dragon pearl lost?"

"It was." Liam nodded. "But not any longer."

"Then why have you not accepted your inheritance?" Ra'oru growled.

"Because I have decided to wait." Liam said, looking at Chelsea.

Chelsea pretended that she didn't feel his stare, but Liam saw her ears turn red.

"Wait...You know your father's name?" Robin asked Liam.

"It is a trait of every dragon. No matter whose inheritance, they will always remember who sired them." Liam replied. Chelsea blinked twice, suddenly looking absent minded.

"Is that so..." Robin put aside her questions and turned back to Ra'oru.

"I have returned with that which you have requested, Dragon Ra'oru: an enchanted magic golden thing of beauty that no one else alive has ever seen before." Robin announced.

"Oh? present it here." Raoru, pointed to the clearly prepared pillar upon which sat a pillow. Robin took out the unfinished cube.

"Oh? it seems to be broken?" Ra'oru muttered.

"Not broken, sir dragon. Once the last piece is inserted, the enchanted circuit will be complete, and it will become active." Robin replied, honestly.

"I see! Continue..." The dragon watched unblinking as Robin placed it upon the pedestal. "Nobody else look, I must be the first to see it in action!" He growled.

Everyone else had no choice but to look away. Briar also closed her eyes before inserting the final piece.

Fwoosh! The rune circuits began to light up, starting from the location of the final piece, spreading throughout the cube. the cube was golden, but the runes were now glowing brightly with a green light. The cube now hovered in the air an inch over the pillow.

"Hmm?" Ra'oru shook his head a moment.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"It seemed to be...similar in shape to something I had once seen a long time ago..." Ra'oru tilted his head. "But I'm sure I must be mistaken. that cube was clearly black..."

"Here is an instruction manual on its use." Robin placed the manual under the cube, causing it to rise a little.

"Hmmm...Well, you have clearly accomplished what I have asked of you, yes.." Ra'oru seemed to be thinking about something.

"Come on, ya absent-minded flying lizard!" Throm prodded. "Do what ye promised ye'd do."

"Oh? OH! Very well, AHEM!" Ra'oru turned to Robin "Here." A jade seal dropped out of the air, and Robin had to move quickly to catch it.

"Really? just, 'Here'?" Throm asked, unimpressed.

"I hate making speeches. The youngling has what is needed now, so they can all leave me be to my new to-I mean my treasured golden thing of beauty." Ra'oru grumped, as he grabbed the pillar and moved out into the garden.

"I'll come by to visit later." He said before taking off towards his lair.

"He really is rather....blunt." Robin said. She looked down quietly at the jade seal in her hands. This was the 10th one. There were only four more left before...Robin blinked and put the jade seal away.

Christian was also strangely quiet, looking at the seal in Robin's hand. A hint of panic was beginning to bubble up inside of him. Why was everything happening so quickly?

"Well, what can Ah do? Ye can't choose yer patrons." Throm sighed. "'Tis a thankless task, tryin' ta get more than a few words outta that 'un."

"Dragon aside, was there any other urgent business that required our attention?" Robin asked Throm.

"Yer lucky he didnae hear ye, la-ad. No one disregards a dragon, Hero. Not even the elves can do that." Throm shook his head. "Ah, but if'n ye could drop by Ayva's place on the way out, she'd like tah see ye a'gin."

"Oh? I see...Well, good day then, Uncle." Robin nodded and waved as she turned to leave.

"Now, hold on there young'un! Ah was joking! of course there's something Ah wanted tah speak with ye aboot! It's yer actions this morning at the stone gambling square!" Throm scowled. "Wot in tarnation did ye need in order ta order that many ores?"

"Oh? Ah...my apologies, Uncle Throm. We needed a magic gem for Dragon Ra'oru's magic Rubiks cube." Robin replied.

"And why in tarnation didn't ye just ask me aboot it, eh? I'm yer uncle aren't I?" Throm scowled.

"Actually... I'm her uncle...her mother is my cousin." Keith put in his two cents.

Throm blinked twice, then shook his head. "Mah point is, ye almost picked the place clean this mornin'. Ah hope yer not thinking aboot doing anythin' like that agin, are ye?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Uncle Throm." Robin shook her head. "I already found what I needed."

"Good!....also..." Throm was going to ask something, but then hesitated.

"What's the matter?" Robin tilted her head.

"Those golden things of beauty...them magic Rubik's cube thingummys." Throm scratched his beard. "Well...do ye think there be a market fer that kind o' thing?" Throm asked.

Robin blinked, and then smiled. "You know, I get the feeling that the enchanters guild will be getting into contact with you very soon, Uncle Throm."

---

When Robin left the second level in her carriage, everyone gave a collective sigh of relief.

"Well, now that THAT's done, we can focus on finishing up our main quest." Robin stretched, feeling a bit lighter now that a dragon's request wasn't weighing on her shoulders. Of course, she didn't notice that Christian scowled sourly after that, and turned to look out of the other window in the carriage.

She may no have seen it, true...but, Jasmine did. Her eyes twinkled merrily as she observed Christian's disgruntled appearance.