Another Dungeon

"Another Dungeon" is a BOTGD 2 thread written on May 12, 2019.
== Summary ==
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== Full Text ==
Faysal: Faysal emerged from the treeline after months of travel. Dodging through cities and settlements, empty forests, barren tundras, and vast mountain ranges to finally arrive at a seemingly empty dungeon. “This… is safety?” Faysal spoke from the treeline, peering nervously at the abandoned building.
“It’s the last place I felt my youngest sister, it’s as close to safety as we can get. I need to know what happened, get the lay of the land, then we can make a plan.”
“The lay of the land is that there are lot’s of people living within a days walk of  this eerie building, but nobody in it. I don’t like it.” 
“Let’s just poke around, see if we can find anyone that knows Nala, and go from there, deal?” Faysal flexed his hand, small traces of lightning arced across his fingers, before nodding and marching forward. Sol’s form bobbed and tucked itself inside his satchel.
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: High in the sky above the Everglades, laughter and the flapping of dragon wings could be heard. A young Monstrous Nightmare and a Night Fury were seen zooming through the skies with their riders on their backs: the 46-year-old Chief of Haligan Island and her 17-year-old son.
“Hey, Mom, watch this!” Sven shouted as he turned to his mother, who was flying behind him. He turned to his Monstrous Nightmare. “Let’s do our new trick, Pyro!” The dragon crooned in response and followed his rider’s order. He flapped his wings and gave himself a burst to fly at a high speed and spun his body around with his rider cheering. 
Chief Grey Bergman-Felman laughed watching her son have the time of his life on his dragon. “Nice job, sweetheart!” Grey called out to her oldest. 
Shadow crooned in agreement. 
“Keep flying straight!” Grey shouted to her son. “The dungeon is just ahead!”
“Okay!” Sven replied. 
Faysal: Faysal took cover in the dungeon once he heard the indisputable flapping of dragon wings overhead. He hunched near a stone doorway, fists at the ready. “Are these friends of your sister?”
“I don’t know, be ready for anything..” 
The dragons landed near the door where the pair of them hid, all they could do was listen and wait. 
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: “Whoa…” Sven said as he looked up and down at the old building as soon as Pyro landed. “So, this is it, Mom?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Grey said as she dismounted Shadow staring up at her old stomping grounds, “this is the Grounded Dungeon.” 
“So, Akkey literally just…sank this whole building…and brought it up all the way here…?” 
“As strange as it sounds, yes.” After a few more minutes, Grey gave Shadow a pet on the head and grabbed the bouquet of flowers from her saddle bag. “Come on, Sven.”
Sven obeyed his mother and dismounted his dragon and followed Grey and Shadow with Pyro in tow to a small clearing a few feet away. This was a day he had been waiting for. After all these stories his mother had told him and his sisters, he had begged her to take him to see this dungeon, and now finally, she agreed to take him on one of her yearly trips to honor those who were lost during that time in the Rebellion. 
Faysal: “They seem… nice?” Sol spoke after a few tense moments. Faysal peeked around the archway and watched them for a while longer, wanting to make sure they weren’t going to be killed for interacting with another human.
“Yeah. Let’s give it a shot, if worse comes to worst we can always make a plan B.” Sol bobbed in agreement  before tucking herself away into his satchel again. Faysal strode out, feigning as much confidence and power as he could muster. The rustle of the debris and ground beneath him alerted the pair of humans to his presence. “Uh… hello!” Faysal gave a bashful single wave with his hand as he called out to them.
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: Grey, Sven, and their respective dragons stopped dead in their tracks upon hearing debris rustling behind them, and they immediately turned around as Grey immediately placed a hand on the hilt of her sword just in case she needed to protect her teenaged son.
“Uhh…hello?” the Chief replied as she subtly stepped in front of Sven and as Shadow slowly inched behind her. 
“Mom, I thought you said that this dungeon has been abandoned when you guys left it,” Sven whispered as he kept his eyes on the strangers. 
“It is…or was…” Grey whispered while keeping her eyes on the stranger. “Just let me do the talking, okay?” She gave her heir a small smile before focusing on the stranger. “Can I help you?”
Faysal: Faysal put up two open palms to Grey, “I’m looking for the Warden, I was told she could help me, and was wondering if you knew her?” 
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: Grey’s eyebrows raised at the mention of her demon friend’s former title. She also thanked the gods that her children were now finally aware of their Aunt Nala’s role in the Rebellion, one less thing to worry about right now. “I…actually did know her,” the Chief replied as she took a step toward Faysal, “quite well. What exactly do you want with her?”
As much as she hated relaying information that she was friends with a demon, Grey couldn’t help but notice that this stranger seemed harmless. Perhaps, he was a friend, rather than a foe, but one could never be too sure.
Faysal: “I’m a…. I know this sounds like a stretch, but I’m a friend of one of her sisters. All I need is just a few questions answered from Nala.” Faysal still felt awkward around other people. The few he had interacted with over the last few months had felt extremely distant, and this interaction did not help his growing separation from his own species. His eyes darted about before adding, “I don’t mean any trouble, I’ll be on my way as soon as I can.”
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: The Chief relaxed a little seeing how awkward and nervous this man seemed to be. She wanted to show some kindness and empathy, but it wasn’t every day that a random man emerges from an abandoned building asking to talk to a demon that one personally knew. Grey did not know much of Nala’s family, other than her mother, the Empress, but she knew of Nala’s siblings. Perhaps, it couldn’t hurt to loosen up, especially when her son had two dragons ready to protect him.
She offered a small smile as she lowered her hand from her sword. “Well, considering that my brother was probably the only human to become friends with the Warden herself, your story is not…that much of a stretch,” she finally said. “You’ll have to forgive me, it’s not every day that random strangers come out of nowhere asking to see a demon.” 
Faysal: “That’s more than fair, dragonrider.” Faysal eyed over their Monstrous Nightmare and Night Fury. He hadn’t seen many dragons in his travels, none especially this close. “So, do you know where she is, then?”
“I haven’t seen her in a while,” Grey said. That wasn’t a lie. Even since Greg perished in battle against High Central 10 years ago, Nala’s visits had been sporadic, and it was hard to say where exactly she would end up next. “She tends to pop in when she can.”
“Wait, Mom, what about where the old dungeon used to be and the old camp you told us about?” Sven suddenly asked walking up to the Chief and the stranger. “You said Aunt Nala used to guard that dungeon!”
“Sven, sweetheart, that was years ago,” Grey replied. “I don’t see any reason as to why she would be there now.”
“Where was that? The old camp, at least. It sounds like it might be a better lead than poking around here for the next few weeks.” Faysal gave halfhearted chuckle at that. He was not looking forward to hanging around a decrepit dungeon in the slightest. He had grown accustomed to a travelers life the last few months and wasn’t quite ready to give that up.
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: “I don’t know if you’ll find much there,” Grey said crossing her arms, “but…it’s a better sight that this old thing.” She smiled at the stranger and quickly went to her saddlebag on Shadow and took out a map and rolled it out and held it in front of Faysal. “Unfortunately, there were some…events,” Grey couldn’t really think of a word to describe the horrible witch attack from all those years ago, “so it would be harder to spot. But this,” she pointed to a spot on the map, “is where the Dungeon used to be. It’s just a ring of ruins now, you can’t miss it. And then, over here,” she moved her finger to the left, “is where Perch Hall–that’s what we called the rebel camp–once stood. It’s just a crater now, and there are villages in the area.”
Faysal: “I cannot thank you enough for this… I actually never caught your name?” Faysal cocked an eyebrow at the Chief.
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: The Chief kicked herself mentally for not introducing herself properly and chuckled. “Grey Bergman-Felman,” she said smiling, “and this is my son, Sven, and our two dragons, Shadow and Pyro.”
“Can we ask you what your name is?” Sven asked raising an eyebrow at Faysal.
Faysal: Faysal’s eyes dropped, “I don’t remember my birth name.. but I’ve been going by Faysal.” He shook his head in an attempt to clear the melancholy. “Here,” he said, digging into his satchel. He brushed past where sol was hidden and pulled out a jade coin engraved with the head of a crane. “As a token of thanks, have this.”
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: Concern made its way onto the Chief and the Heir’s faces, but Grey didn’t even have a chance to question Faysal’s predicament regarding his birth name when he suddenly held out the coin in front of her.
She looked at him curiously and slowly took the coin into her hand. It didn’t seem like he was paying her, and the coin had an interesting design. “Well, thank you, and it’s no problem at all,” Grey said. “I just wish there was something I could do about your birth name. I’m sorry about that, Faysal.”
“Me too,” Sven interjected. “That must suck.”
“Sven!” Grey said in a warning tone. 
Faysal: “Hey, it’s no worry. I promise.” Faysal clasped his hands together, “Grey, Sven, it has been an honor meeting you. May our paths cross again in good circumstances.” He gave a slight bow and a subtle wave to the pair.
Grey Bergman/Sven Felman: “Yes, it was an honor to meet you as well, Faysal,” Grey said holding her hand out for a handshake, “and I really hope you find whatever you’re looking for.”
“You should stop by Haligan Island sometime,” Sven said cheerfully. “My sisters and cousins would love to meet you.”
Faysal: “After I’ve finished with this, I would love to see it.” Faysal smiled down to Sven as he shook Grey’s hand. With a sigh and tug on the strap of his satchel he made his way South again. 
Category:Events
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Faysal
Category:The Matriarch
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Sven Felman
Category:Act I