As Vice President of Assessment and Director of External Affairs, Verdigris is the second-to-last line of defense for the overarching interests of all Solaris. Her role combines the strategic direction that guides their place in the whole solar system, along with the object-level minutia of reviewing individual smart contracts. Only the President can overrule her judgements, and thankfully, Solaris is a true modern corporation, a proper hypercorp, and relies on simply choosing the best people and giving them ample room to work. It's one of the reasons why she likes working here so much. Not that she's ever worked anywhere else. Or had the option to. By the time she bought out her own indenture contract, it would have been stupid to give up on the local connections.

When it happens, she's reviewing a particularly strange case where a routine failure-to-deliver insurance contract for an ice transport hopping around the Main Belt quoted a 1% risk of over 600M credits in losses. For ice transport! The ship couldn't even be worth a million, let alone need insurance for two orders of magnitude past that. No single one of the habitats on its schedule is worth that much. It's an error a human would make, or an LLM, not one of her smart contracts. So distracted, she hardly even notices when her security system registers an ongoing incident and categorizes it as a novel form of pandora gate. She does notice when said security incident picks her up, drags her through the space between universes, and drops her in a field under what is clearly neither an open sky nor a real habitat ceiling.

Observers will see one summoning circle complete, conjuring a dragon with a coppery green hide, about four meters shoulder-to-hip or ten meters tip-to-tail. She is surrounded by several floating lights and small metal creatures, and is emitting several exotic varieties of radiation.

While the Princess of Kandari and Paphlagonia, Amira of Amastris and Lady of the Synopian court absolutely has any number of important courtly duties she absolutely should be undertaking, nearly all of her royal duties have been either put on hold or passed off to other members of the various relevant courts while she is away taking the seaside air, for her health.

Seaside air that has yet to clear itself of the blood of the lion she just felled in single combat. It seems that this one also does not qualify as 'intelligent' by whatever foolish standards the West Wind set when it cursed her to take this form for a second time.

She takes a large bite out of its flank, and starts to settle in for a meal when she feels a faint burst of magic rushing towards her from the East. Dropping her meal she runs North along the shores of the Red Sea before taking flight. Fortunately, as she speeds away from the site of her latest victory, the magic changes direction, proving it something other than a curse from the East Wind. Unfortunately, it begins to grow in speed and size and power, until it consumes her.

Leaving her in mid-air not far off from a strange little village, beneath a great golden light that is clearly not the accursing Sun of her home.

A massive dark violet dragon with shining golden horns and wings that stretch a full hamma* in flight is conjured above the circle.

*18.5 meters

It was a pleasant morning in the Hebrides archipelago. Crisp, but not overly cold, with not a cloud to be seen in the predawn light. Like most such mornings, Tore could be seen soaring high in the air as the invigorating chill and first rays of sunlight woke him up.  He would bask in the light for a few moments before diving from on high, chasing the first rays of dawn to the ocean's surface and often waking the rest of the dragons (and everything else) on the island with the boom of his speed. Occasionally he would race through the sea-stacks of the island he called home before diving down and grabbing some fish for breakfast. This was not to say that Tore was inconsiderate of the other residents of the island, as the vast majority used the boom as a wake up call, an opportunity for a relatively easy breakfast before the morning light drives the fish deeper into the water, while the remainder simply slept through it.

This was not like most mornings however.

Just as Tore pulled level out of his dive this morning, a dark portal, practically screaming with magic, appears directly in front of him. Passing through to the other side, he quickly pulls up, trading speed for altitude as he takes in his surroundings, the last echos of the boom fading as he climbs. 

The sky... is wrong. So wrong that he isn't even sure if it fits under the definition. Bright specks like small suns dot the brilliant expanse, vast rivers of light akin to Bifrost span the heavens like lace, and preeminent of all, the branches and roots of a mind numbingly huge golden tree like Yggdrasil itself. The ground, by contrast, is as bleak a place to live as any he's seen. A small, stone-brick village is sat upon a hill reminiscent of a pile of dirt. A swamp surrounded it stretching far into the distance, and surrounded in turn by tall cliffs. Directly below, he spots a large individual covered in spiky black armor, surrounded by smaller individuals in spiky red armor forming what looks like an honor guard of all things. He also spots two other dragons the likes of which he has never seen before and a large golden circle dancing with magic, a dark portal beginning to open within it.

 Kirveneren had always been a great and terrible beauty. This she knew. She was therefore unimpressed by the pitiful elf currently mewling for her attention. She allowed her tail to thrash side to side, showing her annoyance overtly as he attempted to placate her with empty compliments that she had heard a thousand times. She wanted to hear what he would do for her instead, in order to gain her favor. 

Gently, so as not to break it, she stole into his mind and offered a suggestion, coating it with the feeling of gentle breezes and soft grasses like the rest of his thoughts so as to disguise it as his. If he had no desire, the thought would pass, dismissed as merely l'appel du vide. It would still be his choice, but now the option had been presented. Kirveneren grinned as she watched the seed take hold. The elfling's speech stuttered and stopped, his pupils widening with want. But suddenly his need was not the most intriguing scent in the air. The air was charged with foreign magics. A bolt of blue lightning dared to strike her and the exigent elf is no longer there. Or rather, she is not where she once was. 

Observers will see an amethyst dragon appear within the circle. Her scales are a deep purple and shine in a way that makes her appear almost as if she is made of stars. 

Princess Amariah Anastasia Ophelia the III crouches with the sheep herders and watches the Demon Lord perform his ritual. Her goals here are different than theirs of course, but they don’t need to know that. The sheep herders are here to see if they will be able to stop the Demon Lord. Amariah- “Amy,” to the people of this town- is here to see if the Demon Lord will be useful to her. Becoming a Demon Lord would not exactly be the traditional way a lost princess gains power, but… Amariah will make do with what she has. And from the scaly kitties the Demon Lord just summoned, it seems he will be able to help her after all. Now, how to approach him?

The demon lord speaks in a deep bellow that carries both to the dragons overhead and deep into the surrounding swamps.

"Noble and honored dragons! I am Kortizar Rakvitikos, blessed by the Tree with the right of conquest! I offer you this gift of mana and pray that you grant me this boon in return! Within the foundation of this world wind many tunnels, and humans scurry within like craven mice! They will bow to me, I demand it! Breathe deep into the bowels of the earth and drive them out!"

As the summoning ritual binds each spirit to his control, the speech is merely a formality. It sounds impressive, though, and dragons are a pain to control when they don't feel properly respected.

Well, that is somewhat concerning, he thinks to himself. Projecting the telepathic magic inherent to all dragons of his world, and utilized by many of his world's magic users besides, to the three dragons below him, he speaks. "I don't know if any of you can hear or understand me, but does anyone know what the deal with big and spiky down there is? I really have no interest in murdering a bunch of presumably innocent people and this guy just screams "evil asshole" besides.

Kirveneren is filled with wrath. 

"You dare attempt to bind me you worthless worm?" She rages at the mage before her, roaring with both her words and her mind. For now, she ignores the smaller black dragon soaring above her. She doesn't particularly care about rodents hiding within the hills and their inconsequential little lives as he seems to.

"I will make you regret that your grandparents were born, let alone yourself you insignificant ant." She rumbles instead. She gnashes her considerable sharp teeth visiously and thrashes her tail, making deep gouges in the soft earth. 

"I mean, really. Kortizar, is it?" Marta dives down and lands much closer to the speaker, speaking gently but at a volume that can still be heard throughout the valley.

"A sensible caster would at least confirm that the mana had been accepted, - especially before making DEMANDS," a massive plume of steam pouring out her nostrils with the final word.

The dragons find themselves speaking a language they did not previously know, the same as the language the demon lord used.

Kortizar looks surprised, but quickly returns his face to a superior sneer. "I see I have misjudged you! Great beasts such as yourselves are truly independent of spirit! Know this, noble dragons! This is no contract and you have no right to refuse, noble though you may be. This authority is my right by Arboreal blessing, and you will obey!"

He releases a twisting burst of magic, and something seizes hold of the soul of each dragon, grabbing into the depths of their spirits in... a place that doesn't actually seem to exist, for dragons that aren't the variety he expected to summon. Whatever he was trying to do, it doesn't work.

"You have misjudged more than most could ever dream," she says, a dark humor to her voice, as she begins walking forward.

"Okay asshole, you fucked up now." he says as he dives, a shrill whistle sounding as he builds speed, releasing a large plasma blast at the demon before pulling back up to altitude. A large, smoke filled crater is left in his wake, the smoke and dust obscuring the contents of the crater.

Such is the end of Kortizar Rakvitikos, demon lord of Life, who was pretty strong, but summoned dragons that were stronger.

"Idiot!" Kirveneren snaps at the self satisfied black dragon, more annoyed than pissed now. "That was too easy a death! He should've been burned alive. Slowly and painfully." 

"I am not one to needlessly cause suffering to sooth my own ego. Besides which, there was no way to know whether he had a more powerful version of that control magic stored away that might have actually worked."

Princess Amariah had expected the daemon lord to last SOMEWHAT longer than that. Long enough to teach her something, at least… But let it never be said that she cannot pivot when one plan becomes non-viable. Maybe these scaled incendiary creatures can teach her something? Now, how best to approach them without getting dead? 

"Is the, - weasel lizard, - answering you?" She asks, flicking a rock the size of a child's head into the crater.

"I was hoping to at least get a better explanation of what that man was hoping to achieve."

"The black one speaks through the mind." Kirveneren huffs, tail twitching with annoyance still, though greatly eased. "And I wouldn't have called it needless suffering. As far as the mage's motives, I would think them fairly simple. Power. As is the case with most maggots. They crave it always." 

Given that the immediate issue has been dealt with, he lands near the crater to get a better look at these large, strange dragons. Though he keeps out of swipe distance just in case.

These are weird readouts. Which is obviously to be expected when something this weird happens at all, but still.

"Is someone using... sneutrinos for analog radio? Is there a reason to do that? Or, just, in general if anyone has any information about what's going on here I'm happy to pay to hear it."

Should she be communicating using sneutrino analog radio? Should she be hiding the fact that she can't easily make that many sneutrinos? The tail risk model does include teleportation mishaps, but not, like, in her house. Safer to just treat the whole scenario as a hostile sim with some faked memories, pending an integrity check.

… offering to pay for information seems like a good opportunity to introduce herself without getting eaten. Or… whatever it is that happened to the daemon lord. 

“Hi! I may have some information about what is going on.” 

Asking them to please not eat her does not seem like it will actually make her less likely to be eaten… 

He looks to the side where she emerged, "Yeah, some information on where in the Nine Realms we are, who the Hel big and spiky was, and what is going on would be lovely, thanks."

At this point, he is starting to just assume no one but the big glittery purple dragon has the ability to natively hear him telepathically and is being somewhat sarcastic. He could "shout" to try and brute force the sending, but really doesn't feel like it just yet.

My what an unusual wordless buzzing sensation… Amariah will continue waiting for prompting. Best not to tip her hand too soon, especially if these scaly murder-kitties take offense at wordiness or something… Amariah does NOT want to go the same way as the daemon lord…

To introduce herself as “Amy,” or as “Princess Amariah?” The latter might give her words useful weight, but the former might protect her from an ill-advised ransom attempt…

Huh, seems like it's the black ?dragon? (are these all dragons? has she been kidnapped into a dragon-based RPG sim? that seems like an inefficient use of the ability to kidnap the vice president of a major hypercorp, maybe adds some evidence to the likelihood of isekai) is the one communicating with sneutrino radio. The other two have talked, and the loud guy seems like he's just a smoking crater now. Her muse, Phthalo, can route the transmission through as simulated audio.

This girl is a... local? NPC? Interrogator? "Hello! Yes, I'd like to hear about what's going on. I believe that one does as well." Her holograms produce a faint shimmer of motion in Tore's direction that might be less recognizable to people who don't have holographic moodfields.

Oooh magic. Amariah has got to figure out a way to get these creatures to teach her… 

“Honorable lord dragon,” (Dragons are arrogant and love to be flattered. This seems like a good start towards not getting eaten), “I am Princess Amariah Anastasia Ophelia the third, and I am happy to help in any way I can. This is supposition only, but I would venture a guess that the daemon lord summoned you here so he could use you to eradicate the village that has taken me in. Obviously his binding magic was insignificant beside your incomparable will.” 

Is Amariah overdoing it? She will find out if her words get her eaten, she supposes. 

"Summoning. Demon lords. Eradication of villages. Binding magic. To what degree are these expected versus surprising, in your context?"

Whoops, looks like the metallic one can indeed understand him. And she can make something that looks a lot like his force forms! He'll have to ask her about that later, maybe swap ideas if her magic is similar enough to his own.

“Not at all surprising,” Amariah will answer. “I suppose it is somewhat surprising that it happened in the backwater town that is the Great Stone Ring Lifegiving Basin, but… yeah. Not at all surprising that it happened at all. Though… it has occurred to me that the daemon lord was after me, more than the village. My father would likely pay for my safe return, after all.” 

Is that too obvious an attempt to maneuver these creatures into bringing her home? Obvious enough that it will get her eaten? 

Marta is starting to walk back to the conversation. "Is this one of those countries where princesses get kidnapped all the time then?"

She does a slight nod to Amariah, "An honor. I am Marta Glafira Callistrate Afet Sahir, Princess of the Kingdom of Paphlagonia and the Kandari Province."

“Not especially common, no. None of my sisters were kidnapped. It is a pleasure to meet another princess. Would it be presumptuous to ask, is Paphlagonia a kingdom of dragons or do you rule over mortals?” 

"Humans do generally beg for submission," Kirveneren smirks, eyes roving hungrily over the princess' form. 

Eek? 

How even does one respond to that?

How does that even wor… no, don’t think of that right now. Think instead about these very large very scary creatures that could totally eat her really very easily. 

"I would prefer that you not speak of my subjects that way."

"This is a temporary situation, a result of some rather intricate political intrigue. My lands are populated and ruled by humans."

“I… see. I am sorry, honored dragon, if my words caused any offense.”

Amariah will try very hard to not actually say “please don’t eat me” 

"Not you child."

"Although for one who claims possess answers to questions, you have answered rather few so far."

“What else would you know? I will answer to the best of my ability.” 

Sending to the starry purple dragon and the metallic one, neither of which he knows the knows the name of yet, and asking if one or the other would be willing to translate, he replies "I for one would like to know where we are, this obviously isn't Midgard. I would also like to know how big and spiky over there (he nods back towards the crater) managed to pull us to this place, specifically, it was obviously magic of some form, and if there is a way back. Lastly for pertinent questions and relating to the first, I would like to know why this place looks like a bauble hanging upon the world tree Yggdrasil. Also, sorry, I'm Tore. The Blade of The Hebrides if we're doing titles, but that's more an informal title than anything. Nice to meet you."

Oh, okay, she can relay. Verdigris outputs Tore's communications channel as audio. It may sound a little spotty, she isn't really large enough for high fidelity neutrino comms.

"I'm relaying for this one. To continue the introductions, I am Verdigris Zebulon Solaris. Titles seem like they won't yet be a net positive for comprehension. I second his questions."

"I am known as Kirveneren the Proud. Though those who seek me often call me The Dark Mistress," Kir purrs, her voice taking on a velvet quality. 

“You are in Great Stone Ring Lifegiving Basin, which I am told is three steps away from the city Ascending Rain River. Both are on the Branch of Liquid. We’re on a cul de sac with only the one branch. As for how you were brought here? Um. Some cultivators can do summoning magic? The imperial style usually involves contracts and pay on retainer and things like that. I’m… not entirely sure how the demon lord’s summoning magic works” Amariah very carefully does not add “or else I would be a demon lord myself”. That seems likely to get her eaten… Where was she? So many questions. If dragons are as proud as the stories seem to indicate, it would be unwise to fail to answer a question… “Uh… this place looks like a bauble hanging on the world tree because that’s what worlds are? How else would it look?” That wasn’t polite enough. Backtrack! Backtrack! “Um. It’s very nice to meet you, Tore, Blade of the Hebrides. And you, Verdigris Zebulon Solaris. And you, Kirveneren the Proud.” Amariah will NOT touch this Dark Mistress business. “Um. As for a way back…. Um? In theory, nothing a cultivation technique does should be literally irreversible? Uh…. my best guess is that either you’ll automatically go back in a few hours, or you will have to seek out a better cultivator. My father, the Emperor, was very generous, at least as far as I remember. And he did seem to… you know… love me. Perhaps he would be willing to send you back as payment for returning me to the court?”

Was that too obvious? Oh all-devouring rock-sheep that was definitely too obvious. Amariah is going to get eaten for sure! And she didn’t even conquer anything interesting first! 

Ah shit…. 

“And of course, it is a great honor to meet you, Princess Marta Glafira Callistrate Afet Sahir. I was merely responding to those who had most recently addressed me. I did not mean to leave anyone out. I am only a human, and am easily overwhelmed.”

Seeing how the so named Princess Marta is still eying the much smaller human, he decides to interject. Still speaking through Verdigris and while moving in closer to the human in case one of the much larger dragons has a shorter fuse than he thinks, he says "Some followup questions, if you will; could you describe precisely what this cultivation is and what cultivators are? Are they simply the local terms for magic and magic users or is there a greater understanding that we are missing here? Secondarily though also important, is this the world tree Yggdrasil upon which this, very small, world hangs? Or does it hold a different name?

“I wouldn’t call cultivation ‘magic’. Uh… that would be like…. A peasant calling a joust ‘horseback riding,’ uh… meaning no offense great and terrible dragon. Cultivation is how one gets stronger, through various disparate techniques. Some of those techniques result in overt displays of power, which some uninformed observers term ‘magic,’ but there are many other forms of cultivation as well. For example, the local shepherds cultivate their souls towards punching the sheep, when they try to burrow through something they shouldn’t. As for your second question, I have never heard the term Yggdrasil before. We just call it ‘The Tree’, but I suppose people far away probably call it something else. It would not be surprising for a monster to call it something still different.” It is clear from Amariah’s expression and tone that she does not mean “monster” derogatorily. Here, “monster” is merely a class, as gender or nationality or religion might be. 

Immediate exposition. They did ask for it, to be fair, but still weak evidence for ongoing story logic. Which is... probably weak evidence for this being real? If isekai is a real phenomenon it's likely that it includes narrative logic. On the other hand, very few kidnapper goals are served by her being stuck in a game. You wouldn't bother with much narrative for an interrogation and you wouldn't bother booting her up if she just needs to be missing.

"Do you anticipate any pressing concerns or interruptions? The apparent summoner did not suggest good intentions."

“Well, the shepherds are probably getting pretty antsy… but you can probably go eat their sheep if you want.” Yes, please eat those obnoxious shits. If only they knew about the endless hours spent punching sheep. By the tree but Amariah hates those fucking sheep. “Otherwise, well, you killed the daemon lord. Everyone else was hiding from him in the caves. I imagine they’ll keep hiding there until someone tells them it’s safe.” 

"So... we truly are in another universe..." he says looking up at the crowded sky. A sense of awe and slight sadness barely coming through the staticky audio device.

"Ah well." Turning back towards Amariah he continues. "As much as I would prefer waiting until we are certain we're stuck here, that portal grabbed me right as I was about to catch breakfast. I assume there aren't any deer or other larger mammals here besides these unappetizing looking sheep?" Getting a shake of the head in reply he sighs.

"Of course not." He mutters, walking over to one of said nearby sheep. Conjuring a dark blue and white needle seemingly made of light he stabs it into the sheep's brain, killing it instantly. With several more conjured blades of the same type he swiftly lays into the sheep, shearing and disemboweling it in moments, leaving the wool and offal in two neat, separate piles.

Using his conjured blades as one might use a knife and fork, and subsequently making much less of a mess than tearing into the meat with his teeth would, he turns back to the conversation at hand.

Very carefully facing the other way with her eyes shut, Marta calls back to the rest of the group, "If anyone else is going to do that, please warn me first! I have some sheep related issues!"

Amariah also has some sheep-related issues. Namely, a burning hatred for the little shits. Watching the sheep be dismembered is a cathartic experience for her. Amariah has GOT to learn how to do the blades thing…

"whoops, sorry, I didn't think of that." He replies, covering his meal with a wing. "Somewhat related question Princess Amariah; do you or people in this universe in general have a particular aversion to psychic communication or are particularly susceptible to psychic shock? I would prefer to not abuse Verdigris' kindness in translating for me, but also do not want to hurt anyone accidentally."

"No active attention is required and a solution that works independently will be ready in twenty minutes. But I am also interested in hearing details about the psychic communication."

“I have never heard of anyone having problems with psychic communication… beyond, like… powerful cultivators with the right power set intentionally using it to devour minds or something… I wouldn’t expect someone intending to communicate to cause unintended damage.”

"Good to know. It's somewhat uncomfortable sending to someone without the ability, rather like a person on a ship trying to yell to someone on a different ship half a mile away, but good to know I've got the option if necessary. Though it sounds like Verdigris is in the process of solving the problem entirely?" He says as he continues with his fulfilling, though somewhat unappetizing, meal. Raising an eye above his wing somewhat inquisitively in Verdigris' direction towards the end.

"I'm printing a speaker, I didn't have a spare on me. I haven't designed this kind of receiver before so it might need iteration. Or I could just correct the poor resolution in software, do you have preference?"

So this one has "psychic communication" that works on people "without the ability". Ultrasound suggests these people don't have mesh implants, so if it works, there has to be something handling the neural interface. Evidence for this just being a sim. Unless he's going to vibrate the inner ear directly or something? Maybe that explains the difficulty, and it's still much easier than inserting coherent sense data without training a system to the individual brain.

"Maybe both if that's not too much of a bother? It'd be helpful to have an easy way to talk that doesn't require being relatively near you, or you being near whomever I'm trying to speak to, but at the same time, it's rather difficult to talk to someone vocally when you're half a mile apart and a couple thousand feet in the air. Near as the scholars of my world have figured that's why we developed innate psychic magic rather than vocal cords capable of complex speech."

Given that Tore's magic seems to be carried by and give off sneutrinos, which Verdigris' sensors can detect, further investigation may reveal that Tore's psychic magic seems to emminate from a small structure in his brain, which seems to look for a similar structure, whether physical or magical, in the brain (or mind/consciousness in the case of the latter) of the person or people he is trying to communicate with. In people who do not have that structure though, Tore's psychic magic seems to resonate against the walls of that person's mind/consciousness, like an induction speaker through a metal wall.

That sure sounds (/looks to various scanners) like either nonsense or magic. Not evidence in either direction. Both fake magic and real magic would look weird on scanners. Well, probably time to gauge how much plot there's going to be.

She nods, and turns back to the human.

"Well then. You're the local, would you tell us about yourself? As cultural context, you see."

“Well, I may have mentioned I am one of the daughters of the emperor?” If Amariah can convince these dragons to take her home, she will have a much better chance of finding a way to gain power IN the emperor’s court. There has GOT to be some kind of cultivation tutor dear ol daddy will hire for her, right? And besides, maybe she can learn something from these dragons on the way? “I was taken from his court when I was a child, and would VERY much like to go home. I understand you do too? I may have mentioned that the emperor has many powerful cultivators who may be able to undo the demon lord’s work? I remember my father as a generous man, especially to those who return one of his beloved daughters to him…” 

Oh please don’t let this shamefully obvious bribery attempt offend a dragon and get her eaten… 

"The implied plan sounds potentially efficient. I cannot speak for these others, but I might benefit from some additional civilization. Are there laws one is expected to abide by, within this empire? How long are the fastest routes into and out of this empire?"

Tore finishes his meal, placing the bones aside in a third pile and sits watching the conversation. He has his own opinion and questions on the subject, but wants to wait and see how things play out for the moment.

“One can get out of the empire in a day’s journey on foot, provided that one is willing to go into rank 4 wilderness. I’m not entirely sure where the capitol is from here, or I probably would have tried to go home myself, but the soldiers say the nearest city is four days away. One assumes that is also on foot. There are indeed laws one is expected to abide by, though of course this far out there isn’t really anyone to enforce them aside from maybe the occasional army patrol. Um… I don’t exactly have the entire law book memorized, but, you know, the standard stuff I guess? Don’t murder anyone unless they’re weaker than you and you can convincingly claim they insulted you. Don’t steal unless they’re weaker than you and you can convincingly claim they owe you. Don’t desecrate the spiritual landscape. Don’t resist arrest. Don’t resist conscription in times of crisis. Don’t insult your betters- though I suppose that one mostly uh… sorts itself out. Just… you know, what you would expect.”

"How common is it for a citizen to be charged and punished for one of these crimes? For a non-citizen? Is it a time of crisis, for conscription purposes? Is there also civil law, or law regulating contracts or businesses? ...Are limited liability corporations a thing?"

“Limited liability corporations? What are those?” Amy thinks for a second. “Uh… I would imagine citizens and non-citizens are charged with crimes at approximately the same rate? We don’t really get any non-citizens out here… uh… maybe once a year? Mostly the elders take care of it and where needed the shepherds enforce their will. We don’t often need to make use of the authorities. Supposedly the cities are more dangerous, but I don’t know how much of that is just them having more people versus those people being worse?” 

"I grow tired of these discussions," Kirveneren dismisses. "Let us bring the girl to her family and see if any riches of this realm can impress me. So far, I have found it wanting." She looks distastefully at the rock sheep.

"I would suggest that we do not stray far from this place until we are reasonably certain that the magic will not simply send us back on it's own, lest location is a factor." He says to the other dragons.

Turning back to Amariah, "A further question, mostly for curiosity's sake, but pertinent if we do end up stuck here; how are dragons viewed in this... place?" he asks while gesturing at the spectacle above. "It's obvious that they are seen as powerful, and from your repeated, and frankly annoying, groveling, likely vain and possibly short-tempered at that; but how are they viewed by the general populace and by the more powerful beings of this place? Good? Evil? Feared? Respected? Etc.?"

“I don’t understand the question? You observe that dragons are seen as vain, short tempered, and powerful, and then ask how you are seen? Is that not the answer to your question?” 

Being respectful so she doesn’t get eaten is annoying? Well if she’s going to annoy anyway… Oh tree she’s going to get herself eaten. No conquering for poor little Amy. 

"I like the groveling," Kirveneren growls. "It shows the proper amount of reverence and respect!"

Well, that's confirmation of the vain and short-tempered aspects of the local dragons. He thinks to himself rather disheartened.

"Let me reiterate." He says. "Those are the aspects that have already been inferred from both your and big and spiky's words and actions. I am asking how the common people and those with power see dragons beyond those traits. If they hear a dragon is in the area do they run for the hills? Go pay homage? Grunt and go about their day?...

Marta has carefully made her way around the group so that the sheep remains are out of sight, but the dragons are within it.

"Well then, if we need questions that meet her highness's exacting standards: how intelligent would you say lions are by comparison to humans here? And this is actually vitally important, Kirveneren."

"To a lesser dragon perhaps," Kirveneren sniffs in Marta's direction, attention wandering to the hills. Her sharp eyes rakes over the cave systems, searching for the movement of the shepards the princess had mentioned. 

The legal limits of liability transfer are deeply important to anyone who plans to do anything that matters, she doesn't say.

"As I said it is a temporary situation. I intend to return to being far grander than you as soon as I find a sufficiently intelligent lion!"

"Alright, I'm curious, just why are you so fixated on intelligent lions?"

Is this a good rock? Over here, away from the squabbling dragons? Nice, thick rock, big enough for a concerned Amy to be behind? Suitably fire-resistant? Yes, this is a very good rock over here… 

"I am not explaining that to the flying eel."

"How do I, In any sense of the word, resemble an eel? That would be akin to stating that you are nothing more than an ambulatory house that someone drunkenly slapped purple paint onto."

Amy continues to like her rock very much. However… that somewhat bigger rock somewhat farther away does also look like a very nice rock…

"What, have you never seen one? Mostly the same shape and color, I suppose you're a little spikier."

He stares at Marta for a few moments, jaw clenching, before drawing himself up. "In the interest of not escalating this into a fight in a place we are both strangers to, I am going to forget you said that. Besides which, we seem to be frightening our host/guide. How about we keep things civil for the moment hmm?"

Amy, meanwhile, turns around from her further rock examinations to find her own rock occupied. Corin, Head Shepherd, nods at her, tapping his ancient shearing knife against his hand restlessly.

"Think we can take 'em?"

“They’re dragons… did you see what they did to the demon lord? Besides, I think I can get them to go away without loss of life. Tell everyone to keep hiding, don’t attack them unless they get violent.” 

"You sure? I bet I could get the rams to rush 'em. If we trample the skinny one, the others might run away. And just think, we'd have dragon bones. Think of the knife I could make! Sorry, Lanolin, but you'll need an heir someday." He pats the knife.

“We already saw the little one dismantle a sheep without any trouble at all, l can’t imagine even the little one would be trample-able. Also, they can just…. Fly away from the sheep if they feel threatened. I think trying to trample them will only get all the sheep killed and possibly also the rest of the village.” 

"Rams is quick, I wouldn't bet against 'em! What's your plan?"

“My plan…” how to make it not sound like Amariah is bailing on this town… “is to get them to take me to a nearby city. I figure people there will know how to deal with them, and maybe I get to learn some cultivation there. I figure that would be useful here.” 

"That doesn't sound safer to me, kid! There's scarier things than... well, there's things less scary than dragons that're still dangerous if you're distracted by dragons."

"And you think you could take a dragon do you?" Kirveneren sneers from above them. She takes great joy from the looks of surprise and horror each human has on their face. "True, you might be able to rush the little one but I doubt you would be able to hold even him off for long." She stretches languidly. 

"Let's see. What to do with you. You seem to really like that knife," she directs at Corin, gazing at it with mild disinterest. "Perhaps you should slit your own throat with it." She forces her presence onto his mind none too gently, though softly enough as to not break it immediately, and orders him to do it. Her lips curl in malicious satisfaction as his shaking hand raises and tears fill his eyes just before he plunges the knife deep into his throat and pulls, nearly beheading himself with the enthusiasm of the motion. 

"And you," she glances dismissively at Amariah. "I am generous. You were not swayed. I will allow you to live. But bear this in mind as a lesson. Those who displease me do not receive favorable endings."

“Eek?”

Tore rushes over, but it's too late, the shepherd is gone. Turning to Kireneren he snarls, bypassing the small metal attendant that had been relaying his words with a mental shout mostly directed at the larger dragon that echoes in Amariah's mind. "Have you no sense of caution or honor!? The man was an idiot but no threat. There was no need to dispatch him like that. And did you forget that we're all potentially stuck in a strange land that, might I remind you, we have practically zero knowledge of!?"

"Of course he wasn't a threat," Kirveneren scoffs. "He was a lesson for anyone else who has equally annoying thoughts. He was a precedent and apparently a necessary one. His dishonorable scheming led him to a similarly dishonorable death. It was no less than he deserved."

"And if he had actually followed through with his ill planned assault then I would likely agree with you. There was every possibility that he would have come to his senses or that Amariah here would have talked some sense into him. You cannot condemn someone for the thoughts they have, only for the actions they take."

"I didn't kill him for his thoughts little one," Kirveneren sneers. "He took actions when he tried to sway others to kill us. I won’t mention that you were the primary target. No doubt someone would've followed him. I hardly think it matters that they would not have succeeded. Now they have been shown that. Now no one will try again. I'll not argue this any longer. I do not need to justify myself to you." 

"Very well, what's done is done at any rate. Though I would request a more proportionate response next time you feel the need to defend us."

He was… well… ok, not a friend perhaps, but… a mentor? A protector? And now he’s dead. Amy wasn’t exactly planning to come back, and he could certainly be a bit obstinate, but… now he’s dead. Amy didn’t want him to be dead. But he is. The dragon killed him so easily, and he was a rank three. Amy is only a rank two… how much easier could the dragon kill her, if it wanted? And that’s the problem… anything could kill her. Amy is so unbearably vulnerable. Corin had a husband, and an adopted daughter… what will they do now? By the tree, Corin was the only reason this village has survived this long; what will the village do now? Which means… Amy needs to get out of here. Terrifying though the dragons may be, getting them to take her to town might be Amy’s only shot at survival. 

Marta flies over placing herself between Amariah and the other dragons.

"I do not think either of you understands the meaning of the word. The next to harm a human who is not actively attacking will answer to me."

"I register some confusion as to why people are being stabbed right now, but we have agreement on an intended direction, I suggest we proceed with it. This place isn't a planet, there's a bubble around it. Do we require a ship?"

Ok, now is not the time for hyperventilating. A dragon asked her a question. A dragon she needs to survive. Literally. Deep breaths…

”A… ship? Um? I guess some worlds would have water at their borders, but I would expect you could… fly? If you needed to? Unless, you can’t fly for long and it’s a big world? Then I guess maybe you would need a ship? Or a boat at least. Um. This one is a small world without any sizable bodies of water?” 

He looks over at Verdigris, noting her apparent confusion at Amariah's response before a thought occurs to him and he gazes up at the golden tree dominating the sky. "I do not know how your world works Verdigris, but in mine, there is... a legend, you might say, that the universe, or at least the known portion of it, is held in the boughs and roots of a great ash tree known as Yggdrasil. In these legends, there are different methods that the gods and other beings of power use to travel between the various lands and worlds, including walking onto the limbs of Yggdrasil itself. I wonder," he says, turning his head around and looking at where the surrounding cliffs meet the sky. "if a similar method of travel exists here."

Why does Amariah feel so… sticky? Is that… blood? Oh. This is in fact Corin blood. Lots of it. All over her. Ah?

”Hmm? Sorry? What was that?”

…don’t eat me…

…huh. The blood is… warm? This is really supremely gross.  

"Would you like medical attention to..." She does not look like she knows what a calcium channel blocker is. Though her organs do look human. Flat, even, not transhuman. "temporarily reduce fear? ...Or running water?"

“Fear? What? No. I’m not scared.” It is a well known fact that dragons can smell fear… probably. 

This really is a LOT of blood. Is Amy sure it all came from one person? She subtly checks herself over. Nope. Still an intact Amy. 

"You can have the drug that makes you calmer even if you aren't scared, that's fine too." ...And she'll offer a hose, produced from some mysterious place under a wing. And maybe turn so that they're not facing the body.

Uh… does Amy want to know where that water is expected to come from? 

“I’m fine,” Amariah will insist. “I’ll just… find a convenient stream, then take you to the branch. I’d just… you know, rather not wear my mentor…” 

It could be magic! You don't know! (it's not magic, it's secret body water. but the speaker is a secret body speaker and you don't see Tore complaining)

Verdigris will not interrupt Amariah from finding a stream.

No secret body water for Amy! She will look for a convenient stream. Is this wise? Probably not. Will the dragons do something horrible in her absence? Present evidence points to yes. But… call her squeamish, she really cannot bear to wear her mentor a moment longer. 

In the meantime, Verdigris will present Tore with a metal bug that can talk loudly in something resembling his mental voice.

Ooh very cool metal bug! He spends a couple minutes examining it before turning to Verdigris and speaking through it. "Thank you very much Verdigris. A few questions if you do not mind; first, how advanced of a construct is this? In that, does it have a mind or a will of its own? Secondly, does it have a name? And thirdly, though just curiosity, is it some form of creation magic that you use? Or incredibly advanced technology?"

"Oh gods why are you so full of endless questions!?" Kirveneren groans, tail thrashing in annoyance. "You're like a little gnat, always buzzing." She stomps off to go find something of interest while she waits for the decision to leave this gods-forsaken place. 

He stares after her for a moment, wondering how anyone in their position wouldn't be full of curiosity and questions about the incredible world they seem to find themselves in and the others brought from their own worlds. Shaking his head, he turns back to Verdigris.

"It is as intelligent as an insect, roughly speaking. Just more specialized. This is generally rounded off to 'not having a mind or will', but in order to fly it does have to set destinations and reach them. Its identifier is random and would take about a minute to speak out loud, so if you'd like it to have a name I recommend assigning one yourself. It was assembled by similar smaller devices out of raw materials. What would you regard as advanced technology?"

Seems safer not to specify whether she has magic quite yet. Some of these people have concerning abilities! Hopefully guns still work.

"Hmm, well that depends. A lot of modern technology in my world is intrinsically tied to magic, either to power it or in its operation. If you include things that utilize magic some of the more recent inventions include automated carts for transporting people and goods in some of the larger cities, automated rigging and sometimes paddles to augment the sails on some larger ships, and some experiments using magic to heat water into steam to power equipment like a waterwheel would. As for things that do not use magic at all though..." He thinks for a moment. "The most recent thing that comes to mind is a new repeating crossbow design that's recently gained some popularity. I don't know if that really answers your question or not. If it helps, tiny metal insects that can build something as intricate as this out of iron, copper, and stone without any magic at all is definitely something I would regard as advanced technology."

"Then it's surprising that you draw the distinction! Do your physicists not study magic? The principles of my body and tools are unintuitive to many, but I wouldn't regard any as a fundamentally different study than the others. I could build a repeating crossbow with these principles, but I could also build a stove that produces steam without fire, or a paddle that rows itself, and I could build each with the same materials and underlying causes."

"I'm not exactly sure what you mean by physicists. If that is a term for a specialized type of scholar then the answer would be yes. Many humans and quite a few dragons in my world have made it their life's purpose to study magic. Some dive into the more arcane principles of how and why and what all magic can actually do, some are more inventors and dreamers and come up with new ways to tie magic and technology together, while most are some combination of the two.

As for why I make a distinction; my world is in something of a renaissance at the moment. Only a handful of decades ago the number of humans who could harness magic was minuscule and mainly consisted of the healers and Gothi of the more well off clans. Then a few of those learned humans got together and decided to use the great hall of their town as a place to teach others the ways of magic. Since then, that place of learning and the town around it have multiplied in size and prestige, with hundreds learning the finer aspects of magic within its walls. some other towns got in on it early as well and have grown into impressive cities in their own right.

Even a number of dragons have been helping the humans teach and learn magic, and I wouldn't be surprised if in another few decades every young human was taught the basics of magic as a matter of course. And given how I learned how to harness my own magic to a certain extent to make up for my shortcomings, I would be very surprised indeed if more dragons didn't follow in my footsteps eventually.

My this is a lovely, if somewhat algae-infested, stream. Doot doot. Bath time. What a truly unfortunate day to have worn white. 

The princess, thankfully, has enough cultivation as not to be at risk of infection. She still ends up slimy.

Verdigris is happy to chat with Tore about why magic might or might not be considered the same thing as technology until Amariah returns.

This was NOT the right day to wear a white shirt. Red does NOT want to come out of white.  

Amy sighs. The white will never be white again, and she should just accept that. The dragons will be waiting on her, and she does feel vaguely human again. 

Amy will dry off as best she’s able, and return to the clearing where she had last seen the dragons. 

The dragons look... not all that much less like they're about to kill each other, not that Amariah can easily read the body languages of non-humans from four different universes.

"We are ready to depart. Do you need time to visit your home?"

“No, I’m ready.” All she leaves behind is a few changes of clothing and some kitchenware. Nothing valuable, and too heavy to bother carrying. Of course Amy is not presumptuous enough to ask a notoriously proud dragon to carry her belongings like a pack animal. She isn’t TRYING to get eaten. 

"Not even a couple changes of clothes? Or are you planning on buying supplies in town? It would seem a poor plan to present yourself to the Emperor in dirty, travel worn clothes, even if he is your father."

“I have a few changes of clothing in my hovel, but they are not meaningfully better than what I’m wearing, and I would like to get out of here before the other shepherds try to avenge their leader. Either way, I’m going to have to find new clothes, and I would like to leave before the shepherds attack you and you all feel the need to slaughter my friends.” 

"Yeah... that's a fair point." He says, glancing at the boulder hiding the body of said shepherd leader. Crouching down, he turns back to Amariah. "Well hop on then, let's get going."

The dragon… wants Amy to… ride it? Like a horse? Amy has so many questions. 

Is it big enough to carry her? 

Where would she grab?

Will it try to eat her? 

Will any of the pokey-bits poke? That seems like a… sensitive area to get poked… 

Amy will not voice these concerns, but nor will she be blindly climbing onto a dragon that so recently vaporized a daemon lord and also a sheep brain. 

Seeing Amariah's hesitation and mild confusion he sighs quietly. "Okay Basics of Bareback Nightfury Riding: sit yourself just in front of the wing shoulders, a bit in front of where the spine ridges start. Let your arms and legs fall on either side and make like you're giving me a full body hug. Don't worry about squeezing too tight, you won't hurt me. It won't be as secure as it would if we had a saddle handy, but I shouldn't need to do any fancy flying between here and town, and if you do happen to fall I'll catch you."

This still seems unwise, but… perhaps refusing would be more dangerous? Amariah nods with all the bravery she can muster, and clambers aboard as directed. 

Sure, the dragon said it would catch her, but… WITH WHAT? It’s mouth full of very sharp teeth, or it’s legs full of very sharp claws? Either way, Amariah does NOT want to find out. Don’t worry about squeezing too tight? Can do! Tightest squeeze she can manage, coming up. She is NOT going to fall off this dragon. 

Oof! Okay. Very tight. How in...? Oh right, that Cultivation thing. Definitely something to look into more closely...

"Huh, okay, you don't have to hold on that tight. I forgot that your Cultivation thing makes you stronger."

"You don't have to loosen up if you're afraid, but I would prefer to get to town without bruises all over my chest." He says somewhat jokingly.

Amariah will NOT be falling off this dragon. 

Chuckling to himself he turns to the other dragons.

"Alright then, everyone ready?" At their various nods and sounds of assent, he looks back at Amariah. "Right then Princess, which way?" Amariah points off in a direction before her arm quickly clamps back down. The heading fixed in his mind and wings stretched out, he leaps into the air. After waiting for the others to follow suit, he turns toward the direction Amariah indicated, keeping it to a relatively casual pace for the moment as he doesn't know how fast the others are.

Stretching out below, the Great Stone Ring Lifegiving Basin is a valley perhaps a hundred kilometers across, ringed by gray mountains that run straight to the hemispherical barrier that separates the world from the void beyond. The craggy peaks curl inward, following the curvature of the wall as though they were scooped out of a broader landscape by some titanic ladle. The wind currents are convenient, air rising at the middle of the world where the dragons take flight, the walls apparently cold enough to draw air downwards towards the edges.

They turn towards a high pass flanked by pillars hundreds of meters tall, carved directly out of the stone, faintly visible in the distance. The destination is obvious, as beyond the edge of the bubble is a river of light flowing out into the void, a rippling golden structure stretching far, far into the distance. Far overhead dangles another sphere, another world touched by the same branch of the golden tree that stretches over the whole sky.

Well, the complete lack of old powerful enemies certainly is a point in favor of this new world.

Traveling with this group does not sound like a great long-term plan for someone who doesn't want to pick up yet another curse for the collection. Nor does this seem like a safe group to recover from the last of her three curses with, given the rather cavalier treatment of the other human princess. Or the current rate of killing people...

What comes next?

Moving on to the next town is still the right plan, but she needs to try and get a chance to speak privately with Amariah, and possibly Verdigris. Difficult, given how good the others' senses seem, but it would be wrong to leave her alone with the others.

Amy, for her part, is still stubbornly NOT falling off this dragon. *SQUEEZE* 

Huh, was it just his imagination or is Amarah's squeezing starting to get a little less uncomfortable...? Maybe it has something to do with this Cultivation thing she had mentioned earlier, or maybe she was just getting used to flying? A glance back at his passenger showed that the latter possibility was definitely not the case. Now that he was paying attention to it though, he noticed that his extremities, especially his wing tips, were starting to tingle a bit; somewhat concerning considering he was currently using them to fly, and with a passenger at that, but he could use his force forms to help glide if need be, so not too much of a concern. Speaking of though... He glances back at Amariah and creates a half bubble over her, similar to how he would if he was flying at high speed with a passenger. This has the effect of immediately cutting off the wind and noise buffeting the princess, leaving her, eyes closed as they are, feeling as though she is laying upon a particularly scaly horse slowly ambling along. 

"Apologies Princess" his voice emanating from the metallic bug that has also maneuvered itself behind the newly created windscreen, "I take passengers relatively rarely and only create something like this when flying particularly fast with one. I forgot that you've probably never flown before and didn't think to put one up. Hopefully this is a bit more comfortable for you."

Holy shit a what? Amy will open her eyes and then promptly un-open them. 

“Land! Land land land. Please. Oh tree. Oh fuck.”

Annnd she apparently has a massive fear of heights... wonderful... He immediately starts to descend into the swamp below at a reasonable pace, not wanting to disturb his passenger further. Soon enough, he has come to a very soft and careful landing upon solid ground.

"We're down Princess, it's alright."

Amy will neither be letting go, nor speaking, until nothing has moved for at least ten minutes

The swamps have given way to rocky meadows, and the mountains rise before the group. A well-marked gravel trail leads into the peaks, and the attentive might notice that any wildlife in the area is currently hiding.

"Why have we stopped?" Kir growls her discontent, landing next to the little black one. "We're never going to get anywhere at this pace!"

"It would appear our guide suffers from an intense fear of heights. We will need to wait until she recovers before determining if we will be continuing by air or by ground."

"Perhaps the speed is a bigger problem?" Marta lands carefully, on the other side of Tore.

"I hardly think we're in a rush Kirveneren. Unless you have an urgent appointment in this mysterious next town?"

“I’m not afraid of anything,” Amy stubbornly insists in the face of contradictory evidence. “Only, it was very high up, and very fast, and both of those things seem conducive to dying, to which I am very much opposed.” 

That was fast to her? That was the equivalent of a slow walk to him... Probably best not to mention that at the moment though.

"Princess Amariah" He says, turning his head half around to meet her eyes with one of his. "I have carried many upon my back over the course of my life. None of those individuals ever died falling from me and I swear to you, you will not be the first. When you are upon my back, your safety is my number one concern, and I promise that you will come to no harm riding upon me."