Fields of Elysium

Iapetus closed his eyes and let Menoetius prod through his mind for directions. There were some places only dragons could go…but there were also places only he could go. Magic was strange like that. At the same time, he wasn’t one to leave his dragon behind. Menoetius trudged forward tentatively. This space was not unlike the Chronoscape, but it also felt strange. Old, maybe, and scented with some kind of burning oil. A soft smoke wrapped around the kirin’s hooves, clogging the air around him. He whinnied nervously, but Iapetus pressed him forward. It doesn’t last long. You have everything you need to get there.

He picked up his gait and trudged through the fog. As quickly as it appeared, the blue mist rose and formed a layer of puffy white cumulus. A sun flickered into view, shining brightly upon fields of flowers and wheat. The purple, orange, and yellow petals fluttered in the wind. Iapetus jumped off the kirin, rubbing his rear and wondering if it was about time to get a proper saddle. Menoetius was his first dragon, so he wasn’t quite sure if the dragon was finished growing.

Are we still in the Chronoscape? The words weren’t exact, but Menoetius was able to voice his concern nonetheless. A Rider separated from their dragon could be lost in the fog for eternity.

Iapetus rubbed the dragon’s neck and hummed at him. We were never in there to begin with.

From among the hills, a soft humming seemed to respond to his tune. It seemed he wasn’t alone today. Menoetius look visibly flustered and flicked his ears too and fro. Once again, Iapetus had to calm him by patting his velvet scales. You’re a strong dragon, and this is a safe place. You’ll be alright. Menoetius hissed in doubt, but allowed his Rider to lead him through the fields to the source of the sound. As they rounded a hill littered in flowers, a small creature came into view.

It looked strangely like a Tsotska, with gray skin, webbed ears, and a long tail curling out from its vivid red dress. It—or, rather, she—turned her face towards the pair. Her eyes were as red as her dress and inspected them carefully. She shivered as Menoetius stepped closer.

“This is your first time seeing a dragon, isn’t it?” Iapetus asked with a soft voice. The girl nodded, still quaking before the tall beast. Let her play with your Star Pearl until she’s used to you, Iapetus messaged Menoetius. The dragon snorted with disdain—his Star Pearl was not for playing with—but a stern gaze from Iapetus was all that was needed to send the Star her way. She lifted her hands towards it, almost grasping it, but leaving her fingers just shy of touching. The warmth radiated out from it and seemed to flush some color under the girl’s scales. Menoetius started to bounce the Star Pearl up and down, then swung it around her until she appeared dizzy. The girl’s shoulders started to relax as she realized the kirin was perfectly safe. As she stopped shivering, Iapetus took the opportunity to step closer. “What’s your name, little one?”

The girl simply shook her head and vanished in a wispy cloud. Menoetius nearly dropped his Star Pearl out of surprise, but Iapetus was quick to snatch it from the air. “That happens sometimes,” he explained to his dragon. The use of spoken words wasn’t necessary, but it was comforting for the dragon to hear his voice, and the dragon was still too frightened by the whole ordeal. “You get used to it.”