Post by Elias/Frigus/Chartreuse/Azriel on Jul 14, 2024 19:26:24 GMT
This write up takes place after the events of Mendings Major and Minor between Frigus and Tom M (featuring willemf and Charlie).
NB there is a small content warning for a description of an injury.
NB there is a small content warning for a description of an injury.
There is a small and cautious pitter patter of little feet coming from down a nearby tunnel. A soft but magically amplified voice calls out. “Digs, are you down here?” After some hours looking around down here the number of traps seems to be increasing so Frigus is sure they’re heading the right way.
There is a long pause before a quiet and hoarse response "...Frigus?"
Frigus makes his way closer to the voice and gasps a little as they see Digs sat in a corner, pinned to it by a fork like implement extending from a hole in the wall, a beautifully bound and decorated book sat in his lap and papers scattered all around, mostly soaking in puddles of fetid water and some stuck to the dried blood on the floor around him. Digs looks up at them "I fucked up.”
Fighting the urge to rush forward Frigus carefully sweeps the floor for any other traps. “Oh dear… we need to start signposting your traps or something.” Carefully, stepping over pressure plates and doing a small hop over a trip wire they make their way over to Digs. Taking out some tools they slowly begin dismantling the trap. Once the last mechanism clicks and the fork loosens, they give Digs a grin holding up the sword and anklets “I brought your stuff back.” They gently place it on the side and begin checking if Digs is wounded.
There is a small wound from the trap on his side and he appears dehydrated but says to Frigus “Signposting kinda- wait did you use it? Did you already go? I knew I was going to be late, so I dropped the stuff off, but..."
Frigus winces a bit realising the situation. Their hands already moving softly towards the wound. They whisper some words in draconic. The wound knits together and a small plaster with a smiley face that looks like Waffles appears on it. “Yeah… we… we got her out. She’s ok, she’s moved into Orianna’s basement. There was a whole fight with Arcravine and Mal who got all big, like not Orianna level tall… he was like the size of a building. Calla managed to disintegrate Arcravine’s heart, and I almost got eaten by Mal but Waffles managed to drag me out and then Calla healed me and I managed to shoot Mal down.” They look away for a moment, their eyes taking in the space around them “I wanted to come see you and say thank you for the sword and the anklets. It helped keep me alive. And well… I’ve been working on some magic to help you… if you wanted to do the challenge, so you’d still be protected.”
Digs exhales loudly and slumps down with relief as he hears that everything went well, "Thanks and... wow I spent like the whole time I was down here thinking I'd let everyone down. Well, not all of the time." he clambers up awkwardly and stretches out some of the pins and needles that have set in before unclasping his armour and letting it drop to the floor before violently shaking his head from side to side.
"I think I've got some food in my..." Digs trails off, realising that Frigus hasn't seen where he lives before and may have some issues with the decor.
Frigus smiles at him, “Food would be nice.”
Digs attempts to smile back nervously as he gathers up the armour and leads the way toward his home, he stops after a few hobbled steps, "Okay I need to warn you - I have some stuff in here that I don't think you're going to like and that I'm thinking twice about now too."
They give a gentle smile “I’m sure it’ll be fine, I don’t expect anyone to match Orianna’s interior decorating skills”. A small amount of tension crosses their features not judgmental in nature but more worried about what it could be. Digs, studies their face for a moment but makes less of an effort to hide how nervous he is as he reaches behind the fake door handle on his door and pulls the small lever that actually opens it.
The space revealed is open and dominated by an enormous blue dragon skull hanging from chains attached to the ceiling with a small white doily resting on the tip of the nose horn. Surrounding it is a series of other eclectic objects suspended from chains that form an aerial assault course.
In the centre of the floor is a well-worn wooden table and two benches that bear the Daring Council crest burned into them. A few training dummies lie resting against a wall under a large and very poorly taxidermied white dragon head - the stench from which is detectible over the smell of the sewer itself. Another training dummy sits behind an intricately carved and expensive looking wooden room divider in the corner. A waterlogged ship's figurehead sits next to it.
Last is a hammock suspended directly above a large wooden chest that has multiple padlocks on it. The hammock is full of multicoloured scatter cushions. None of the features match or present any cohesive theme.
Frigus’ eyes widen a little at the skull before shifting their gaze to the doily and a smile breaks out as their eyes shift onto Digs. “I know you’re worried I’m gonna react to this” they gesture towards the dragon skull. “I assume if you have their skull it was not a very nice dragon?”
They move over to the doily on its horn, very obviously looking at it. “Soooo… what was your inspiration for the redecorating?”
Digs is too busy being relieved at Frigus’ initial reaction to hide it very well when he suddenly breaks eye contact at the second question, “I just wanted to try and make it more… cozy.”
Quickly attempting to change the topic, “That’s Covys and yeah, not nice. Not the absolute worst one to be stuck talking to so you don’t freeze to death though.” He shoots a glare at the white dragon head.
Frigus cocks their head a little “You talk to them? Like the magic where people make skulls talk?”
“I guess? I mostly try and shut it out.” Digs rummages for a single plate that he puts on the table before upending a bag over it, producing a pile of croissants and showering the table in pastry flakes. They’re obviously very stale, but seem safe to eat. “I tried making iced tea, but I think I messed it up. There’s wine that I took from Zola’s family mansion, but it’s really old.”
Frigus’ mind briefly flashes back to the falafel “Wine or tea is fine. I have some magic for making stuff safe to eat and drink now.” They take a croissant and have a small bite out of it. “So, they talk to you? That must be… well… hard to listen to? Is it all the time or just when you have the armour on?”
“That sounds useful! I’ve been trying to learn magic too, but I don’t think I’m cut out for it. Thought I had a breakthrough, but…” he trails off as he drags out a vat of cold water and tea leaf mulch. A frog hops out as he does so. “Just when I wear the armour and… kinda yeah. They can talk like they’re in my head. Depending on which one’s ‘active’ I have to listen to that one. I think they can talk to each other a bit too, but I don’t have to listen to that.” Digs looks at the armour, “I know you don’t like it, but you can try using the armour and talking to them if you like? It’s on Covys right now who’s a bit heavy going. It doesn’t take long to change it though.”
Frigus just about to bite down on the croissant pauses with it held up to their mouth “Oh… um… I’m not sure.” Almost subconsciously their hands reach into their little bag and pull out some knitting needles and get to work. The needles clicking and soothing their mind as they think it through. “Would it help you if I spoke with them?”
“Frigus, you’ve already helped me plenty in the last few minutes. I think you might understand a little more and not think I’m hurting good dragons if you spoke to them, but I know you wouldn’t make me do anything that would make me uncomfortable.” He looks around at the additions to his home, “I’ve tried to learn from how you do things and I get it. Some of it. I even hugged someone last week and it wasn’t so bad.”
Frigus’ needles click as the pattern of another doily begins to take shape. “My issues with the armour is not just how nice or mean the beings inside it are. I know you wouldn’t trap the soul of someone you didn’t think deserved it.” They pause, trying to keep their voice steady. “It’s the impact on you that worries me. You get power from this armour and it makes you said it makes you feel safer but the cost is bad beings whispering in your ears. It might be manageable now but Azharul said it would only get worse and I think he’s right.”
They look up from the pattern their pale blue eyes meeting Digs’ “I think I can achieve the same benefits with the magic I’ve been working on, maybe we can ask Calla or someone to make you some scrolls so you can do it when I’m not there. You wouldn’t need to hear someone mean talking in your head all the time.” They look at the armour gently setting down the finished doily. “I’ll wear it and talk to them if that would help you see you don’t need it. Once I do, I’m going to take it off and I will show you magic I’ve been working on.”
“Okay sure, but that isn’t all it does. Maybe you’ll understand better if you try it on.” Digs, who is already walking better by this point hauls the makeshift mannequin over. “I know I complain a lot, but it gets lonely down here and some of them have interesting things to say if you’re in the mood to listen. Grablag’s pretty helpful and I think deep down Kallos kinda likes me. It’s complicated.”
Frigus rises sliding the doily under the plate “You know if you’re lonely you have invitations from several people you could come visit or stay with too.”
They rise slowly and move over to the mannequin. “I just need to do something quickly.” Gently they place a hand on the pearl of their necklace reaching out to Thalisdraza with their mind “Hey mum, I’m about to do something you might not like. I hope you will be ok with it. But I need to put on the armour to show Digs that someone else understands and he can leave it behind if he chooses to.”
Thalistrasza’s voice enters into Frigus’ mind, its soothing tone filling his mind “I understand Frigus, and it is ok, this is the right thing to do, and I know you are strong enough to not to succumb to the voices of the armour, but should you need help I will be there in an instant, best of luck My Herald.”
Frigus nods almost to themselves “Ok I’m ready… I should probably give a warning that Archwyrms tend to show up if their heralds are gonna die or something… so like… we should make sure that doesn’t happen…”
Digs gives a quick panicked glance around his environment, “Well, it’s never tried to kill me so… we’re probably good?” he ventures. “I should warn you too that this one is Covys and they cry a lot and you’re going to hear a lot about Emrilyth who was this green dragon they were kinda with.”
“Ok… well maybe they’ll wanna talk about it or something…” Frigus begins slipping the armour off the mannequin and reaches for the pieces to start fastening the leathers. Once they are all buckled in they look back to Digs. “So do I do anything or just wait?”
A voice resonates with Frigus’ mind ".... who. Who is this?"
Frigus looks around a bit “Oh… it’s doing something… hello… this is Frigus”
The voice sniffs a little "Go away... why won't you all just leave me alone.."
“Um well Digs wanted me to try the armour on and talk with the people inside… so I’m doing that. How come you’re sniffling, do you have a cold?”
The voice tries to sound strong "I'm never cold! So cold... so cold in here....."
Frigus’ face looks puzzled at the response, “Like in the armour?”
"I don't know. I want to go hooooome" and the sound of weeping fills their head.
Digs begins to realise that he probably should have switched to one Frigus would find less sympathetic first, "Ask them about all the people they killed along the Angelbark road. Ask them why they did it."
Frigus winces a little at the sound of the tears. “How come you ended up away from home and in here?”
The voice is fully shattered as it screams in Frigus’ head "THEY TOOK HIM FROM MEEE"
“I don’t think that’s the answer to the question…”
"They took him from me and kept me here... he'll be back though. He'll save me from this.."
Frigus sighs a little turning to Digs “They seem pretty broken up. I don’t know that I’m gonna get very far with talking to them until they can calm down. They did also say someone will be coming to save them… so we might need to prepare for that…”
Digs sighs, “Yeah no, they won’t. As I said, that relationship was super toxic. They’ve been crying for like six months straight now and I know they’re a murderer and stuff but it really gets to me after a few days. You’re right though let’s try another one.” He puts a hand gently on Frigus’ shoulder so that he’s touching the armour and looks up at the skull above them, focusing as the white spines retract and blue ichor oozes from the armour’s seams.
“You’re going to hear a lot about being poisoned and betrayal but it’s a load of shit. Mad old bastard started eating his own treasure. He poisoned himself.”
“Oh… that’s pretty silly of him…” Frigus waits a beat whilst the spines change “Hello, this is Frigus… I’m wearing the armour today…”
The sobs fade into an outraged scream of fury, “ANOTHER PATHETIC KOBOLD SEEKS TO USE THE MIGHT OF VORAX??!!”
Digs breathes a sigh of relief about the fact that Vorax is the least sympathetic creature ever to have lived. Frigus steadies themselves from the shout, “Oh… no… sorry I think you are maybe projecting something onto me. I’m kinda just wearing this to talk to you. I don’t really need any of the might. Digs said you tried eating treasure? My son, he’s a dragon, and he likes to sleep on our treasure… he’s never tried to eat it though. Is it something I should watch out for? I don’t want him getting sick…”
The voice thunders back into Frigus’ head "FOOL. You lie... just like all lowly creatures lie to the great VORAX! Vorax will never tell you anything! VORAX WILL KEEP HIS SECRETS FROM YOU FOOL!!!"
“I’m really not very good at the whole lying thing it makes me sweat and I don’t know how that’s biologically possible…” Frigus cocks their head slightly “Are you ok Vorax? You seem like you really want us to need you... is it cause if we didn’t wear the armour and you stayed in it then you’d have nobody to talk to?”
"LIES! VORAX NEEDS NO ALLIES! VORAX IS THE GREATEST OF DRAGONS. THE WEALTHIEST!!!"
Frigus’ brow furrows a bit… “I’m not really good at lying so maybe I’ll stick to facts? Is that better? Vorax is a soul in a piece of armour right now… not a dragon… I guess Digs has a lot of money but you’re not really rich by proxy.” They soften a little bit “also the greatest of all dragons is Waffles everyone knows that.”
The voice just howls in indignation, “Clearly you're wrong.”
“No, I’m correct. Just yesterday they learned how to use their breath and they pulled me out of a big monsters mouth. Probably would’ve been about the size you used to be. I didn’t need to ask them. Have you ever done that? The saving someone thing not the breath weapon I’m sure you could do that before…”
"I HAVE AMMASSED MORE WEALTH THAN YOU CAN COUNT. I HAVE SLAUGHTERED MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW. I! I! I AM VORAX THE MIGHTY!!! HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ANYBODY TO ME!"
Digs winces as he remembers back to Vorax using his breath weapon whilst Digs was physically inside his throat.
Frigus sighs a little “But like… you’re comparing yourself right now?” They sit down and nibble a bit on the croissant letting their legs swing a little in the chair. “How come you think you need to be rich and kill to be good at being a dragon? Well not even that… to be good at being Vorax?”
"Is it not the goal of all true powerful creatures to amass power?? IS IT NOT MAGNIFICENT TO AMASS THE GREATEST HOARD OF ALL?! I AM MAGNIFICENT. I AM VORAX, KING OF DRAGONS!! I AM MAGNIFECENT AND I AM PERFECT! I WILL NEVER BE BEATEN! IT TOOK FOUL TRICKS TO BRING MY BODY TO DEATH BUT THEY SUFFERED IN TURN! I AM A GENIUS!!! THEY WILL NEVER TAKE MY HOARD FROM ME!!!!!"
“That wasn’t an answer to my question… how come you’re deflecting? If it were me… I’d find it scary to consider I’d spent centuries or even millennia doing something which didn’t bring joy.”
"Joy is irrelevant! Power is all!!"
They gently place the croissant down. “You spent so long building a hoard and getting strong. But for all the strength you still ended up in this armour.” Frigus takes out their knitting needles again and several balls of wool of different colours laying them out on the table. “I don’t have that much power compared to some of the people I know, but I have things that make me happy. I like knitting and from what I know of blue dragons are generally really fond of art? Maybe you’d like creating something instead of destruction? What’s your favourite colour?”
"WHAT PETTY NONSENSE IS THIS?? HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!"
“I’m not mocking you. Pick a colour”
The voice is still absolutely infuriated but there is an air of abject confusion now "What trick is this... But the answer is obvious! BLUE IS THE GREATEST AND MOST MAGNIFICENT COLOUR!"
“See that wasn’t so hard was it” Frigus reaches for the blue wool and begins slipping them through the needles wrapping round. “Now, what should we make? We could do a scarf for Digs? It gets chilly down here so he might not be able to talk to you when it’s cold? Or maybe you’d prefer something to decorate the room a bit?”
"ALL ART SHALL DEPICT THE GLORY OF VORAX! KING OF DRAGONS!"
Frigus shifts angles slightly changing up the pattern “Ok, well we could do something with you in it? How about a knitted self portrait. Why don’t you tell me how you see yourself?”
Digs looks quizzically at Frigus, only able to hear Frigus’ side of the conversation “Frigus are… are you being nice to Vorax? Have they told you about the genocide yet? They normally won’t shut up about it.”
The voice thunders again in Frigus’ head "I SEE MYSELF AS I AM! SUPERIOR! MIGHTY! GREATEST OF ALL DRAGONS! DO YOU NOT AGREE WHELP?!"
Frigus looks up from their knitting project at Digs and smiles “Hmm well he mentioned killing a lot of people yeah... I guess being nice is one way to look at it. I guess I’m just trying to introduce reality into his life and get him to understand what he was doing wasn’t good for him or the people he was hurting.” They smile a bit as the stitches loop faster and faster. “I figure if you’re going to keep wearing this I should at least try to help the dragons be more well-adjusted when they are talking to you.”
Frigus, who ignored Vorax to respond to Digs looks up almost by instinct. “Vorax, you know I don’t think you’re the greatest of all dragons. I’ve already told you that’s Waffles.” They continue the stitches weaving in black wool to show scales. “So mighty and superior… that’s two adjectives. I’m not sure what superior is in relation to or in what context… What about anyone with you? Or are you also alone in this picture?”
Digs begins to get visibly agitated, “But he doesn’t deserve to feel better. He’s not misunderstood, there’s a whole underground city in the desert outside Kundar and nobody even remembers it or anybody who lived there because he killed all of them.”
"NO ONE CAN STAND NEAR THE GREAT AND MIGHTY VORAX. I AM GREATEST OF DRAGONS, MOST MAGNIFECENT OF BEINGS. I AM THE FIRST AND MOST!"
Frigus puts down the needles for a moment and shifts their gaze back to Digs. “Teaching him he was wrong is not the same as making him feel better. But it might make it easier to have him in your head.” They pick up the needles again still looking at Digs “I’m showing him what he could have spent his life doing because of what Azharul said. If his soul ever makes it back to earth, he’s going to know that he could’ve made the choice to create and make people happy like Waffles or Thalisdraza instead of destroy.”
“Ok so we are doing a mighty dragon all alone. I don’t know if you’ll like how that looks though…” Their hands behind to blur as a knitted tapestry is churned out. There is indeed a mighty dragon in its centre. “There... done. So what does this make you think Vorax?
“YES! GLORIOUS IMAGES OF THE GREAT AND MIGHTY VORAX!!! You will make a good and loyal servant!” but around it a huge and empty cavern.
"Wait can you actually see... I thought appreciating art for so long you would have been able to pick up on it? You don't see how the dragon is all alone? I even put a frowny face on him..."
“Frigus he’s not going to learn some lesson here. He put himself in that stupid cave and drove anybody who might have improved his life away and he’s too stubborn to even see he was the one poisoning himself the whole time.” He folds his arms, “You’re just going to end up frustrated if you keep doing this.”
“HE LIES! HES JUST LIKE THE FOOLS WHO POISONED ME! THEY’RE ALL LIARS!!!”
"Vorax, shush for a moment I'm talking to Digs." The moment the word’s leave Frigus’ mouth Vorax begins roaring. Frigus, being no stranger to a dragon tantrum ignores it.
Frigus shifts their eyes back up to Digs, a warm smile on their face, "I don't think that's something you want me to actually believe. Things don't get better when you give up on them and that's why I don't. I can deal with getting frustrated with someone if I think there's a chance it can help them."
They move the tapestry into their bag and off the table. "I know you don't think Vorax deserves kindness or empathy. But if someone doesn't show it to him then he will never know how good it feels when someone is kind to you. He was wrong to kill people. He was mean. I have killed people in my time, I helped innocent people be killed when I was younger... I have been mean before. He can't be forgiven for that, the same way I can't be forgiven, but he can try to use whatever life or power he has to help people going forwards."
Once Frigus finishes responding to Digs he looks up "Vorax if you don't respect my boundaries and you keep roaring whilst I'm trying to talk, I'll have to take this off or change the scales and you won't have anyone to roar to except yourself."
"I CARE NOT FOR YOUR ATTENTION! I WILL DO AS I PLEASE!"
"Ok... but this is your choice. Digs could you help me change the scales to someone else? He's having a tantrum cause I shushed him."
“FOOOOOOL! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED!! YOU COULD HAVE WORSHIPPED ME!!!”
Frigus continues to ignore him and waits for Digs to respond. Digs smiles as he reaches over and puts a hand on Frigus’ shoulder “Bye Vorax!” he says smugly. As the ichor recedes, Digs keeps a hand on Frigus, not letting the armour fully slip into one state or another for a few moments. He looks at Frigus quizzically, “You don’t really believe that do you? The thing where you can’t be forgiven?”
They look sad for a moment, "the people that would be able to forgive me are dead. It would be unfair of me to drag them from their rest to absolve myself. It would not change that I could have fought for them, I could have tried to convince my family to stop their actions and run or fight back. I have had to learn to live with my decisions, I know why I made them, I was not strong then. Not physically or magically, I was letting my fear rule me but I have learned not to make those mistakes again." Frigus sighs a bit and sits back down. "It is easier now that I am physically stronger and I know magic but it's not like I don't feel the fear. When I was fighting Mal yesterday, I knew there was a high chance I would die, a part of me wanted to take Waffles and run. With your boots I'm sure we could have gotten away. But seeing all the people running made me think of all the times I didn't stand up for people. So I knew I had to charge in."
“Yeah, but you’ve made up for it again and again and not just by taking evil out of the world like I try to, you put good back into it. You put more kindness into the world than anyone I’ve ever met.” Digs, a habitual liar, is doing his best to convey the absolute sincerity of his words.
"Thank you Digs." A small crystalline tear starts forming in the corner of Frigus' eye "I- well... I know I stormed off when we last spoke but I- I see you working more and more every day on being kinder to yourself." Their eyes drift over the new decorations and to the non-poisonous croissants. "I want you to know that no matter how frustrated I am, or if I storm off, I will still show up to help you if you want me too." There is a small sheen of magic that spreads across Digs, with it comes a feeling of warm and comfort. "This magic makes it hard for lightning to hurt you, but I can do fire or cold or other elements too. I also have one that can help you if you get scared. I figure if you wanted to do the challenge Azharul set I could help you recreate the effects without the dragon throwing the tantrum in your mind."
Digs closes his eyes as the warm, comforting feeling spreads through him, “Thanks. I still don’t know how I feel about that ‘challenge’, but I really appreciate you having my back. I just wish I could have been there to help Calla, but I guess you were all there and… that was enough.”
"We definitely would've benefitted from you being there, everyone else was really magic focused and it involved going into an anti-magic maze... but it was not your fault and you still helped a lot. That sword gave me the strength to keep going for a bit longer and stopped me getting eaten. Though I don't know how you would have felt about that part of the mission cause all of the Archwyrms were there at once... I did get to see Azharul fight though he has a really cool cloak thingy..." They smile at him again "I think you could pass the challenge easily if you wanted to. If you wear the armour... are you going to bind Malgrys to it?"
“That was always the plan.” Digs’ expression hardens, “And if I do it without the armour, I’m not doing it because of some hoop Azharul wants me to jump through.” He takes a step back from Frigus and removes his hand from his shoulder as the armour transmutes into what looks like a regular set of studded leather, “We’re going through them in order of how easy they are to talk to. Let’s keep going.”
While Digs focuses on shifting the scales Frigus speaks "He didn't ask you for himself, or just to test you. It's not really what the relationship with them is like. Thalsidraza has only set me two challenges. One was to find a key. I don't know if you noticed because I play it so cool but I thought initially that it was about sneaking around and stealing because I am not good at talking to people. It wasn't. I ended up learning that I didn't need to do that, that I could just be myself and play with them." They fiddle a bit with the armour "The other challenge was facing fears. I fought what turned out to be an illusion in end but it was the dragon I used to work for. I didn't quite realise it was an illusion until Florian told me after. But I felt the fear of that moment and I proved not to her but to myself that I could stand up and fight him. I think his challenge is similar. He probably just wants you to see what we see... you are powerful and that you don't need their souls to take down a mean dragon."
There's almost a rustle inside Frigus' head "......Who? What you want? Why your voice so strange and sniffly? You not Digs! But you kobold like him... hmmmmmmmmm"
"Oh um, hello... who is this? I'm Frigus..."
Digs welcomes the subject change, “Enter Grablag. Talk to him about making traps or armour or whatever and he’s a genius. Anything else…”
"Grablag, what you want with armour? You new boss of armour?"
"Oh no... I am just wearing it and talking to the people in it. Did you make it?"
"Make best armour. Grablag very smart. Use stupid dragon, now stupid dragon actually useful hehehe. Don't talk to dragons, they stupid"
"But how did you get in here?"
“Chose to? You think Grablag stupid enough to get trapped? Not a stupid dragon haha. Put Grablag in the armour so he can make better armour using more stupid dragons. Smart hey?”
“He was in some old tools when I found him. I think I’ve still got them somewhere…”
Frigus pinches their chin a little bit thinking it through, "but you only need like ten types dragons to make it protected against all of them? Will it be complete then?"
“Nah, all sorts of dragon. Grablag even heard of stupid mind dragon. Dumb tentacles and shit. And big evil dead dragon lich thingy. Always more dragons. More is always good yes? Even if blue dragon already made into armour, more blue more power. Grablag work never done. Fun!”
"But aren't you worried that will throw off the balance? Some dragons are really helpful to people. If you start taking souls you'll make even the nicest dragons angry eventually."
“So? Stuff them in armour too! Stupid dragons don’t scare Grablag. Make big traps and steal their squishies! Dragon killed Grablag. Grablag take dragon squishies. Circle of unlife!”
"So because one of them killed you, you want them all to be stuck in here with you? That's really sad Grablag."
“Eh, Grablag happy, Gaknulak happy, Digs not happy now but Digs maybe confused. Grablag just make armour good”
"But if we did things your way, putting every Dragon in this armour you'd be asking Digs to hurt his friends. I don't think that would make him happy."
Digs cocks his head at this but doesn’t say anything
“Eh, Digs become stupid. Used to be smart like Grablag, then got weird. You want armour now? You smell like dragon, got dragon squishies?”
Digs cocks his head at this but doesn’t say anything
“Eh, Digs become stupid. Used to be smart like Grablag, then got weird. You want armour now? You smell like dragon, got dragon squishies?”
Frigus' voice goes ice cold, the usual empathy and soft tone leaving their voice, "Digs is not stupid. He's smart enough to know who to be mad at. You bound yourself to armour to get revenge but you seem to have let it consume you. You are unqualified to talk about who is smart and who is not."
"Suit yourself. You think Grablag stupid? Your opinion. Grablag think he genius? His opinion. Grablag still going to do what Grablag think he best at"
Frigus turns back to Digs ignoring the voice in the armour, "You know he wants you to put all dragons in this armour right? Even Waffles... I'm going to need you to tell me you won't let him do that. There are a lot of dragons that do not deserve this."
Digs gives Frigus a hurt look, “I know that. Yeah, Grablag and I guess Leonida tried to tell me to do that but I’ve learned a lot since then. Sure it was easier to see the world like that, but it’s not that simple and I know that now.”
"See? He dumb now. Annoying but he help Grablag so I still help Digs. Even if he stupid now"
Frigus doesn’t drop Digs’ eye contact, “I know you wouldn’t… I’m sorry… I just… the thought of losing him… what losing Valethra would do to Orianna… I- I’m worried what his plans are… I don’t know who Leonida is or what dragons did to her or why she’s suggesting going along with this guys plans… but it would hurt a lot of people… not just dragons…”
Digs cocks his head, “He can’t do any of those things though. He can’t hurt anyone. He’s just another voice in that armour with no real power. No matter who any of them were when they were alive the fact that you can hear them means you don’t have to be scared of them. That’s the whole point. You’re the one wearing it right now. Are you going to do those things?”
“I’m not, I wouldn’t want to be like him. It’s just… let’s face it there is a lot we don’t about magic or souls. There’s no way to know how adding more and more souls to this thing affects it or whoever is wearing it. I don’t think his ultimate goal is just to arm you against dragons breath… For all we know you could be feeding him power to take over your body or something wild like that…”
“You stupid, think too much like dragon hehe. Grablag knows what Grablag good at, what use is stinky Digs body? Grablag serving Gaknulak by kill dragon and help Digs kill dragon! You think Grablag cares about being alive? Grablag got old when alive, sucks”
“I’d say that sounds paranoid but until like a few weeks ago I thought you were an evil cultist who was going to try and sacrifice me to a dragon so I don’t have much of a leg to stand on.”
Frigus smiles a little at that, “Ok he’s saying he doesn’t want to be alive but I’m still not trusting him… also, the only sacrifice Waffles looks for is some of my snacks.”
Digs smiles back, “Are we done with Grablag? I don’t feel like you’ve said anything emotionally devastating to him, but if he called you stupid tell him that Digs is going to put reverse hinges on all the larsen traps because they objectively look better that way and he doesn’t get to talk to you like that.”
“I’m more annoyed that he called you stupid for thinking differently. But yeah I think he might be crazier than Vorax”
“That’s a really high craziness bar, but maybe. It feels weird looking back on who I was when I used to agree with him. Things have changed a lot since then.” He puts the hand on Frigus’ shoulder one last time as the blood red scales of the armour’s first occupant begin to slide out, “I sometimes wish Kallos was crazier. On my worst days he kinda makes sense.”
There is no roar, and no voice, just a looming heat that seems to fill the inside of Frigus' head, watching “Um… Kallos can you turn the heat down a bit… I’m more of a cool climate person…”
The voice is booming, never too loud to harm but enough to fill Frigus' skull. "And why should I? I wasn't the one who chose to lock a beast of flame inside flimsy armour"
“Well neither did I so… it’s kinda rude to make me uncomfortable for no reason…”
"I have no choice small one.. If I were before you I assure you the heat would be unbearable. Whilst the armour remains bound to Digs he will not feel the inferno, but you will.."
"If I could ease your discomfort I would be more than willing to. You are no threat to me"
“Oh… well that’s reasonable.” Frigus shifts a little uncomfortably. “So how come you got trapped in here?”
"I grew old and lazy, just like Vorax the Mad. I was slain by a Balor and its horde after my soldiers broke or fled. Then I was bound to this wretched suit of armour until your friend there found me and made my life even more miserable, if you can call this life." Digs sees Frigus’ discomfort and begins to angrily pull a blade out from the underside of the table before realising that he doesn’t have a part two to that plan and putting it back. "And so I lie here, waiting until he next decides he needs me, trapped with a mad fool and a crying whelp"
Frigus’ head cocks at the mention of crying. Noticing the blade they give a smile to Digs “I’m ok I’m just not adapted well for heat…” Turning their attention back to Kallos they ask “Well that is strange. Are you saying they bound you for no reason?”
"Of course they had reason, they desired a fraction of my power, like most did back then.. Speaking of which I can't force you but I ask that you respect my title, you have not earned the right to call me by that name. You may call me Tyrant"
“Oh… well… I’m beginning to sense a theme… Vorax didn’t really put together about the whole being mean to people usually means bad stuff happens to you eventually thing either…”
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Vorax doesn't put together what's left of his last two braincells let alone cause and effect. Thought I hesitate to call my rule mean. Feels rather... childish. I executed and killed and maimed, would you not call that somewhat more extreme than mean?"
“I guess my curiosity is why you did what you did? It’s clear someone taught Vorax that’s what blue dragons do and they just acted accordingly. But you don’t seem as unstable… you had all that power you had and you used it to destroy and hurt instead of protect or create. It seems like it was wasted on you.”
"Wasted, says who? You? I fulfilled my duty to Tiamat as I promised her and I fulfilled my promise of power to myself. I achieved. Where Vorax praises evil actions as good and you clearly condemn them, I simply accept evil as it is, a path. A path I chose and a path I was rewarded for choosing. You have no power to judge me and nor do any of your little dragon gods. I can only be judged now by Tiamat, and although she may cast me down and enslave my soul that is simply the path I followed, I have no regrets. You say power was wasted on me but from where I stand I can look back on a legacy of almost two centuries of glory and to me that is no waste."
“The point I was making, and you seem like you wouldn’t value sugar coating this, is that being trapped in armour is your ultimate reward? Maybe you got gold or riches for a while… but you’re here and your goddess has left you trapped in this armour for how long…? Is she even sending someone to free you? Then… even if you got out what awaits you… Being food… it’s not exactly a great outcome for you… maybe if you had sided with someone like one of our “little dragon gods” you’d have people looking to get you out and into an afterlife when you’re more than a snack…”
"Well then, perhaps you could go back in time and make all my decisions for me, perhaps I'd have what you would call a better life then. Perhaps not, perhaps I would have ended up in the same place without even my legacy to comfort me. I made my choices little one, I enjoyed my legacy. What happens now does not matter anymore, I have lost, now just comes the inevitable end that comes for us all eventually."
“Hmm well setting the sarcasm to one side… if you don’t get eaten by Tiamat you could just accept the judgment of another god and try to do better next time?”
"Next time? There is no next time little one, there is only this time. You seem to struggle with this so I will be clear. I have lived, and I have died. I am not agonising over the past or the future or the present. I have made my decisions, whether they were good or bad they were my decisions, my past and my legacy. I have accepted who I am now and who I was then and I was glorious. If you really seek to understand my motivations then there, I did what I wanted and I am happier for it."
“I guess that complacency is still sticking around...” Frigus looks to Digs “Is this the last one? It’s getting hot in here, so I think it’s time I took this off”.
“Yeah, that’s the last one, you can take it off. Are you okay? I know that was a lot.”
Frigus reaches for the straps and carefully begins unbuckling the armour taking pieces off and placing them back on the mannequin. "I'm ok, but living with that, relying on that. I don't know how you manage it."
“I guess I’m pretty good at not listening to people trying to tell me stuff?” He says whilst wincing slightly. “I’m really sorry about what happened before.”
"What do you mean? The Falafel? It's fine I totally digested it normally" there's a bead of sweat visibly forming on Frigus' forehead as they say this.
“No not the falafel, but sorry about that too. I mean when you and Orianna tried to talk to me about Azharul and I just got all weird and defensive. I didn’t get a proper chance to say it when we were helping Elarris. Well, you were helping Elarris and I was being blind and stuff.”
"I mean, the falafel, I was fine, no need to apologise about that. As for the chat with Orianna and I, you had just found out some big and scary information. We don't blame you for being upset or defensive. With the herald stuff whatever you decide we will still support you the same way we would now. If you're still worried about making a choice, I'm happy to answer any questions about it? Obviously, each herald has their own relationship to their Archwyrm but maybe I can help set aside anything holding you back or confirm if you think it's not right for you."
“I have been thinking about it. I feel like with Malgrys still out there I’m still trying to just… survive.” he thinks for a second, “I’m trying. I really am and it’s not all terrible. I actually like the scatter cushions. But that’s a really big decision and I don’t trust myself to make the right one.”
"Well I don't think you'll have to choose until at least after Malgrys is dealt with anyway." A smile breaks out on Frigus' face again as they look over the decor “The scatter cushions are lovely. We do need to get you an actual bed though if you're going to stay down here. For someone with so many traps sleeping a hammock is a really bad choice... not just the lumbar support but if you try to emergency roll out you could get tangled up."
“I thought about it. The cushions make me feel a bit less alone and that’s… nice, but I don’t want to actually wake up not alone you know? The hammock keeps that rats and frogs out.”
Frigus’ face is tight as they nod and smile “right… yeah… I can’t think of any other way to avoid rats and frogs being in your sleeping place…”
“More traps?”
“Ummm… no… I was thinking maybe just a place where those things don’t live…”
Digs rolls his eyes, “I’m changing a lot okay? Let me have this. But I really appreciate you coming down here and saving me from my own trap and bringing my stuff back and telling me Calla’s alive and… trying to walk in my shoes a bit. I know I’m not an easy person for you to be friends with. Can I just ask for one more thing though?”
Frigus smiles at the kind words “You’re not that tough, I’ve been raising a dragon twice my size by myself. But of course you can.”
Digs looks down at his feet, “I think I’d like a hug…if that’s okay with you?” Frigus smiles warmly and wraps Digs in a gentle hug.