Hello, Everyone!
Last time, our heroes let Reina and Aurum lead the way and headed towards Francesca Findabair’s castle which turned out to be mounted on an impossible cloud above the city. The group took a few gryphons and flew up to meet the ruler of the city and the Boy Emperor.
Also, Mary had a look at some portraits depicting the previous Emperors. Very fine men. Very interesting eyes.
“The Emperor awaits you,” the butler said.
They went on through the doors, across a long, winding corridor, and into a wide terrace lit by several lanterns.
In the farthest end of the space, lying on a soft couch with a tall glass in hand, was a woman that made Mary’s heart beat faster. She'd seen that woman’s portraits in books, and ever since she was little, she'd desperately wanted to meet her.
The woman looked about fourty, light-skinned and dark-haired, dressed in a simple brown robe. 'Plain', Aurum had described her when he returned from Zerakas tol, and her appearance was surely nothing striking. But her exploits were so big and so magnificent, that it didn't matter what she looked like.
She was the Queen of Zerakas tol, the one who raised the Higanta Mountain and separated her city from the continent. The centuries-old Mage who was friends with the entire Imperial dynasty. The Wizard who fought along with her Devoted and was rumoured to have conquered death itself.
Francesca Findabair, back from Pandemonium.
Mary’s heart fluttered. She was finally going to meet her hero. But it wasn’t going to be the exciting introduction she had fantasised about. She had just helped free an Ancient dragon and put Erathos in enormous danger. The Mage was surely going to be mad.
A Brass dragonborn stood on one knee next to the couch, casually chatting with Lady Findabair. He was tall and broad, but his expression was much softer than that of Sir Genos, the only other dragonborn that Mary already knew. A tall shield was leaning on the couch next to the couple, and a huge reflective sword lay beside it.
Mary knew who that dragonborn was. Aurum had told them about him: Sir Vizarius Naga, Francesca Findabair’s personal guard.
Both the Lady and her bodyguard were watching two figures sparring around a sprinkling fountain in the middle of the terrace. A boy was jumping there, short sword in hand. He was young, about fifteen, his hair the colour of wheat. His movements were swift and agile, but his opponent anticipated and blocked all of them.
The person he was fighting… was Sir Vizarius Naga, again. Mary moved her eyes from the fountain to the couch and back, to make sure she was, indeed, seeing double. The dragonborn was fighting the boy, but he was also standing next to Francesca Findabair.
The sparring Sir Naga was stationary, using his heavy metal gauntlets to deflect the boy's hits, almost lazily so. It was obvious that he was in great control of his strength against the physically weaker opponent. At one point he made a sudden movement and cut under the young Emperor's legs, sending the boy sprawling on the floor. Edmund Bright jumped up and took a stance for another round, but his eyes fell on the approaching group. He raised a hand to Sir Naga and the dragonborn stood back.
“I think that’s enough practice for now,” the boy said. “Thank you, Sir Naga.”
He put his sword away and ran up to meet them. The dragonborn, no longer needed as a sparring partner, stepped towards his other version and they merged into one. He stood up and stepped beside Lady Findabair with his arms folded behind his back.
“Miss Lavore! Sir Aurum!” Edmund greeted cheerfully. “It’s so pleasant to see you! And your companions as well.”
A few servants appeared, carrying platters of finger food. Edmund grabbed one and hugged it like a teddy bear.
“Put the tray down, Edmund!” Francesca Findabair scolded him from her couch.
The boy’s face drooped. He handed the platter to the servant but took a handful of snacks and started stuffing them in his mouth. He offered some to the group but the only one who accepted was Aurum.
“I’ve missed your company, Sir Aurum!” the boy said. “What brings you here?”
“I’m afraid that we carry ill news, Edmund. There is a new threat to Erathos. A powerful Blue dragon.”
Suddenly, Francesca Findabair stood from the coach and approached them.
"A Blue dragon?" she chimed in. "What's their name?"
“Lady Francesca, it's fortunate to meet you,” Bruno said. “We didn’t think we were going to find you here because Dynatos Perres told us you were away.”
“I was. Came back with a little trinket.”
She pointed at an amulet hanging around Edmund’s neck. It was golden, with some precious gems incrusted in the metal, and for a moment it reminded Mary about the ruby Aurum was wearing - their connection to Granny Gretel.
“So, the dragon’s name?” Lady Findabair repeated.
"Trax'rion," Mary said.
She saw the recognition on the Mage's face. Of course! She had probably been there, when he'd been imprisoned! After all, it had only been 48 years ago. Lady Findabair had probably even helped out back then. She was surely going to help them now, too.
"We accidentally set him free," Bruno added. "It was our companion, an elf called Tesaya. She was working with him and tricked us.”
"She set him free with a very powerful spell," Mary said.
"How powerful?"
"Beyond the Ninth sphere. It was called Unravelling."
Francesca Findabair breathed in and held her eyes on Mary, studying her carefully.
"How do you know the spell’s name?" she asked.
Mary felt the blood drain from her face. She'd said too much! They weren’t supposed to know the spell’s name, it was Mundus that had revealed it to them. What if the Mage found out about him and decided to take him away from them? What if she betrayed them, like Tesaya had?
"I r-read it," Mary lied. "In a book."
Francesca Findabair shook her head. She approached Mary, letting out a long sigh.
"We’ve all been lied to, cheated and betrayed in our lives,” she said softly. “But you don’t have to be wary here, you are among friends. It seems like what happened to you has hurt you beyond words, and for that, I am truly sorry."
How did she know exactly what Mary was feeling? Grief washed over her and her eyes started filling up with tears. It was like a knife twisting inside of her chest. She bit her lips, trying not to bawl in front of the Queen.
“What did I tell you, Edmund?” Lady Findabair turned to the boy, with a completely different tone in her voice. “Elves are no good."
The boy shrank into himself. Mary looked at him with compassion. It must have stung, this remark. After all, he had elven blood in his veins.
So! First impressions? Francesca Findabair is so cool! I hope she’s not a bad guy! And Edmund… I don’t know about him yet. He’s still a mystery. A friendly and cheerful mystery, but a mystery nonetheless.
What do you think about them?
See you next time when we'll continue our talk.
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossaries (Part 1 and Part 2)
and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: Mary Windfiddle's story is my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum, Bruno and Agatha) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.
This is such a fun and intriguing continuation of the story! The worldbuilding here is impressive, with Francesca Findabair’s introduction adding layers of depth and mystery. I love how you’ve described her—a figure of immense power and history, yet with an understated appearance that contrasts with her legendary exploits. It makes her feel both intimidating and approachable. The interactions between the characters are lively and full of personality, especially with Edmund, whose cheerful demeanor and playful snack antics bring a lighthearted touch to the otherwise serious situation.
Mary’s internal conflict is relatable and well-written—her hero worship of Francesca is palpable, and the way you capture her emotional vulnerability when confronted by Francesca’s perceptiveness is very moving. The blend of light humor, tense moments, and character development keeps the story engaging, and I’m curious to learn more about the blue dragon, Trax’rion, and how Francesca might help with the impending danger.
The little hints at the end, like Francesca’s comment about elves, also add to the intrigue, making me wonder how these relationships will evolve as the story continues. It’s a well-paced, character-driven chapter that leaves me wanting to know more about this group’s journey. Great work!
Thank you so much for this long and thoughtful comment!
The worldbuilding and Francesca Findabair and Edmund's appearance and demeanor are all inspired by how our DM (@marydm) described them around our D&D table. He's a really good storyteller!
As far as Mary - I'm really happy that you've enjoyed her conflict, I always worry that her inner monologue is either too much or not enough :)
Thank you, again, for such an in-depth analysis of this chapter! I hope you like the next parts of the story as well! <3