Palo’s dream

“I have planted these seeds of my future, and they shall be watered with the blood of the Westernan Prime Minister.”
Palo said to Kesteil calmly.
“What is it you wish to grow?”
A blank stare fell over Palos face with the fire in front of them reflected deep in his eyes.
“My Empire…”
With silence growing between them Palo slapped his knees and stood up.
“Well enough chat I’m starving!”
Palo turned and was face to chest with Dragonar.
“You sure are quiet for such a heavy pile of junk.”
Dragonar crossed his arms in silence.
“What’s a matter big guy I thought they fixed you?”
“Just because I refuse to talk to you doesn’t mean that I am broken.”
Palo smirked and pointed at Dragonar.
“You weren’t eavesdropping on us were you?"
Dragonar looked past Palo at Kesteil and shook his head. Palo could tell at once that he was lying.
“Even this walking suit was human at one point and they ware their hearts on their sleeves.”
Palo thinks to himself and steps in close to put his hand on Dragonar’s shoulder.
“You my friend will make a virtuous Imperial Bodyguard. One day I will trust you with my life and you will not fail.”
Dragonar stood still as Palo walked past, as he walked away Palo began to whistle a Dragoon battle song and Dragonar took a seat across from Kesteil.
“Geesh what’s gotten into him?”
Kesteil laughed.
“I don’t know, he gets that way after he plays. Those Bards are emotion sprits.”
Both Kesteil and Dragonar sat in silence watching the fire burn out. Kesteil’s dragonling crept closer and closer to the fire as it died down, and was soon rolling in red coals. Dragonar leaned in.
“He needs a name…”
“Why?…Its just a dragonling.”
Dragonar tilted his head away from her.
“He needs a name.”
“What then Tinman?”
Dragonar scoffed.
“Well I was thinking Ash!”
From atop of the hill Palo shouted.
“ASH! That’s a wonderful name!”
Palo picked up his violin and began to sing a song to Ash Kesteils fierce dragonling. Ash began to dance inside the coals Dragonar soon began laughing as Kesteil stood up angrily and walked towards her tent passing Palo on the small hill
“Quiet your playing Bard. I’m going to sleep now.”
Palo grinned as she walked away.
“Yes my Empress.”
Kesteil turned shocked then red embarrassed.
“Ash is a stupid name anyway.”
She yelled as she walked into her tent. Dragonar leaned in and began to pet ash with his finger.
“Well I thought Ash was a good name.”
Palo put down his violin.
“I did too my iron friend.”
Palo heard the shifting of metal parts and looked over at Dragonar in his wolf form curled up with Ash next to an extinguished fire Palo stood atop the hill and looked around, it was deep into night and he could feel eyes upon him.
“It must be the Elve girl. Kesteil has her plans for her, but I have my own.” Palo thought to himself. As he scanned the tree line two white eyes glared back at him only to blink away. Palo could sense no harm only that the eyes watched. He lay across the grass under the stars and moons and fell asleep.
“Time to plant my seeds” he thought to himself.
Dreamspeech was Palos favorite way of telling his mother things he couldn’t tell her while awake. Even his young sister possessed such a gift but her messages were too cryptic all her dreams where an abstract metaphor. Iluran tried for years to interpret Alayahs prophecies but soon all her powers became uncontrollable and she was lost to madness.
Tonight Palo had planned on showing both Markus and Kesteil his future with Dreamspeech. Kesteil will be hard to penetrate but Markus mind was like walking through an open door and straight into his dreams.
Markus stood between two towering thrones with Palo seated to his right and Kesteil to his left. In front of him knelt down before them was a man human, a general Phill of the Westernan army. The man stood looking at Markus, Palos arm stretched out in front of them.
“Guards take him away. He has been charged with war crimes against the Empire and will be put to death.”
The man screamed as guards closed in and drew a hidden dagger from inside his shirt. The general killed one guard with ease and lunged at the Emperor Palo.
“Death to the Empire!”
But before the man could make it two steps away from Palo Markus had slid his blade under his chin and through the top of the mans skull. He retracted the blade and stepped back to find Palo and Kesteil at his side. Palo drew him close.
“You have done the right thing and for your loyalty you shall become general to my Imperial army.”
Kesteil placed her hand on his arm.
“And together we will find what you are looking for my friend.”
Markus then found himself on a great battlefield leading men from many nations into battle against hordes of Goblins. Letting out a might battle cry Markus ran into the front lines leaving headless corpses in his wake and emerging victorious.
Kesteils mind was not as an open door and took all Palo had to get inside. She slowly approached her massive throne led by Palo’s hand, they both took their seats and the ceremony began. Leaders from all across Elaria stood in this great hall all of them carrying offerings to the new Emperor and his Empress. Even creatures from unknown nations bowed before their new Eladrin lords. Kesteil turned to Palo excitement strewn across her face.
“What has happened?" She asked Palo.
“This world is ours.”
Worry set into her emotions.
“What do I do?”
Palo laughed and touched her face.
“What you were meant to do. Rule.”
Morning came and the group had started breakfast but Palo didn’t wake. Dreamspeech left him drained and Kesteils mind took all he had. The group ate without him in silence until Markus interrupted with a simple statement.
“I had a good dream last night.”
Kesteil smiled and replied.
“You know… me too.”
Palo brushed his white hair from his face as a sly smile made it way across his face.
“These seeds will make a beautiful garden.” He thought to himself and went back to sleep.

Some hours earlier...

Kestiel woke from the dream.

She lay silently for some time, her mind turning as she sought the dream's source, for she had no doubt that it had come from outside influence. A Gift had been at work, that much she had sensed even in her sleep, for though her shields were at their absolute weakest, they had still sensed something coming through. After a while, her mind--still somewhat clouded by weariness--finally realized who it must have been that sent her such a dream. Her lips turned up into a slight, knowing smile.

Palo...

It could have been no one else, and had she not been so sleepy, the answer would surely have come to her sooner. She had been travelling with the bard for some weeks now, and though she thought she knew him fairly well, he still proved himself to be quite the enigma at times. That he held such ambitions surprised her, and that he apparently had such lofty plans for her both surprised and pleased her even more. Still, even though the dream had been fantastic, and the sensation of wielding such political power was nearly intoxicating, she found herself struggling with the concept.

I want my life to be my own, she thought, still lying within the darkness of her tent. Still, perhaps it could be fun to play the role of Empress of all Elaria for a time... Her smile broadened as she thought about her peers back in Heva, those cruel, heartless children who had grown up to become higher-than-thou, arrogant adults. They had always held her in contempt because of her heritage, and had always looked down on her and treated her as if she was less than them. She knew that she owed some small part of her current fame and success on their coldness that had all but forced her out of the community at a young age, for had she remained in Heva, she never would have met Shai-Hulud and become the heir to his power. But magical power was one thing...

And political might is quite another, she silently admitted. Yes, she would gladly play the part of Palo's doting empress, for as long as the charade suited her, at least. After that... She wasn't sure, but she knew that ruling Elaria beside the enigmatic bard was not her fate, not for the long run anyway. Kestiel knew that, eventually, her path would lead her back to Heva, for--as far as she knew--her mother still dwelt there, and she did feel some small amount of familial attachment to her.

And, of course, she mentally added, I will have to show off my "newfound" powers in person. I have no doubt that the tales of my primacy among magic users has reached them, perhaps even the news of my little outburst at the Academia Arcana, but that will be nothing compared to the chaos I will bring down upon them should any of them attempt to treat with me as they did so many years ago...

The image of herself calling down arcane fire and ice upon her childhood tormentors always brought a smile to her face like nothing else could...

Outside the tent, Kestiel could hear her familiar snapping at the dwindling embers of the fire. No doubt the warforged was out there as well, watching him like he was some sort of pet or mascot. It disgusted her, really, the way the creature played about. It was totally unfitting for it, a red dragonling of Shai-Hulud to act so, after all. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried to bend the magical creature to her will, it was no use, and she had long since stopped trying.

Her mind turned to her other erstwhile companions.

Dragonar was a mystery to her, as she had had little to no experience with warforged before him. He certainly didn't act like the noble warriors of old that she'd always heard so much about... And then there was the situation with the voice-box, and her part in helping to fix him; she'd received no real thanks from the construct, and though she didn't really seek his favor, it nettled her that he still treated her so poorly.

As mysterious as Dragonar was, though, he barely compared with Palo. The fact that he was a high elf had been off-putting at first, as her previous experiences with those who shared that part of her heritage had not been what anyone would call pleasant. He was charming, though, in a roguish sort of way, and she had found herself feeling drawn to him. She wasn't entirely sure, yet, if she could trust him, but she was certainly beginning to enjoy his company more and more.

After Palo, her mind automatically turned to Torrin, for the three of them had been adventuring together for some time. He was a stalwart and strong ally, one who she felt comfortable having at her back but, as with the rest of her so-called allies, Kestiel found it hard to completely trust the dragonborn.

Kestiel smiled to herself when she thought of Markus. She had the goliath completely under her spell, she was certain, and knew that she could make him do pretty much whatever she wanted if the situation arose. A little bit of flirtation went a long way, particularly when you were as charismatic and attractive as Kestiel, and it wouldn't be the first time that the beautiful half-elf had used her natural, non-magical gifts to get what she wanted out of someone. Yes, Markus would be a great tool, when the time came...

Her thoughts darkened, though, when they turned to Tierryn. The elven woman was a thorn in her side, truthfully, but at the same time, Kestiel felt drawn to her as well, perhaps even more strongly than she did to Palo. Perhaps it was her elven blood, or perhaps it was because she was the only other female in this party full of men, Kestiel wasn't sure. What Kestiel was sure of, though, was that there was no trust there, on either side. Tierryn always seemed to have an eye on Kestiel, and Kestiel knew that she would gladly kill the elven woman. Most of the time, at least...

Shaking her head to clear if of such thoughts, Kestiel rolled over and tried to get more comfortable in her bedroll. She sighed, thinking of how long it had been since she'd slept in a real bed, and not just some innkeeper's straw-stuffed pallet. Too long, she admitted to herself, vowing that in the next city they came to--Port Pence--she would spring for the best room in the place.

With that final, comforting thought, Kestiel slipped back into a peaceful slumber, undisturbed until late in the next morning...

Dragonar lied curled up with Ash, contemplating exactly what Palo was talking about earlier. Him? An imperial guard? He wasn't too crazy about the idea, growling as he recalled the years of servitude he had already put in while with the order. Besides, he had his own agenda, what with disrupting the order, finding the person who put him in this state, and then... His thoughts trailed off for a moment, tilting his head slightly. And after all of that, then what? When this was all said and done, what else is left for me? He shifted slightly, raising his head as is metal tail wagged about slowly. Perhaps I shouldn't dismiss such a statement so soon., he thought to himself. Dragonar turned his gaze to the dragonling, nuzzling it's head. "What do you think, Ash? Imperial guard or no?" Ash simply yawned in response, burying it's head against Dragonar's metal hide. "I'll take that as an 'I'll sleep on it' kind of response." He lowered his head yet again, his eyes turning a cool as he relaxed. His "ears" twitched as he listened to the sounds of the creatures that dwelled during the night, finding the noises to be rather soothing. His eyes soon turned to a dim gray, showing he was "resting", trancing if one would call it that.

He then began to debate if Palo being an emperor was such a good idea. While Kestiel and her little band weren't evil, they were still sometimes known to get into mischief now and then. Dragonar finally came to the conclusion that he would simply survey the situation, and if Dragonar liked what he saw, then would he finally at least consider becoming Palo's personal guard. All this thinking was making harder for him to rest, so his thoughts soon turned to a time in his past life where on nights like this he would simply relax with a human woman he once called friend, those thoughts of days long past always helping him to sleep...