Chapter Five Hundred and Twelve — Cleaning Up the Remainder
Chapter Five Hundred and Twelve — Cleaning Up the Remainder We woke up bright and early the next morning, and while it was nice to be back in our rooms-or at least, I enjoyed waking up in my own bed on my own cabin aboard the Beaver Cleaver even if I did have Desiree sleeping over with her feet by my ears and her tails in my face-but there wasn't much time to linger. The winter solstice was nineteen days away. That was the day of Booksie's wedding, and also apparently a big day of celebration across a lot of local cultures.Nineteen days sounded like a lot. And it probably would have been a lot ... for a regular wedding. But this wedding was anything but regular.Regular weddings did not involve people powerful enough to flatten a city, after all.... It was strange to think that we were so close to mid-winter. It wasn't cold at all. Did we live on the equator?I wasn't sure, but that would be a question to tease Amaryllis about later. For now we had a whole day ahead of us.After a quick breakfast, we split up, this time grabbing some of the Beaver's crew to help because this was very much an all-hands-on-deck kind of situation. The day then proceeded to move ahead.It was weird because it both felt like the day was crawling and like it was moving super fast. I think because everything we did was fun in its own way, which made time fly past. But at the same time, everything was new, and new experiences always felt like they made things move slowly.My tasks for the day were to scout out the big plaza we were going to use as a wedding venue. Amaryllis was going to secure some decorations and my job for the morning was to figure out where they'd all go in the first place.I'd never decorated things very much before, but I had seen some nice places in the past and I figured it couldn't be all that complicated, right? The weather decided to prove that it, at least, could be complicated. The skies opened up to a freezing cold downpour that had my ears flopping down around my neck. The local grenoil didn't seem to mind it much. If anything the rain was an excuse to get outside and take a walk. The non-grenoil (except for me; I didn't mind getting a bit wet) got their umbrellas out.So, we weren't going to put anything up with the rain, but that didn't mean we couldn't give the plaza a proper scrubbing! I started at one end and slowly walked around it in shrinking circles, only pausing when I had to let traffic by. The guards gave me looks, but I was just splashing Cleaning magic around and the results were nicer to look at.Port Royal wasn't a dirty city, but it did have a lot of foot traffic and the coal-burning stacks at the far end of the city did turn the air a little smoggy. My deep clean whisked away dirt and grime and left the bare stones of the paving blocks looking all shiny and new. The rain helped too, giving them a sleek sheen.Then it was the roads, the bollards on the sides, and even some of the local statuary. There were a few small fountains on the sides of the space, as well as some statues of what looked like important people. Those had turned green with verdigris, but a quick splash of Cleaning magic had them all shiny and golden looking as if they had just been cast for the first time.I would probably clean everything again the morning of the wedding, but by dealing with all the worst stains now, that would go pretty quick.The plaza was a decently large space. It was lined on all sides by a mix of shops and what looked like important government buildings and offices. Lots of nice stonework with little carvings here and there, and since the area was well-patrolled by the city-guard, there wasn't much in the way of trash on the walking spaces and graffiti on the walls.The space was some two hundred paces wide but another hundred and fifty-ish long, more or less. A big not-quite-square. The smaller fountains on the sides angled inwards towards a big one at the rear. That one had several important looking grenoil standing with hand in hand next to a carving of a mountain made from a single massive boulder. Atop that, with her wings curving inwards, was a large brass dragon that had a suspiciously familiar look to her. Rhawrexdee's mom? It had to be! The grenoil statutes were spitting out little spritzes of water and there were some smaller animals around doing the same. It probably sounded nice and peaceful when the sky wasn't pouring gallons onto my head.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.I hit the fountain with some Cleaning magic too, and that improved the water flow a smidge. Then, since I was starting to run out of mana, I started on the gardens.They weren't quite gardens, more like boxy planters and areas where the stepping stones rose up a smidge and left some room for grass, a few bushes and maybe a few hardy flowering plants. Someone was taking care of these, because the grass had been trimmed recently, but there were still a few weeds that I picked out and tossed, then I gave the flowers a bit of sprucing up and trimmed a few broken branches out of the bushes.It was dirty, knee-muddying work, but I got some grateful nods from passersby and I was happy with the results. Besides, it was nothing some Cleaning couldn't take care of.I left the plaza around noon, just as the rain started to let up. It was now spic-and-span and so clean it looked as if it had been constructed just that morning. After meeting up with my friends at Booksie's shop where we had sandwiches and figured out who had done what, Amaryllis-who was now armed with a clipboard and who had never been scarier-sent me and Caprica to find someone to officiate the wedding and to poke at the city government to make sure that no matter what, the wedding would absolutely be legal.That turned out to be pretty fun. Finding an officiant meant running around the entire city. Caprica wanted to do things the official way, but I just started asking married grenoil on the street about who tied the knot for them.By mid-afternoon we had a list of potentials, and then it was just a question of tracking them down and finding one who was free.The best option turned out to be a gentlemanly older grenoil who worked in a small church just a couple of blocks away from the plaza. He came highly regarded, and insisted that we sit down and have tea while he asked questions about Booksie and Rhawrexdee. He said that to make the moment as special as possible, it was best if he knew a little about them so that he could tailor the speech he'd be giving to each of them.He agreed to take care of the event. His fees were very reasonable according to Caprica. Though he did want to meet Booksie first to ask her some more questions. Next was the legal matter, and that's the part of the day that felt longest. First we had to go up to the Sylphfree embassy near the top of the city, then we had to meet with a small team of grenoil and sylph solicitors. 'Solicitor' turned out to be a fancy word for 'lawyer,' and they really lived up to that kind of reputation. There were some interns carrying books so thick they could serve as ballast and fancy folk wearing robes and wigs.Caprica laid out the problem we had-that Deepmarsh law didn't explicitly make marriage between a bun and a dragon legal-and then they were off searching through their massive tomes and arguing definitions.After nearly two full hours of listening to them go back and forth, I was dragged along as half the group marched back down to City Hall. Interns drafted letters and long legal forms while I tried to keep up with the march. Once we arrived, the solicitors girdled themselves with the law and stomped into the place as if they were ready for war.They were met by the stalwart defence of the city bureaucrats, but they hadn't had time to prepare for the surprise assault, and so quickly fell.Even so, it took the rest of the day for the solicitors to completely overrun the bureaucratic defences. It was so boring that I nearly fell asleep on my feet, and I wasn't even tired.The solicitors had had time to study and prepare their case, so even when the city's own arrived, they didn't have good ground to stand on, and a quick accord was reached between the two parties. There was apparently a large loophole in the law that basically said that dragons could do as they pleased as long as they weren't burning the country down.It ended with handshakes all around and a bill that Caprica discreetly folded and put away.I was mostly just happy that it had ended because the sun was already down and I was real hungry.It was time for another big meal with my friends, and then we'd be onto another day of preparation before the big day. It felt like way too little time.
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Chapter Five Hundred and Thirteen — Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful
Chapter Five Hundred and Thirteen — Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful We had seventeen days before the wedding, and the rain of the previous few days returned as snow.It started in the early morning. We were all aboard the Beaver, getting ready to take off for the morning and enjoying some warm beverages to ward off the bit of a chill that had picked up overnight when I heard Awen gasp.Looking outside of our dining area, I could make out a few fat snowflakes gently drifting down from a slightly overcast sky."That won't change our plans much," Amaryllis said. "Though if it is likely to be cold on the day of the wedding, we might want to look into renting or finding some braziers that we can set up in the plaza to keep people warm.""Can we find some that are smokeless?" I asked. "We wouldn't want to ruin the vibes if there's a bit of wind and suddenly everyone is coughing.""That's a strange consideration, but I can see where you're coming from," Amaryllis said. She rubbed her chin, then nodded. "I'm quite certain there are magical braziers available. I remember seeing some in the Harpy Mountains. We have enough time to source a few."With that said and done, we continued breakfast (It was oatmeal and granola with a sprinkling of a sweet sauce that was a little bit like maple syrup but not as thick or sweet or yummy). Outside, the occasional drifting snowflake became a faint flurry of snow carried by the wind, and by the time we were stepping out to get on with our day's work, the snow had turned constant.I was halfway to Booksie's place when I realized that this first snowfall of the year might also keep. It was starting to pile up on rooftops and street corners, and while a lot of the snow was melting on contact with the ground, some of it was sticking around.It continued to snow harder into the afternoon, and by midday, as we were gathering up once more to go over our progress for the day, a nasty wind had joined the falling snow and the clouds had only grown thicker.It was a full-blown snowstorm by early evening, and getting back to the Beaver meant walking against the snow with arms stretched out before us and magical shields in place to keep the sleet away. My Cleaning magic proved kinda useless against snow. It only made it fluffier before it pelted us in the face. I tried having fireballs that hovered before me, but I couldn't make my fireballs hot enough to completely evaporate the snow. All I did was turn it into rain.We made it back to the Beaver and huddled in the dining room with towels around our shoulders to dry off from the wetness. I got started on some hot cocoa and we all sat looking through the bay windows out on the airship docks.The low howl of the wind blew heavy clouds above and below us, intermittently hiding the mountain peaks and the lowlands. Snowflakes fell thick and fast, building up on the brightly painted airships and spiraling down the slope of the mountain. A few dockworkers, bundled up thight in coats and scarves and hats, worked to sweep the snow off the piers.My mom would've paid good money for a postcard that looked half as nice.That night was pretty chilly, but Amaryllis had managed to secure a magical brazier and we snuck it into the ship and lit it up. It didn't produce any fire, just a faint glow from an array of interlinked magical runes inside of the brazier's cage. It turned the interior of the Beaver into a toasty oven.The next day started with clear skies and crisp, cold air. It was actually much colder now that the snow had stopped, and every breath came with a few faint wisps of vapour. "How cold does it get here?" I asked Amaryllis as we shovelled off the Beaver's deck."Here, in Port Royal? I can't imagine it being too bad," she said. "The Darkwoods will be cold enough, but Deepmarsh is relatively warm all year round, and the ocean just to the south is also known for being warm all year.""Well, it's not warm now," I said as I ran a hand over a railing and cleared it of snow."Obviously. We're still quite high up, and it's possible that a cold front has slipped in from the north. The Harpy Mountains become quite cold this time of year." She nodded. "Especially the northern reaches. Obviously the Snowlands aren't known for any amount of warmth.""Uh-huh," I agreed. "This'll be my first winter on Dirt. It feels a little strange.""Strange how?" she asked.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation."I dunno," I replied, and it was the truth. It was just making me feel a little weird. I knew I ought to feel a little homesick, and I did miss my parents, but... this was too much fun to feel icky about it? Did that make me a bad daughter? "Maybe it's nostalgia? My home is known for its winters, you know? And now that I can see snow again, it feels weird not to be back home. It feels like it should be December now? We'd be starting to panic about Christmas presents right about now. School would be in full swing, but we'd all be looking forward to winter break."Amaryllis moved closer to my side, then wrapped a wing around my shoulders. "We'll have to make your first winter on Dirt memorable, then. There are plenty of customs I'm sure you'll adore.""Is there gift-giving?" I asked."Of course," Amaryllis said."Do you put the gifts under a decorated tree?" I asked.She blinked. "What? No, why would you do that? Who would go out to a tree in the middle of winter to retrieve their gifts? You put the gifts in a large, gaily decorated nest.""Ah, that's much more sensible," I said before I broke out into giggles. Amaryllis gave the back of my head a whack with her wing.The day was pretty quiet. We checked up on a few projects to make sure that they were progressing and to 'keep people honest' according to Amaryllis, but everything seemed like it was on track, and by the time lunch rolled around we didn't have much left to do.We gathered up around Booksie's place and had an early lunch. Cooking with friends was always fun, even if it got to be a little chaotic at times. After lunch, we did some skill practice. I still needed to get Mana Regeneration and Thick Skin, which meant burning through all of my mana reserves as quickly as I could and then letting Amaryllis fling little bolts of lightning at me.By the time skill practice ended, I felt like a very crispy broccoli.The others made some progress. Desiree and Calamity both spent some time sparring, and they both ended up tousled and covered in snow while Awen mostly just sat with Caprica and Booksie and read some big engineering book that Booksie let her take from the shop.Eventually we had to clear out because Rhawrexdee came down to visit. He seemed overjoyed to see us, and happier to see that Booksie wasn't as stressed.It was hard to be anxious when surrounded by so many friends! At least, that's how it was for me, and I think it worked that way a little for Booksie too.Rhawr was happy to be brought up to date with all of our projects and he joined us for a late supper which mostly involved cooking huge portions of food, eating our fill, then tossing the rest into his mouth."I am glad that things are coming along well," he said. "And also, I am a dragon, so if anyone causes you any amount of distress, feel free to remind them that I am capable of eating them.""I don't think that sounds very nice," I said. "Threatening people isn't okay.""I disagree," Rhawrexdee said. "I am not a threat. I am a dragon."The difference felt a bit like splitting hairs, but who was I to judge? Besides, Rhawr was being a very helpful groom, all things considered. He promised us to help with the payments for whatever we needed, which meant that he was using up some of the gold from his own hoard to help.As far as I could tell, it was a much bigger deal for a dragon to give up some portion of their hoard than it was for a human to give up some money.He didn't treat it like a big deal, though. His enormous reptilian eyes softened as Booksie explained the costs, and his voice was resolute when he stated he would cover the payments.For a while, we left the two of them alone in Booksie's backyard. She sat perched on the curl of Rhawr's tail, and they talked in low voices while watching the clear blue sky. Occasionally, the sound of his warm chuckle or her windchime giggles would drift into the house.I couldn't help but smile.The day ended soon after, and we decided that the most fun thing to do was sleep over at Booksie's. We set up a big tent, getting it placed just before it started to snow a bit more. Rhawr curled up around the tent, and his body heat alone was enough to keep us all warm as we settled in and talked and laughed and teased each other for hours before finally falling asleep.We still had a lot of work to do, but as long as we were tackling some of it every day, then we were sure to get it all done before the wedding. Booksie had nothing to worry about!
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