It’s been a while since anyone asked a question but this week mkjk asks:

Hello Salia, dear*hugs* How are you doing? How are you holding up?
I hope you are fine and you manage it. I also hope that help comes soon…

Take courage, dear *hugs*

mjkj

Salia replies:

I’m trying to be brave, but dragons are scary. Even Lyrekka, and she’s trying very hard not to be for some reason. And they seem to have thought of everything…

The other two speakers here… well Yarara seems nice, but she’s friends with Lyrekka. Being friends with a dragon is creepy. Foehn’s… well Yarara says he’s Foehn and I shouldn’t expect him to be anyone else, but he keeps teasing me.

But they both seem happy. I don’t understand why.

And neither of them seem scared. I don’t understand why not.

I just want to go home, so I really do hope you’re right and help comes soon.

Dear Dan

Why is it that you believe someone telling you bad about your dad? Is there any reason for that like previous bad experiences? Do you have a bad relationship with/to him? …and why did you not confront him about that what you heard – he could have explained it to you – or do you not speak with each other concerning Talonyka?

Please take care and protect Mela.

Kind regards and wishing you well

mjkj

Why did I believe Jayden Emms? Well mostly because I had no reason not to. He works for my father, is pretty much his second in command, and Dad had told him to persuade me to help them. Emms took this a euphemism for torture into submission if I said no – which I did. I believed Dad had meant that as well, but he said he didn’t and Ebona says it’s the truth.

And while the plan he outlined for me was pretty appalling the reasoning behind it was pretty much the same crap dad’s always spouted about magic and global conspiracies. The stuff that makes Lyd go up like a shaken bottle of pop. I just thought he’d gone from being an eccentric nutcase who’s theories gave David Icke a run for his money, but who was harmless, to being a dangerously insane nutcase with some serious firepower at his command.

And – um – I didn’t confront him because it all seemed feasible and I kind of didn’t want to be tortured again. If I’d realised he hadn’t intended that I probably would have done.

Now I don’t know what to think. The way he avoids talking about his ideas in front of Eb I’m beginning to think he’s been lying through his teeth to us all our lives.

I’m not sure that makes it better, but we definitely need to clear the air between us.

Hope that helps,

Daniel

Dear Ystelyan or Halia or whoever else might know

I see that dragons have to eat or feed to live and that is ok. But then why do they kill or drain the people they feed on? They could just feed on them so far that they do not get a permanent damage. They would need more people to feed once but they all would live…

Kind regards

mjkj

Ystelyan replies:

I may be the wrong dragon to ask this question to,  as you may have noticed I don’t generally kill my prey, but I’ll try and answer the question.

If one of us kills their prey it’s for one of two reasons. Either they intended to due to active malice or they lost control while they were feeding and there was no one there to stop them. The latter is unfortunately common among youngster like Talira.

You see we’re always hungry. It doesn’t matter how much we feed we’re always ravenous. When you are as old as I am you get used to it and you learn how much you actually need to feed. Born dragons are similarly fortunate. They live with their hunger their entire life so they learn to compensate for it. Converts like Talira have the worst problem. Talira’s still new to it and doesn’t know what she’s doing. Injury and shock can also overwhelm our self-control and cause a feeding frenzy.

A frenzying dragon will feed until there’s nothing left to eat within miles. That’s why I only let Talira feed when I’m there. I can restrain her until she learns some self-control. Though she’d do a lot better if she’d just learn not to wait until something pushes her over the edge.

As to why we tend to feed deeply enough to knock our prey out. To be honest the sheer number of prey we’d need to feed from in order not to would be prohibitative. Based on the fact that draining five average speakers into unconsciousness only provides about the same energy as draining one to to the point of death I dread to think how many a single dragon would need if they were just sipping. Too many to be sustainable I think.

Fortunately most renegades are quite amenable to being knocked out once or twice a year as long as you recompense them adequately. And if you’re careful they bounce back quickly.  The trouble starts when something happens to all your renegades and you have to start raiding.

The Dragon Lord adds:

One of the things which limits the number of dragons I can hold is feeding them all. Halia’s nearly knocked me out a couple of times when I’ve fed her in spite of my controls and she claims I’m not feeding her enough and that’s why she’s prone to collapse. The other’s claim the same, because I’ve ordered them not to drain to unconsciousness, but they don’t  pass out as much as she does. I think one of the reasons I have such a bad reputation is because I have to let them feed, even if the those bastards from the Elapyron Council and their cronies do deserve it for what they did to those kids.

Finally getting around to answering this one two weeks late:

Dear Dan or whoever may know

How do the portals to Thalonyka work? Ah, well make that two questions:

– How do they work “sciencemagically”? (or however you would call that)

– and how do they work in the sense of where can you go to with one: can you only go from Gaia to Thalonyka – and only to the same place or can you go from Gaia to any place in Thalonyka – or can you go from Thalonyka to any place in Gaia – or can you use them also to go from one place in Thalonyka to another? or is it you have to go to Gaia and then go to that other place in Thalonyka? Can you also go from one place in Gaia to another? etc… (I hope that makes sense?)

Well, I especially mean for you and your family (and humans that have access to Thalonyka) – but it would be interesting if others can also use the portals (without the help of humans) – what about Dragons?

Thank you

mjkj

The Dragon Lord replies:

I think the word you’re looking for is technomagical and when it comes to the other world I’m not sure it’s the right word. However that world does have a firm underpinning of consistent laws, but we’re still studying them and – despite the superficial similarities – it works nothing like our Earth.

We do know certain things though:

Firstly, there are permanent or at least semi-permanent portals that exist. These tend to exist at points of liminality like thresholds, the surfaces of pools, or cave entrances. Almost all of these entrances are one way and open inconsistently. Whatever force creates them – I thought it was the Core but now I’m not so sure – can make then at any liminal point. That seems to be how we ended up with one in the attic.

These gates go to one point and one point only. Where you have a cave or a lake with a reputation of being a dragon’s lair or an entrance to faerie it’s often a liminal gate.

Doctor Sarah Tyler interrupts:

And these sorts of liminal gates map consistently. That is not only do they always open to the same place, but if two gates are five miles apart on Earth they’ll be five miles apart in the other world as well.  Of course some liminal gates don’t lead to that world, which along with other suggestive evidence leads us to hypothesise that there are other worlds out there as well. We can’t say for sure because people who slip into then are never seen again, but we do know they have no exit in that place. Since the alternative is they are dropping people into the void we prefer not to think about that possibility.

The Dragon Lord nods and continues:

The second way of opening a gate to the other world is harder but more useful. A creature, be they human, speaker or dragon, of sufficient power can theoretically open a gate between any point on Earth and any point in the other world. Of course there are limitations. The most obvious is that while you can always open a gate to the eqivalent point in the other world as mapped by the liminal gates you can only open it to a different point if you know it well enough.

This is fortunate because it makes the points that dragons tend to break through at easily mappable and thus easily watched.

This means that, yes, you can use either world as a short cut in the other, as long as you know where you are going. That’s the difficult bit.

Oh and you can’t actually gate within a world, but you can certainly teleport if that’s one of your abilities. Though again you really need to know where you are going.

(author’s note: darn, I hope that made sense. It is rather complicated.)

mjkj asks:

To whoever may know

How does the dragon-poison work? (scientifically/medically – in the sense e.g. it blocks xyz so abc does not work anymore leading to asphyxiation or stopping of the heart etc…)

Thank you

mjkj

Doctor Sarah Tyler replied: To be honest Dragon Venom and the antidotes to it are not terribly well understood, but they don’t seem to work by any physical medium. I’d love to get my hands on some samples to study – our lack of understanding is why we have to rely on goblins to make the antidotes.

Halia adds: This kind of venom is not actually unique to dragons, so calling it dragon venom is a bit of misnomer. Doctor Tyler is correct, however, in her statement that it is not a physical toxin. Our venom is actually a piece of our essence woven into an attack. Once inside the victim it infects and disrupts their lifeforce. This disruption can manifest as a variety of physical symptoms and is eventually fatal without intevention.

This is why knowledge the colour and affinity of the dragon attacker is needed to brew an antidote. It needs to be the opposite of the venom in order to neutralise it. There’s some leeway but the closer the match, the more effective the antidote.

(Week Nine Part Two really is coming soon).

Fiona Asks:

Dear Salia,
Hang in there, sweetie! It’s going to be OK.
Just wondering, how old are you?
Fiona

Salia replies:

I’m trying, but dragons are scary.

I’m seven years old

—

Author’s note: mjkj’s question this week was too spoilery but he asked a question in his comment on Monday’s part which I can answer, so I’m answering that instead.

mjkj asks:

Yes, of course the dragons need to eat, but why does it have to be speakers?

Ystelyan sighs and then replies:

Because they’re who are here. Well, that doesn’t really answer your question, I’ll try and explain. Speakers aren’t precisely the only creatures in Talonyka that we can feed on – goblins, other dragons and the rare Talonri… er humans who come here are all potential food as well. Speakers are just the most numerous .

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Can’t they eat normal animals rather than intelligent creatures? And the answer, bluntly, is no. We’re psychevores or possibly thaumavores – it depends on your definition. The energy we require for sustenance can only be found in creatures possessed of a certain level of consciousness and preferably a certain amount of power – though only the former is strictly necessary.  Normal animals just don’t have what we need.

I suppose we could seek out some other inhabited world instead, but I’m not seeing how that would be any better. Conscious beings are conscious beings.

Anyway we like it here.

Feline Royal asks:

a question to the dragons:

since you are shapeshifters, is there a form that is easier to achieve and to maintain than others?

Halia replies:

Yes, our two favourite forms are our dragon form and our human form. Dragon because it’s big and intimidating and very useful when need to travel long distances quickly but can’t teleport for some reason. Human because it’s comfortable and perhaps the easiest of all forms for us, and hands are really useful things. We can take other forms, but rarely do outside of competitions. Our hunger or our eyes usually gives us away so subterfuge is out and there’s few other reasons to take other forms. I did shift into a beetle once to get through a gap when I didn’t dare discorporate.

Sentior asks:

Dear Feliaria,

I was wondering, if the Kinstrari raid your homes and convert your children, are the Kithreiri much weaker? I would expect you to do everything in your power to protect your children, so why is training Lydia all you seem to do,and why haven’t we seen any other member of the Kithreiri help yet?

Regards,
Sentior.

Feliaria replies:

That’s an interesting question.

On the whole we’re no weaker than the Kinstrari and we have the same breadth of power and skill. The reason you don’t see much of us is that we don’t live in either Taloa or Talonyka. We have our own place Kithrada, that’s where the Kinstrari raid. The ones who raid us that is – not all of them do.

Nine times out of ten we see them off, but they are clever and patient and not above feints to draw us away fromtheir target or watching for a child on his or her maturity quest. When they do grab someone we will try and get them back, but we’re not always in time.

(author’s note – there’s more to it but that would be spoilery)

Dear Dragon Lord – or whoever else might know

If it is not too spoilerish: What is so special about the “first twelve” dragons? (besides their different eye-colours – but maybe you can also elaborate on that and which colours they have – e.g. all red? or …?)

Thank you

mjkj

Halia replies:

Well they’re the twelve ancient Kithreiri who broke their bounds and became Kinstrari. Literally the first of us. And  of course they are all Miriri – the highest rank of strength and finesse among both peoples. Their eyes match their  hides and blood unlike the rest of us.

Hmm? The colours?

Silver, Red, Blue, Yellow, Light Green (not like our eyes), Black, Amber, Pink, Orange, Brown, Grey and Purple.

You’ll occassionally see gold dragons as well, but  they’re rare and no gold-eyed Kithreia has ever broken their bounds.

—

(author’s note: sorry it’s short. Anything more would be spoilers).

mjkj asks:

Are interracial/interspecies relationships and/or relationships between heart-friends possible/fruitful in Talonika? For example if you get older would it be possible for you to fall in love with Alban, marry him (or be with him or whatever the equivalent to these is in Talonika) and get children? (or would it stop right after #2? – no kids possible?) and would the kids have soul-stones or be humans or a mixture? and would this relationship be different from any other couple because of you being heart-friends?

Karen  answers: I… I really have no idea. It’s never come up. Do you know, Alban?

Alban says: Well, there are stories, but they’re folklore. Who knows if they’re true?

Alaryia draws  surprised stares from the others by interrupting:  Humans are co-fertile with Haltia and certain other humanoid or near humanoid  Speakers like merfolk, naga, selkies and vila. They aren’t co-fertile with dryads  and other nymphs because nymphs don’t reproduce the same way. Children born of a speaker/human liason  are … well for some reason they’re very similar to Goblins  but with human eyes. They don’t need a heart stones and can often shapeshift. Honestly if some factions of Haltia knew about this they’d probably try and  breed an army against the dragons.

Coincidentally humans are  also co-fertile with dragons and goblins though that’s even rarer.

—

Fiona asks:

Dear Dragons:
Which species of Speaker do you like to feed on best? Do you have a preference? How about humans? Num, num?
Not missing you,
Fiona

Ystelyan replies: Are you really sure you’re not missing us? I’m sure I could persuade you otherwise.  But  never mind that. Tastes vary for us as much as it does for  you, but it’s not really to do with species. We like the taste of certain emotions and personality types. We have this reputation  for loving the taste of fear above anything. I don’t see why. I have a taste for anger and bitterness but I’m  equally fond of their opposites.

Talira adds:  I don’t really know what I  like yet, I suspect I’ll be similar to my mirian. But I already know that fear tastes really bitter.

Halia says: Ystelyan-mirian fails  to mention that certain physical sensations – most commonly pain but there are others – enhance some of our kind’s enjoyment of their food.  He also side-stepped your question about humans, yes we eat humans when we can.

Hmm? What do I like. There’s nothing quite like the kind of loyal devotion which lets you do anything for your cause. I can almost put up with this collar, because when the dragon lord feeds me it tastes divine. Almost… but not quite.

Continuing on from yesterday here are the answers to mjkj’s  questions this  week.

Question one:

Dear Karen

How are you managing keeping up your good spirits and stay so calm in the front of all those hatred that they spew at you – just because you are human – and that you even try to safe them from the dragons?

Kind regards and have a good and victorious fight against the dragons

mjkj

Karen replies: Well I’d be lying if I said it didn’t rankle sometimes but to be honest it’s not entirely without reason. There’s a lot of very bad history between Earth and the other world. The Warriors weren’t involved, as far as anyone can tell, but shit sticks as they say. Still it wasn’t this bad two years ago, things had been almost cordial for over a century.

I guess the Dragon Knights being human and Kyle going off the deep end reawakened old aminosities.

I just have to grit my teeth and remind myself how important this is all is. Because as I’ve mentioned I’ve some wonderful friends here who I can’t just leave, and what ails here generally ails Earth as well. If it weren’t for that I’d be more inclined to let them stew.

What does piss me off is Valeria’s attitude. She knows me! She should know I’m not…

…

Sorry about that. The truth is I’m just very good at hiding who I am and what I’m feeling in order to do what needs doing. I’ve had to be.

—

Question two:

Dear Karen (and also dear Lydia, dear Daniel and dear Andrew)
How is it having a heart friend? How is it when your heart friend is near you? Do you feel different? more powerful? more …? (I am sorry I lack the right words here and I just hope you understand what I mean…)

Kind regards and thank you for the answers…

mjkj

Karen replies: The bond is different for everyone. For me it’s like having a best friend who knows you at least as well as you know yourself, but I don’t know that it makes me feel different per se-

Lydia intejects: It’s like waking up one day and finding out a whole part of your body you never knew you were missing has suddenly appeared. I always felt a little empty until I met Bennu.

Andrew says: Melodramatic, Lyd. I don’t especially feel different, but I do seem to be able to control  my abilities more, so perhaps I am stronger when she’s about.

Daniel says: I get restless if Ebona isn’t close by. When she’s in the other world and I’m on Earth I feel like part of me has been ripped away. It’s not exactly painful, but it’s not pleasant.