To the Centaurs

The youthful Centaur colt curiously peeked out and took a hesitant step forward, almost as delicately as a little fawn. He had deep, rich brown hair which was still growing out to resemble the longer hairstyles of the older Centaurs. His gentle bay coat was soft and shiny, certainly the mark of a colt who was well cared for.

"You're here to help us?" His voice was young and musical, carrying a tone of inquisitiveness that only a curious child could have.

She continued holding her hand out to him in a gentle, invitation to come out of the crowd completely.

"Yes child, the infection threatens all. What is your name, young one?"

"I'm Araxys!" The colt's cheery voice was tinged with excitement and a sense of adventure. "Are you looking for a healer? My Dam is a healer. One of the best!" As he took another step out, perhaps forgetting his shyness for a moment, he stopped with a sense of surprise and hesitance as he inadvertently came closer to the other outsiders and further from his Centaur brethren. He turned his head down shyly, peeking out from his curly wisps of hair as if he had over-stepped his boundaries.

Arivain stayed in a non-threatening pose, her body lower than his and her bows tightly strapped to her back.

"Calm, Axaxys, you have nothing to fear from us. We do seek such a healer, would she be willing to aid us, young one?"

Liam smiled, watching what was going on. The centaurs may know of the drakin and their reputation as a people made of of warriors, a people who hated humans and distrusted most others. But this drakin was with humans and elves and the king of rats. He walked forward slightly, coming next to Archie and Jormung "We humbly request your aid, in this trying time, any help would be most amazing" he said, giving the young centaur with Arivain a sweet smile.

The Centaurs up front noticed that even enemies of old times were coming together to ask their help. Most of them wondered if this was some sort of trick...a ruse, thought up by these stragglers to lure their people into some kind of a trap. One outspoken young stallion spoke his mind. "How do we trust you? These could be lies." Another Centaur disagreed. "There's a Roluandr with them. He wouldn't break his word. Listen, it's truth. We should help."

While the older Centaurs debated, little Araxys spoke quietly to Arivain. "I think so...Momma is very nice and she helps me a lot. I pulled my hock once and she fixed it right up! But I don't know. I've never seen her help a two-legged." He paused, biting his lip thoughtfully. "I've never even seen a two-legged! How do you run?" He tilted his head curiously, but his question was cut off.

An elder Centaur from the crowd snorted gruffly. Even amidst the stressful discussion of the infection, his voice belied a tone of patience with the child. "Little one, quiet down with your questions. We have more to discuss than this. I'm sorry, but these people need to speak with a healer, not a colt."

Araxys lowered his head in disappointment with himself. "Yes, sir. But...Momma is a healer. She's the best. Everyone says so!"

Arivain looked to the older Centaur and spoke to him.

"Are the young not meant to seek the world's secrets, to learn as you once did?" her voice was quite calm, meaning only to allow the child his curiosity. she turned back to the colt with a gentle smile. "I will show you, Araxys, but first we must seek a healer. What is your mother's name, child?"

The other Centaurs continued discussing amongst themselves and the other outsiders, most of them dismissing the child for now.

"My Momma's name? It's Eurydia!" Araxys smiled cheerfully, unaware of the other Centaurs' reactions. One older mare from the crowd gasped, a few others began quickly talking amongst themselves. It seemed as if that name carried some amount of weight here.

"Eurydia of Elysia, little one?" The elder male asked, nodding his head. "My apologies. I didn't know she had another foal."

Liam raised an eyebrow "Is this particular healer of some great significance? It has been quite a long while since i traded in the centaur lands, i seem to be slightly rusty on my knowledge of the area."

"Yes," a Centaur spoke up. "Eurydia of Elysia...one of our finest." A few Centaurs exchanged looks, studying Araxys. "You know where she is, boy? She hasn't shown her face in years." Another agreed. "She'd be the best. She'd know how to handle this."

Araxys chirped up. "Yes, she's the best! You want to go see her?"

Liam smiled and looked to his comrades "That seems to be who were are looking for, definitely sounds like the person to go to if anyone can use healing magic to destroy the infection."

"Okay!" Araxys' tail twitched with excitement as he trotted through the crowd, paying little attention to anyone else. "She's this way!"

Apparently, none of the other Centaurs in the crowd knew Araxys. One older mare cautioned, "Hey, colt! You'd best not run off to lead strangers back to your encampment! Nobody knows them!" The words fell on deaf ears to the little colt, who had already started to trot away from the trading post ambitiously and purposefully.

Liam wasted no time moving forward after the small colt, drakin were faster than most other 'two leg' species rivaled only by tundra elves and Fae in speed. So he was able to keep closer than they may have expected. "So, your band is this way young one?"

Matt and Mouse follow as well, staying close to the back of the group. What the other centaurs said made Matt feel somewhat weary. That, and the fact that the two had never been out in the centaur lands before.

Arivain sprinted along side the colt, keeping his speed with ease. She smiled at him as they ran.

"I promised I would show you," she said to the colt.

One of the mares from the crowd started off after the colt, worried for his safety. A Centaur from her band stopped her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "If he's Eurydia's son, we should let them go. Who else is better suited to help? Elysia can handle themselves..."

Little Araxys had already trotted off a good distance from the crowd. He was making no effort to go as fast as he could - this young boy's speed and effortlessness displayed the grace of his people, even at such a young age. He looked over his shoulder at the others as he galloped.

"Yes! Momma's this way. Look, you really can run! Everybody always said two-leggeds couldn't run. So, people are getting sick? Momma used to help sick people a lot, a long time ago. That's why everybody knows her, she said. Oh! Maybe my sisters can help, too. I have lots of sisters, one is a healer. Some aren't so nice to anybody else though. What are your names? My name's Araxys!" The little colt repeatedly himself cheerfully. Typical of a Centaur foal, he wore nothing, except for a little sash tied across his waist where the smooth skin of his human-like torso met the withers of a horse. There was a wooden flute tied onto the sash, alongside a little leather pouch filled with the colt's trinkets and treasures.

Liam smiled at the colt as he ran "Drakin are the fastest runners in the north...well...almost" he said chuckling at Arivain "My name is Liam the Wyrm King."

"I am Matt the Wyverntamer, and this is my friend Mouse," he says, pointing to Mouse, who is looking around at the scenery with wonder.

Liam asked the colt "So, how powerful of a healer is your mother? The only healing magic known to drakin can heal broken bones and cuts, but i have heard much greater feats come from the Centaur."

Arivain smiled warmly at the colt as they followed behind him.

"My name is Arivain. I am from the northern most lands, bordering yours."

"Oh, I've heard of some of those other lands. A drakin? Wow! I thought you were supposed to be...just like a dragon. That's what the colt from Arkadia told me. I'm going to tell him he's wrong now, because I've met a real one! I'll get to tell everyone!" He looked to Matt and Mouse. "You tame wyverns? Wow, I want to see a wyvern! But, she doesn't look like a mouse..." Araxys prattled on for a little bit, excited at his new 'discovery' as he continued trotting across the lush, grassy plains. The trading post was at least a mile out of sight by this time, if not more.

He bit his lip thoughtfully as he remembered that someone had asked him a question. "Oh, my Momma? She's the best healer." He had a little glint in his eye that could only be the innocence of youth. "She doesn't talk about it much. But all the others say she's good. She saves lots of lives - I think so, anyway. We're getting closer! Oh, you're not all getting tired, are you?" He looked back over his shoulder frequently, as if anticipating that he might outrun the others without realizing it. The little colt was self-confident, yet concerned with the well-being of the group. This was a good indication that the morals of the Centaur people had been ingrained in the boy already: pride without haughtiness, empathy without pretension. He slowed down slightly, although he showed no sign of fatigue.

In the distance, they approached the tree-line of a peaceful woods across the meadow. The land looked harmonious and untouched. A few birds chirped cheerfully as broad rays of sunlight warbled across the grassy fields.

Liam chuckled "Many drakin look very different, i am one of the least dragon looking as you can tell" he laughs "But there are some who look just like the dragons used to long ago." He shook his head when the colt asked if he was tired "Not at all, this is a bit easier than running through cities and such, and i'm quite used to that."

Unknown to the others another being had stowed away on the ship and was now about to make its presence very clear.

A blob of graphite grey goo suddenly slithered out from behind a rock chasing a rather scared squirrel, however it stopped when it seemed to notice the others intrigued by their presence it seemed to see without eyes and moved with amazing speed for its apparent viscosity.

Liam notices the movement and stops, being an opportunist, he doesn't do much to alert everyone else. He simply slowly approaches the creature "...Hello, what are you..."

"There is a wyvern in my airship back there. His name is Fang. I've known him ever since I was a little boy," he explains to the young centaur. "You can go see him, if you want to," he says.

"My name isn't really Mouse," she says to the young centaur, "It's Aimee LaSouris Alexandre," she says in a sing song voice. "It's rather long, so people just call me Mouse because I'm usually rather quiet."