2125/Valka goes to town.

Valka goes to town.
Date of Scene:	29 April 2015
Location:	Spira(AOA)
Synopsis:	Valka of Berk visits the city of Bevelle and Bahamut
Cast of Characters:	Bahamut, 759

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Bahamut has posed:
     After their initial meeting in Berk, Bahamut invited Valka to visit his temple in Bevelle sometime. He left instructions for how to get there, and what time would be best to visit.

     When Valka arrives at Bevelle, she would find that it is a massive city of technological marvels. Dozens of airships dot the skies, and even more sea ships float in the nearby waters. The buildings are tall, most are made of metal and stone, and many fly streamers bearing the city's colors. Gold and alabaster.

     The biggest building is a cathedral-like structure in the center of the city. The high bevelled towers might have lended inspiration to the name of the city. And the flagpoles on those towers fly alabaster flags with a silver silhouette of Bahamut, the gold gyro on his back forming a halo behind the silhouette.

Valka (759) has posed:
     It was the polite thing to do, after all. She was invited and, even though this whole technology thing was new and a little scary, Valka wasn't doing her village any good by staying, as she liked to put it, with her head up a dragon's mouth, hiding from the things that were hard or new. She was a leader, after all, and her village looked to her for wisdom. What is wiser than experiencing new places?

     The trip through the portal was, as has always been for her, nearly instantaneous, allowing her and Cloudjumper to glide into Spira without too much difficulty. She could tell the big dragon was a little nervous about the airships floating where only dragons normally were, and to tell the truth, she was a little nervous about them as well, hovering in space the exact way that boulders don't, but nevertheless, the woman puts on her brave face and, following the handy landmarks given, directs Cloudjumper to the courtyard in front of the biggest building that's normally used for smaller airships - thankfully there's a large dragon that fits that description and, with Cloudjumper's size and deftness, the pair easily land, Valka slipping off and giving the Stormcutter a gentle pat.

     Cloudjumper looked nervous, his nostrils flaring, his frill out, but at a touch from Valka and a murmured word, he settled down to wait for their escort, whoever that might be.

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut himself is waiting for them at the landing zone, with six priestesses around him. They wear long robes the same colorscheme as the flags, and seem quite happy to be in service to Bahamut. "Welcome, Miss Valka!" Bahamut says, holding his arms out and spreading his wings in a grandios gesture encompassing the entire city. Then he grins lightly. "And you, Cloudjumper. I hope you both enjoy our hospitality."

     The priestesses all bow in unison, "Welcome to Bevelle! You honor us with your presence." they say, then they look up at Bahamut, who chuckles. "Come." the big dragon says, then heads toward the temple. The bridge leading to it is plenty big enough for Bahamut, so Cloudjumper should have no trouble either.

     The front entrance is about twice as tall and wide as Bahamut himself, so they are easily able to fit through. The entrance leads inside to a platform, and beyond that is...emptiness. A vast blackness. But, when Bahamut steps near the end of the platform, the room lights up with tracks of flowing blue circuitry-designs moving toward a sphere in the middle of the vast emptiness. The priestesses hang back near the entrance, holding their hands politely in front of them, their heads bowed just a bit, hiding their faces within their hoods.

Valka (759) has posed:
     In Berk, being this close to Bahamut was a little less imposing than being here. At home, surrounded by familiarity, Valka was much more comfortable, but here? In the middle of a city dedicated to him and his worship? It's more than a little overwhelming. The red-headed woman smiles, though, straightening to her full height (still less than half that of Bahamut's), and returns the greeting with one of her own, performing the same low bow, with arms outstretched, that she did the first time they met.

     "Thank you for your kind invitation, Bahamut." Valka's voice is steady, her braids falling 'round her shoulders as she bows, flipping back with a quick jerk of her head and the use of one arm once she straightensShe's not entirely sure what to add as an honorific, or even if she should. Giving a glance to Cloudjumper, and then the priestesses (feeling a bit of a blush. Her? Honored by her presence?), Valka gives her dragon a pat and follows along the big bridge.

     Valka does stop, from time to time, while crossing that bridge, to gaze in wonder at the spires and towers, at the things that she had never seen or experienced before. When they step onto the platform (Cloudjumper too) and the vast blackness starts to light up with flickering circuitry, she finds herself gawking now in amazement. She almost forgets she's got five priestesses, a dragon, and Bahamut there. "It's like you've bottled the northern lights..."

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut smirks lightly with the amused appreciation someone gets when watching someone else marvelling at the wonders around them, then chuckles. "You flatter me with your compliments, Miss Valka." he says. He motions to one of the priestesses, and she steps forward, leaving five priestesses at the door. The selected priestess smiles happily as she steps forward and onto a slightly raised dome of purple and gold at the edge of the platform. Then, beneath her, another glowing blue design forms, this one a stylized circle with four large spaded points at the compass directions.

     The priestess then looks at Valka. "You may ride with me, or you may ride your magnificent dragon to the central chamber." she says, and Bahamut grins. "I offer the transport as a courtesy, but I suspect you will want to fly." he adds.

Valka (759) has posed:
     Valka chuckles softly. "You know me fairly well it seem Bahamut, and we've only just met the one time." She turns to the woman on the dias and shakes her head in the negative. "No, thank you. Bahamut is correct. I /would/ rather fly. And, since I don't have wings, I'll use the next best thing." With that, she loops her staff around the base of Cloudchaser's wing and easily hefts herself to his back where she stands betweeen his wings. "Lead and we shall follow."

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut just grins at that. "It is no great feat. Who would not wish to ride on a dragon?" he says as he spreads his wings wide. He looks to his priestess and offers her a nod of thanks, then...he just leans forward until he falls from the platform. He falls for a good distance before he flexes his wings and banks upward, sailing toward the sphere in the center of the massive room. Possibly as big as a nest back on Berk, but instead of caves and passages, it is all empty space, giving plenty of flying room.

     Bahamut does a lap around the central floating sphere, then makes his way toward the corresponding platform on the central sphere. He does a spiral as he comes up to hover over the platform, then lands firmly on the platform and waits for Valka and Cloudjumper.

Valka (759) has posed:
     Valka watches as Bahamut falls into the electric-lined space before him and lets gravity do the work. It is impressive, no doubt, the priestesses watching with rapt attention as Bahamut banks and circles around the central floating sphere, his armor glinting from the light, When he looks over after his landing, Valka can only laugh merrily before bending into a crouch. "Want to show him what you can do, Cloudjumper?" The dragon, of course, does, since the race with Bahamut was close.

     "Thank you for your kindness, ladies." Valka says softly, smiling. She turns and takes in a breath before running along Cloudjumper's back, toward his head. The dragon rumbles softly and lowers his head, his neck straight, and at the last moment, with Valka's right foot on his head, there's movement. With a tensing of massive neck muscles, Cloudjumper flicks his head upward, sending Valka sailing into the space beyond, propelled much farther and faster than she could leap!

     The woman cheers as she goes flying out into the emptiness, the dragon watching for a moment before he leaps into space as well, his four wings snapping out and then in as he goes into a dive to catch Valka!

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut raises an eyebrow and smirks as he watches Valka leap into the empty space. It is quite a show of trust in her dragon, one she may not even realize she is displaying. The big dragon stands tall as he watches them. He has little doubt that Cloudjumper will catch Valka, and probably in a showy display. He finds himself looking forward to it. He has, in all his time in the Multiverse, not been able to watch a dragon other than himself fly peacefully.

     The priestesses all gasp in surprise and a bit of distress as Valka leaps into the empty air of the vast spherical room, and the one on the dias even tries in vain to reach out to Valka before landing on her hands and knees, peering wide-eyed over the edge of the platform at the falling Valka.

Valka (759) has posed:
     Valka, as her trajectory leads out, rolls to where her back is facing the ground, looking up at the priestess who is reaching for her before turning back to her stomach. A simple twist. Another quick motion has her looping her thumbs through some things on her waist and then, with a jerk, leather wings, almost like a flying squirrel, are pulled taut! Now, instead of falling, Valka is gliding....an easy catch for Cloudjumper!

     With a roar and, yes, a burst of flame, Cloudjumper streaks through the sky toward Valka, rolling beneath her, letting her feet touch his back before, with a snap of his wings exactly like Bahamut's, he stops their descent and streaks up toward the ceiling in a loop, Valka laughing as they fly! The woman, as Bahamut can attest, has tremendous balance, able to stand tall even through barrel rolls and twists as Cloudjumper flies around the central orb, walking along her dragon like a tightrope walker, completely sure of herself until they draw close to the opposite landing where she leaps off again to glide, easily, to a landing, followed closely by Cloudjumper. She laughs, pushing her braids back. "That was a lot of fun."

Bahamut has posed:
     The priestesses all gasp when Cloudjumper leaps off as well, and the one closest to the edge yelps softly as the wind rushes over her from those wings and the fire breath. Within moments, all six priestesses are looking over the edge, staring wide eyed as Valka starts gliding. Now they look kind of impressed. And as Valka and Cloudjumper rise back into the air, they all stand, smiling delightedly.

     Bahamut is quite amused by the display. A gliding suit. That he was not expecting. When Valka and Cloudjumper land near him, he chuckles. "Quite a display you two put on. Almost as impressive as me." he says in that slightly haughty way he tends to speak. He chuckles again, then motions for them to follow. "Come. The feast in your honor awaits." he says as he maks his way into the central sphere and the room he actually calls home.

     In the middle of the room is a long table, easily as long as Bahamut, and covered along every bit with delicious looking food. At the head is a fire pit, and beyond that a throne sized for Bahamut. It is made of gunmetal blue and gold materials, a tribute to the dragon king. After his visit to their world, Bahamut's cooks have made many fish-based foods. And, specially for Cloudjumper, there is one large platter of raw fish, fresh from the sea.

     At the foot of that table is a slightly raised clear dome, and beneath is a sculpture of Bahamut set into the stone beneath.

Valka (759) has posed:
     It does take a moment to put away the wings in their little pockets on her sides, but once she has done so, it's like she's wearing the same suit of leather armor that she had been wearing the first time the pair had met. She smiles, her head bobbing in the affirmative. "Well, I had to do my best to match what you did, after all. It is kind of hard to not be shown up by a shining metal dragon, isn't it?" A bit of teasing from the woman, it seems? She's getting comfortable with Bahamut!

     Cloudjumper was the first to smell the good things cooking, judging from the way he shifted from side to side on his feet, his head swiveling back to look at the cheering priestesses before following Bahamut and Valka into the chambers where he nearly does bonk into Valka, standing there, amazed. She reaches up a hand to stroke Cloudjumper's face before looking up to Bahamut. "All this? Just for me? It's so....gods, it's so much!"

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut chuckles again. "Well, for you, me, and Cloudjumper, as well as whatever priests or priestesses feel brave enough to join us." Bahamut clarifies as he walks toward his throne. He rumbles as he takes a seat, then grins. "Please, help yourselves." he says, then takes the spit off of the roaster on his firepit. An entire pig is speared on it, and he starts to eat it like some kind of massive corndog.

     The priestesses from before come in about this time, having ridden the glowing blue transport lines. And they quickly go about serving drinks and making sure all the food items are uncovered and ready to be eaten.

Valka (759) has posed:

     "You are quite large. You must have quite an appetite!" Valka says as she looks over to Cloudjumper who, seeing Bahamut starting to eat /and/ getting the okay from Valka, deftly moves over to where the large platter of fresh fish has been set up, stepping around one of the tarrying priestesses as he does so, before settling down and starting to eat.

     Valka, on the other hand, moves slowly towards the table, taking in all the sights and smells, sliding into a seat near Bahamut's right, suspiciously near a platter of what appears to be a roasted fish stuffed with large shrimp wrapped in some other kind of meat.

     The woman can eat, mind you. Her plate is loaded with small tastes of everything that can fit without falling on the floor, giving her a good overview, before she goes back for seconds on the things she /really/ likes.

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut seems pleased that the two get to eating so enthusiastically. The priestesses bring Valka a drink depending on what she likes. Water, carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, the basics of a typical party. "And, whatever we do not eat, I can donate to local charities." Bahamut adds after a few moments.

     The priestesses do not take a seat, perhaps finding it too reverent a location for their humble selves, but they do partake of the meal between serving Valka, Bahamut, and Cloudjumper. One approaches Valka quietly and meekly asks, "Miss Valka...what is it like to ride a dragon?"

Valka (759) has posed:
     When you're presented with such a bounty of food, at the invitation of the person who is, of all things, the center of this world, it would be an insult to not eat, wouldn't it? And Valka, with impeccable Dragon Manners, is not the sort to do such a thing! "That is good. We are a small village, but we do try to take care of those who cannot care for themselves. Widows, orphans, the poor. But, thankfully, since making peace with the dragons, we have very few of the first two any more." She looks over at Cloudjumper who is enjoying his fish, chuckles, and takes a drink of her water with a contented sigh, slumping a little in her chair.

     When the priestess comes over and asks her simple question, Valka straightens after looking over at her, then up at Bahamut, before turning back to the priestess. "It's hard to put into words, really. When I'm on Cloudjumper's back, it's like I'm a dragon myself. The worries of being on the ground just melt away when the wind rushes through your hair. I feel...free." She looks to Bahamut again with a smile. "If you'd like, and it wouldn't breech any protocols, Cloudjumper might let you go for a ride..."

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut grins as he listens to the conversation. "It is our duty to help those less fortunate, and to protect those unable to protect themselves." he says to the first part, then laughs good-naturedly at the second. "My priestesses serve at their leisure. If she wishes to ride Cloudjumper, I have no right to say no."

     The priestess beams at this. "As soon as the meal is finished, then?" she says as she refills Valka's water.

Valka (759) has posed:
     "Just making sure. There are some places in my world that are very regimented and, it's often best to ask permission instead of begging forgiveness." Valka turns to the priestess and nods. "As soon as the meal is finished, we'll go for a ride around the city, aye." Her nose wrinkles as she smiles, turning back to her plate to eat a little more, to drink a little more, and to take in the sights. "It's a strange new world, this place. Another dragon's nest, made of steel, stone, and light, food as far as the eye can see...." Valka sighs, content, patting her stomach. "I think I like this multiverse thing."

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut nods lightly at Valka's assertion. "That is true, and before the breakdown of the Yevonites, it would have been true here as well. But, after the defeat of Yu Yevon and the exposure of the Grand Magisters as unsent who were attempting to control the living, the worship of Yevon broke down. Instead, people changed to revering the Aeons, the warrior spirits who had given them the power to defeat Yevon. As the embodiment of one such spirit, I have no shortage of those willing to serve."

     The big dragon grins at the compliment to his home, then chuckles. "I am sure you will have many here who are curious about you. But, be warned. It is also possible that the more fanatical may find it blasphemous for you to ride a dragon. I will attempt to dissuade them, but I cannot control the population."

Valka (759) has posed:
     "I am used to fanatics, in a sense." Valka responds after a moment her plate cleared and replaced with a sugary confection that's soft and sweet and sticky in all the right places. "DRago Bludvist was seeking to build a dragon army, and was bringing the other villages under his heel until we stood up and stopped him with our dragons. His view was that dragons were only tools." Valka looks over at Cloudjumper, then back to Bahamut. "They're not. They're gentle, caring creatures that only want what we want. A safe place in the world."

     Valka looks up into the cavernous roof of the room, to the little (compared to the room) crystal manifestation of Bahamut at the end of the table, at the priestesses scurrying about. One of them gently reaches out to pat Cloudjumper's tail as she passes with more fish for him, the big dragon looking back and wiggling it, as if to prompt her to do it again. Valka chuckles. "Be careful. He's a sucker for scratches."

Bahamut has posed:
     Bahamut listens to the story, a slight rumble of a growl escaping him as he hears of Bludvist. "It is creatures like this Bludvist that cause dragons to have the terrible reputation that is apparently prevalent in the Multiverse. A reputation I hope to counter someday."

     The priestess giggles at the wiggling, but rather than pat the tail, she pats his side instead. "There are many worse things in the world than to be able to show affection for a magnificent dragon." she says.