.^^ Armor of the Arch-Druid ^^

— Cassidy —

I laughed a little at my sister, biting her tongue because she was too busy teasing me to watch where she was going, and then laughed even harder when Glade joined in, making her glare at both of us.

I left them to their little squabble, and went to find Sandy. She was with the Earth Mages again, most likely, her and all four Druidlings, whom she had called through a portal I'd opened for her. When I arrived, however, Jia shook her head. "She's not here, no... she went somewhere in the southern caves. Some old house of hers." She shrugged when asked for more information.

I nodded, and walked to the caves she'd mentioned, a series of massive draw-bridges at this point. Only one of them was down, so that narrowed things pretty well. I walked in, taking a look around, and hummed in surprise. The explosions had melted the roofs of each of the caves into a near-perfect dome, but most of them had some semblance of a remaining structure or two on the ground, having been shielded from the majority of the blast, just not the resultant heat.

I found her sitting in the courtyard of a structure that still stood, and leaned against a piece of wall, waiting to be acknowledged. If she wanted to be alone, I didn't really think it was my right to interrupt her grieving. I was smart enough to know whose house this had been.

"I don't like grieving." She said suddenly, still staring at the building.

"Good. Grief is to give us closure, so we can move on with our lives. No one should like grief." I shook my head.

She chuckled mirthlessly. "True. I meant that I don't like what it makes of me. A coward. I've been sitting here for three hours, and only your presence allowed me to speak. The weight of all these dead pressed against me until you scared them away."

I smiled and approached her, sitting next to her casually. "Eh that's what I'm here for. I'm big, bad, and dangerous, and everyone knows it. Even spirits, apparently."

She smiled a little, and shifted until she sat in my lap, leaning us back against a piece of wall. "I want to rebuild this place... but it feels like an insult to them, like I'm trying to make it look like what happened here never did." She sighed.

"Then build something new. The best anyone can do for the dead is to move on and pay their respects, so just move on, but use the foundation to make something they would be proud of. A library, perhaps? A Forge? Maybe a garden? I didn't know them, so those are my best suggestions." I shrugged.

She smiled. "A Garden... father would like that. He liked Desert Berries, specifically. The toughest of all plants, sprouting in the middle of the desert amongst the burning black sands, their roots a dozen meters deep and a dozen meters wide, to catch the slightest bits of moisture. And the wine made from their berries is delicious as well. There used to be a few planted-" she halted, and scrambled out of my lap, sprinting over to where a small pile of melted sand lay, cracking it and pulling it apart with no regard to her cut hands.

I grabbed her wrists, and healed the cuts, then formed my staff into a shovel, (though I could feel it's disapproval radiating out,) cracking the rest of the sand and shoveling it off, until I'd revealed a small Bush, with a single, shriveled Berry attached. "Well I'll be damned. That is a very tough Bush." I chuckled.

She smiled, and placed her hands on the plant, pouring magical healing into it, and the bush cracked, the burnt skin peeling off like bark on a tree, and revealing fresh white wood underneath. It grew slowly, revealing more berries, and she took a few gently, planting them around the bush and growing a few more.

When that was done, she sat back down, and chuckled. "I told you... the toughest plant in the desert. It weathers all storms... and apparently firestorm's as well."

I laughed and sat with her. "Well, there you have it. I'm not much one for signs, but if that survived, maybe a few others survived as well, Yeah?"

She nodded and hugged me, then started wandering the property, her hands out like an arcane plant detector, and when she found one, the plants burst through the glass and sand, healthy again. After a while, I simply walked inside, pulling her with me. The structure was almost formless, now, but the bones were strong, designed to last the weathering of ages. However, nothing remained inside except sand. The entire structure was entirely clean, to my surprise. I was thankful there weren't any bones, but I expected something.

She stroked the scorched marble of what had once been an interior fountain, in the center of the Riad, (which was not magically expanded, I noticed,) and sat on the lip, looking down into it. At that moment, the water turned on, and she received a face full of cold water.

I snorted loudly, and she slowly turned to me, frowning, but she lost the frown after a few seconds, and began laughing as well, giggling at the way her hair was hanging in her face now.

I smoothed it back, and kissed her gently. "Well! Seems my sister got the water back on, Hmm? Baby steps." I nodded.

She smiled. "Yes. Small steps. Thank you, Cassidy."

"Eh, all I did was scare away some ghosts. Anyway, I've got a present for you! I've been making adjustments to it for about six months now, and I think you'll like it." I grinned, and pulled out the armor that she had admired, that first day in the armor shop.

I had tweaked it, magically, over the past few months, so it now included a full robe, over the armor, and the Mithril was gone, because I knew it interfered with magic. I'd replaced the mithril with dragon keratin, meshed throughout the armor and the robe as well. The magic would hopefully allow her to change her shape as well, while wearing it.

"This is the Armor of the Arch-Druid." I smirked loftily, presenting it formally.

She sighed, stroking the golden accents in the white material. "It's beautiful... but you know I can't wear armor."

"You can wear this one, trust me. If it doesn't work, it's fine, but I've enchanted it to fit itself to you in any form you take. Like my staff, it'll boost your natural abilities while you're Shape-Shifted, so you should be able to be bigger and badder creatures, more than ever." I grinned.

She hummed, eyes wide and curious. "Interesting... Alright, turn around, I'm going to put it on." She grinned, and I obediently turned around, watching the sagging doorway.

A few minutes of shifting around later, she sighed. "I've never actually worn armor before, can you show me how to buckle these?"

I nodded and stood in front of her, doing my best to ignore the small amount of cleavage in front of me, and carefully buckled the armor, explaining each piece as I worked. "It was designed so that you didn't need help to put it on and take it off, and unlike my Plate Armor, it should come off just like normal clothes, once it's magically attuned to you."

"Intriguing..." She hummed, her hands roaming my hair, as I was now on my knees in front of her, buckling the last rung of the corset.

I chuckled softly. "You little minx... I just finished buckling this, and now I've got to tear it off of you, how rude!"

She smirked. "As if that wasn't your plan all along."

"I'll have you know my intentions were pure!" I protested.

"Ooh, Sorry, I can dress if you like-" she started turning, and I slapped her bared ass roughly, making her yelp. "-... oh, or I can stay still." She smiled.

"Good girl."

—

She admired the new armor a few hours later, looking at her reflection in the water, then pulled the robe on, and nodded. "Amazing... it really is quite beautiful, my love..." she purred, and then twirled her staff. "I really hope it doesn't burn up..."

When the staff cracked against the ground, and her form caught fire, I flinched, but she stepped forward in her normal fire elemental form, except for the beautiful golden tattoos all over her body, in the shape of the gold trim from the robes, and the flames that were usually wild were more controlled, sticking closer to her body.

She flexed her hands, and nodded slowly. 'Impressive... I feel the difference. I could probably last up to three times as long in this form, with less magic leaving my body. It was incredibly wasteful before. I like it.'

I grinned. "And the real test, change back."

She nodded and slowly shrank, magma drying on her skin and falling off as golden sand, then reforming as her staff. The robes appeared slowly from the sand as well, wrapping around her mostly-naked form swiftly, and she hummed. "I'll have to wear some tight-fitting underwear to make sure I'm not naked every time I come back, but other than that, it's perfect!"

I nodded. "And the Cloak does a cool thing as well... think about levitating."

She gasped. "No way!" She squeezed her eyes shut, muttering under her breath, and I stepped closer, lifting her slowly. She gasped, opening her eyes. "I did it!!! Caz, I-... you evil bitch." She frowned.

"Don't be angry, it doesn't make you float, but it does enchant you with Featherfall, so you can jump from any height, and glide down carefully. You could glide across a chasm, if you were so inclined." I released her, and she slowly drifted to the ground.

She hummed. "Oh... well, that is very cool... I'm sorry for calling you a bitch."

I smirked and bent her over my knee in a flash. "Oh don't worry, we'll see your punishment for that, my dear." I nibbled her ear, and moved the cloak out of the way.

"Ewwwww!" Iris groaned.

Sandy sighed. "What, Iris?"

"Uhm, the builders wanted our help so I volunteered to go get you. I'll tell them you're busy." She turned and jogged out.

"Mm, we'll continue tonight." I promised, and swatted her rump, standing her up.

She blushed and hugged me, kissing me tenderly. "Yes, we will. But maybe not in the ruins of my family's house."

"Hey the ghosts didn't have anything to say about it, so I'd say they gave us our privacy." I grinned.

She sighed, and kissed me again. "I believe the word your sister uses is 'Nerd'?"

I snorted. "No, that word is derogatorily targeted at individuals of the Scholarly pursuits. You mean 'Dork', which means someone who is silly or odd."

She nodded. "Then you are most definitely a Dork, my dear. Come on, we should help the builders."

I followed casually, plucking one berry from the many bushes in the yard.

—

The city was almost complete, a month later, much to the annoyance of the mages and engineers. They had failed to meet their quota, but seeing as the entire superstructure was finished, and secured, the steam turbines and mirrors were installed, the Duergar UnderTown was finished, and the building's were already at the seventh level, plus the Tower was already floating up above us, I congratulated them on their herculean effort.

"Honestly, building all this in only a month is beyond impressive, and you should be proud. In another week or so, it should be finished, and ready to present to the Queen, yes?" I asked.

The leader of the crew grinned. "Absolutely!!! We will be ready!!!"

"Alright, great. Relax for now, take a load off, tonight you all get some much needed R&R. In the morning, you'll shake the cobwebs out of your mind, and get back to work feeling rejuvenated and back on top of your game!" I clapped my hands, and Sandy slowly raised an eyebrow at me as several dozen naked dancers entered the room, each choosing a table to entertain.

The other eyebrow rose slowly, and I grinned. "Oh don't be a prude, they need the release. We've all worked non-stop for two full months! One hunting dragons, and one building an entire city! Enjoy the show, my dear." I pulled her into my lap, and she smiled, allowing me to cuddle with her when she saw that none of the dancers was approaching our table, nor the table with the apprentices, which I had deliberately placed behind a paper screen to obscure the rest of the room.

The party lasted deep into the night, with most of the women being paid to spend the rest of the day with one or more of the mages. I gave them the day off, to help recharge their batteries, and my own.

—

I woke slowly, and groaned when I felt hot breath from a large creature. "Whaaaat?!?" I sighed.

Trekilas hummed. "Is this the wrong twin? Either way, I would like to inform you that the Warren has been finished, and it is safe for boats to use it now, with a Dragon Guide."

I rubbed my face tiredly. "Alright... good... and remember not to take your dragon form in view of the Meadow yet, we're trying to inoculate the animals to the presence of Dragons... slowly."

She hummed. "Indeed... and might I barter for the purchase of one of those sheep out there? I have not had mutton in many decades."

"In a few weeks, when the herd has grown stronger, we'll start allowing that, yes. For now, we need all the breeding stock we can get." I sighed, and laid my head back down. "Anything else, please wait until morning..."

"... it is Noon." She chuckled.

I sat up slowly. "Oh... sorry, the blinds fooled me, they're good like that... I need to set them to allow a little sunlight in... thanks."

The dragon surprised me by shrinking down into a tall female tiefling with blue skin and black horns, then nodded. "I will seek out your sister, now, and leave you to your wakefulness routine."

"Huh... neat." I got out of bed slowly, stretching, and then pulled on my clothes and armor, spanking Sandy awake and dressing her while she yawned tiredly.

"Time?" She mumbled, rubbing her face. I opened the blinds, and she hissed, covering her eyes. "Okay... late, then. Got it." She cracked her neck slowly, and stood, stretching.

I nodded and looked around the little room we'd put together, about 100ft up the wall at the back of the cave we'd claimed for the vineyard sandy wanted to grow. It was simple and small, but we fit in it, and apparently an elder Dragon could fit her head through the window, something that I made a note to fix.

I sighed and stretched again, then walked with Sandy into the elevator, (a quick and simple counterweight system,) going down to the next floor, about fifty feet down. This was the large loft apartment and library that the apprentices shared, each with their own private rooms and then the large common area, kitchen, and of course the library, which held copies of all the books from the treasury chest with her Crest on it.

They were magicked to turn to Ashe if they left the apartment, to prevent their theft, as well as completely unintelligible to anyone not from the Daisha Clan. I had added copies of the books I'd found in all the other chests, which filled up the library rather well.

"Come on girls, it's noon, wake up!" Sandy clapped once, and the blinds opened, shining directly into each of the girls' rooms. I tapped her shoulder, and pointed out at the field, where Hyla was apparently teaching the other girls how to tend the vines and bushes. "Oh, good. Alright." She nodded, and we took the elevator down to the ground.

We busied ourselves with the relaxing work of planting the new bushes, and growing them to proper levels, before moving on.

Tommy came by to help as well, and when we stopped for water, she sat besides me and sighed. "Well, it's coming together, isn't it?"

"Quite nicely, in fact." I nodded.

"Mm... so, do you find it weird that we don't stop to enjoy our achievements?" She asked suddenly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Not really? I've enjoyed my relaxing here and building the city. Haven't you?"

She scoffed softly. "No. I like working, don't get me wrong, but there's a difference in enjoying the work or the challenge, and enjoying the actual achievement, instead of moving instantly to the next. We'll never be happy if we keep finding excuses to move on and do other things, instead of enjoying what we have already." She frowned.

"Yeah, well, for now, you can relax and enjoy the city. Run the city, get it operational, try the life of someone who sits still for more than five minutes at a time. If it works for you, good, if not, then you come with me, and we go adventuring together. Sound good?" I smiled and slung an arm around her shoulders, squeezing.

She sighed. "Yeah... yeah it does. I guess that's the best plan so far. I just hope I can actually settle down here, and not feel the need to bounce from place to place... well I suppose I'll be Partially Nomadic, like Glade, and we can roam together, who knows?" She smiled.

"Good. Also, I've got an idea to get you your limbs back. I plan on simply giving you mine." I said calmly.

She froze, staring at me speechlessly with her mouth wide open, and I grinned, popping her chin up. "I love shutting you up like that. Music to my ears. But don't worry your little head, it'll be painless, I swear. Now let's get back to work, Mm?"