The following morning Dusk awakens early to find nothing other than a ball of covers by his side. He softly chuckles as he joins him under them and they snuggle for a moment, however the task soon makes him rise and he slips quietly out of the room. The Vern is making his way downstairs when a soft knock comes at the door, he takes a moment to pull the front of his night robe closed before he opens the door. “Yè fēng, morning, come on in.”
The teacher quickly waves his hand and says, “I will call back later when you’re dressed.”
Dusk grabs him by the shoulder pulling him inside as he says, “Don’t be daft, it’s not like you haven’t seen it all before. Besides I am wearing a robe.”
Yè fēng gives an uncomfortable chuckle for he is a man who prefers to meet with people once they are bathed and dressed. However, when it comes to Vern they are not bothered and happily talk with each other even when they are naked. They move on into the kitchen where the teacher explains, “I have given all the paperwork from the ship a protective coating, so we don’t have to wear gloves as I was thinking last night Nazzuki will most likely snatch it from our hands.”
“Nice one, as you’re right, and I will be left holding nothing other than a corner and me looking at him as if to say why did you do that? Also it will prevent Raven from throttling him later with his words.”
Yè fēng gives a happy nod. “See now you’re thinking the same as me, I too don’t want what happened last time to happen again.”
They both laugh and Dusk quickly says, “Back in a mo,” and quickly heads out back.
The teacher goes on to place a pan of water on the rage, however he can do nothing to light the fire for there are no spark rocks and he didn’t think to bring any with him. Having a Vern lover and being a master of all spells has its advantages. All he can do is take a seat at the dining table and decides to place the paperwork from the ship with the ones that have been neatly laid out. He also makes sure to place his stamp on the right papers as prove he was there to witness everything. Yè fēng is so engrossed he does not realise Dusk has returned to the room until he asks, “All in order?” The poor teacher jumps and snaps, “I didn’t realise you were back.”
Dusk quickly goes to give him a hug and apologises, “I shouldn’t be so quiet on my feet.”
“No, no, completely my fault I was so engrossed in making sure I have done everything right. I admire how Raven is able to handle all of this.”
The Vern shrugs and remarks, “It’s that amazing brain of his.”
“Mm-hmm, it sure is remarkable. Now everything is in place, we can eat.”
“Wait, you’ve not eaten? Are you unwell?”
Yè fēng places his fits under his chin and states, “You do realise you are adorable when you get all worried. Then allow me to reassure you, cutie, I am perfectly fine. You should know by now I never eat when I’ve just got up.”
Dusk slightly raises his hands and replies, “See, I am not awake yet, I need tea and I can just go for some Kin-kin (Pig).”
The teacher is not happy about smelling meat first thing in the morning. “Seriously, you have that for breakfast?”
“Ah, the joys of living with a Vern,” sings Raven as he wanders through the kitchen on his way to the back door.
“Are you all right, darling?” Dusk enquires even though he knows where his lover is going.
“Yep, I’m great,” he replies through a yawn and continues outside.
“I will just cook some porridge,” says Dusk wandering off into the larder.
Yè fēng frowns and calls, “No, if you want a Kin-kin cob or something like that do it, I will just go and stand outside.”
“No, you won’t, you will learn to love it,” sings the Vern as he walks back in holding a bowl of already cooked purple rice.
The teacher slaps him on the arm and scolds him, “You are mean teasing me at this hour. I need more tea to awaken the old brain before you do that.”
“Hey, don’t insult that lovely brain of yours it isn’t old it’s wise, very wise.”
“Ooh, you are such a charmer. I don’t know what is Raven going to say?” Yè fēng questions just as the legend enters.
Raven stops closing the back door and glances to them and questions, “What you saying about me? It is no wonder my ears are burning.” Dusk explains to which the hero responds, “Ah, you are just being your lovely self, my sweet.” They kiss before Raven continues out of the room and calls from the sitting room, “Have fun you two.”
Dusk’s eyebrows rise and he states, “Ooh, fun with you, now there’s a thought.”
Yè fēng clicks Dusk is just playing with him for he is well aware the teacher has never been into wingless Vern. Plus being Raven squeeze makes people think twice about going with Dusk even though the legend is just as open with their relationship as he is. Yè fēng plays along and says, “Hmm, I like the idea of a strong man between my legs.”
The Vern purrs at him and tickles him under the chin. They laugh and continue making breakfast. After they have eaten and had a few more cups of tea Dusk gathers all the documents together and offers the stuffed envelope to Yè fēng so he can place it inside his bag. They make their way into the hallway where the Vern puts on his coat and makes sure to place a raven pin on the left side of his collar. The teacher places a stray piece of Dusk's fringe back behind his right horn and gives him a happy smile. Dusk smiles back at him, then he opens the front door and allows the Snow Elf to go first before he steps out closing the softly behind him and they make way down the path to the gate. Whilst they wait for it to open, they admire the gardens that lie on either side which are alive with the sound of humming of bees and butterflies. It truly is a beautiful place in the amongst just nothing other than wild grass and hardy lowing lying shrubs, that run on as far as the eye can see across the Planes.
Smells from Norven’s Gate begin to come through the opening portal. It is a bustling town that sits perched on high hills which make up The Spine of Southfort Forest that splits it apart from Windomfalls, a town that is steeped in history and is classed as a miniature Longthorn. Both towns have long bridges to connect the stone archways known as gates across a wide deep river to their grand entrances. Norven’s Gate has only one waterfall cascading down the hillside, where their neighbours have two. Like always the bridge is jammed with people coming and going with goods and the guards, who are dressed in fine light yellow jackets inlaced with gold leaves and light green capes are busy sorting things when they see a visiter who's race rarely come into the town has arrived and they know straight a way from the way he is dressed who he is.
One of the guards quickly trots over and asks, “Dusk, good morning, may I assist you?”
“Weratgrul, my good man,” he replies helping Yè fēng to step through. “We are here to see Prince Nazzuki and it is kind of urgent.”
The guard raises his hand and announces, “Say no more, Dusk, I will get you both through.” He goes on to blow hard on a whistle which makes everyone on the bridge stop and stare at him. “Important guests have arrived, please make room for Raven’s husband and Crystal Master.”
Yè fēng storms over to slap the guard on the shoulder and tells him off, “Don’t do that again! And for your information I am not Raven’s Crystal Master, you make it sound like I am his pet.”
Dusk pulls him close to rest the Snow Elf's head upon his firm chest and speaks with a sloppy voice, “No, he is my pet Crystal Master, aren’t you, my boy?”
The teacher narrows his eyes at Weratgrul and snaps, “This is all your fault.”
The guard performs a deep bow and apologies, “I am truly sorry gentlemen, please if you would follow me.”
Yè fēng gives the Vern a soft push and damns, “Stop pampering me in public.”
Dusk shakes his head and taps the side of his old friend's face. “Not when that lovely shade of pink suits you.”
This makes the teacher slap him a few times on the chest and stamps his foot. “I don’t know why I do things with you. You always embarrass me,” expresses Yè fēng in a bold voice slapping him again.
Dusk pulls him close to whisper, “It’s because I like to see those lovely cheeks of yours blush. Oooh, you will soon match me.” He blows him a kiss before he releases him and continues across the bridge.
The teacher sometimes wishes his friend’s race were not so open to flirtation. He sighs and quickly trots after him. They continue to make their way through the narrow cramped streets that twist and turn up the hillside with the town being split up in to three areas that grow smaller and smaller as they reach the castle. The guards on the doors open them and stand to attention as they pass. They have to go through six doorways before they enter a grand room where the queen is seated upon a throne which is overshadowed by her puffy deep blue dress and round netting headdress that is covered in tiny flowers.
“Dusk, oh my goodness, it is wonderful to see you,” she calls rising and trotting down the steps to greet them.
The Vern drops to one knee to give her a hug and says, “It is great to see you, my dear, Glasarika, I am afraid we are here to see Nazzuki.”
The queen grows worried and is quick to ask, “Why? What has my eldest done now?”
“Yè fēng will explain.”
The teacher smiles and waves at her. “Morning, your highness.”
“Morning, Crystal Master, please explain a way,” insists the queen. However, because of the Snow Elf’s lovely strong accent she is finds it a little hard to understand and has to ask Dusk to repeat it, which he is more than happy to do. Suddenly Glasarika says, “Wait, back up. Seriously they went to Moonlit Cove knowing full well it is off limits and the letter is of course a forgery they still did it?”
“Yep, that is Valley Elves for you,” states Yè fēng. “The place could have been wiggled with Thorny Pixies and they would have still done it.”
The queen is a little puzzled by the Snow Elf’s response and asks, “What exactly is a Thorny Pixie?”
“Emm, it is an old Forest Elf spell which brings forth a nasty thorny vine to protect something, like their home or vault, which spawns little creatures about the size of my index finger,” explains the teacher holding up the first finger of his right hand. “Green skin, black hair, completely naked and can shoot a thousand thorns from its back.”
Glasarika is shocked that a spell like that could even exist. “Oh my word, they sound nasty, but yeah a good way to protect your home.”
“Yep one hundred percent nasty,” chimes Dusk, “especially when they entice you in with their lovely singing which is stated in every document on them as captivating.”
The queen is now completely horrified to learn this and says, “I think that is worst than a curse. Going back to topic someone has been forging my son’s seal and paper. May I see?”
Yè fēng places a pair of gloves down on a tray a long with the stuffed envelope. “Everything is there, I would recommend wearing the gloves, even though I have consolidated the ones from the captain.”
Glasarika nods and puts them on before she goes through everything. She is shocked to read it was Xiāo who brought the ship into the dock and enquires, “I trust Xiāo all right?”
Dusk nods and gives her a happy smile. “Yeah, he is fine, which was a nice relief.”
“I completely understand as I would have been worried sick. Is Raven all right?”
“Oh, he is just his usual clam self,” remarks Yè fēng. “Where we on the other hand are like you worried, very worried that ship is sitting in the dock.”
“Right, in that case, come.”
They follow the queen through the castle to a back room when suddenly a scraping sound comes from the Vern’s horns and he moans, “Damn things.” The teacher giggles making him grumble, “It’s all right you laughing. Ooh, that felt weird.”
Yè fēng taps him on the arm, then grabs him by the shoulders to lean him forward as he says, “Come here, let me take a look.” He sees the left one has come off worse than the right with it being ever so slightly higher, he gets out a cloth from his bag and cleans them. “There now you look dashing again.”
Dusk grins and stands up straight to see the man they are after enter the room. “Hey, Nazzuki, just who have you been selling your paper to?”
The prince looks to the others who are shaking their heads and giggling. “Uncle, I have no idea what you are on about. Mother, do you?”
Glasarika holds out a glove and orders, “Put that on first before I hand them to you.”
Nazzuki is not about to question his mother he just does as he is told and puts on the nice cotton glove and she then hands the pile of papers. She even puts the other glove on him before he goes through them and soon discovers what Dusk is on about. “Hey, you are right, uncle, that is my paper. I have no idea who would have done this. Why would someone send them to their deaths?”
“That is what we need to find out, lad,” replies Dusk pointing his hand at the papers. “I think someone took this from the printers, because I know you keep a record of how much you use, so you or your staff would have noticed three sheets going missing.”
The prince nods. “Well, yeah, as this stuff is specially made. This looks like rejects as the watermark isn’t quite right and texture is a little off. Or is that down to what you used on it, Crystal Master?”
“Yes, it will make it feel a little stiffer than normal,” answers Yè fēng.
“I understand. I also see you have been using fingerprint dust, I take it you didn’t find anything to help us?”
“I am afraid not,” answers the teacher, “just the captain, Raven and mine. The envelope is just covered in the captain’s prints. I have used reveal spells other kinds of tracing magic. Nothing. I can tell you now, Raven would have told me or Dusk if he had seen anything odd.”
The Vern gives a sharp nod. “Too right, he would have said sweetie there’s your clue, or something along those lines. So, it is obvious someone covered their tracks very well.”
Nazzuki puffs his cheeks and releases the air in a long puff. He takes another look at the ship paperwork and questions, “Why bring Fuchsite Gems here? I just don’t understand how they thought this was real.”
“Well, it is not surprising when they didn’t even believe Orb Masters existed,” informs Yè fēng rolling his eyes.
Both the prince and the mother gasp, “What?”
The teacher giggles and stresses, “I am not messing around, they honestly had no idea what Raven was and their faces when they did were priceless. Absolute terror and he was loving every moment of it.”
“Yep, of course,” says Dusk grinning, “that is my darling.”
They all laugh and Nazzuki asks, “What can we do about this? Because there is no way to trace it as it is discarded paper which would have been in the recycling pile at the back of the shop so anybody could have taken it from there or when it was taken around to the recycling.”
Dusk pats him on the shoulder and says, “You are right, this is why Raven wanted to make you and everyone involved in making the paper aware of it.”
The queen crosses her arms and states, “It is obvious the person knew where the paper was made and they knew the reject bin would be unguarded, which it is going to be. They also knew how gullible Valley Elves are… wait, they never do anything without being paid.”
Yè fēng takes hold of the document the captain gave them and says, “Dusk, look.”
The Vern directs his eyes to where the teacher is pointing at the bottom of the page. “Your payment will be waiting for you in Flintbrow Dock.”
Nazzuki and Glasarika both frown and repeat, “Flintbrow Dock?”
“I know where that is, your majesty,” says a young lady bowing low.
The prince is surprised the place exists and questions, “Throvona, you really know of it?”
“Yes, your highness, for my brother works at that dock, which leads into The Silver Moon Lake.”
Dusk turns to her and asks, “Could you take us to it?”
The lady nods and smiles. “I will be happy to, sir.”
The queen stuffs all the papers back in to the envelope before handing to the Vern and tells them, “Go, I just hope it is still there.”
Dusk and Yè fēng give sharp nods before they follow the maid out of the room and through the castle to emerge in the rear grounds. Throvona leads them down a series of stone steps which takes them down in to an alleyway that is party covered by a low roof which is the perfect hight for a dwarf to get through but not a near seven feet tall Vern or a six foot tall Snow Elf. They have to crouch very low in order to get through and at one point Dusk is reduced to crawling and Yè fēng helps him to rise.
The Vern takes a moment to stretch his back and grumbles, “There better not be any more small tunnels otherwise I will find another rout down.”
Throvona bows and apologises, “I was trying to take you both the quickest way to the dock.”
“And you have, Dusk, look, it is just over there,” says Yè fēng pointing his hand over the waist high wall.
Dusk gives a soft cheer and waves his hand to get the lady to continue showing them the way. They have to go down another stet of steps to reach the small busy dock and Throvona trots over to man with a big bushy black beard, dressed in working clothes smoking a pipe.
The Vern and the teacher look around, they see the dock is pretty isolated with it having high cliff walls around one side of it with only one way in and out. The cargo ships seem to be mainly loaded with all kinds of rocks which are precious metals in their raw forms.
“Good day, gentlemen, I am Bafroki, my sister was telling me ye both need to check the dock. What ye checking for?”
Dusk leans down to the man and replies in a soft voice, “Evidence to a crime. So, if you had a late ship arrive, where would she dock?”
Bafroki removes the pipe from the corner of his mouth and enquires, “What kind of crime, sir?”
“That is classified,” answers the Crystal Master.”
“Ah, right you are, sir,” Bafroki promptly responds and points his hand to far end of the dock. “Any late ship has to dock there until they can be brought in to unload in the morning.”
The Vern nods and starts to make his way down the walkway to the end dock and looks around. Yè fēng quickly joins him, apart from some discarded old barrels there does not appear to be anything out of place. However, he knows his friend’s sharp eyes are bound to spot something.
Dusk looks first around the backs of the barrels to find nothing other than some rubbish and sand. Then he looks inside them to see there is something lying on the bottom of the middle one and with his long arms he has no trouble retrieving it. When he brings it out into the light the others see it is nothing more than a plain wooden box no bigger than the Vern's hand. Dusk opens the hinged lid and what he finds inside is quite puzzling.
ns216.73.216.253da2
and then Add to home screen.