The Dragon Deliverance Society Safe House

From Lira:

I feel like that title needs a dateline or something, except I have no idea what day it is, or even what season it is. Those directions TAC gave me were weird, too, especially the part where I had to go through some kind of portal that seems to have inked a magical spell on my body—Uggla says it’s on my face, too. I can’t see it, but I can feel it.

Once I came through the portal, I was in this sort of cloudy meadow, no trees, no roads, just a hint of far off mountains—and a castle. Well, a house that resembled a castle. And in one of those inexplicable turns of magic that one has to get used to in my position, the door opened as soon as I stepped on the stoop. Uggla flew immediately to a perch, citing talon fatigue from my shoulders. My shoulders are not that pointy.

“Welcome, Lira and Uggla, to the Dragon Deliverance Society Safe House.” Oh, great: another disembodied voice.

“Hello, disembodied voice,” I said. “Whom do you represent this time?” I thought I knew the answer, but I’ve learned not to take chances.

“I am the Dragon Deliverance Society’s Cosmic Butler,” said the disembodied voice. “But everyone calls me CB.” It laughed.

It was definitely a male voice, one of those smooth elfy ones that makes me feel a little uncomfortable in my stomach.

“It looks more like a museum than a safe house,” I said. Of course, I’d never been in a real safe house; I’d only seen them on streaming television, but usually they look like cheap hotel rooms or run-down family homes that nobody wants. Unless they are also panic rooms, in which case they look like either nuclear fallout shelters (I’m not sure what nuclear fallout is, and I heard I shouldn’t look it up) or the inside of some rich being’s safe, except with booze and a desk.

“Thank our intern, Briony,” said CB. “She is always finding some new art installation to put here or there. But there’s plenty to eat— the kitchen is downstairs—and bunks for sleeping upstairs, and of course there are many books to read.”

Well, that was good. I can never have too many books.

I counted two: one asleep on the hearth and one seemingly admiring itself in a mirror. “How many cats are there?”

“Four,” replied CB, “but you will likely only see two. Two are shy.”

“Don’t like cats,” said Uggla from the perch. “Sharp claws.”

“You have talons; they are much more dangerous than claws,” I replied.

“My eyes are afraid of cat claws,” he said, and proceeded to hood and (probably feign) sleep.

“There is fresh coffee in the carafe on the table, should you require it,” CB said. “My condolences for not mentioning it earlier.”

“Apologies,” I replied without thinking. “Condolences are for when someone’s mortal life has come to an end and you wish to comfort their loved ones.”

“My apologies. Is that right?”

“Yes. And I will have some coffee; thank you.” To be honest, I’d gotten so distracted by the fact that there was coffee to be had I wasn’t really paying attention.

“I have no corporeal body, so you will have to pour it yourself.”

It was like talking to a younger version of me, I realised. Maybe CB is chimerical in the same way I am. “I can pour my own coffee,” I replied. I hope that wasn’t rude.

I poured myself a large cup of coffee. “Why do I feel like we’ve been hiking all day, Uggla?”

“Magic travel.” He started working on his chest fluff. “Tiring as flying.”

I sniffed. “I cannot fly, so I wouldn’t know.”

“They should have given you wings.”

“Shut up.”

I started eyeing the bookshelves, then noticed there was even a set of bookends on top of the massive hearth, with dragons on them, of course. “Maybe I’ll just curl up with a book on that comfortable looking couch and read until I fall asleep. Not even TAC would wake me up just to yell at me.”

A cough came from somewhere. Probably CB. Probably stifling a laugh. Given her reputation, TAC would totally wake someone up just to yell at them.

I crossed over to one of the big bookshelves to find something to read that I had not already read. But then I started thinking, which is a bad habit I have. “You—Uggla, she already agreed to pay me. You don’t think she would decide not to pay me, do you?”

“We already talked about this.” By this point, he’d turned his head three quarters of the way around and was working on his left wing. “Have I met her? No. Do I know what she will do? No. I am a very wise owl, but even I have limits.”

I covered my mouth with my hand. Poor Uggla; he has no idea he may be the dimmest talking bird in the multiverse.

“Maybe I will just suddenly become combative and sassy,” I said. I’ll make my face do this….” I demonstrated. Uggla wasn’t watching, but maybe CB was. “And I’ll make my hands do this…” Again, I demonstrated.

“You were contracted,” said CB’s disembodied voice, “to produce certain information about a dragon egg theft ring. You did not produce this information. In fact, my understanding is that you were kicked out of town after asking the wrong questions.” Can a Cosmic Butler clear his throat? Do Cosmic Butlers even have throats? Well, it sounded like he cleared his throat. “However, you did put yourself in danger on the Society’s behalf, so I suspect that you will be paid. You just might not be asked to do this sort of work ever again.”

“Well, la-di-da!” It was all I could think of to say. I’ve been watching a lot of old films recently, I guess. “Nobody told me I was going in to danger!” I kept my face like that to see if it worked.

“I don’t make the decisions,” said CB. “You will just have to wait for Miss Tacey.”

“Tacey? You mean TAC? The Amazing Catwoman? She has another name?”

“Several,” replied CB. “I suggest you get some sleep; she’s not likely to return until tomorrow or the day after.”

And that was how I ended up pulling the first book I felt off the shelf, which just happened to be A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. LeGuin, which I had never read before but which had been highly recommended to me. I could not brave the climb up to the bunks, so I just fell asleep on that couch. I woke halfway through the night to find I was serving as a mattress for two cats, which did not bother me at all. I am sure Uggla will be teasing me about that for weeks.

*The Dragon Deliverance Society Safe House*

Notes & Credits:

Sponsored items are noted with a “*”

Usually, I post avatar details first, but this set was so much fun to make and so many of the items came from Enchantment, I flipped it this time!

The Set:

Things available at Enchantment’s Legends of Flight:

Entrance Lamps: Cerridwen’s Cauldron, Serpent of Light Sculpture, Medium Scale, Wall Mount (These Serpents can be made multiple colours, and the crystals are emissive, so they are so much fun to play with, and of course nobody makes crystals like Elicio Ember of CC.)
Totem Pole: HarshLands, Viking Totem, Bright
Dragon Busts and Crystals on Pedestals: Raindale, Galeflight Dragon Pedestal and Galeflight Crystal Pedestal
Couch, Candles, Drape, Rug, Shield, and Axes: Roawenwood, Ormsban Set.
Table and Stools: Lore, Dreki Table and Stools
Standing Crystals: Cerridwen’s Cauldron, Caer Awen Prisms type 2, 5, and 1 (see note above about crystal colours and emissives).
Dragon Bookends: Dragon Magick Wares, Dragon Bookends (these come in three colours, and I love them so much I’m putting them in the Linden Home I’m about to start decorating)
Crossed Axes Above Fireplace: Lorien, Viking Axes
Dragon Heads: Raindale, Galeflight Dragon Busts

Other Fancy Stuff:

The Castle: Laminak, Ossira’s Castle (one of the coolest castle-houses I’ve seen in a long time: I kinda want to live there!)
Branch Tables: Moss & Luna, Moonstruck Branch Side Tables
Potted Cacti: Cube Republic, Easter Cactus Red
Rug: Tia, Soldan Rug 2, Brown
Museum-Style Lamps: Timeless Artyfacts by Sandy Burgess. These are my go-to art lamps, especially in a PBR world where full bright photos just don’t stand up any more.
Books: StormWood, Literati Book Set. StormWood is no more, but you can still get these on Marketplace. They are my favourite set of books in Second Life, because there are HUDs you can get to make them different genres so your book collection looks more varied.
Mirror: Imegica, Moroccan Mirror
Cat on Sofa: Hideki, Elvira
Plant Picture: Cube Republic, Nature’s Portrait
Snowglobe: HarshLands, Harmonious Glade, Memento Glass
Corner Bookshelf: Apple Fall, Mercantile Bookshelf
Tall Planters with Red Cacti: Cube Republic, Potted Christmas Cactus
Fireplace: Lore, Cottage Fireplace
Fireplace Rug: Dust Bunny, Area Rugs
Cat on Fireplace Rug: Half Deer, Siamese Sleepy Cat
Second Snow Globe (behind Lira in “Sassy”): Static, Yuum Balaal Grotto Snowglobe

Avatar:

Dress: MirageDoll, Casey (dress, belt & garter)* (At Enchantment’s Legends of Flight!)
Skin: Loa, Meleys* (At Enchantment’s Legends of Flight!)
Makeup: Loa, Maleys Makeup Set* (At Enchantment’s Legends of Flight!)
Hair: No Match, No Dragon* (At Enchantment’s Legends of Flight!)
Eyes: Yoshi, Druk Eyes* (At Enchantment’s Legends of Flight!)
Uggla: Expertly portrayed by CKit Falconry‘s Magical Snowy Owl* (Get your own owl, and gear to match, at the CKit Falconry Main Store!)
Glasses: Triggered, Lyra Glasses
Boots: Rakshasa, Lorina Boots
Nails: Miamai, Elysee Nails* (At the Miamai Main Store!)
Necklace: Miamai, Guardian of Being (A gift at the Miamai Main Store!)
Ears: Petrichor, Kefira Ears
Lira is styled on a Legacy Classic body and a Lelutka EvoX Raven Mesh Head.