The Four Vagabonds: The Dragon's Promise

Chapter I: True Lovers

Dedicated to Alona Alvarez, who inspired me endlessly with love and creativity and supported me as my number one fan.
You'll always have my love.

A year has passed since we last were with our Four Vagabonds. They have served as diplomats from Elduin to Princess Tramna of Ardamarch. Sandra and Amethyst serving as Co-Ambassadors, Hans as minister of the Grand Temple of Elduin in Ardamarch, and Riona as Elduin's Trade and Crafts Minister.

In that year Sandra and Amethyst have flourished in their new roles and have deepens the bond they share as have Hans and Riona. Sandra's silver tongue is useful and effective in clearing up disputes between Ardamarchian and Elduinian nobles and merchants and even sometimes between nobles of Ardamarch alone. Sandra has acted as King Wilbur of Elduin's right hand, nudging the Princess to make decisions favorable to Elduin. She has been help arrange alliances between Elduinian and Ardamarchian noble houses, achieving this through sending troops for demonstrations, supplies to nobles' people and town, and luxuroius gifts.

Amethyst succeded in forming a spy network in Brenoran and other parts of Ardamarch per the King's request. The spies are mostly disguised as servants and workers in the Royal House and other noble houses throughout the land. They report on anything suspicious and anything that is agaisnt Elduin, its elves that reside in Ardamarch and Elduin's best interest. Amethyst mostly lets Sandra handle the actual diplomacy, though she begrudgingly attends all the formal balls, soirees and events she is required to, no matter how much she loathes it.

Hans has been working closely with High Priestess Galantra of thr Zervassa, finding middle ground between the Zervassa based religion and the Grand Temple's Gods. He has made great strides, eveb getting three small temples to ArayasweresGod of Time and Chief God, Talisore, Goddess of Love, Compassion and Mercy, and Milankoff, Goddess of Nature and Animals, built. They were erected just outside the walls of Brenoran, where the elven immigrants work in the fields.

Riona has been an excellent Trade and Crafts Minister, shs has negotiated profitable contracts for Elduinian merchants and the Crown with Ardamarchian merchants and artisans. Even got a steady supply of rare Ardamarchian silks going to Cherilinoff, Capital of Elduin. She has also been mastering her smithing even more since she finally has a forge to smith with. She has made ornate swords as gifts to noblemen and even the Princess, as well as sending a few up north to King Wilbur. She has aslo learned new runes, she now has runes that create mystic fog, small rain clouds and small but bitterly cold blizzards. She has also recently been experimenting with an old dwarven art of using summoning runes to summone benevolent sprirts to help in battle, though she has made a few summoning runestones they are untested as it's a recent interest.

Since they've all taken up these roles their lives have been much busier and chaotic. Sandra and Hans thrive in the hectic day-to-day, but Riona and Amethyst don't always fair so well. And even though they are all busy ministers now they always find time to have dinner together in Sandra's office once a week at the least, sometimes even camping out in the fields just outside the walls so it felt like their days travelling and setting up camp nightly, all sat around a fire and as merry as can be!

They're all a bit sick of being tied down.

--

Sandra is in her office, reading reports from her diplomats in the various duchies and counties of Ardamarch. 'Tis late at night and the room is dark, lit only by a single candle that stands over her letters, its flame casting her shadow upon the wall behind her.

Amethyst walks in and sees her still working. "Don't you ever rest?" Amethyst as she sits down on Sandra's desk looking down at her beloved who's long golden hair is tied up and her emerald eyes bloodshot from fatigue.