Tour of The Kingdom

This behavior would continue for the remainder of the night, the sound and scent of their activities attracting much attention and new participants. Nuria and Sugary both would have multiple partners, more often than not more than one or two at a time. The pleasures of the night fueled by the feast that they took little time to partake in while lustful ruttings and sex ensued.

Nuria was currently sandwiched between two strong males, letting go moans of ecstasy that rolled off of her tongue, which hung freely from her mouth. She had her arms wrapped around one's neck, riding his shaft while sitting in his lap, while the other took her from behind. The last thing she remembered before her energy was finally drained was the sun breaking the horizon, and then her eyes closed.

The following afternoon was when the first kirin began to awake from their slumber, tired, sore, and far too sticky. The mass of kirin, now settled from their shared sexual experience, were mostly huddled into groups, enjoying each other's warmth while they slept through most of the day. Eventually though, some semblance of a cleanup was conducted, and the kirin all dispersed to take much needed baths. Nuria was scooped up and cleaned off as well by castle workers, and she now sat lazily in her throne, her head laying over the armrest and tail swaying over the other side as her legs hung over the edge. She sat there and recieved only a couple of reports about the state of the city after the celebration, but mostly she just shooed anyone that bothered her away, noting how many of them had a particular limp in their walk.

Needless to say, hardly anyone was walking correctly.

Somewhere along the day, he'd be found sleeping in one of the bigger pile of bodies; Apparently being able to pleasure several partners at once between himself and his endless limbs of magic made him rather popular by the end of it all just for the fun of it.

He can hardly remember when, but he was fairly sure someone or other from the pile carried him to take a nice long shower with them, and was eventually plopped down next to Nuria on a plush pillow upside down and given a staff to hold for her protection. He wasn't exactly the finest choice, but with many around them being as tired and sore as they were, he'd be as good as any to get his work done. If nothing else, he lazily waved his staff each time she shooed someone away, as if making the message all the more clear their presence was unwanted. Plus it meant silence came faster, and that was all he really cared for besides her company while he waited for the hangover feeling to pass for good. The soreness from all the lovemaking, he endured... if the multiple bite and claw marks around him were any indication anyway. "Mmm... I can still taste mare... Uh... Hey... Lady Nuria...?" He struggled a little just to stretch, but he had no intention of getting up. "... What happened to the flowers...?"

Nuria looked up from where she lay at Market, who had been amusing her by waving his stick at those she didn't want to hear from. She almost wanted to commission him with a full time position. He had certainly earned it if he wanted it. But she was sure that, eventually, he would want to move on to greener pastures, and she hardly wanted to restrict him. Though she wouldn't deny his company either, and would pay and feed him for as long as he decided to stay under her employ. "Hmn? Oh, uhhh... They're... They're somewhere..." She says lazily.

A younger kirin, having been too young to participate in the event (and who was wondering why all the adults were walking funny), strolled up to the throne, carrying a sweating leather sack. She trots up to Nuria and plops the sack on her flank, causing a rustling of ice and water within. Nuria winced and let out a growl, looking at the young kirin with a little annoyance. "Careful, dear..." She says, relaxing once again. The young one also gave Nuria a note, which she saw fit to read out loud. "My dearest Highness, I regret to inform you that the courtyard grounds are in need of repair. He is not sure how it happened, but our usual architect wishes to congratulate the participants for the achievement of staining stone with a most unusual and inappropriate smell..." She drops the note and lazily lays there again. "Great..."

Unlike a good number of visitors before, Sugary did not wave the staff at the young maid at work, and let her be. He did let out a strained chuckle at the news, but it was shortlived as he still thought the flowers not being known where they were was a bit concerning. "I never thought a party like that would earn us such a... unusual achievement... Heh..." He then hummed somewhat weakly as he looked to the Queen, the one mare he held in higher esteem above all others for more than just reasons of rank. "Shame about the flowers though... But, I really did enjoy that performance you know... Ah, I didn't get to ask you last night, but who was that dragon as far as the ceremony is concerned? Considering the recent war, everyone was rather calm about him."

Nuria shifted, the ice rattling softly on her flank. "Oh, him?" She asks "He's well known around this kingdom. He's been around for about half as long as the kirin have been in existence." She smiles at the thought of it, the old world knowledge that dragon must know. "He also participates in our religious celebrations every year. He's surprisingly sociable for his age." Her tail gave a flick, but seized up as the Queen Chief winced and then settled into her seat again. She could only think that the rest of the city, or at least the participants, were being just as lazy today. "Of course, last night's... Event... Was a first as far as the celibration is concerned... But I guess it's to be expected."

"Heh... I guess last night wasn't too typical in general, huh?" He had a broad grin, and for good reason. The soreness around his body was very welcome. "Still curious about that other weird dragon... But it just stood there till the show was over and just left, so I guess it was invited...? Anywho..." He shrugged, wanting to bring more focus to other matters. "I really do find it fascinating, that history of yours. I am familiar with metamorphosis, but to think an entire tribe of pegasi could become draconic... Lady Nuria, I am still at your beck and call, but it would please me to no end to study that aspect of your history deeper. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic tale of survival and ascension, but as a Mage it would please me to no end to explore the implications of it all, especially if it'll further my magic training." He sounded quite eager about it from his single plush pillow.

"Oh, that dragon?" Nuria asks, looking at Sugary and resting her head on her foreleg. "He was there for special effects. Where do you think all that snow came from?" She gave the unicorn a knowing wink, and shot him a smile. She listened to how he wanted to study their history, feeling she might need to clear up a thing or two. With a soft giggle she spoke. "It's all far less fantastical than I made it sound at the celebration." She says, swirling the tip of her tail over the floor in a small circle. Evolution assisted by a highly potent magical atmosphere. We used to live right next to Ley lines, after all."

She takes a deep breath and recalls what she had learned in her schooling. "Mostly our history consists of tribal disputes and 'great heroes' showing feats of strength by slaying the strongest creatures they could find. That weren't dragons of course."

Sugary lightly furrowed his brows about the visiting dragon. "... I knew there was more to it..."

The tales woven by the Queen, whether factual or glamoured, still held the Unicorn's attention very much as he looked her way again, smile even bigger than before. "Ley Lines!? And feats of might and valor? It just keeps getting better and better!" He struggled to flip over, look around the room, and then scooted his pillow closer to the throne to lean in. "Phew... Lady Nuria, I insist that you allow me to learn more about these places such events took place... Also... You feeling comfortable there still?" It seemed all the bites and clawing weren't actually that detrimental to the ever more lively Sugary as his interest rose for more experiences.

Nuria's tail flicked and Nuria raised a brow in amusement. "You think it's that exciting, hm?" She says, looking his way. "Well, the library's open if you want to go." She says. "I think I can take the horde of delegates and couriers." She says it jokingly, as really there hadn't been that many kirin coming by at all. None except for her little assistant of course. "I happen to be extremely comfortable here. Thank you for asking." Nuria replies to Sugary, her tail flicking again. "Hmm, though I could smoke a bit of tobacco... I'll have the little one bring the water pipe."

Sugary seemed hesitant at first, mostly because he really did take his job seriously even if he wanted to remain resting on the pillow by Nuria's side just as much. But seeing as they were all behaving like it was a holiday, he figured he could just consider it an order and do just that as he slowly stretched further, and got up while leaving Nuria with the staff by her side. "Oooh~... Stings good..." He stood before her and bowed very lightly. "I'll be on my way then, Lady Nuria... But when should I report back?"

"Ohhh, whenever." Nuria says lazily, waving Sugary off with her claws and closing her eyes for a moment. She would probably take a nap. Maybe fall asleep in her throne for the night and dream away her troubles.

Sugary chuckled and nodded, leaving Nuria be as he made his way out slowly but eagerly. "I'll be back by nightfall then. But most likely to my own chambers to keep studying. See ya!" So far, she had not rejected him from joining her at her quarters when she was alone, especially with her inviting him over a few times by now; But he knew full well they would need their space from time to time... Unless she actually wanted him as more than one of her devoted lovers, but he had no way of knowing for certain beyond their genuine friendship.

Out and about he went to where he was told, nodding and smiling to a fair few familiar faces after the night before as well as others he had slowly gotten to know better in the land. He also took some time to admire the local renewals as well as the way life was becoming more peaceful for them all. He understood they were a Warrior tribe still, but he found it refreshing just how much they also valued their downtime.

And so it went, that he found the library and already asked left and right for anyone to aid him in his search for details concerning what he spoke with Nuria. In time he'd be buried in books, but certainly not before kindly pestering others for all the information he needed.

The library was a grand old building, made from stone just the same as the rest of the kingdom, but a bit more ornate. Carvings depicting famous moments in the kirin's history decorated the walls on the inside and out, with the latest in significant events(that being the the war and the final battle for the kingdom) were being chiseled into the far wall of the inside. There was a generous depiction of Nuria, clad in armor a wielding a shining sword, breathing fire at the horde of minotaur, griffins and dragons. Beside her is a familiar looking unicorn figure, magic bursting from his horn.

An elderly, greying kirin female approached Sugary after seeing him asking questions around the library. "Good evening, young stallion." She says, her voice wavering and telling of her old age. "Is there something I can help you with?" Her eyes say that she already knows the answer, but chooses to ask anyway out of courtesy.

Even in all the eagerness, Sugary did stop to appreciate the art being depicted from days past to present, and was actually stunned briefly when he saw his own visage being immortalized along with Nuria's and comrades in stone. He felt a deep pride unlike any time before, accomplishing what many only ever dreamed of; Going down as part of a nation's history was no small reward for one's own efforts.

Fortunately for the elder, it also meant he had been humbled enough to calm down as he looked to her, eyes still starry with pride and joy. "Ah... Y-Yes there is, Madam! I've come to learn more about the history of the Kirins, as well as their origins along with magical leylines. I hope to be able to borrow books and notes on them too, of course. I'll take whatever you got, even side-notes if you have them."

The elderly kirin female smiled at Sugary, happy to see someone so interested in history. "Oh, of course! Those will be right over here in our history section." She says, walking the unicorn over between the sections of tall book shelves. She starts skimming through the tombs, picking out a couple. "I do appreciate when the young ones start getting interested in this sort of thing. Makes my job all that much more worthwhile." She finishes with a fourth book, giving them to Market.

"Let's see now, this is a copy of Dracotalon history, this one is Pre-Dracotalon history, Folklore of The Fringe and a special written work on the Ley lines and their effect on our culture. Oh my, the stories I remember as a child. I think I could tell you just about all my grandmother told me and then some." She seems to reminisce, looking back through her memories of when she was a fledgling.

With each book shown, Sugary was as giddy as ever as he picked them one by one with care. He was also just as excited in hearing of the old mare's tale. "Oh, by all means, go ahead and tell me what you know!" Notes, pens, magic, and of course his own ears. He'd use all at his disposal to record what he could. It might be obvious to the mare that he wasn't gonna settle for anything less than thoroughness on the matter.

"Oh my, what would someone like you be most interested in..." The elder kirin walked over to a table and sat down, thinking on the stories she knew. "What about the legend of Jasper of Frostscale? The first kirin to lead an expedition to Equestria for the first time?" She suggests, setting her claws on the table. "It was so long ago... Over a thousand years now, when the young leader was only just figuring out his own life." She recalls, tapping the table. "He's said to have been a handsome kirin, green scales with an orange flare on his chest. And a mane the color of dark water. His father was the chief of his tribe at the time, and they were visiting a neighboring tribe. Jasper, of course, was a reckless one, and didn't care for the politics his father participated in. So he snuck off to explore the village himself. Unfortunately, he would encounter something far more dangerous and involving than politics. True Love."

Perhaps it was a Unicorn thing, but Sugary wrote the details down quickly and flawlessly as he gave the mare his full attention. But even he found the time to chuckle at just how well the mare could remember what he asked for to the point he almost felt compelled to ask her how old she really was. He stopped when she got to the part about love. "... Oh my. Is that the reason tensions were seemingly high for years to come as Queen Nuria mentioned once?"

The mare shook her head. "Not as such. That's another story entirely." She says. "But Jasper would have to deal with tensions of his own." She continued. "Now, it's not known who this girl was exactly, but we know her name was Nadia, and she was pure white of scale with a deep blue mane. And she made fishing nets. Texts describe her as one of the most beautiful kirin ever to walk this earth. And our dear Jasper had fallen head over heels for her at first sight. She wasn't an easy catch though. She had him perform all kinds of feats to win her heart." The kirin leaned in closer to Market with a wink. "I think she was just teasing him though." She says, before getting back to her story.

"The most noteable of these was when she made him fetch a stone from a cave at the bottom of a lake, guarded by a horrible lizard beast! It was about as large as this room I daresay! But that didn't stop Jasper one bit. After hours, he finally defeated the monster by dropping an enormous rock, right on top of it's head!"

The elder mare would be met with a goofy grin by now. Sugary loved hearing such tales of romantic and adventurous nature; Chuckling more along with her wink. "And what else? Come on, don't leave me hanging! You speak of it so vividly, I swear you were there yourself! How did it all conclude?"

The elder mare clears her throat, then continues her story. "Well they were married soon after that. They had a colt named Michah, and they he lived as an advisor to his father aside from working as a blacksmith. And then years later, something remarkable happened. The ley lines that had once bordered the whole of the fringe split open, allowing the kirin to access the rest of the world once again."

"Huh... All that time, the civilization was forcibly held in one region...? Would you happen to know where that area was exactly?" He flipped through some of the books, already waiting to compare notes with old writings.

"Where? Why, it's cornered off by Zebrica, Camelu and Cervidas." The mare explains. "Plenty of folks still live there. Nothing wrong with the place. Just got over crowded is all. The original capital is still there too." She looks at a page in one of the books and points to a map. "There it is. You can see the ley border and everything."

She chuckles and sits back. "The border opened up and suddenly there was a whole new world for kirin and everyone else to explore. And that's just what Jasper planned to do. He grabbed up as many folks as would go, his wife and child, and headed up North, through Camelu and Cervidas, across the broken bridge and over the sea to Equestria. Needless to say, the reception on both sides was mixed. The Equestrians had no idea we kirin even existed. And the kirin thought they would only find a frozen graveyard!"

Sugary looked the map over carefully, pondering about the populace. "Ah... Gonna be a pain in the butt to study peacefully on something that significant with a dense populace, but it can't be helped." He smiled though, merely having hoped to get a chance to go on his own for truly in-depth observation, should Nuria allow it of course. "Well... I guess I got all I need for now. I should be able to connect the dots from here, unless there's another crucial detail I should know, Madam?"

The elderly mare pondered for a moment. "Nothing that I can think of." She says. "There are plenty of other heroes to read about though. Many of them much more exciting that Jasper's tale. The next thousand years after the that up to today are full of them." She smiles and looks at the plethora of books on shelves. "So much knowledge and never enough time. I doubt we'll run out of heroes anytime soon."