//AN: Pic is a rough depiction of Den in the water fall.//

60,009 years ago...  

Beginning of Story

Being alone, Den decides, is rather boring.

He's gotten used to having Eilon tag along in the last ten thousand years. Not having the Lescaean by his side is... strange.

But he was running low on Kracian money and didn't feel like tapping into his own fortune to replenish the funds, so he needed to take a job. It's just bad timing that he got one while Eilon was sick.

The poor child. Den isn't sure if he's amused or sympathetic, and doesn't really care. Eilon is back at the cabin with Katrine fawning all over him, and Den is slogging through the muck and the rain by himself, dragging Ian Reos along by a shock of dirty hair.

The job itself took less than ten minutes--it's not as if a pathetic little human bandit would be any trouble for Den.

Unfortunately, he wasn't given the exact location of the place he's supposed to take the bandit, which means he can't just portal to it. Hence, he's trudging through the elements, bored to tears and rather frustrated.

He knows that Lord Wyon's estate is somewhere in these mountains, but where exactly is another matter entirely. He could just listen for it, and has been, in fact--but there are several settlements in this range and Den has no idea which one he's looking for, so he'll have to search them all. It shouldn't take him longer than a day or two to find it, but still.

A day or two is more time and effort than Den De'nerian puts into just about anything.

At the moment, he's just about a mile from the nearest settlement, and he's frustrated enough that he contemplates stopping there for the night. It seems to be a resort of some sort--a hot springs, if the scents are any indication--and that sounds rather wonderful at the moment.

Den could use a nice long soak in a hot spring.

He just hopes they have a place he can dump Reos, or he'll have to drag him along too. Den doesn't particularly want to give the filthy bandit leader a soak in a hot spring.

He could always put him in a cage of his own making, of course. But that might draw undue attention.

When he comes out of the trees--after trekking up a ridiculously slanted, rocky slope--he finds himself on a flat plateau made up of manicured gardens and small, wealthy looking huts strategically placed in a wide circle.

At the center of the circle is a larger building, and Den can smell the steam coming from it. He can almost feel it, and finds himself grinning in anticipation.

Now, what to do with Reos...?

The man fell unconscious after the third time Den 'accidentally' let him bang into a protruding tree root or rock, and is now bleeding through the mud and stains on his clothes and skin. Perhaps Den was a bit rough... but he's been frustrated for hours.

And it's not like the human is dead. Den was careful to ensure that much, at least.

Den clicks his tongue and looks around. This place is obviously for wealthy nobles who have nothing better to do with their time, and he doubts they have a place to lock up bandits. They probably just kill them and dump them over the cliff on the other side.

Den sighs. He supposes he could do this the easy way and just tie the mortal to a tree. But that feels so...unguarded. And simple.

He is just a human, though. And Den can easily set up a field around him so he'll hear if the mortal so much as jerks in his sleep.

With a shrug, Den materializes some rope--very thick, very heavy rope that no blade could easily cut through, not that the human has any blades on him anymore--and lashes Reos to a nearby cedar pine. With a pat to the mortal's head, Den sticks his hands in his pockets and strides into the resort.

He heads for the main building, absently snapping his fingers to remove the grime and mud and blood and whatever else has made its way onto his person in the last six hours.

The rain, of course, instantly soaks him again, but at least he's no longer filthy.

When he steps into the main building, he finds himself in a large entry hall with marble floors and arched, winged ceilings. Den slides a hand through his wet hair, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. Which reminds him that he needs to cut his hair again... it's getting long. He generally prefers it at the middle of his back, but the silver horse's tail currently reaches his thighs.

He's barely taken two steps when a human girl appears at his side, smiling brightly. In her hands is a large towel, which she offers to him.

Den takes it with a nod, using it to catch the drops of water sliding from his body.

"Welcome to the Royal Dragon Resort. How may we be of service?" She offers him a tray before can answer, upon which is a folded, steaming towel and a glass of what appears to be water with fruit in it. It smells, however, like a narcotic--doubtless to cause a sense of relaxation in their guests.

"Refreshment?"

Den exchanges the first towel for the hot one, but doesn't touch the drink. Kracia has too much exposure to the Lescaean culture for him to be comfortable drinking unfamiliar things.

He learned that lesson the hard way--and it still irks him that Eilon was able to get him drunk when Den can't return the favor.

"No," he says, waving a hand as he drops the towel back onto the tray.

Normally he would attempt to play nice, but he isn't in any semblance of a good mood and really doesn't care.

The girl, however, takes it in stride, merely nodding once. "Can I offer you a room...? Any other service?" She still sounds very friendly, and Den arches a brow, wondering how many men come through here and take her words the wrong way.

"Just the springs," he says, waving a hand. "I'll be on my way by morning. And you might want to consider rephrasing that, girl."

"We have several springs on the main level, some in the huts which are private quarters, and one large spring in the center of the resort." Den has already surmised as much, as it was obvious from the layout. "And we have one in the waterfall."

That would be the waterfall he glimpsed on his way up the slope--the very dangerous waterfall which drops off the edge of the cliff. He arches a brow again.

"In the waterfall?"

She nods. "Yes, in the waterfall. A very nice, very large spring. It's very romantic." And why she adds the last part, Den can't guess. Does he have a female shadow that he didn't see? Unless she meant her original offer. He doesn't think she did.

"It's a lot more expensive than the other springs," she continues, oblivious. "Because it's more dangerous to get to, and it's more private."

Dangerous sounds fun. Den feels very dangerous at the moment. And he's actually never been to a resort where they were foolish--or brave--enough to put a spring in a waterfall.

"Cost is of no importance," he says, waving a hand. Which just goes and nullifies his entire reason for being here, if he's just going to tap into his own fortune.

But he's intrigued by this idea of a waterfall spring.

The girl nods again. "So you'll be taking the waterfall spring?"

"Yes," Den says.

"Right this way," she says pleasantly, nodding again. She moves toward a counter, where she sets down the tray she was carrying and picks up a clipboard with paper on it. She writes something in an elegant script, then hands the clipboard to him and points to two places--one at the top and one at the bottom.

"Sign your name here and here please."

Den, finding himself slightly amused by the waiver--removing liability from the resort if someone dies--she wants him to sign. He scrawls his name in neat, tight script and gives the clipboard back to her.

"That takes care of that," she says jovially, and sets the clipboard down again before gesturing for him to follow. He does, hands going back into his pockets.

"There's currently one guest," she says as she leads him down a hallway, "already in the waterfall spring. But she should be of no bother to you, and if she is, just contact the control desk."

Den nods once, absently taking in the simple design of the building. It's rich, but not gaudy, which he rather likes. He might bring Eilon back here.

Stars, he really has gotten very attached to the boy, hasn't he?

Though, after ten thousand years of almost constant companionship, he supposes it makes sense.

They leave the main building, walking down a stone path toward the crashing sound of the falls. They don't stop until they reach the very edge of the cliff, where steep stone stairs cut into the rock head downward at such a sharp angle Den can't even see them.

The cliff is a sheer drop, the falls sending spray onto the steps, making them slick and even more dangerous. Den wonders how many people stop at this point, too afraid to go onward--and how many die falling off.

He wagers the number is larger than he wants to know.

The girl starts climbing down, and Den follows with ease, not even bothering to brace himself as his boots find purchase on the slick stones. The rain isn't helping visibility, either.

He rather admires the girl for her fearlessness, and decides that if she falls, he'll catch her.

The stairs go halfway down the waterfall--to a point where the force of the water cascading down could easily pulverize rock--before disappearing into a stone tunnel beneath the falls. Obviously it's imbued with some sort of power to keep it from shattering and crumbling under the onslaught.

Den notes the supports and the slick rock as they go through it, and wonders how many times that power has failed and this place has been rebuilt. Judging from the marks in the stone, not many--which means Lescaeans must be involved.

He will not be bringing Eilon here. Such a shame.

The tunnel widens into a cavernous indent behind the waterfall, held up by ornate support beams and decorated with simple wooden structures and hanging lanterns. It's rather cozy, actually.

And the whole cavern is filled with steam, drifting across the tiled floors. Several large springs, separated by rock and wooden walls, fill the space, and a few feet to the left Den can actually see the waterfall going down, close enough to stand beneath if he wished. Despite that, the roar of the water is muted to a comfortable background sound.

Definitely Lescaeans at work here.

Such a pity.

The girl gestures at a stone cabinet near the tunnel entrance, where he can see several hooks and cubbies--doubtless for his clothes. Cream colored robes hang in a row nearby, meant to be worn within the spring, and a smaller, open pool provides entry to the maze of waters, in which comfortable--and waterproof--chairs have been arranged.

Den nods once. "My thanks."

The girl hands him a little silver bell. "Ring this if you need anything. Someone will come to assist you."

Den's lips twitch into a smirk. She really is not doing anything to downplay the assumption that she's on the list of things for sale.

"Your phrasing," he says, amused. "You really should work on that."

"It's under consideration," she says, still as friendly as ever. Then she bows. "If there's nothing else?"

When Den shakes his head, she turns and makes her way back through the tunnel. Den stands there and listens to her climb until she's made it to the top--just in case he needs to speed out there and catch her.

But she doesn't fall, and Den shakes his head in wry amusement before turning to the cabinet. He can't wait to feel that hot water.