When Aramek finishes his nap, Drago walks up to him and asks, “Master Sorcerer, what might be the power word to disguise myself?”

Aramek gets a thoughtful look and says, “Master Drago, since you are only now discovering your powers, it will be necessary for us to have a more lengthy conversation at some point, but in the mean time, I will give you some simple invocations. It’s important that you learn to control them, which means meditation and resolution. To disguise oneself, say quietly but firmly to yourself: Iluziighu [iluziiĝu], which literally means to become an illusion.

"Thank you gracious Master." Wondering if it works, Drago repeats the magic word and wonders what might happen.

Drago appears as the tall blond haired blue eyed man that he appeared to be at the gate the day before.

Aramek smiles, and claps Drago on the shoulder. “Well done, sir, well done indeed! You do seem to have a natural aptitude for spellwork.”

Looking mostly at Adelina as he begins to speak, “Master Sorcerer, when we were all playing in the river by the outpost, another strange thing happened. Lady Newt here told me that somehow I sent her a message on the wind. I didn’t realize it and I didn’t even hear it, but when I got out of the river, Chief Rahk stopped me on the bank.”

Drago stops, takes a breath, and looks from one to another. “He told me that long ago a copper colored reptile lived with our people and he had hatchlings. Ever since then, his descendants occasionally and spontaneously are gifted with magic. He said the village elders believe my ancestor Kopep was a copper dragon.

“Master Sorcerer, what might be the power word for sending a message on the wind?”

“Keep in mind,” Aramek begins, “that this spell has limited distance, for you about 100′ and you must be able to point at the person you wish to communicate with. They will also be able to respond back to you.

“So, you will look at the targeted person, point your finger, err claw, at the person and then whisper: Sendu Mesaghon [Sendu Mesaĝon] — then you can begin your message. The ability, once you invoke it, will last about 10 minutes. For now you will only be able to target one person per spell, but as you learn, you’ll be able to send messages to more and more people simultaneously.”

Also, after Aramek teaches this spell to Drago they will notice that Newt has left the room. I am going to assume that the conversation actually takes longer than what is presented above and that she is gone at least 5 minutes. She slipped out shortly after Drago began explaining about sending a message to her.

In a playful mood, blond Drago points his human finger at a scrawny human at the far end of the barracks and whispers, “Sendu Mesaghon — Hey there big guy….”

As expected, the member of the Guard is quite startled and begins looking around.

It is then that Aramek and Drago notice that Newt is nowhere in sight.

“Newt… Where’s Newt? Can she get into much trouble in this palace? Who’s more at risk? She or everyone else,” blond Drago grunts. “Should we follow her?” he says to Aramek, voicing his own thoughts.

Aramek looks around and the smile forming as Drago startles the member of the Guard disappears instantly.

“We have no idea what evils may be hiding out here in the palace. After all the Brotherhood managed to send in assassins, which was the impetus for us to go into the swamp in the first place.

“Drago, we need to find her immediately. I suggest we split up so we can cover more ground. I’m not sure how long your disguise will last, but stay with it for now.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Drago hisses in Draconic. Still, Drago puts the cloak on again but leaves his pretty human face exposed. “Meet you back here if not out there?”

Aramek nods to Drago, truns and leaves the barracks at a run.

Half startled, Drago jogs off in a different direction to look for the hatchling.

Aramek and Drago go their separate ways and search all around the courtyard but neither of them see her in the courtyard. Here’s the layout of the keep:

Aside from the palace and its various towers and wings, within the walls of the keep are the barracks for the town watch, as well as the paladins and knights who guard the keep itself; stables for the horses; granaries; and also sheds for the blacksmiths, bowyers, armor-smiths, weapon-smiths, carpenters, and other craftsmen. In the middle of it all is a large courtyard where the well is located and the parade grounds for the men-at-arms where they can drill and engage in weapons practice. Now that the sun is setting it is relatively calm and quiet. The servants are mainly in the kitchens preparing for supper and setting up the trestle tables and benches in the great hall.

Drago let’s loose with a long quiet slur at his ineptitude in Draconic. Since Newt cannot be found in the inner courtyard. He makes a loop around the the keep, but Drago makes sure he stays in the palace where he is “safe.”

When his spell expires, he quickly says “Iluziighu” to go back to blond Drago as he looks for the conniving hatchling.

Drago sees an open door to the palace – it is the servant’s entrance. He ducks inside and looks around to see if perhaps Newt was inside. He sees a few servants and asks if they have seen a young girl outfitted like a guardsman, but they just shake their heads and return to their business. Finally, Drago comes to the door to an inner courtyard. It is the Western Garden of the palace. He can see walkways winding among the flowerbeds and trees, and marble benches and statuary.

Drago looks inside and decides to have a look around. He does not call out but uses his senses to detect sound and smells. After a few moments he sees that no one else is there, but then he hears a rustling from off the path among the hollies there. Then the door to the garden slams shut, though there is no one in sight who could have done it. After a moment Drago, hears a soft sibilant voice saying to him, “I don’t recall seeing you here before. Who are you stranger?” Still there is no one and nothing in sight, except the magnolias and hollies.

Willing himself to look normal with his green scaly head exposed he says, “I am Drago, guest of the Prince and emissary of the lizard folk. Who are you, my new invisible friend?”

“Ah, one of the lizardfolk! You must be Drago. I was told about you. I too am a guest of the Prince. Actually, I am lending my services to the Heironeans. My name is Lady Sauraa.” The enchanting voice of this unseen lady seems to come from all around, but Drago still sees no one among the trees nor shrubs nor on the pathways.

“What do you think of these humans, Drago?”

Drago blinks at the voice around him, “They mean well, milady.”

From somewhere nearby, though still unseen, Lady Sauraa laughs. It is a sound that cheers Drago’s heart for some inexplicable reason. “Yes, they do mean well despite all appearances to the contrary. I hope you have better fortune than the last emissary who came here, Father Gar. Just remember that those who serve the Lion Throne do mean well, even if some of their methods at times seem overbearing or perhaps mistaken. There is much that you lizardfolk could learn from them, I think. There is more to this world than just nesting and bare survival. But you strike me as one who has already come to suspect that. You are no ordinary lizardfolk to change your appearance on a whim. But that is a riddle I will leave for myself to while away the days here. It has been good talking to you, Drago.”

The door to the garden suddenly opens again, as does another door on the far side. Drago feels a soft kiss on his forehead and feels a powerful presence moving away down the path, stirring the dust in its wake. Then the far door closes again, though the one near Drago stands open still.

When Drago leaves the garden and then the palace, he sees that Aramek has found Newt. They are over by the entrance to the keep.

“There you are, my little hatchling,” whispers Drago’s voice in Newt’s ear as she walks back across the courtyard with Aramek as the sun sets. She looks and sees Drago by the servant’s entrance to the palace, with his hood back over his face, out of which his snout is sticking and pointing a claw in her direction. He had been practicing what Aramek taught him and now seems to have control over his power to send messages.

“Yes, here I am,” Newt whispers back, “a hatchling that everyone still believes is ready to be snatched up and eaten.” Newt is remembering how Chief Rahk had described her to Sir Ragnbjorn some time ago. “No need to worry. I was never in danger and Sir Snoop sniffed me out quickly enough.”

“Sir Aramek, I suppose we should be off to supper?”