Light Up the Dragons' Eyes

[Mowkie]

The Story So Far First Post

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  [btn=modc|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/light-up-the-dragons-eyes-a-dragon-rider-rp.155776/]Sign-Ups // OOC[/btn]
  
  The dragon riders have just found their dragons and are being teleported mysteriously to the ruined city of Ranas, where they have come to meet the mythical Priestesses of Kallydrana. With their new dragons at their sides, these young varonians must learn to cope with each other and their newfound destiny.
  
  Day One of training - the riders have already begun to show their power in the ways of Arcanus as well as their prowess - of lack there of, for some - with their individual weapons. Now, we look towards Elements and the first chance that the young riders have to get to know one another, besides personal hours.
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  Chosen
  ​

  The story begins simply for most. A simple journey leading to a strange and life-changing find. It starts with a dream of a whisper or a song. A beautiful voice carried on the threads of the subconscious, wielding words of prophecy ringing deep within the soul of the one hearing it. Each dream is different, be it whispered on a breeze on a sunny day, among storm clouds amidst a nightmare, or from a beautiful woman, strong and fair. No matter the dream, the words are the same for each. And with each dream comes an epic find soon after.
  
  Darkness dwells in the heart of One
  Casting eyes far from the Sun
  Down upon the dragons' Glow
  Hatred behind his awful Blow
  
  Golden minds twisted and Dark
  Seek to satisfy their selfish Hunger
  Worshiped by the worst of Souls
  If not stopped, t'will bring the End
  
  In the hearts of Some shall find
  The Seed that oft' gets left behind
  With Minds of Ihnikxia bound Pure and Strong
  Love shall take hold and Right all the Wrong
  
  As each dragon is found by its chosen rider, just as foretold in the prophetic words uttered in each dream, their minds become one in an ancient and sacred ritual known as the Pact, bonding the two souls together as a single unit. This wave of raw Arcana can be felt by all, if only for a moment, and upon reaching the climax and succeeding in merging their souls together, each new pair finds themselves standing at a fountain of shining black stone. Standing in the very center of this fountain is a pair of perfectly symmetrical dragons - not like any of the dragons standing here, but much more regal...almost royal in appearance. Their heads held high, maws open in silent roars, crystal clear water spewing from them, they hold their talons together between them, and sitting at the very top is what appears to be a black gemstone roughly the same size and shape as the eggs some of the new dragons just hatched from.
  
  "Welcome to Ranas," a familiar voice will say, "You have a great destiny before you." Three beautiful women will appear from behind this strange fountain, each with black hair, fair skin, and dressed in the finest of white silks. They will bow to each of the young riders as they appear and show the new pairs to their new homes, explaining along the way what is happening to them.
  
  "We know you have many questions for us," the leader will speak again, showing each individual pair to a room already marked with their names, "And in time, those questions will be answered. For now, know that you are safe. Know that nothing and no one will harm you here. All will be explained shortly. For now, get comfortable."
  
  Ranas, a city of legend, said to be destroyed during the Great War over a thousand years ago. And yet, the riders see no ruins near them. Perhaps this part of the city simply remained in tact. And yet, women said to have been destroyed have just spoken to each pair. The night air carries with it the chill of the mountains - mountains no one has ever seen. Something is awfully strange, and yet nothing has been answered. Nothing but what was on each rider's person was brought with them.
  
  Now, all that can be done is sleep. For the morning will bring answers and possibly new friendships. But it will also bring more questions and hardships. It is up to each rider to accept them. After all, with hardship comes something never before imagined - dragons.
  
  
  

 

[LoveandHate91]

Ryyker made a mental note of everything the priestesses said. Ryyker thinks partnering with Earth, Death or Light would be the best. But as he thinks that it appears that Earth is already taken. Ryyker could try to partner with Suki but he needs to apologize first. Ryyker then looked to Wreaver and it dawns who he is Ryyker has seen his fights and even won every bet on him he would became great ally. Ryyker looks to Eli the healer another magic that would be incredibly helpful but like before he needs to apologize might as well start. Ryyker strides right for Eli. "Greetings Eli may I have a moment of your time." Ryyker didn't even wait for a answer before continuing. "I'd like to apologize for my actions yesterday I need to learn to control my anger, and therefore I regret all of my actions so later I hope to apologize to Suki and Raijin so I'm hoping you will forgive me and allow us to start over. I will also let you hit me in return and I won't do anything in return. Then maybe we can be partners for the training that we are given?" Ryyker clasped his arms behind his back as he waits for Elis answer.

 

[DekuNightFury]

[fieldbox="Eli, goldenrod, solid, 10, Book Antiqua"]

Eli paused in his session with Suki when he noticed the Priestess coming together, but not only that, they also had two new people with them he hadn't seen before. Both were female, and one carried a baby dragon of her own, which seemed to be the same size as Tyrale had been when he first came out of his egg. Eli could only assume that the baby dragon had only recently hatched and the girl holding the dragon was a Rider, but then why didn't the other possess a dragon? Weren't only Dragon Riders allowed here? His unspoken question was soon answered when Illyria spoke about the two girls and that it was unknown why the other didn't possess a dragon.

Soon they all gathered together in front of the Priestess when she was about to go over something very important: Elements. Eli was pretty clueless on the Elements, and he glanced around to see if anyone else was as baffled as he was, but if they were they didn't show it. He tried to follow their example, not wanting to show just how much he didn't know, and he was very grateful when the Priestess began her explanation on the matter. So there were only ten, but nine chose suitable partners, but what about the tenth? He almost asked, but decided to save the question for a later date, but the curiosity was great and he desperately wanted to know. Of course when the Priestess made it out to sound as though not everyone always got an Element, his hope died a little and his shoulders slumped. He was fairly certain that no Element would choose him. He was still finding it hard to believe that Tyrale chose him, but it had to be a pure coincidence, nothing more. Besides, who else would have found a dragon egg out by the river?

He was taken by surprise, however, when the Priestess known as Xara looked to him. Her smile and eyes made his cheeks blush as though he were a child in the eyes of a appraiser and had no idea how to handle it. Which wasn't far off. He had no idea how old these Priestess were, but to them they all must appear like children, no matter how old they were. He blinked once and stared at Xara in surprise, not believing what he had just heard. Life? Did he really possess such an Element? That an Element had chosen him, and it being one such as 'Life'? Though he wasn't entirely familiar with the Elements, he knew that Life wasn't such a minor one, though any Element would do for him really. The fact that he was chosen at all astounded him.

He lifted a hand to his chest, eyes slightly downcasted. Ihkari.... That was what it was called. Then it was as if just the pure acknowledgement had set something alive within Eli. He felt an almost overwhelming radiation of warmth through his body, and the tips of his fingers tingled ever so slightly. Just as quickly as it had come, however, it was then gone. But in that brief moment, Eli had smiled, knowing without an absolute doubt that it had been there. It had almost felt...alive! Were the Elements alive? Was it the same as his connection with Tyrale? He had so many questions, but when he tried reaching for Tyrale, he could feel his dragon dead asleep. He must have passed right out after eating.

Deciding to let his dragon rest, he left him be. Perhaps he could ask more with the Priestess. Since they had to train with their Elements anyway, he thought about training with Xara, but it appeared she was busy with the two new comers, which also left them out. He figured a training session would have been a good way to introduce himself and help to make them feel welcomed, but he supposed doing what the Priestess had said and wait till dinner would be a better time. Of course his other option was immediately going to Tahvo, since he knew the fellow far better than anyone else here, but turning his head he saw the young man heading over to one of the girls. The one he believed possessed Earth. Eli couldn't help but smile at the sight of Fierro, lifting his head as if he were royalty, and could only shake his head. Apparently the dragon still had a fascination for female Riders.

Well that left Tahvo out, but perhaps he could meet with one of the other Riders? Maybe he could train with Suki again, but he was sure that she would prefer to work with her brother, so that left both of them out. Unless he decided to work with both of them? After all the Priestess didn't put a limit, and Spirit and Light seemed like excellent choices for Life. He even thought about Death, since it was basically the opposite of Life, and working with one's opposite could work out very well or very horribly. He thought it may be good practice, but from what he could tell of the wielder of Death, the guy was not very sociable and seemed to take things very seriously. Which wasn't a bad thing, but it made Eli slightly nervous to ask.

Before he could set out on either decision, however, the very last person he had suspected to work with came strolling up to him. Eli's demeanor changed to one slightly defensive, squaring his shoulders and prepping himself for a fight, since that was exactly what had happened from his last encounter with this man. He had no idea what he wanted but he couldn't be too careful, eyeing the man as he approached, though he wondered what he could possibly want with him. If Eli was being honest he had almost forgotten about the whole ordeal after all that was happening, but the instant his eyes fell upon this man they all came rushing back. He had no desire to be in another scrape, however, so would do his best to keep fists from flying.

Eli had no time to answer the man's first question when he asked for his time. Well. It didn't appear he had any choice in the matter. However Rykker surprised Eli when he began to apologize for his behavior yesterday, and even thought to apologize to Raijin and Suki. He supposed that was very gentleman of him, but he wasn't wrong when he said that he was quick to anger, so he wondered how long this 'peace' would last between them. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond or take this man's words... He did not know him personally so he had no idea if he was a man of his word, or if he would quickly turn back around and repeat his mistake. Eli had no desire for another bruised cheek, but he couldn't hide his surprise when Rykker offered to allow him a free hit, stunning him. He had even folded his hands behind his back, a complete relaxed posture that would prevent him from reacting quickly to Eli's move, though for all Eli knew it probably didn't matter what posture Rykker would be in. He had probably been in many fights, whereas Eli had been in none. Unless wrestling pigs or wrangling horses counted.

"Um, thanks..." Eli began. "But that's ok. I'm not a vengeful type person, and I appreciate the apology, so I think that's good enough." He suppose there was no harm in forgiving the man since they did have to be teammates anyway. They would have to learn to get along. He even wondered about offering him his idea of joining both Raijin and Suki to help each other practice their elements, but then again, he didn't think it would be such a good idea. He didn't want to disrupt them and make it awkward by bringing this man over. "How about to make it even you just agree to try not to make an...advancement like that towards Suki or any other woman here. As for partnering up with you...that's not such a bad idea. Your Element is Darkness, right? Though they're not exact opposites, Ihkari and Darkness are opposing enough that it might benefit us both to try to work them together. People always say that in order to become stronger then one must over come his own weakness."

[/fieldbox]

 

[Soulserenity20]

A Flashback to a Battle of Light and Dark. . .
Raijin X Wreaver Spar
[dscroll]
Wreaver looked at Raijin approvingly as he ignored the taunts, instead remaining calm and continuing like it had never happened. Wreaver stopped momentarily as Raijin spoke and began thinking about the number of men he had fought in the pits and rounded the number off, "I've killed perhaps around a thousand men since I was a child, I've fought with most weapons under the streets of Taval and I had to learn quick or be killed too." he replied, no longer trying to push Raijin into a temper but rather see what the young man can do.

The man's response bothered Raijin. He was standing before a murderer.

Keeping his calm as best he could, focusing entirely on the neutral aspect of the formed battle, he continued to dance. When he saw that the other man had no intentions of making the first move, he took the reins of the fight and stepped quickly forward, dipped to the ground, and swung his foot around, knocking the man's feet out from under him before stepping back and rebalancing himself. He wanted to taunt the man. Once he started attacking, Raijin would have no trouble evading his attacks. Predicting attacks was what hr had been trained for. His strength lay in hand to hand, one on one combat and he was confident this man lacked the necessary discipline and training needed to beat him. A murderer did not make a warrior. Death did not make a man.

Wreaver took the fall with grace, his acrobatic abilities seamlessly bringing him up to his feet and propelling him forwards towards his opponent.

He pushed himself into Raijin's guard and used a palm strike into his stomach, following with an elbow strike to daze before dancing away to a safe distance, his self imposed discipline and iron will keeping him calm as he studied his opponent, eye darting and searching for any quick tensing of muscles.

"You should have pressed the advantage, if you were in the pits that could have cost you dearly." he said as he assumed his fighting stance, legs bent and slightly spread to keep himself balanced. He keot his hands relaxed and not balled up into fists, so as not to break his knuckles with a strike. He kept his breathing even and his movements minumal.

"Again." he said, ready to fight.

"The pits?" He spoke quietly, not wanting to distract himself too much with conversation. "Is that where you come from? What brought you to go there? A bloodlust?"

Raijin had heard stories of fighting rings existing in the slums of some of the larger cities. Men signing up to kill other men for social and economic gain. It made him sick. What kind of a man was this? What this really the type of person he was expected to fight beside?

"What kind of a person seeks out death? How can you live with yourself, taking people away from their loved ones?" He had his family taken from his years ago, not by a man, but a beast, but what he saw before him seemed to be closer to the latter of the two.

He centered himself and moved forward again, dancing around the man, making quick jabs, though only a few hit. His opponent had experi nice fighting but he lacked discipline. He fought like an abused animal, acting out of habit, using a fighting style that seemed to have grown out of necessity instead of desire and discipline. Raijin kept moving around, maintaining the man's attention and persisting in his quick and sharp attacks.

A strike to the head, blocked. Another following to the side, blocked with a dropped arm. A dip and a swift kick, evaded. A strong upward strike, hit. He moved quickly as the man returned an attack, accepting the hit willingly to gain an orchestrated counterstrike with a strong, flat hand that met the other man directly in the throat. Jumped back, he took a moment to breathe though the pain of the attack he had accepted, a sharp assault on his ribs.

Wreaver rubbed his throat absent-mindedly and used his free hand to remove the cloth on his face, it dropping to the ground slowly, "My father sold me to the pits when I was a boy, never gave me a name, I earned Wreaver after my twentieth consecutive win." he said as the cloth hit the ground.

He took a deep breath through his bruised throat and moved in on the offensive again, starting with a knee that was blocked, following with a one two jab, both of which met air. He changed up his techniques, incorporating styles of the martial arts masters that he had fought and learnt from, his attacks becoming less predictable.

Raijin threw small, quick and calculated hits against Wreavers body, which bothered the large man little as he neglected to put his weight into the hits in favour of the speed instead. He connected a somewhat solid hit to Wreavers chest, the larger man accepting it and using it to as he shoved the Raijin backwards.

He jumped and corkscrew flipped through the air, bringing his foot down on top of Raijin' shoulder, using his height to an increased advantage as he released a small flurry of punches, half of which were blocked but achieved their purposes in exposing Raijin's chest, which was punished with a roundhouse kick to his solar plexus, driving all the air from his lungs as a way of thanking Raijin for the strike he had received to his throat.

Wreaver looked up, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he enjoyed the honesty and the rythm that came with fighting, to which he asked Raijin, "Do you feel the Rhythm? The natural beat that comes with fighting, the instinctice nature and the knowledge that the Rhythm can be the difference in a fight?"

The story the man told was unsettling and threw off Raijin's concentration. Someone... His own father... Sold him? To a life of violence and pain and suffering....? How-- a swift assault tore him from his thoughts and forced him back into the spar. He struggled to maintain his concentration then, staring the man's past in the face, literally, after he removed the cloth he wore.

Focus. He kept drawing on his meditative practices to maintain hid attention, trying to monitor and deflect every movement, but the man fought with an instinctual drive to survive, something Raijin lacked. His fighting... It wasn't a means if survival or defense, it was a form of ritual, a way of life, his natural movements and the movements of the natural world were all a part of his technique. It wasn't driven by a fight for survival, but rather by a manifestation of life itself. What could come of a man who fought for life and a man who fought by life?

"Huhhnnn!" The ground came swiftly after a powerful kick to his chest that left him unable to breathe. He was so distracted by the character before him that he could hardly focus his breath to regain the necessary control. It took a minute but when he got back up, he was prepared to press on.

"I can agree with that... But we will never compare our rhythms. Mine is drawn for the natural order, from the movements of life itself, not from a desperate rhythm of survival and slaughter."

It was clear he needed to ramp up his methods and he shifted from the winds to the waters and began a heavier assault, fluidly dancing around even the hardest and fastest hits, taking hits and using the momentum of them to fluidly direct himself into the next attack. A powerful strike to hid left torso was used to force his body into a spin that saw a strong calf connect with Wreaver's own left side. The movement carried through and a back kick landed on Wreaver's right side as Raijin flowed behind the man and planted himself before skipping back. He went in again with a series of sharing and quick assaults that drew the man's defense lower than normal before a sharp destructive hit to the the neck, deflected, and followed by a strike to the gut with a shared uppercut that saw no defense.

He expected the man to stagger and pause but instead, an unforeseeable attack landed him on the ground, a massive gash on his forehead bleeding profusely. "Damn, this was supposed to be a list spar! These aren't the pits, you beast!"

Wreaver stood over Raijin, slightly off balance after more or less ending the fight with a headbutt that still had his head spinning slightly. He offered a hand and pulled Raijin up, though he immediately headbutt the man to the ground again as he processed the comments made about him, "Be careful of those you call beast Boy, if this hadn't been a spar you would be dead. Any injury you take should make you think of how you can improve, any opponent you can not beat you should study. You're techniques are known to me because I have fought those that use the same techniques when they came seeking fame. Yet you call me beast, slaughterer and murderer, whereas I call myself Survivor because I LEARN FROM MY OPPONENTS." he said slightly infuriated at Raijin' manner.

"I was sold by my father to slavers who used my size to hone me into a weapon for their entertainment, I never lost because i learnt quickly or I died. You need to stop being so fucking naïve and start realising this. I fight to live, not live to fight, being gifted with the ability to remove life from this world is not a curse to one who survives Boy." He said as he picked up the cloth amd tied it firmly around his face, the air being cut off.

"Start taking this seriously, next time you act like this is a game I will break your arm, the time after your leg. If you don't learn then you don't deserve to be here. And If i find out you have told anyone else about my past, I will remove your tongue and feed it to Drachma." he said, offering his hand down to Raijin as blood began to flow down his face.

Raijin got up on his own and shook his head. "Being forced into some thing as a child is only an excuse while you're a child. You fought to survive. A lot of people have, myself included. But most people stop the bloodshed when they have a chance. You have a chance now and you're still hiding your violence behind an excuse that no longer exists. You're not in the pits anymore. Maybe you can learn from this opponent that the past can't be used as an excuse for the present or the future. Stop defending your violence with history and stop acting like you have any right to tell anyone where they deserve to be. You're living in the past but the rest of the world is in the present, the now." He turned to walk away, applying pressure to his gash.

"There won't be a next time. I refuse to engage with violent, self-defeating individuals who can't stop staring at the past long enough to check their behaviour in the present." And with that, he was gone. He left the room and went to take a breather in his private quarters, frustrated, focused on the ignorance of the other man. He imagined what he'd have been like today if he continually obsessed over the trauma of his past, if he lived under a veil of excuses that didn't exist anymore. His life was about moving forward and Wreaver's was about perpetuating a violent history by being a violent man while hiding behind a long passed trauma. It made him sick.

He laid back on his bed and contemplated the encounter. The largest part of him pitied Wreaver, for he couldn't imagine being so consumed with something that no longer existed. He couldn't imagine living a miserable life in the chains of a mere memory. Certainly his own memories were alive and real, and certainly they effected him, but he actively worked to keep his eyes ahead of him while Wreaver strove to stare at what was behind, no matter who he trampled in his blindness.

"I need to get out of here," he mumbled to himself. "I need to get Suki and get her away from these monsters."

Wreaver watched as Raijin got up and walked away, prattling on about things he didn't understand, Wreaver was consumed by his past, of that there was no doubt and he openly admitted it, but to say that he used it as an excuse to hurt people, if that were the case he would have merely sought out his father and killed his family, making his father choose which died first, he had considered it and almost as quickly disregarded the thought.

But the fact was that Raijin had no idea the pain that came with being a slave, the mental shackles that it placed on someone, Raijin had grown up with companionship and love and family, whereas the closest thing to a friend Wreaver had was the doctor who stitched him up.

But the part that made Wreaver livid, even if ot didn't play on his face, was the complete disregard that Raijin had put in his words. Wreaver felt a pulse go through him all the grass in a two meter radius of him withered and died, rotting as Wreaver wrestled with the anger inside of himself, the insult would not be forgotten and Wreaver was one to hold a grudge.
[/dscroll]

 

[Soulserenity20]

[dash=skyblue]

Looking around, Raijin wasn't even sure how to go about this. He had returned after taking some time to cool off and kept a safe distance from Wreaver. The trio of priestesses seemed to lack greatly in the skills of explanation giving. Let your newfound abilities flow through you. Spirit already flowed through him. Spirits flowed through everything, but to call them an element? He pondered the notion for a time. Sitting on the ground, he welcomed the ideas into meditation but he was quickly torn from his peace when a scaled mass rolled into him.

"What on. . .?"

~I fell.~ The little voice was stern and proper and the body it belonged to was shaking a bit of dust off its pearlescent scales while righting herself from the fall. ~It doesn't make me a fool or anything. I just. . . I fell. These feet and hands are big.~ The little dragoness lifted one of her clawed hands and inspected it before shaking her head and letting her upset go.

"I understand," Raijin smiled and pat the dragoness on the head, bringing the creature to purr a bit like a cat. "I'm trying to let spirit flow through me. Have you any advice?" The little dragoness sat down next to him and thought for a moment. Looking up at him with big eyes, she lit up with an idea.

~Just do what you've always done. The thing. You know? On the mountain paths, in the fields, out in the woods? That thing you do with your body and mind. Ynxir has always had a liking for you, I think. You just didn't know it was real. You thought it was something of your go-- Er. You didn't know what it was. But now you do.~

"I can feel what you feel and hear your thoughts. I thought it was something of my God, Varon. And who's to say I'm wrong? We do not always understand the way of things, words muddle concepts that cannot be spoken of. Element, the essence of Varon. Whatever it's called, I. . . I think I can do this. You're right, Spirit has always been with me. It is with us all. I only have to find it."

~And prove yourself to it.~

"What was that?"

~Nothing.~

"Ren. . .?"

~Find Ynxir. Go on.~ The little dragoness grinned as she could and settled onto the ground, resting her head and humming in her belly.

He sat for a time, thinking. He didn't try to control his thoughts at first, letting his mind wander to Suki's unusual ability and how he had been both surprised and not when he heard about her formal element. He wondered how she was doing, but he refused to let himself focus on her too much. He had a task and he found the best way to free his mind of the bothersome stress of being stuck in this place was to focus on that task and to accomplish it. But when he tried to do just that, he found himself coming up short.

Every time he brought his mind to the spirits as he had in the wilds, they escaped him. He felt nothing, no rush of calm, no creeping peace with the world. Nothing. Frustration grew and as it did, it began to self-perpetuate as it made his meditation impossible, making him even more frustrated.

"I can't do it here." He grumbled about the unnatural surroundings, the stone, the structure, so far from home, from the wilds, from anything he knew to be spiritual. "I don't even know if spirits exist here. I have no connection with these lands, with this. . . foreign structure. I cannot do it the way I do at home." Ren lifted her head and cocked it to one side, as if tossing her brains about might knock an idea out of her head.

~Perhaps. . . you're looking at it wrong? You're. . . too stuck on the spirits. Perhaps you need to find just . . . spirit?~ Raijin looked puzzled, but after a time, he formulated another approach. Silently he sat once more, feeling what he could and taking in his surroundings. There was stone here, there was earth, there was life, dragons - of all things - and there was wind, air, water, sand, there were structures which represented change, there was both unity and segregation between the people here, there was love and hatred. There was so much. There had to be spirit. Spirit flowed through everything.

A subtle push. His eyes darted around, as if looking for the source of a push that had no physical force behind it. A pull. Again, he examined the world around him, focusing in on the feeling. A challenge. That was it. It wasn't a push or a pull, it was a challenge. A challenge. . . but for what? From?

~Yes, it's from Ynxir,~ chimed little Yrenxia. ~It's Spirit. You grazed it, but it wants more. Do you feel it? It's simple, clear as day. Can't you feel it?~

"Clear as day? I struggled to feel anything. It was just a nudge. . . I couldn't. . "

~It was a challenge.~

"But for what?"

The dragoness giggled and stood, walking around to face her dear friend. ~Perhaps the first challenge is finding out what it wants from you.~

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[RiddL]

Wreaver again sat spaced himself from the others as be contemplated two things, the first being called Lord Wreaver, what had he done to deserve such a horrible fate as to be called a Lord, he was an animal in the form of a man who was caged by men calling themselves Lord. His mind then wandered to the other thing that caught his attention, Ihnthar, the Element of Death had chosen him as a companion, though he almost couldn't stop himself from laughing when the Priestess said that death was a harsh Element, he knew death to be a release that it wasn't harsh because it was did not choose who to embrace, as all embrace death in the end.

He closed his eye and opened his mind, ~What do you think my little scaled friend?~ he asked Drachma as the little dragon wondered over and inspected Wreaver, a low growl emanating from deep inside his chest as he saw the bruises on his riders body, as well as the anger that Wreaver had buried deep inside of, like a blazing fire pulsating inside of his riders heart.

~I think Ihnthar is a good companion,after all you have been favoured by Ihnthar since you were a youngling, especially as grew up knowing only Ihnthar's embrace.~ Drachma replied, the growl lessening as his Rider spoke to him and the anger dissipated a little from the man. Wreaver sat down against a wall and Drachma layed next to him, head resting on the mans legs as Wreaver contemplated everything.

"I don't trust any of the people here Drachma, no doubt they all feel the same. We'll take the time we need to ready ourselves and then we disappear, find a place to call our own. Let these fools play hero and die for some ridiculous cause, I'd rather travel the world as a free man, not tied down by shackles, physical or otherwise." Wreaver said in a low and quiet voice being careful not to let any of the others hear him.

~What about the girl you talked to earlier, Emelyn? We should at least help while we're here, it's why we were brought together afterall. Besides, if you weren't going to help, why try to help the weird guy who looks like the girl?~ Drachma asked innocently, big green eye angling to see his riders face, who felt his cheeks grow warm at the mention of the Girl who talked to him earlier, "I don't know what you're talking about in regards to her" he said quietly, his expression betraying his words.

~You like her, I could tell while I was talking with Little Sister. We should stay.~ he said to Wreave, a mixture of scents and images coming along in the mental sending, making Wreaver smile slightly, "She didn't once shy backwards from me, wasn't scared at all. I admire a girl like that. I mean, I've never had a friend like her, or family like you in that regard. We'll stay for a while, maybe i can be convinced of this so called destiny." he said, making Drachma proud that this man was his Rider, who through all the pain and suffering still felt love, even if it was a fragile and flickering thing.

~We are family?~ Drachma asked, his mind going in a thousand directions as he fully comorehended Wreaver's words, ~Of coursewe are. Now and always.~ Wreaver replied as the he took a deep breath and placed his hand on his dragons scaled hide, "Always." he said again, feeling content as he felt Ihnthar entwine itself with the man in his meditative state.

They would take the training offered and make it their own, if the Priestesses want to convince him to stay and help their cause then they were welcome to try. Though earning his trust and loyalty might be harder than most think.

 

[Mowkie]

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"What is it that has you calling upon all of the Legion Generals, Commander Aarland?" The booming voice of Legion General Mathius sounded throughout the Hall of Sacred Warriors. Before her stood ten men, each wearing the same armor, each with the same crest upon their chest plates. In fact, the only difference between the men was the various stages of graying hair and the different-colored stoned upon the bands that wrapped around their heads. The lowest ranking Legion General, Legion General Takkan, had five stones. By contrast, Legion General Mathius stood tall and proud with over fifteen stones tightly inlaid upon his band. His cold eyes stared down at the young Commander before him, her face frowning in irritation. "Speak!"

"Forgive me, Legion General Mathius. I have called upon you this day to ask your forgiveness and formally resign from the Tarjan Army. I feel as though my heart is no longer in the right place to properly lead and follow the ways of our great people, and I do not wish to hinder your progress."

There was a wave of shock through the crowd, and the men muttered to each other in confusion. Then came an angry voice, but it was not from the lips of Mathius.

"How dare you think you can just quit like that, Commander Aarland. Leaving the Tarjan Army is not so easy as you think!"

Kahvana looked up into the dark eyes of her father, Legion General Targjor Aarland. He was directly to the right of Mathius, but unlike the leading Legion General, he only possessed twelve stones. His face was a bright shade of red - not from embarrassment, but from sheer rage. The soldier placed her fist upon her heart and bowed low and formal. "Forgive me, Legion General Aarland, but if it were not so easy, then perhaps you should rewrite the code of conduct for the Army. If I wish to resign, it is my right to do so, so long as I speak to the Legion General committee. Here I am, speaking to you now. And I am resigning from my place as Commander. After all, I did not make that rank fairly."

Her eyes stared up at him then, glowering, daring him to challenge her. Now, the redness of his face melted into a shade of pink, showing his embarrassment. She had him in a lock, and he knew it. At only 28, she should be nothing more than a Chief, two ranks below Commander. Yet, here she was, the only Commander with just one dragon stone. The youngest Commander in history. All because of her father.

Mathius cleared his throat, and the muttering stopped instantly. "If that is your wish, Commander Aarland, then I release you as head of this committee. But be warned, the rumors that you hear cannot be stopped from coming true. Your soldiers will feel this as a betrayal on your part, and you will only have a short time to completely make up your mind. I wish you the best of luck."

Another bow, and then Kahvana left without a word.

She knew, of course, that no one actually left the Tarjan Army. Once a soldier, always a soldier. Those who did leave were never gone for more than a decade before revenge, anger, or hatred caught up to them. It was a sad fate, really. The fact that those of the Army were so fueled by hatred and animosity that their only desire was to stick together in that pool of loathing and destroy any who sought happier things. But her heart could not take the animosity any longer. And she was willing to risk death for it.

It took mere moments to reach the estate that belonged to the Aarland family. As she walked through the gate, she was greeted happily by the various servants and maids that she passed. Each of them bowed to her, welcoming her home. Each of them, she gave a brief hello to, never stopping to formally greet them. She wanted nothing more than to get to her room. No goodbyes. No sad eyes. Just a simple disappearance.

She continued through the door of the main hall, turning left and going up the stairs to the second floor. The marble floors echoed beneath her armored feet, the emptiness of the hallway screaming at her with each step she took. There was no going back now. No turning away from the choice she had made. She had to leave before her mother arrived. She had to get away before her father caught up to her.

With a swift hand - the one that did not hold her trusted halberd - she grabbed the handle that opened the door to her room. She walked in, grabbing the bag that she used any time she was to be leaving for a patrol that lasted longer than a month and packing it with basic things, like clothes, a coin purse with enough currency to buy her food for up to a year, and toiletries. There really wasn't much else to pack. So, naturally, it only took her a few moments. Then, just as she had opened the door to enter, she once more grabbed her weapon and turned to open it again. That was when it happened.

It was as though the door to her room had become a portal. Having packed her basic necessities, she had simply walked through the door without a second thought only to find herself in an entirely new place. Marble fell away to bare, gray stone. A warm fire to cool, pure water flowing from the maws of dragons. There, she stood, a simple bag of her basic clothing, still wearing her armor - save the helmet - and holding her trusted weapon, before the greatest of fountains she had ever seen. It was midday, and the suns were high in the sky above her, but she recognized nothing about her new surroundings.

Kahvana looked around, perplexed at her situation. How had she come here? Why was she not still in Gareth, about to leave home for good? The irony of her situation hit her, and she let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head at herself. "Well, I guess this is one way to leave for good." Sighing, she did a quick 360, to see if there was anyone around.

As the soldier did so, she heard a voice call out, and amidst her quick recon of the area, she noticed the face of another - a woman of shorter stature than herself with silvery locks and piercing eyes. But the woman's appearance really didn't interest Kahvana. No, no...it was something much more spectacular - and frightening.

The woman was standing right next to a baby dragon!

Quickly, Kahvana's mind swirled into action, determining breed, gender, age, and threat of the tiny baby. It was a platinum, possibly female, freshly hatched with little to no threat. Upon this analysis, she visibly relaxed, her face a stone as she turned her gaze towards the woman once more. "First and foremost, how in Varon's name do you know what that creature calls itself? And second, how did you...or we...end up in this place?"

Rude, perhaps, but Kahvana wasn't much for introductions when her life was possibly being threatened. And in her line of work, anyone with a dragon was a threat.

At that moment, another strode in, billowing white gown flowing seamlessly on the tiniest of breezes, black hair in a network of braids lined with silver and gold. She stopped before the pair, smiling warmly at Ciel before glancing towards Kahvana with a look of mild confusion on her gentle face.

"Greetings, young riders. My name is Illyria, and I am a Priestess of Kallydrana. Lady Ciel, Lady Endyr, I've been expecting your arrival for quite some time now...but you," she turned once more towards the soldier, bowing her head slightly, "My apologies, but I do not know your name...you were not foretold. Where is your dragon, my lady?"

"M...my dragon?" Kahvana let out a slightly hysterical laugh. "Unless you count this stone on my head, I have no such creature!"

"You possess a dragon stone?"

"Yes, a Brass from years back...but how is that relevant here?"

Looking visibly perplexed the priestess took a moment to regain her bearings. "Regardless, you have been called, so you must be meant to help. With or without, my lady. Might I have a name?"

"You'll have your name when I have an explanation!" Now quite irritated, Kahvana found her voice rising without her intention, but still she did not back down.

Illyria gave another bow of her head. "Fair enough. My Ladies, you have been called to a very important mission. The Mainland is being threatened with a great imbalance of forces. Your mighty god, Varon, has managed to tip the balance in his favor, threatening the existence of all dragons. And without dragons, our world cannot survive. You have been called to this great Sanctuary in hopes that the light within your hearts can help ease the anger of the other varonians and show them the path to harmony. It is why you, Lady Ciel, were chosen by Lady Endyr. There are many others like you...other riders...and dragons. They are currently showing their skill in the art of weaponry over at the training grounds." Turning to look back towards the soldier, she gave a smile. "Does that suffice as an explanation?"

Kahvana seemed at a complete loss for words. She had been called to this place to help keep the balance between varonian kind and dragon kind...and all of the others had dragons...but she did not. Confusion filled her, as did a deep fear and sadness. How would others who were bonded to dragons feel about a dragon slayer in their midst?

"Kahvana Aarland. That is my name. I do not know why I am here or why I do not have a dragon...but perhaps...we should keep the dragon slaying story from the thoughts of the other riders?" She looked towards Ciel then. "I...am sorry...for what I said before."

Hoping for answers she ended up with the opposite instead. The tall woman turned it around and asked her some questions with a tone that was somewhat off-putting in the sense that it wasn't very polite. However, this didn't phase Ciel at all and so kept on acting like her normal-friendly self. She paused before answering her, taking in the odd colorization of her eyes which happened to be heterochromia…just like Endyr's.

"She told me her name…" Ciel then gently nudged Endyr with her foot, "go on…tell the lady your name," she asked. Endyr's body moved to the side slightly when prodded but continued to just sit there while staring at the woman. Not a single word came out of Endyr. Ciel began to laugh nervously, "I swear, I am not crazy…Endyr told me inside my head. She can read my thoughts, you see…" Ciel was feeling hopeless at this point and looked at Endyr like throw me a freakin' bone here but the drakaina didn't budge or make a sound. Ciel cleared her throat, "I think she's just shy" she whispered at the woman and motioned her head at the small dragon beside her.

"I heard that and I am far from being bashful. I do not wish to speak to other humans...most are untrustworthy," she said curtly in her head and let out an annoyed snort. Ciel smiled awkwardly at the woman pretending like everything was OK and there wasn't an irritated dragon speaking to her again through her mind.

"Anyway," she lifted her hand to scratch the back of her head and grimaced at the predicament of nobody knowing what was going on, "I really don't know where we are. I was hoping you'd know since you just magically popped out of thin air," she said.

At that moment another woman who introduced herself as Illyria came forth to greet them. The woman wore a beautiful & ethereal dress and her dark hair was long decorated in silver and gold. Illyria and the mysterious woman who was called Kahvana had their exchange of words. Ciel just stood their with her mouth shut and looked from one to the other every time one spoke. Illyria then went on basically how they were there to help the world by saving the dragons. And there were others as well…dragon riders. Ciel's eyes began to perk up with excitement. She was still under a bit of shock since so much has happened in one day but she prayed that it wasn't a dream. This was a chance to live the epic adventure she always wished for.

"No need to say more, m'lady, you had me at 'important mission.' I never would've thought that something like this would happen to a girl from a quiet & quaint town…this is the kind of thing that only happens in stories, but I am so incredibly happy and ecstatic to be a part of this. I hope the others are just as excited as I am! I'm still quite taken aback about the whole situation since it's a lot to sink in, but you have my word that I will try my best," she then looked at her straight in eye, "I only hope that I am worthy…" and then looked down at Endyr. The tiny dragon nudged her head up against Ciel's leg, "You are. I know it," Endyr said to reassure the young rider. Ciel couldn't help but grin widely and scooped Endyr up into her arms.

"Training grounds, eh? Well, we are a bit hungry but I suppose we can wait a little longer to eat," she said and then met Kahvana's eyes, "No need to apologize," she smiled with her eyes showing that she understood, "how about we start over and get through this together? Saving the world doesn't sound like a task for only one to bear" she chuckled and turned to lady Illyria to lead the way.

Having known about the telepathic abilities of dragons, Kahvana gave a huff and brushed the woman off. "Eh, she probably just doesn't want to talk to varonians. Thinks I'm beneath her or something along those lines."

Meanwhile, Illyria gave a smile and nodded slightly, happy to have another enthusiastic rider. "That is very good to hear! Many riders are a little wary of their destiny, but I am happy to know there is at least one more who is willing to put forth an effort. Now, come. We will get something to eat on the way there." With that, she turned and seemingly glided away.

Kahvana gave a small bow, smiling sheepishly. "Thank you." With that, Kahvana followed after Ciel and Illyria, curious and afraid of how she was going to be accepted when she, herself, did not have a companion to call her own.

They had headed first for a low-lying building on the other side of the massive walls that marked the training grounds. Illyria had turned and informed the pair that they would be returning to these walls to meet the others after they got the chance to fill their bellies. The priestess offered for them to leave any belongings inside the dining hall, which Kahvana accepted, dropping her bag on the floor without a second thought. After all, she never had the need to worry about the possibility of losing any of her things.

It didn't take either of them very long to finish the food they were given. The meal was a simple one, meat and cheese on slabs of bread. Beer and water for those who wished it. Once completed, the duo was lead back to the training grounds and introduced to the others.

Then, as though it were a normal practice, a new thing was announced. Elements. Confusion covered the soldier's face at the mention of such a thing. They spoke of these various words as though they were speaking about living creatures. What a baffling thought. How absurd. She found herself overwhelmed, irritated, and just plain lost. Not only did she have a dragon, but she also seemed quite behind on the learning curve when it came to these strange powers.

Dragons, she could understand. She could believe. Dragons were just regular beasts like anything else. But magic - the ways of the arcane - were nothing more than myth. In the ranks of the Tarjan Army, things like Armond's Academy of All Things Magical were laughed at, a joke. Magic didn't exist. That was what she had always been taught.

As she stood there, she looked around to see if there was any signs of magic around her. For the first few moments, she hadn't noticed anything. She stepped to the side as instructed by Illyria, looking sideways towards Ciel and her strange little Platinum as a plumper, more childish-looking priestess stepped up towards her.

The woman bowed and smiled cheerfully towards the soldier and her new partner. "Greetings, Lady Ciel, Lady Endyr." She turned to welcome Kahvana, but paused momentarily to furrow her brow. "Lady Kahvana, those markings on your face...were they always there?"

Kahvana found her own brow furrowing. "My scars? No, of course they weren't always there."

"No, no, my lady...there are...well, they look like shadows, on your face." Xara stepped closer, peering up towards the soldier with narrow eyes. "I have never seen anything like this. They are moving...you have, indeed, been marked by something. But what?" This seemed to have been more muttered to herself than outright said to the woman. "We will have to see how well you do using arcanus to gain a better understanding."

Kahvana rolled her eyes. "You're kidding, right? I mean...magic isn't real!"

Xara gave the soldier a droll stare before rolling her eyes and smiling towards Ciel. "Might I be so bold as to show you a few examples?"

Before either could answer yes or no, the priestess took a few steps backward before spreading her hands and repeating what Illyria had done to show the other riders the four branches of the arcane. "There are four different kinds of magic - offensive, defensive, healing, and illusion. Each comes with a different difficulty. Offensive is the easiest for varonians, while defensive is the easiest for Pacted dragons. Healing typically only comes to those with a desire - a true desire - to heal others. Illusion is the most difficult, but it can also be the most helpful."

Her hands began to glow strangely, one oozing a strange and somewhat ominous green, the other radiating a frighteningly inhuman heat. Kahvana's eyes widened, and without realizing it, her jaw dropped open. She was stunned. Utterly stunned. Xara smiled in satisfaction. "My dear, how else but with magic could you have found yourself on the other side of the Mainland?"

"Wait...we're no longer in the Plains of Varon?"

"No, we are in the mountains in the far north of Plains of the Pilgrim. You are in Ranas, girl."

"But Ranas was destroyed a thousand years ago!"

"Perhaps that is what your history writes...because that is what we wanted everyone to think."

Irritation fueled her once again as Xara continued, showing a shield around herself before allowing her arms to light up with a gentle green. Then, for a second, the priestess disappeared before reappearing a few feet away. "I can't just believe this. For all I know, this is just a crazy dream."

"It is natural to think that way, my lady. But I assure you that this is not a dream. Now, Lady Ciel, if you would like, why not try out some basic offensive magic for yourself? Lady Endyr can help you, and if you still find yourself unable to conjure up anything, I am also here as a guide. Lady Kahvana, if you wish, you may also try."

The soldier wasn't ready. She had just gotten here. She just escaped a world of closed minds and hard heads. She crossed her arms and looked away, her anger swelling. "No, I think I will pass on that offer."

[/dash]

 

[Esmeray]

When weapons training was over, Emelyn felt exhausted. Sure, she didn't actually spar with Tyr, but all those different types of weapons were heavy. Emelyn would certainly need to use something lighter, or find a style of fighting that would work best with her small stature. She was absolutely clueless as to what that would even be, but she knew she'd prefer something that was primarily defensive rather than offensive. The thought of having to take a life made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Wiping the sweat away from her brow she collapsed in a heap and listened carefully to the next announcement the priestess made. No feeling of surprise struck the sandy haired brunette when she was told that her element was Earth. Her magical out bursts earlier seemed to favor the element specifically, so it made sense. Although, she felt troubled learning that it only responds to her own strength and to love. If the sparring session was anything to go off of, she is a total weakling and kind of a push over. Then there was love, which is such an abstract concept that she couldn't fathom what to do with it. Thinking back on the magic practice from earlier she thought of where love would have came into play. Then she suddenly felt silly, as it was obviously the memory of her birthday. How she had spent the whole day with Lithe having fun, how much she loved it. Recently Emelyn considered it a fond memory, but for some reason it did not feel the same. When she was meditating with Lyka earlier Emelyn had felt a sense of dread welling up inside her, and she very well knew why. She just doesn't want to admit to it. The thought terrifies her, but she would have to face it later for sure. Emelyn had already told Lyka she would do so by talking to her later.

As the priestess continued Emelyn had become lost with in her own sea of a mind, and had absently started to run her fingers through the sand. When Tahvo and his dragonling approached she had already drawn several shapes, and she sighed not realizing he was stepping closer. Hearing his voice forced Emely's attention back to her surroundings, and she looked up at him with squinted eyes. Then to his dragon, whom seemed to be trying to look presentable.The attempt was well recieved as a small giggle escapes from her. He must care an awful lot about his appearance, maybe I should compliment him? Emelyn asks herself, but then wonders how exactly she would even compliment a dragon. She started to go threw a mental list of things she could say regarding his scales, his posture, his eyes. In the end she just resided with a very generic compliment. Despite that; howver, she gave Fierro the warmest smile. "Well, don't you look spiffy...." She then pauses realizing that she isn't aware of the red dragon's name. Her cheeks turn a pinkish hue due to the embarrassment. Still, she lets the compliment be as it may, and continues with Tahvo."It's fine. I could use a distraction anyways, and I've been meaning to chat with you since we met." She says a bit nonchalantly, then panics noticing that could be perceived in a way that she didn't intend.

"U-uhm, I mean...I think we just think the same is all. Innovative! I just wanted to pick your brain and see if we have any common interests. I've already deduced that you're a smith, and my dad taught me the trade. Did you notice that Tyr's battle ax is really well made? It's obviously an older model though, so I think it was probably passed down to him." She seemed like she was about to continue, but she shook her head and immediately clammed up. She was getting further and further away from the current topic. Clearing her throat Emelyn quickly apologizes for her out burst feeling just as embarrassed as she did before. Focusing on Tahvo's request, she dismiss her previous topic. "Never mind all that, I'm sure we can talk about it later...maybe? Anyways, I wouldn't mind if we practiced magic together. I'm surprised you are having troubles with it, since you are a smith. You handle fires and searing hot coals all the time don't you? Maybe you should envision your magic, like how you do with your metal work?" Emelyn suggests as she crosses her arms and lightly tilts her head side to side in contemplation. She then glances at the two of them with a bit of a frown.

"Honestly I am not sure how much help I will be. I seem to have a hard time controlling my own element as well. I think if I try to force it to bend to my will, it gets irritated and lashes out at me. Earlier a pebble almost took out my knee....." She admits with a nervous chuckle.

 

[Isho13]

[fieldbox="Tahvo & Fierro, red, solid"]

'Fierro. His name is Fierro.' Tahvo ushered quickly, at the pause that signaled the girl had tried to refer to the dragon by name. What getting complimented, Fierro opened his posture even more, the eternal smile on his lizard-like face getting wider.

Tahvo stared at her, his expression remaining as stern as ever, but being actually surprised at how much the girl was talking. So far no one but Eli seemed to be the talkative type, and maybe it was just because she was really small, but he had imagined her to be a typical modest, quiet girl. It was hard to imagine her as a smithy, but it was good to know there was someone in there he had something in common with.

While she rambled, he didn't want to interrupt, but he began to formulate a response. While he would have loved to take a look at everyone's weapons, both the one they brought and the ones offered by the priestesses, he was afraid he hadn't had the chance to do it, and he had been so caught up in his own books and thoughts, he still didn't have a good grasp on who every one was, and he wasn't sure who this fellow Tyr was.

~You're making her nervous. Why don't you try a smile?~

~I've been told my false smiles look creepy. I won't smile if I don't feel the urge to.~

~Maybe she thinks you're going to hit her.~

~I'm not going to, so she'll relax soon enough.~

'Actually, while the priestess was healing me and I had some time to unwind, that very same idea popped into my mind. If someone else thought the same, I guess it's worth a try, hm?' With that said, Tahvo crouched to pick up some rocks. After looking for a patch that wasn't covered in grass, so he wouldn't set anything on fire, he aligned the pebbles in a single line. 'Okay... Not the same but let's pretend this is a sword...'

Making himself comfortable, he closed his eyes, and placed his hand facing towards the pebbles. He tried to picture vividly the forge in his mind. His untrained brain switched to the family he left behind though. It was painful. Not even a bit of heat came out, as he wondered how his nephews were doing. Freya and Jason must be scared to death at his sudden disappearance. He forced himself to push those people out of his mind, and focus just on the 'sword'.

Suddenly, a very small cone of fire was born from the palm of his hand. It wasn't even long enough to reach the pebbles, but it was a continuous stream of fire, not an uncontrolled explosion like before. His face lighted up briefly, he even smiled at his achievement. But before he could turn to Emelyn and thank her for the advice, Fierro blew on the cone of fire and lighted it off.

His eyebrow twitched. ~What are you doing???~

~You call that a flame? It went *poof* and I barely blew any air on it.~

A heavy sigh left the future rider. ~Why don't you go greet Emelyn's dragon...?~ We watched Fierro walk away, and then stood up, dusting off his clothes before talking to Emelyn again. 'I hope your little dragon doesn't have the same temper as Fierro. If she does, you have my sympathy.' He shook his head, pained at the behavior Fierro was showing. It made his days quite long and tiring. 'What blockages have you encountered trying to control your element? There's a library in my room and I've been doing a lot of reading. Perhaps I'll have an idea, or I can look into it for a future time.'

Leaving behind a small trail of smoke, Fierro walked around to go and greet the smaller dragon. After all, if he tried to be friendly, maybe that'd get him a belly rub from the pretty girl... This thought went out of his mind as he finally stepped up to the dragon and laid eyes on her. '...Ew? Are you okay? You look sick?' Fierro blurted out, squinting his eyes at the small dragon. With a total lack of manners, he even brought up his paw to poke the little dragon's body. More than a dragon, she looked like an ill animal escaped from a swamp.

[/fieldbox]


[fieldbox="Tahvo & Fierro (A flashback), red, solid"]

Tahvo sighed in delight as he sunk into the warm water. That morning he had been the first to arrive to the bathrooms. Or maybe not? But he was alone and that was all that mattered. He closed his eyes, focusing on the wonders the warm water was doing on the knots in his back's muscles, the only noise in the background being the clicking of Fierro's claws on the floor as he walked around.

This bath was putting Tahvo in a really good mood. He even hummed a little. Missing his family aside, while he cherished his newer, more humble lifestyle, having a bigger, more luxurious bathroom like the one he had back at his first home was a great perk of this whole dragon rider ordeal.

His peace was broken as he suddenly felt something splashing on his head, then slowly dripping down his face and neck, a little bit getting into his ears. Bringing up his hands from the water, he attempted to wash his face, but only ended up with dirtied hands. '...Oil?' He turned around, only to find Fierro struggling to grab properly a piece of fabric. 'What are you doing?'

~Washing you. You wash me, I wash you. Come here, I'll clean off your hairy scales.~ Fierro told him, dragging the fabric closer. Nearby there lied an empty bowl that had splashed oil everywhere. Fierro had done a mess.

Tahvo further sunk into the water, making bubbles as he half laughed half cried. Fierro's intentions were nice, but he really was really taking a toll on the rider's patience and mental energy.

At least the dragon wasn't spying on the girls' bathroom... yet.

[/fieldbox]

 

[Esmeray]

Emelyn wasn't surprised that Tahvo had already formulated the same idea she had just suggested. If anything it made the most sense to her. As she observed, she couldn't help but notice a slight grimace, as if he suddenly struck by an unpleasant thought. Was he worried about something like she was? Though, Emelyn was positive that the two wouldn't be the same anyways, and decided not to inquire about it. If he wanted to talk about his worries, then he will in time. Looking down to the rocks, she watched patiently until a tiny flame was conjured from the palm of his hands. Excited, Emelyn clapped immediately to praise him for a job well done. The man looked so pleased to have accomplished such a small feat. He also had a pretty smile, but Emelyn didn't wish to embarrass herself any further by telling him so. She was just about to congratulate the dark haired man when suddenly Fierro, blew out the flame. That of all things surprised her. Emelyn wasn't quite sure why his dragon would get mad at the tiniest form of success, which was better than none. "I suppose he has higher expectations of you. Maybe you should try asking for some patience?" She mentions a bit casually, but quickly reassessed her statement when Tahvo showed some distress regarding Fierro's temper.

"No Lyka is a lot like...." Emelyn pauses for a moment questioning on whether or not she even wanted to talk about Lithe openly. Every time she thought of the elder dragon, she felt anxious. Swallowing hard she tries to bury that feeling of guilt that she had and continued, "Well she's a lot like her mother. She's always happy rain or shine, She's extremely playful, and actually kind of lazy. However, unlike her mother, all Lyka sees is the good in others. She's naive, but I imagine as she gets older she will know better." Emelyn describes her dragonette with a soft fondness in her voice that only a mother would have for their child. Emelyn then stands up as well, and she takes note of the fact that Tahvo is not much taller than her. Well, yes he is taller than her, but by a normal amount unlike Tyr and Wreaver. Forcing her mind not to wander, she returns her attention at the topic at hand: her magic.

"Well, I am sorry to hear Fierro's temper is wearing you down. Have you tried talking to him about it? If you ever need help feel free to ask. My room has a nice atmosphere, so if you need to escape for a little while then I'm sure Fierro wouldn't mind too much. We all need some down time right?" She chuckles for a moment then shifts her body's weight unto one leg as she crosses her arms again. Her body language seemed to have taken a significant change than before now that she had become relaxed in the given situation. Emelyn seemed to have a confidant stance, and her eyes a light with a strong determination in regards to her own capabilities. "Blockages? Well I think my most obvious concern is that my element draws from my own strength...and as you can see I'm not particularly physically fit." She comments while using one hand to sweep down her body, too draw both of their attention to it. Petite and frail. Readjusting herself she returns to her previous posture of crossed arms. "That should fix itself in time though. I plan to work very hard to better myself. I would say as of right now I am probably the weakest link among all the riders, and I do not wish to be a hindrance rather than an asset. I was considering having Tyr or Wreaver train me, but unfortunately I think that their fighting style wouldn't benefit my small stature. I might have to talk to the priestesses about it at some point...." Emelyn trails off not quite sure where else to take their current conversation.

Meanwhile, Lyka had found herself a rather pleasant spot to sunbath in the warm sand. She had a very pleasant time speaking with her elder sister Drachma, and very much enjoyed her meal. Lazily she flattens herself in the sand and allows for her soft scales to soak in the sun's rays. Her tail twitched slightly when the sands shifted hinting that someone had come to keep her company. Excited at this notion, she lifted up her head to see who it was her tail starting to wag like that of a dog's. 'Fierro, yes?' She questions, but is surprised by his sudden out burst. Confused she sits up and shakes off the sand from her belly. 'N-no, I not..' she pauses for a moment feeling as if that wasn't right. Drachma had tried helping her with her manner of speech during lunch, and she quickly corrected herself, 'I am..not...sick." she says slowly as if she was testing how it sounded. Satisfied, she nodded to confirm her statement. When Fierro poked her hide, she flinched because it was ticklish. A guttural chuckle seemed to emanate from her. 'No, that's...' she pauses not quite sure how describe the feeling. She didn't know the word for it. Instead of finishing her sentence, Lyka reached out and poked him back wondering if it would be the same for him, and also desiring to get him back. Her playfulness getting a head of her.

 

[Isho13]

[fieldbox="Tahvo & Fierro, red, solid"]

'Her mother? I wasn't aware there were other dragons going out and about. Fierro's egg looked like a piece of charcoal, so I assumed his mother hadn't been around for a long time. It's nice to see it isn't the case for all these little dragons.' Tahvo replied in a monotone voice, while his mind went somewhere else. He wondered if any of his books talked in detail about dragon reproduction and the habits between mates, and between parents and children. So far the only thing he noticed was Fierro seemed to have some sort of cloaca, which meant they had to be similar to birds or reptiles? Maybe?

As Emelyn inquired about him talking out his problems with Fierro, he shook his head slowly. If he was starting to be able to predict Fierro's explosive outbursts, asking Fierro to have patience would result in the dragon pointing out that maybe, instead of expecting people to be patient, he should step up to the expectations of a rider! He didn't make any comments on the offer of going to her bedroom to unwind though. A man? And a woman? Two youngsters of the opposite sex alone in a room without older supervision? While such a conservative opinion could grant him a slap from some people he knew, that was inappropriate, not to mention ungentlemanly. He wouldn't berate her for such an offer though. She seemed to have good intentions, it was just her manners that were a bit rough.

'And on top of not being fit, you are very small.' Tahvo blurted out, not aware that could sound insensitive. In his eyes, he was just stating the obvious. 'But it's alright. Something that is proving to be quite abstract, just as magic; I doubt it'll depend on something as literal strength. Why would your ability to lift heavy weapons have any effects on it? I think you'd have an easier time at it focusing on drawing strength from an iron will. At least, the people I know with the most powerful willpower, are women. Specially mothers.' Only a mother could take care of two babies, help at the house's finances, DO ALL the chores -or proficiently micromanage all the servants- and convince a large bulky fisherman to sell her fish directly at a cheaper price with an impressive show of charisma, all while being sick herself. Mothers, in his eyes, were amazing. Having 'lost' his at a young age might be a bit of the reason why he idolized them so much though.

'If you're going to become proficient at a weapon though... How good is your eyesight? I think you would do well with a ranged weapon, with a mechanism to make a secure, strong shot, despite the strength of your arms. A weapon that will always function as long as you can lift it. Maybe a crossbow?' He suggested, folding his hands.


Okay, not only was she small and ill, maybe she was even a bit dumb. She still was talking like a newborn. Fierro hadn't put two and two together, to guess that the little dragoness was actually a newborn. He tilted his head, not believing the small creature before him wasn't sick.

She was feeling good enough though to poke him back. He wasn't ticklish, so it was only a small touch... But he hadn't granted her any permission to touch him. Heat was born in Fierro's belly and it spread to the rest of his body, as the ancient rage that he carried in his genes tried to reach the surface. How did such a low creature like her, touch his magnificent skin! Making an annoyed huff, he poked her back again, but now he actually shoved her back. He huffed again. Surely now the stupid little dragon would know her place, and apologize.


[/fieldbox]

 

[Esmeray]

"Yes. When I moved to the country side due to my health complications I met Lyka's mother. Lithe. I had gone exploring the forest near where I live to study the plant and animal life there, and saw her from a distance. I assume that there is a handful of dragons still out there some where, but you're right...it is rare to see a dragon during these times due to the war and the Tarjan army..." Emelyn mentions a bit casually her sky blue eyes darting to the side and catching a glimpse of one of the newest riders. Emelyn had noticed the moment that she walked into the training grounds that the woman was wearing Tarjan armor. Her family had made pieces for them in the past, and since they were clients she had took it upon herself to read up on them. Emelyn was quite familiar with how the armor looked, and the differences between them for each rank. She had her qualms with the ideals the Tarjan army, and Varonians, seemed to carry, but if that woman is here with the rest of them then she probably wasn't like the rest. "But enough about all that! Let's try to keep our conversation light, yes?" Emelyn offered him a small smile.

"Yes...yes I get told that a lot." Emelyn chuckles out of good will. It wasn't like she was particularly annoyed with being told such an obvious statement, she was just tired of hearing it. "I see, while that does make sense I do not wholly agree with you. I imagine that casting requires a great amount of stamina, which yes isn't really mutually exclusive to strength; however, still a key factor to consider. That's just as bad as my strength, but if I keep a steady pace I don't seem to burn out quickly." Emelyn paused for a moment when she got to the idea of an iron will. She wasn't exactly sure if she had that either, but she had been told that she can be quite stubborn before. The question was whether or not they were one and the same. Choosing not dwell on it Emelyn merely nodded her head in agreement. "I see. I would like to believe that I have a strong will. I am not one to really give in easy. Even when I was a sickly teen I never let it stop me from helping my god parents on their farm. I don't see myself having children in the future though, I think Lyka is the closest thing I will ever have to one. She does require a lot of patience some times." Emelyn smiles again, feeling an odd mixture of sentimental and doteful.

"My eyesight? I say it fairs pretty well. I was thinking throwing knives would be best suited for me, but a crossbow is a nice thought. It takes a while to reload the blot though...which could cause troubles for me in close quarter combat. However, I could learn to be proficient in both a long ranged weapon and a short ranged one to even the playing field."


With the extra force implemented in Fierro's little shove, Lyka used that motion to simply jump back an inch or too. However, she had thought that this was Fierro's invitation to play, rather than a warning. Her tail was wagging more and she jumped forward closer to him, and then back again. Her body keeping low to the sand like a cat crouching and waiting to pounce. She jumped again, but rather than actually lunge at him, she merely ran in circles around him in excitement. 'Come on let's play then!' she exclaims to the red dragon, but on the umpteenth lap, she tripped on her own feet and toppled over. She was now wiggling in the sand on her back, but not for too long as she quickly rolled over back onto her stomach. Sitting back up she shook off the sand from her hide and smiled. 'Oops.'

 

[Bitterblue]

[dash=grey] [Fieldbox= Calina and Kilyria & Rykker and Orthra Training flashback, orange]

Ryyker looked to his partner Calina and after she got near Ryyker lined one leg behind the other moved one arm behind his back, and puts the other against his stomach and bows to Calina. "Greetings miss I don't think we've been properly introduced as of yet. My name is Ryyker. And this lovely dragon next to me is Orthrax." Ryyker gestures a arm to Orthrax who attempts to copy Ryykers bow by lowering her head.

Calina looked up when the priestesses politely asked her to not be so aggressive with her fireballs. She nodded in acknowledgement as they paired her with Rykker and Orthrax. Calina asked to be pointed towards her partner as she hadn't met him before.

As Calina approached the scruffy looking gentleman, Rykker bowed. Her face remained neutral as she curtsied back. "Greetings, I'm Calina, and this is Kilyria....Ki! Come on, it'll be alright." Calina called for her dragon, who had been so eager to meet new people before...what was wrong? "So, do you have any experience with weapons or combat in general?" She cut right to the chase, not in the mood for chit chat.

Kilyria bounded next to her rider, happy as can be. As they neared the duo they were assigned to, however, she slowed. Black dragon's were famous for their cruel nature, and any man paired with one must have a similar nature. ~~Careful, Cal. Black dragons dangerous.~~ She spoke to her rider privately as she finally made her way to them, shyly poking her head out from behind Cal's knee to nod at the black dragon. ~Hi.~ she toned softly, as she lifted a paw and waved.


Ryyker watches Calina curtsy and notes that she understand respect, Ryyker then listens as his partner introduced herself as Calina with the Dragon Kilyria who seems a little shy for a dragon, then responds to Calinas question.
"Yes I have quite a bit of experience with combat and weapons blades preferably. The Priestesses said wed be partnered with someone who has little to no experience is that true or can you fight?" Ryyker questioned. "Oh here's a,n idea how about we let our Dragons have some combat training as well, as long as they don't lethaly hurt each other that is."


Calina rose her eyebrow. Blades, eh? Cool."I know basic self defense skills, that's it." Calina responded, wondering how the priestesses knew she had no experience, had they been spying on her throughout her life? She started to stretch, warming up her muscles which have been clenched since she had found Ki's egg...was it really only this morning? It seemed like a lifetime ago.

At the mention of dragon combat Kilyria squeaked in protest.-No. Fighting no necessary. No point. I help you, k? - Kilyria toned, clearly upset. She didn't want to fight, especially a dragon as cruel as the black. She darted back behind her rider, hiding behind her legs. Upon seeing and hearing Ki's distress, Calina knelt and faced her dragon. -Do you really think I would let you get hurt, Ki? You are part of my very soul now, I would never allow anything to hurt you. I know you don't want to spar, but what if we get attacked and there's no other option but to fight? I need to know you can fend for yourself if I'm distracted. I can sense your discomfort with Orthrax, and I understand why. If he makes a move that will hurt you, I will end him. Okay?- as she spoke, her hand had caressed Ki's cheek, her thumb moving in small motions. Ki still didn't want to fight, not out of fear, but she just didn't see a point to violence if it wasn't needed. But she leaned into Cal's soft embrace and huffed in acknowledgment.

"Thats my girl.'' she said aloud before standing."Alright, how do we want to do this?" she asked Rykker, not having any weapon of her own.

Ki timidly approached Orthrax, still shy around him."Hello, I Kilyria." she introduced herself politely


Ryyker looks the girl up and down. "Judging by the way you look I'd recommend ranged or light weapons." Ryyker undoes one of his katanas sheaths and holds it out to Calina. "I use two blades but can train with one. Now test out the weight of this and tell me what its like."

Orthrax states st the approaching dragon. "And I'm Orthrax have any ground rules since my master made if clear that I can't hurt you."


Calina quenched an urge to retort back as he commented on her smallness. It was true, even if she didn't like it. She grabbed the sword from Rykker's outstretched hand and unsheathed the blade, filling the air with a ringing noise. Unsure as to what she was to do with it, she held it it out in front of her. It felt...alright. Not too heavy, not too flimsy. "I think it'll do the trick. Is there a special way to hold it, or a stance I need to be in?" Calina asked. Normally quiet and stoic, when she was learning she always became a little more talkative, asking questions, commenting on if it felt weird or not.

Kilyria shrugged, an odd looking gesture on a dragon. -Not that I can think of. I really don't see a point to this.- Ki said, hoping she could still get out of it.


"The stance and way of holding solely depends on your style. My preferred style is starting in a draw stance which is a attack just from drawing my sword, when katanas are wielded in one hand the wielder holds the sheath as another weapon."

"The point is to get us ready for battles. Even though you don't see it there will be battles its unavoidable." Orthrax replied. "What type of Dragon are you since you seem to dread battle, I know blacks love battle but most dragons are OK with it."


Calina nodded, and adjusted her grip on the sheath as well."Alright, so now what?" she asked. She looked over to Ki and Orthrax, Ki was still timid, understandably, as the two were polar opposites. Ki tilted her head slightly at the question. He didn't know what type of dragon she was? Hmmm.-I am a Silver. Hate fighting. Rather evade. But you and Calina have point, I need learn basics, just in case.- She murmured. She didn't trust the black, why would she? The black was a cruel and ruthless dragon.


"Next you attack your opponent to try to gauge their strength in my case I attack from stealth to kill or cripple them before the battle starts." He pulls his sheath into his hand and swung lightly at Calinas thigh. "Every attack should be delivered with intent to kill, never let a attack hit a single shot could kill some poison their weapons to make sure."

"Then let us get on with it then." Orthrax rushed the Sliver he front talons posed to grab the wings.


Calina's arm moved seemingly of its own accord to block the blade swinging softly towards her thigh. The sheath blocked the blade, and as she blocked, she swung her blade towards Rykker's hip.

As the black lunged towards her, Ki seemed to panic. She jumped backwards out of the reach of Orthrax and whirled while still in the air. Her tail aiming to hit her opponent upside the head, albeit not at full strength. As she landed softly, Ki circled Orthrax, watching her every move...she knew how to fight, she just didn't like it


Ryyker blocked the blade with his sheath and slid his sheath up the blade st Calinas hand. "Every block and attack provides the opportunity of a counter."

As the tail comes at Orthraxs head she breathed a stream of acid and tries the bite the tail with acid still in her mouth.


Calina didn't know how to counter, so she stepped back, disconnecting the blades."What are some of the basic blocks and attack forms?" she queried.

Ki smelled the acid burning within Orthrax's maw, and was helpless to avoid it. Calina felt a surge of fear that wasn't her own. She turned to see Orthrax clamp down on Ki's tail and saw the acid oozing from her mouth, burning through Ki's skin."Let go of her, you reptile." she snarled amgrily at the black as she ran to Ki's side. The acid had chewed through her tail, almost to the bone. -You okay, Ki? How bad does it feel? I haven't even attempted healing magic, no idea how to start.-

-Violence begots violence, Cal. I'll be alright.- she responded, amused by Cal's overprotectiveness. Cal stood between Ki and Orthrax. "Don't you touch her, this was a bad idea."


"Basic forms are stabs, Slash's, and parring very easy to do and deadly combos when used together." Ryyker answered.

Orthrax backs off and puts some distance between them. "Just a training wound it will heal."

Ryyker walks next to Calina. "She OK?" He shot a disapproved glance Orthraxs way since said not to injure the other.


"Training wound my ass, her scales have melted practically to the bone." ~Cal, calm down. I heal quickly. Orthrax is right, it's just a training wound.~ Ki sent soothing energy towards her rider, encouraging her to take deep breaths. Cal nodded, and stepped back. "She'll be fine. Just tell your dragon to pipe it down. No breath weapons." she said before giving Ki a final pat and turning to face Rykker.

"Shall we get on with it, then? Would you mind demonstrating each of the types of attacks, and defenses? I learn better from seeing."


"My Dragon did ask yours for ground rules before the training began." Ryyker commented before stepping back. "If connect each attack with a defensive move it helps like dodgeing then slashing or parrying and stabbing. Try to strike me and I'll show you."

Orthrax looks to Ki. "Ready to continue?"


Cal ignored his comment, seething quietly. Ki told her to relax, and she found that she was, despite circumstances. "Alright" she said before thrusting her blade forwards.

Ki didn't respond, but instead started to circle Orthrax, ready for whatever the black did next.


Ryyker smacked the thrusted blade to the side. "That is how you parry or deflect a shot you can do that with every attack. If your against someone with a bigger heavier weapon try to angle your weapon to guide their attacks away." Ryyker stabs the sheath forward at Cals gut and follows up with a slash." And that's a stab and slash."

Orthrax keeps herself facing the other dragon. She had advantage in power to other dragon's. She rushed the other dragon to bowl her over.


Calina parried the blow, mimicking Rykker's motion before, and followed up with a slash of her own. "Seems simple enough."

Kilyria, who was half of Orthrax's size, ducked under the large Black barreling towards her, and held her paw up, raking her opponents belly with her claws, barely enough to break the skin, but still enough to draw blood.


Ryyker knocks the blow away with his sheath. "It is simple win you live, lose you die so plan your moves and attacks like so." Ryyker stabbed his sheath at Calinas gut the left side hoping to drive her to the right and swings his blade at her head, angling so the flat of his blade would hit, it may hurt and draw some blood but it wouldn't kill or maim Calina.

Orthrax rolls after landing and jumps forward again biting for Kilrias leg one claw stretched for her neck the other her wing.


Calina blocked the sheath with her own; stepping to the right as she did so, and was met with the flat of a sword across her cheek. Calina didn't show any sign of pain as a trickle of blood slipped down her cheek where a cut had formed. Instead, she retaliated. She swung her sheath towards Rykker's head while simultaneously swinging the flat of her blade towards his knees, hoping to knock him off his feet.

Kilyria ducks whirls to the side, narrowly missing Orthrax's attack, and jumped onto her back, digging her claws in and sliding down, raking her side deeply with her claws. All her instincts were screaming at her to flee. ~Enough. I'm done with this.~ she said before backing off, keeping her eyes on the black as she made her way to her rider.


Ryyker blocks the sheath going for his head with his own. "Your getting better at this." Saying those words distracted him long enough to almost miss the blade going low, he tried to stop it but only hit it partway the blade made a small cut on his pants. Ryyker turns the grip on his up raised sheath and stabs for the middle of Calina chest. Ryyker then backs up so that if she came at him again he would be ready. Ryyker smiled at the small cut he made making Calina look like a warrior. "I'm sorry was that strike a little too rough while we trained?" Ryyker questioned.

Orthrax looks to the retreating dragon. "Why I went easier on you since your master was mad about the acid, and now you just give up? I guess this just proves who the alpha female is."


Calina took the compliment with a half smile as she twisted her body sideways to miss the sheath aiming for her chest instead of knocking it away with her blade and mimicked his move, stabbing forward and following up with a slash to his side. "No, it's alright" she responded.

Ki snorts, not surprised that the black would think her a coward. ~You can think that all you want, Orthrax. But it won't change the fact that I refuse to be a cruel and ruthless being who revels in causing pain like some vile beast. This violence is not necessary. We've already proved we can fight, and quite frankly, I'm starving. They had released us to go eat, so that's what I'm going to do.~ She snarled. She nudged Cal to tell her where she was going and headed back to her rooms.

Ryyker is able to defect both blades. "Good job you seem to grasp that battle is like a game of chess you need to make your opponent move where you want." Ryyker starts another tactic of a flurry of attacks one right then left leading the strikes up before attacking low.

"We proved we can fight but are you going to cower like this when you or your masters life is on the line? Or will you just give in and die, no wonder Slivers are ranked lower then Blacks." Orthrax retorts back at the Silver Dragon.


Cal manages to block both attacks, but just barely. The tip of Rykker's blade made a small tear in her pant leg, but didn't meet flesh. Her stomach growled loudly at that point, making her blush slightly before stepping back, her muscles sore from lack of use. She looked around and noticed most of the other pairs had moved closer to the priestesses. "Maybe we should call it for now. Thanks." She said right as she felt a flood of mixed emotions from Ki. ~What's wrong, Ki? Did she hurt you again?~

Ki froze at being called a coward. Amusement mixed with frustration bubbled up within her. ~You forget, in that instance violence is necessary, Orthrax. This sparring? Unnecessary. Unlike you I do not get pleasure out of hurting living beings, especially just for sport.~~ she responded, her tone polite, like she was talking to an old friend. She returned to Calina. ~Yes, I'm fine. Just frustrated. I'm gonna go eat, okay?~ After getting the okay from Calina, she left to room and gorged herself upon the meal that was provided and promptly fell asleep.


"It does appear that we are moving to some other lessons." Ryyker said sheathing his sword and waiting for Cal to return his other blade. "Before we spilt up would you be alright with being my ally? If things to south here I need someone to watch my back, and you have all the promise if a warrior. What I can offer in return is watching your back, and if you want to train during our free times I could help."


Calina sheathed her borrowed blade and handed it back to Rykker, hilt first. At his offer to team up Calina tensed slightly, thinking about Ki, she and Orthrax seemed to butt heads. But she did realize the need to have some sort of people helping to watch her back. "Agreed, in this situation, someone to watch my back would be appreciated. I'll talk to Kilyria and See if I can swing her around. " she replied shortly before turning to head back to the group. She would need to purchase some blades of her own at some point.


Ryyker was pleased with her response he sure that they were going to need allies. "Well I'm sure neither of our dragons will be friends, but that is uneeded as long as they can watch the others back when needed." Ryyker said while walking slightly behind Calina in the direction of the priestesses.
[/Fieldbox] [/dash]

 

[Mowkie]

As the new riders found the last of their true training overview coming to a close, they passed on into a free period of religion, allowing each of them to go and worship wherever and whomever they pleased, so long as Varon was not spoken of in either of the temples that stood in the center. Tension remained high, even at dinner, and the priestesses remained silent and still as ever, only ever stopping interactions if they were to get violent. It was too early to tell if any of the riders would actually stay or go. As the suns set over the first day of training, so - too, did they set over the final, tiny hints of normalcy for any and all.

The next day was a day of full Arcanus. Illyria seeming to be the strongest of the three in regards to wielding magic, she was the one who taught the most. Hour upon hour of working on magic. Even the new pair, Ciel and Kahvana, were finally pushed to participate. In some sessions, the riders were asked to choose a partner. In others, they worked alone. And in the last hour of the day, they worked as a whole group, dragons included. The day after that was weapons, particularly close-ranged. Each rider was given a choice of sword, dagger, axe, hammer, or mace. Each was trained by Carysalia, who seemed to be the better of the trio at wielding almost anything. Those who knew their weapon was given the choice to help teach the others. As the day before, this day was worked in roughly the same way. Chosen pairs, then small groups of three with one group of four, and then as an entire team, dragons included. In these exercises, the dragons had to learn not to get in their rider's ways, or risk being hit with a blunt or sharp weapon - which at this age, could still harm them.

It was on this day that the little dragoness, Endyr, was struck heavily by an axe that had slipped from its rider's hands. Still being smaller than the other dragons, her scales were not yet strong enough to ward off the blow, and she was rushed away to the Temple of Kallydrana with her rider in tow. They never returned, having been passed into Kallydrana's arms to be held safe until the right time. That night, the soldier without a dragon was moved into the vacant room, molded to better suit her comforts.

Upon the suns' rising on the fourth day, the priestesses announced that the riders were free to do as they wished. It was a day for prayer in the eyes of the three women. The temples were open to each rider to reflect upon themselves if they so wished. But besides this, the grounds were left for the riders to do as they pleased, be it practice, walk around, pray, or learn. It was up to them, entirely. And on the fifth day came more training, both in the use of arcanus and the use of close-ranged weapons. Those who had already shown exceptional skill in the use of their chosen weapon were then asked to try and incorporate their magical skill into use with the weapons. Those who still had much to learn in the art of weapons training continued to do just that.

And as the sixth day came to pass, the riders had seemed to fall into a bit of a schedule, rising with the suns, eating breakfast, and then going straight to the training grounds. This day, however, seemed a little different from the rest.

The dragons were now the size of large ponies, each almost as tall as their rider at the shoulder, necks craning well over. Most scales had come in, and each dragon seemed to shine in their own brilliant way. But still, they were not strong enough to be ridden. Instead, today was to focus on working as a team on the ground. This time, it wasn't so much working with the other riders as it was to focus on working as a team with each individual pair.

As the sunlight drifted onto the sands of the training ground, Xara finally stepped forward, her smile brilliant and beautiful. "Good morning, young riders. As we all know, today is our last day before you are released to choose whether or not you wish to stay. Because it is so monumental a choice, we now must work more on your relationships with your dragons - so that your dragons can better show you why you are each so very important to us."

She looked closely at each pair, the dragons slowly beginning to outshine their riders in beauty, grace, and power. It was time to learn balance. "So far, you each have had complete entry into the other's mind, no barriers to block what you do not wish the other to know. But we all know that sometimes, blocking out an internal voice is a must. And something very unique to the Pact is the mental barrier, a shield of sorts that - if practiced with - can block out the very connection to your soulmate. Of course, I am sure you do not wish such a thing on each other. But, as we have come to learn over the past week, the Pact brings many downsides, such as the feeling of physical pain on both ends. Any time one is harmed, the other feels it. This is not something that is desired when in flight or attempting a very powerful spell. Today, we are going to learn how to block such negative feelings out. And each of you will be tested to see if your barrier has worked correctly or not."

With that, she drew a deep breath, raising her arms to the sky. The other priestesses stepped far to the side, and right on time, as a massive creature of black scales shimmering with veins of golden green and glowing green eyes landed behind her with a powerful gust of wind. The beast thrummed as he looked down at the tiny babies before him, his sparkling eyes showing amusement. He easily took up an eighth of the grounds, and as he lowered his head to greet the priestess before him, his breed became quite apparent by the double pair of horns, one running along his face while the other reached behind.

"My friends, I would like you all to meet my old friend, Xakharn. He is a Slixynh Dragon - a very rare breed that follows the goddess, Xiamara, especially. Though he is very large for a Pacted Dragon, I can safely say that he is happily Pacted to me. And today, he and I are going to show you to to safely separate our minds enough to not feel the pain of the other. Illyria and Carysalia will demonstrate the difference between guarded minds and unguarded minds. Illyria."

The head priestess stepped forward, bowing low to the great dragon before her. "A pleasure as always, Lord Xakharn. Are you sure that you wish to bring harm upon yourself?"

~I heal quickly, Priestess of Inhalla. I will endure the pain to teach a lesson and nothing more. Now, quickly, relieve me of one of my scales.~

With a nod, the woman conjured what appeared to be a shining spear of pure light, shoving it deeply into the black scales on the right side of the deep green bellyplates, dislodging it with a small stream of shining red blood. In response, Xara's dress began to seep red, despite having not been wounded. She winced, faltering just slightly before managing to stand tall again. Her arms began to glow, and she quickly turned and healed the damage upon the seated dragon. Despite the blood still remaining on both of them, there was no pain left in the eyes of either.

"Your body," Xara began as she turned to look at the riders, "will react in different ways, depending on the strength of your Pact. Xakharn and I have been Pactmates for many, many years. Naturally, our Pact is strong, and thus, my body reacts to his damage by damaging itself. However, if I guard my mind from his pain, my body will not react." She took a breath then, closing her eyes and seeming to focus. With a nod from the dragon, Illyria moved to his other side, stabbing the same strange weapon beneath a scale on the side of his shoulder. Once more, the scale came loose with a small trail of blood. However, no blood sprang forth on Xara, who opened her eyes and let the soft, green glow come to her once again, stepping up to her dragon and healing his wounds.

"If you are ready to try, we will guide you. But be ready to endure some physical and mental pain. This is for the sake of making your Pact stronger in the end, as well as making each of you as individuals stronger and more resilient."

The dragon raised his head then, sniffing the air. His mind entered all others, dragon and varonian, alike. Then, with a deep bass of a voice, he spoke clearly his instructions. ~Greetings, young Chosen. For this exercise, you will be focusing entirely on your mind. With me, I would like you all to close your eyes and let the sensation of being in a body fall away. Let your mind consume you for just a moment. When I feel you are calm, I will take you all to the next step.~

 

[RiddL]

Wreaver looked at the demonstration with a careful eye, wincing a little as the scale was removed from the dragon, a discomfort that was nothing new as Drachma himself was undergoing the curse of the Bloodstone dragons himself, his ribs and spine slowly protruding from the horse sized dragon, causing considerable pain for the youngling when he slept at night which in turn kept Wreaver awake as he tried to comfort the dragon during the night, whispering lullabies until the dragon slept, generally resting his head on top of his riders legs for comfort. It had almost reduced Wreaver to tears until it had all been explained to him by the priestesses.

~This could help you sleep at night Drachma, I wonder if I can take all of your pain at night, just so you can get a good night of rest before training in the morning.~ He said to Drachma, who swivelled his eyes to his rider slowly, not quite looking Wreaver in the eyes as he replied in almost a whisper ~I'm sorry...~. The man looked to his dragon and placed his hands under his mounts jaw and rested his head against the dragon's nose, a pose that looked incredibly strange considering he never showed as much emotion to the others, whom he still didn't trust much, though he had volunteered to help train them during combat training, generally wearing his gloves in favour of the other weapons provided when he could, otherwise going for a punch dagger out of the impressive collection of weapons that were provided.

He released his dragon and looked to the Priestesses and asked, "I understand warding off pain from our pacted dragons, but what if we were to instead take all the pain into ourselves, at the expense of our own bodies? Drachma is in constant pain at night and I want to be able to let him rest easily, not whimper in pain at every movement as he lays his head on me when I sit with him and usher him to sleep." He stood slowly and took a deep breath coming to terms with the decision he was about to make and stepped forward, Drachma's head dipping even lower as he realised what his rider was about to sacrifice for him, looking up slightly as his rider spoke again. "Teach me this and I'll stay and fight your bloody crusade or whatever this is supposed to be. I'll be your attack dog like I was for many others. Just please, help me take away Drachma's pain. It tears me apart every night watching and not being able to help him..." He finished, his voice drowning to an audible whisper as he finished what he said, caring only for his dragon and not himself, as he always had.

@Mowkie

 

[Bitterblue]

[dash=red] [fieldbox=Calina & Kilyria, orange] [dash=yellow]

Calina stood leaning back against Ki's steady frame, with Kilyria's head resting on her shoulder. Not small enough to hold anymore...that phase was only a couple days, unfortunately. For the first time in a very long time she felt...happy. She felt like she was at home. A sense of completeness that not even Joshua had provided had settled within her heart the second she had pacted to Kilyria. While she wasn't sure of most of the others, she trusted Ki completely. She reached up and rested her hand against her soulmates cool cheek, her thumb making small circular movements, earning a small huff of contentment from her partner. Her muscles were aching slightly from the intense training over the previous weeks, but she ignored it, knowing that muscle will soon replace the fat. Kilyria purred slightly, content at just being with her rider, feeling her weight against her chest, ready for whatever the priestesses had in store for them. She wagged her tail slightly in greeting to each of the other pairs as they entered. Cal smiled at Emelyn and Lyka as they came in. She was glad that she was here, besides Ki, Em would be the one she could trust as well. The only reminder of her old life, but a good one. She nodded at Tahvo and Fierro as they entered, glad the miscommunication from a while back had been cleared. Sending another small smile towards Eli and Tyrale, still being caught off guard by the similarity in their looks.

FInally, when all the riders and their dragons, and the lone rider had joined them, the priestesses stepped forward, and Calina and Kilyria both assumed a more respective stance. Cal stood supporting her own weight, balanced mainly on her right side, with hands clasped behind her back, and Ki seated at her right. As the priestesses spoke, reminding them their fates were theirs to choose after today, Cal tensed slightly. She had been putting off the choice of whether they would stay or not. She liked the idea of a simple life with Kilyria in the countryside, but also longed for the adventure that would be inevitable if they chose to stay. ~I think we need to stay, Cal. I too wish we could lead a simple life, but we are bonded for a reason. We need to do this; afterwards we can live in peace, alright?~ ~I know, I just don't trust any of them, except maybe Em. And that's iffy. Until a few weeks ago I'd lost contact with her for years. I have to get to know her again. What if they don't think I'm worthy? What if they cast me out? What if we're forced to live as outcasts...again?~ ~Calina. Trust isn't easy, I know. But you have to take steps to see if they're trustworthy, and for them to see that you are just as trustworthy, which you are, love. You have to open the door, or you will end up outcasting yourself.~ Calina was still unsure, scared of being hurt again. It would take time for her to outgrow her insecurity, Ki knew this. But she did sympathize. She positioned herself, so her head was resting on Cal's left shoulder, her neck draped across her neck.

As the priestesses started talking about forming barriers between her and Ki, Cal frowned. Why would she want to hide anything from the being that held her very heart? But as she listened more a look of understanding dawned her face. Yes, she remembered feeling pain whenever Kilyria had managed to not avoid a training wound. Her eyes widened and she took a half step back in surprise and awe as the large dragon landed behind Xara. She felt a deep feeling of respect thrumming from the dragon by her side. ~Are you going to get that big?~ ~Probably not.~ Ki chuckled at Cal's question. Was that all she was thinking about, the size? Ki felt a wave of amusement from Cal, telling her that wasn't the case.

As the demonstration progressed, both Calina and Kilyria winced slightly as both Xakharn and Xara were harmed. And then just Xakharn seemed to feel the pain. Huh. Interesting. As Xakharn addressed all of them, Calina was surprised by how low his voice was. But obedient, Calina closed her eyes, and took a few steady deep breaths, fighting to let go of her senses. All her instincts told her to stay alert...but within minutes, and with Ki's help, Calina achieved the level of calmness and peacefulness needed. Kilyria followed in her riders steps, already at peace just being near Cal. [/dash][/fieldbox][/dash]

 

[Isho13]

[fieldbox="Tahvo & Fierro, red, solid"]

Maybe Tahvo should have made a bigger effort on meddling well with his new, in a way, classmates. The problem was, in his eyes bringing along a book to read in a public space near other people was enough of a socializing effort for now, in his eyes. The religious time was spent in his room, reading, as he wasn't the biggest devotee there was. The day of magic training was spent trying to regulate his magic so he wouldn't blow himself up, plus fighting against the mental pressure Fierro put on him because... He didn't know why. The red lizard was just a mess. The free bouts of time, he read about magic, trying to complement his training. During the weapons training, he had to make his body bring to surface the movement memory he had formed when he was a child, a longsword being his primary weapon of choice. When helping other people out with their weapons, he mostly stuck to Eli and Emelyn, his safe haven, and then kept to himself.

From Fierro's point of view, he was working a lot. During the magic training, he yelled and yelped and roared into Tahvo's mind, trying to get him to power up his fire a little and not be so afraid of it, but also to train his concentration. In a battle, the rider wouldn't get to form well thought spells in a calm space of meditation with green grass and chirping birds. Tahvo was suffering now, but surely he'd thank him later. And during the training sessions he could take an active role in, he put a lot of effort into it. His muscles had to grow strong and big, so he needed a lot of exercise. He might also have taken the chance to be a bit of a bully to the smaller dragons, or the ones who weren't that much into fighting. They had to harden up too. All this hard work meant that whenever Tahvo lost his nose in a book, he spent all that time sleeping. Over the course of a few days, resting on Tahvo's lap was getting increasingly uncomfortable for the human.

Tahvo's free day was spent in the books too, only stopping for some human (and dragon) interaction when his eyes burnt too much. At a certain time of the day, any people near his room could witness a small fireball getting out of his window, that Fierro had fired in surprise at getting his tail lifted because Tahvo wanted to check on his cloaca. The rider learnt a good deal about dragon reproduction that way, but also that assaulting giant lizards to check on their genitals was an even dumber decision than to try and do so with a human. His burnt hand was a testimony of that.

Tahvo's further training with a weapon was mixed. If anyone was up for a spar, he took part in it, but otherwise he didn't need to learn the usage of the weapons from scratch, so went for the magical training too. He had aimed for the cool effect of completely engulfing his sword in flames. Such a thing didn't happen, but he was managing to heat up the metal, which would prove to be useful in the future.

During all of those days, the calm times when Tahvo got to read, caressing Fierro's sleepy head on his lap, were equally balanced with the dragon giving him an attitude and giving him problems with his explosive personality. The rider's eyes shone with hope as the priestess explained that day would be destined to work in the bond between rider and dragon. Hopefully this would help with their problems.

Fierro, on the other hand, wasn't paying much attention. He was checking out the other dragons, smiling proudly when he noticed the very slight difference in size when compared to the dragons of his same age in days. He was among the biggest. And was not THE biggest because the stupid ruby dragon was rapidly increasing in size too, his stupid ruby scales finally growing and shining in all their ruby stupidity. He hated that dragon.

Tahvo let out a small 'whoah' as the dragon introduced himself. His admiration at the beast faded a bit, in favour of second hand pain and fear, when the exercise of pulling out the scales was performed. Would he have to pluck out Fierro's scales too? They were just growing out! He looked at the rider who stepped forward, feeling pity without showing it -what the hell was his name again, he really needed to pay more attention to the others. He only know he was the relatively friendly one who helped them train-. Just as said man couldn't bear the thought of his dragon being in pain anymore, he couldn't stand the thought of having to inflict pain upon Fierro himself.

Getting himself together, he took in the older dragon's instructions, and with a deep, long sigh, closed his eyes. His try at relaxation was broken though, by Fierro repeatedly yelling into his mind 'My rider is the best!' 'Tahvo will be the first to completely relax!' 'GO TAHVO! GO TAHVO!' Blocking out such a loud dragon was no easy task, so he was among the last ones to clear his mind, if not the last one. Fierro, satisfied with his work at training his rider's concentration, relaxed quickly afterwards.

[/fieldbox]

 

[DekuNightFury]

[fieldbox="Eli and Tyrale, goldenrod, solid, 10, Book Antiqua"]

The time spent in this new world was far more than Eli could ever imagine. Not even a full week had passed and yet Eli was amazed by how much he had experienced and learned while being here, every day feeling like he was only waking up in a new dream that never seemed to end, nor did he wish it to. To think that only a near week ago he had been a simple farm boy, growing carrots and caring for livestock, but now he was a Dragon Rider. Tyrale.... A marvelous being he never would have imagined to have in his life. A creature with such high intelligence and emotions to be far more than just some pet or simple animal, but a dear friend and partner he can rely on even though they have only known each other for such a short time, yet felt like a life time all the same. It was even more than that. They were soulmates, part of the other, two of the same, the list could go on and none of the words could quite described the Bond they shared. It was like a missing piece of himself had at last been found and fitted into place, and Eli no longer felt alone or missed home as much, not so long he had Tyrale with him. They did everything together and there was hardly ever a time where they weren't together. Eli felt... Complete.

It was a tragedy to hear what had happened to one of the newest Riders and their dragon. Hardly a couple days in and the Rider had lost her dragon due to a accident during a training session, and because her dragon had been so young and defenseless, they didn't make it. Eli hardly knew either of their names, yet they were gone before he could even get to know them, and his heart broke for the Rider. Here he was, with the power to heal and even with the Element Life, yet he could do nothing for the girl's dragon. He could not imagine such a fate, and he held Tyrale closer to him more than ever since that night, and vowed to himself to never take their Bond for granted, because it could be taken away so sudden. Whenever they went into weapons training, Eli found himself mostly with Suki, teaching her how to use the bow while she would teach him her short swords, which Tyrale found himself enjoying quite a bit due to the painting sessions. They all managed to get canvases and paintbrushes from the priestesses and so would have at least a one hour session of painting, and no one took more delight out of this than Tyrale did.

Eli was no artist, but in a matter of days, Tyrale had become exceptional. The young Ruby dragon found painting to be quite a joy and would continue to paint even as Eli and Suki went to their weapons to train. But this also provided them an opportunity to work on their communication and focus with their minds, while one was doing the other, they still kept connected and would give advice to the other. It had been very difficult at first, but slowly they began to get the hang of it, though they still had a ways to go. Tyrale would offer Eli help while training with Suki, telling him to dodge a upcoming strike or block, then give a suggestive move he may be able to use. At the same time, Eli would take a look at Tyrale's painting through his dragon's eyes and give tips on what could be improved. Eli did find that the brush strokes were helping him with the short swords, making his hands and wrists loose while remembering movements of the brush he had use to coincide with his sword movements. He was coming along, but again, he still had a long way to go. Tyrale was enjoying Kou's company as well, and where Eli would make simple movements with his paintbrush for training purposes, Tyrale made actual works of art.

When doing magic, Eli worked on communicating with his Element before doing any actual magic. He wanted to understand his Element and somehow work with it like he did with Tyrale, and the Ruby dragon was a huge help in helping him to develop a relationship with it. So even during religious periods he spent his time outside, meditating. He had never done something like this before, yet Tyrale told him it was a lot like when he would daydream, except he would have to let his mind go completely blank. This...was hard for Eli. He had a lot of difficulty holding still and keep his mind from wondering to one thing to the next, his mind always a buzz of noise with thoughts and images. Tyrale found it difficult to help him out as well, but eventually, Eli began to quiet his mind a bit more and more each day. He managed to be able to willingly get small plants to grow like flowers or grass without using too much energy, and he could heal small cuts and bruises without too much of a problem and close up small wounds, but he was still a bit 'iffy' on that area depending on the wound.

Any free time Eli and Tyrale had was spent doing a lot of things. After asking for permission, Eli began to grow his own small garden outside, out of the way of the training grounds where it wouldn't accidentally get destroyed. He was still a farmer, after all, and he liked to make things grow. Tyrale would join him, and together they would grow small flowers and care for them, and with his new found ability, Eli found this a far easier task than ever before. Tyrale quite enjoyed the lavender flowers for both their color and scent, so Eli grew some lavender and even picked some to place in pots around Tyrale's bedding. However, while he was small, Tyrale always slept in Eli's bed till he grew too big. When they weren't gardening they were painting, a pass time Eli found that Tyrale really enjoyed, and they would also have their own cup of tea. Eli had no idea how Tyrale developed such a love for the beverage from memories alone, but the small dragon now required his own pot at all times and have it on handy, and so they would drink different kinds of tea each day. When with Suki and her dragon, and even if her brother and his dragon decided to join as well, Tyrale would offer them tea. Always delighted to be such a good host. When with Tahvo and Fierro they would find much the same, yet for some reason the red dragon always turned his nose at the stuff and called it 'stupid' and even flicked a cup out of Tyrale's claws when the Ruby persisted. Poor Tyrale tried to offer different kinds that red would like, but no matter what, Fierro absolutely refused. But Tyrale was eager to please and would offer other things to satisfy the red's needs, yet everything offered was denied and called 'stupid' till Tyrale was left with no choice but to leave Fierro be. Pondering what he could have possibly done wrong and what he might be able to do to find out what Fierro liked so that he may be a good host.

The two spent some time with the other Riders as well, though Tahvo and Suki were the main ones that Eli mostly hung out with. He had got to know Emelyn and Calina quite well, but Cal still seemed heavily guarded and unwiling to trust, though he hoped to fix that between them someday. Emelyn seemed a little more easy going and easier to get along with than most others, though he had taken notice of how much she and Tahvo spent time together, talking about books and other similar things, and he didn't want to step between their own good time. As he grew, Tyrale took many naps, which Eli found quite peculiar and odd. But even stranger and horrible than that... Eli found out that Tyrale was actually deaf. It didn't hit him right away on the account there was so much going on, not to mention all the training sessions and getting to know the other Riders, but Eli had found this out just a few days after his arrival here. He discovered it while Tyrale had been sitting at the training grounds while all the Riders where doing their individual training sessions, and one of the dragons had come up to Tyrale and called to him. However his back had been turned and he was staring in fascination at a butterfly, then the dragon had taken to being playful, having pounced on Tyrale's tail. This startled Tyrale so much that he jumped a near five feet in the air. When Eli questioned him on it later, Tyrale informed him he never heard the smaller dragon coming, which baffled Eli and caused him to question Tyrale further. As it turned out... Tyrale didn't have the ability to hear.

This caused great concern for Eli. Had something happened to Tyrale while he had been in the egg that had caused this? The egg didn't just appear at the riverbank out of no where. It had gotten there somehow, and Eli strongly believed that Tyrale's egg came from higher in the mountains and had been carried down when the rivers grew in size enough to be a flood, and so when that storm hit it had somehow knocked Tyrale's egg into the river only to be carried away. Perhaps it was the thunder that harmed Tyrale's hearing? Or perhaps the egg had been beaten around so much that it affected Tyrale? There was no way of absolutely knowing. When asked, Tyrale informed Eli that he could only understand what Eli could say when speaking out loud because of their connection and that they would mind speak most of the time anyway. As for the other dragons and humans, he could read their lips, and though dragons did not have lips there was a certain way that they spoke and moved that could help Tyrale understand what they were trying to say if they weren't mind speaking to him. Otherwise if he was not looking at them directly, then he would be unable to hear them. This disheartened Eli yet Tyrale did not seem bothered by it at all, so Eli learned to cope with this fact and promised to help Tyrale in any way he could.

On the sixth day, all Riders and dragons were called together, though Eli was very curious on what about. This didn't seem like any normal training session, and plus it was the day they would finally have to decide whether or not they were going to stay, but he already knew his answer. He wondered what it was that the Priestesses had planned. As he walked out he nodded his head towards the Rider he knew as Wreaver, still one of the few he had yet to officially meet save for his first time arriving here after his panicked episode and after the incident with Rykker, then offered a smile and a wave towards Tahvo and Fierro, before doing quite the same to Suki and Kou if not a little more enthusiastic, and he returned a smile and nod to Calina after her greeting. He stood in a line with the others, Tyrale right beside him.

Tyrale was a majestic sight, at least to Eli's eyes, and he didn't even know it. In fact through their connection, Eli could feel Tyrale looking at the other dragons in admiration, especially towards the ones he had made new friend's with, and Eli couldn't help but smile. The Ruby was the biggest of them all, though still small compared to what the dragons will grow into one day, though that day may come far sooner at this rate. Eli couldn't wait till Tyrale would be big enough and they could fly. Speaking of which, he finally began to grow into his overly large wings, which now looked quite comfortable compared to his larger size now that he wasn't so small, and he no longer tripped over them. Able to keep them up and folded against his sides. His little stubs finally began to grow out as well on top of his head. Red ruby horns now grew from the top of his head, and more pointed joins grew from around his face and sides, forming fins that framed around his angular face. And his scales... They were breath taking. Each individual one sparkled and gleam like a single gem, and Tyrale's body began to show signs of the true strength and defense he could hold once he was fully grown, muscle already forming while his tail looked whip-like in appearance that could be used as an obvious tool in a fight. There was no doubt at first glance that Tyrale was built a fighter, yet his personality spoke otherwise, yet that was just fine by Eli. So long Tyrale could defend himself, Eli felt content that he was capable of holding his own, it was only the matter of when and if Tyrale would learn to put up a fight when absolutely necessary. Despite this personality, however, Tyrale held himself in a true graceful manner. He stood with such regolness and pride that he did not even know he possessed, and truly did not find his own appearance all that different or such a big deal. Eli loved him all the more for that.

Then the huge dragon showed up. When one of the Priestesses stepped forward to speak and give a demonstration, Eli frowned when she lifted her arms to the sky, and there was no warning save for the other Priestesses moving out of the way before a huge dragon landed that practically shook the ground. Eli released a cry of alarm as he stumbled back and nearly fell, yet Tyrale managed to catch him by pressing his snout to his back, before gently pushing him back onto his feet and lowered his head as he moved closer to Eli. This way his long neck practically wrapped around Eli as his dark obsidian eyes stared up at the much larger dragon. Eli was in absolute shock, his back pressed up against Tyrale's shoulder, and he rested a hand upon Tyrale's head as they watched the scene unfold before them cautiously. This dragon...was massive! Would Tyrale grow to be so big?

When Xara began her demonstration, Eli flinched each time the dragon's scales were removed. He didn't want to do that to Tyrale... Would they really have to disconnect from each other like that? He could see how it would be beneficial, but... Before he could dwell any further on it, Wreaver had stepped forward, asking for pretty much the opposite affect. Where he could take his dragon's pain. It touched Eli's heart. It surprised him that such a man showed so much compassion towards his dragon when he had never seen the guy smile, yet then again, of course the guy's bond with his dragon would be strong like his bond with Tyrale. Eli was moved by his passion towards his dragon's pain and could understand completely. What if he-

His thought process was interrupted by a nudge against the side. {No.} Tyrale said firmly. {I will not allow you to take more from me than necessary. We share and feel each other's pain an equal amount, and that is how it shall remain. I refuse to give you any more and suffer more than I do.} Then he softened, rubbing his muzzle against Eli's cheek affectionately. {We are in this together, forever and always, helping each other as much as we can. There is no gain for one of us to feel more than the other and will only cause more suffering. Wreaver and his dragon's situation is different from our's, and I can understand his need, but I am not in constant pain like his dragon. You need not worry.}

Eli stared at Tyrale, quite surprised by how strongly he felt over such a sudden and careless thought, but then again he needn't be. He then smiled, lifting a hand to hold Tyrale's cheek and press his forehead against his muzzle when he turned his head, closing his eyes. {Very well my friend. You are right.} Tyrale purred in response, then he, too, closed his eyes. Together they used the moment between them to try and clear their minds just as the older dragon instructed, knowing that if they really succeeded, then they would be unable to feel the other's pain. It was a bit daunting yet crucial. It was a little difficult at first, both wanting to savor their close bond of feeling the other's pain, but eventually they came to a place where their minds went quiet. They were at peace.

[/fieldbox]

 

[DekuNightFury]

[fieldbox="Flash Back: Eli and Rykker, goldenrod, solid, 10, Book Antiqua"]

"I thank you for accepting my apology, not sure if I could do the same if I was hit, guess that explains how different our lives have really been. Not too sure I can keep my advances off women but if I do it will be in a more polite way since no one seemed to like the way that was preferred where I came from but it won't be like it was with Suki. And you are correct my element is darkness so almost opposite they are just one step away from being opposing elements. But how to work them together my element is used for stealth and offense while yours has no offensive abilities that i know of."

The way Rykker spoke was a little hard to follow. He almost said every word in one breath, and it was a little difficult to follow what he was saying exactly, but he did know what he was talking about at least. Even if somewhat. He was surprisingly being very respective and cooperative, though his mention of advancing on women had Eli a little concerned, though at least he promised to not make any similar advances like he had with Suki.

"I am not saying you cannot flirt with them," he began to explain,"only that don't jump so quickly into getting them in bed. It's very disrespectful around here and you should treat them properly, plus they have a lot going on with their lives changing so suddenly as it has. Maybe give them some space first before you try anything else right away."

Eli had to think for a moment when he began to explain the Darkness element, though he already had a gist of what it could do. How to combine healing with stealth... It was certainly an interesting dilemma. That is to say if theycould even summon their Elements. Eli had been able to do so once, but when trying again it had been a lot harder and he failed. Summoning Ihkari wasn't going to be something easy. He suppose that before they could tryanything at all to see what they could do with their Elements, they first needed to be able to summon them at will.

"How about we help each other to summon our Elements? Since the Elements are so different and so far I've seen that every Rider is different, how about we figure out what it is that connects Rider to their Element? If we figure that out then the Rider should be able to call upon their Element no problem. Like what connects you to Darkness. Surely then you must have some experience with stealth and the like? Perhaps if you find some sort of common ground with your Element then you might be able to call upon it when you wish. For example since I have Life, um...." He paused as he bit his lip, furrowing his brow while his eyes looked to the ground, thinking. "I've grown plants? Life gives life to plant life, so we have something in common there, to say the least."

"Don't worry I get what you mean. I need to see what the girls are like before I try to flirt with any more again, but first I still need to apologize to Raijin and Suki and then they probably won't want to deal with me ever again can't blame them on that." Ryyker responded before thinking of the ways he used his magic and that Orthrax suggested to use anger to fuel its power. "My Dragon suggests I use anger to summon my magic easier since yours is almost opposite maybe use more pure emotions to focus it." Ryyker suggested sitting cross legged on the floor. "I also prefer to attack from stealth which my power has helped me do I've looked at my memories and seen that I can travel through one shadow and come out another. I can try to pull you through a shadow with me and you instantly try to heal something Orthrax has some small wounds from battle training with Callinas Sliver dragon. Even though her dragon almost lost a tail." Ryyker said gestureing to the claws marks or her sides that she dosnt seem to mind. "Where's your dragon they may be able to interact while we train?" Ryyker suggested.

Eli was shocked to learn that this man had done something so complicated at such an early stage. He didn't think that traveling through shadows would be so easy, though perhaps Rykker had been able to travel only a small distance for all he knew. However, he wasn't too eager to try to have him pull him through shadows at that moment, he honestly doubted he would be able to do something so advanced so quickly, and Eli didn't want to end up losing a leg or something.

He mimicked Rykker's posture, sitting on the ground in front of him and crossed his own legs. "I think it's a little too early to try to pull anyone else through shadows... Maybe since you've done it once ten you can keep practicing with yourself till you can go further and further and do it whenever you want."

When Rykker spoke of his dragon's and Cal's dragon's battle, he lifted his eyebrows and leaned back a bit. That...sounded brutal. He didn't think to let his dragon train, although Tyrale had been eating at the time. But still, this was training, not a death battle. He wondered why the dragon's fought so fiercely and if both Riders had purposely allowed it... It seemed cruel to make baby dragons fight at such an early age. Not that they were weak or soft, but just the fact that they were still only two days old at most and had no experience other than what they have heard within their egg. To have them fight so brutally... He didn't want to do that to Tyrale.

"I'm afraid he's asleep at the moment, and a deep one at that. I don't know when he'll wake up, but I can give healing your dragon a try. It would be great practice." Besides, he had done some small healing before on his cheek and so knew slightly what it felt like. Having some sort of clue how to call upon it, whereas with anything else he wasn't sure how to do. At least not yet.

"I guess you are right since I really haven't figured it out completely it just kind of came naturally. I'll let you heal Orthrax but we also need to figure out what we can do. I was able to summon needle like spikes and I fell like I can detach them and use as projectiles. And at times I can make like a knife connected by a chain which allows me to do multiple things but its not that strong yet." After he replied Orthrax came over exposing the side the Sliver dragon raked twice. "Careful with her her blood is acid and she always leaks acid."

"Have him hurry master when this is done I wish to leave and eat." Orthrax told her master through their link.

"Ahh Orthrax wish's that you don't delay she wants to eat."

Eli stared at Rykker in shock. How was he able to do so many things with his Element so quickly? When he could barely heal a simple cut? It was amazing... Was he probably doing something wrong, then? Rykker said it had just come naturally... Perhaps it was like a second-hand thing. He just did it without thinking. That could be part of the secret in unlocking these elements.

When Orthrax came over, Eli became a bit startled to learn that her blood was acid. "Oh, uh... Alright, I'll be careful, but that may delay the process a bit. But I'll do my best, I'm sure Orthrax is tired and hungry from such a brutal fight."

Eli took a deep breath and lifted both his hands to hover over Orthrax's side, though he kept a fair distance from the actual acid. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what it had felt like when he had healed the cut on his cheek. It had been so warm... And it seeped beneath his skin in such a strange yet comforting way. But how was he supposed to call upon something like that? After a while nothing was happening, and he began to feel self conscious and silly, knowing that both Rykker and Orthrax might be losing patience.

{Please...} He thought to himself. {Give me something... However small.}

Then it was like a light went off. He felt that all too familiar warmth rose inside him, spreading through his body and down to his fingers, getting warmer and warmer as it reached for his hands, and felt a tingling at the tips of his fingers. There was a light and soft green glow that surrounded his hands in a small radiance. The warmth transferred to the side of Orthrax's side, almost as if it had it's own hands, and caressed the wound. Slowly the wound would begin to close, stopping the bleeding, but then the connection suddenly cut. Eli gasped slightly as he opened his eyes, feeling suddenly drained. The wound had been pretty deep... But looking at the wound he could see the wound was completely closed. However he could still see the fresh scars of where they had been, still sensitive and slightly raw, but they were no longer bleed and would heal on their own.

I hope that will do. I still have a bit of trouble keeping a hold of the ability." Then from somewhere deep within himself, he whispered a 'thank you...' He could have sworn he felt something stir as if in response.

"Well the battle wasn't that brutal Orthrax bit with a mouth full of acid and the sliver clawed her in return." After Eli healed Orthrax she licked his hand as thanks and walked off to eat.
"It this wasn't training I would owe you but now you should know what to do to use your magic." Ryyker said thankful that Orthraxs wounds are healed even though she liked the battle scarred look. "Any other ideas on how to do this because all i think of is using my magic in a mock battle and you healing the wounds we receive afterward. Such a useful magic you have."

Eli smiled at Orthrax's thanks and watched her go to eat her own food, giving a small wave in goodbye. His eyes went to Rykker when he suggested doing battle to try to bring their powers forward, but he wasn't so sure. Rykker's abilities seemed to come in handy when in a fight, that was for sure, but what about him? So far he had been unable to do anything but healing. It was very useful, no doubt, and Rykker's comment on it surprised him. Not many ever really complimented on him with anything before, yet since arriving here, he seemed to be receiving all of it. It made him feel a bit bashful and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

"Heh, thanks..." He said a bit awkwardly instead. "It's nice to have such an ability. Your's sounds like it can really get you out of a few jams." He stood up then, dusting himself off. "I'm sure I can do more than just healing... Maybe you're right. A fight could bring them forth. But... Lets try not to over do it." He added, feeling that he should add that last bit. After all, Rykker and his dragon seemed like pretty hard core fighters, as did the Wreaver guy.

"I have an idea, actually." Eli began. "My specialty is the bow, and with with your ability, it sounds like you may be able to dodge my arrows pretty well. I won't really try to hit you, but you could still try to avoid them by doing your shadow transportation thing."

"Such a nice Dragon isn't she? Everyone says black's are cruel and horrible creatures but I like her she's incredibly loyal. Well it helps when I used it but those were mere accidents the travel through shadows and shadow things I've done only once so don't know if I can do them all the time. I'll do the mock fight without using my weapons then so as to not hurt you." Ryyker undoes his weapons and sets them away. "I'll try to Dodge or hit the arrows out of the air with my shadow spikes and don't worry about hitting me you can probably heal that up." Ryyker said standing up.

Eli was both flattered yet concern in Rykker's faith in him in being able to heal his wounds should he get hit, though Eli found he did not quite have the same confidence in himself. "Well I still would rather not hit you... So I'll do my best. It could be good practice for me but I would rather no use you as a practice dummy."

Eli didn't pay much notice to Rykker claiming not to use his weapons so that he wouldn't hurt him. He didn't think anything of it or that he meant any offense, or even thought that Eli may not have any experience in fighting and so couldn't fight. Though that was slightly true, Eli wasn't defenseless, and it wasn't as though he would easily be pushed around. But Eli was unbothered either way and simply accepted Rykker's plan. He moved a fair distance, getting his bow and arrow ready, before he stood firm with his body turned sideways and turned his head to face Rykker.

"So long as you don't move, I won't hit you." He called over to Rykker. "I'll fire the arrows near enough so that you can try to deflect them, but remember, we're only practicing our abilities. It's not a real fight." Even if this Rykker fellow was a trained fighter, and Eli was sure he was, their Elements was a whole new battleground for them. There was no telling what they could do or what their limits were, so if either of them lost control of their abilities, bad things may happen. He could only hope that Rykker wouldn't try to push too hard to do something further than he was meant to with his element and end up flinging spikes everywhere like a porcupine.

With one foot behind the other, Eli reached behind him and drew out a single arrow, deciding to go slow. In normal circumstances he could draw arrows in quick sessions and fire them without ever pausing once. But for now, till Rykker was able to deflect them quick enough with his spikes, he would go slow. He lifted his bow and knocked the arrow into place, aiming the tip towards the area just slightly off to the side of Rykker's left cheek and above his left shoulder. So long he didn't move, then the arrow would fly right passed and embed itself into the ground.

"Ready?" Eli called. When Rykker would give his consent, Eli released the arrow, and it went sailing towards the Black Dragon Rider.

Ryyker closed his eyes and began to summon up his anger like Orthrax suggested he did. He started to remember the death of his friend Revan and then about the parents that left him to rot in the gutter and what he would do if he ever meet them. "Ready." Ryyjer answered and tried to shoot the arrow out of the air with a spike. But missed as the arrow was too fast. But it missed like Eli said it would, Ryyker watched the arrow fly over his shoulder and go in the ground. But as that happened Ryyker got two ideas what if he could make arrows out of darkness for Eli to use or if Eli could replenish stamina or another's magic.

Eli only saw a blur of black go towards the arrow he had released, but it had missed it's mark since his arrow still flew towards Rykker, sailing passed his head and embedding itself into the ground. Eli lowered the bow, amazed even though Rykker had missed. "You made that look so easy!" He exclaimed. "It normally takes all my concentration just to summon a hint of my power. Do you want to try again?"

Ryyker can fill his anger rising he missed but if this was real he'd be dead he can't be anything less then perfect. "Yes fire again." Ryyker said as spiked were coming out of both hands. And was paying complete attention to Elis bow and arrow but holding his anger back so he didn't strike at Eli.

Eli could see the frustration in Rykker's eyes, though he could not understand why. He thought the man had done a remarkably fine job summoning the spike alone. Eli normally had trouble concentrating for his Element, and he didn't always succeed, yet Rykker seemed to have found a way to achieve his ability every time. He wondered how, though he decided to wait after their practice session to ask about it.

He gave a simple nod in acknowledgement, then lifted the bow once more, before pulling out another arrow and knocking it in place. He aimed, this time aiming for the spot off to Rykker's side, though it would sail pass harmlessly and hit the ground once again. When Rykker informed him he was ready, he released the arrow once again.

Ryyker could see Eli thinking by look on his face, but does not understand why he's thinking he has the easier part of the job.

Ryyker sees a little movement from Elis hand and fires his own spike one again this time it hits the back of the arrow changing the direction of the arrow, causing the arrow to cut through his shirt and cut the side of his gut. He could feel a burning where the arrow hit and looks to the blood running down his side. Maybe this kind of training was a bad idea, or maybe he needs to change from spikes to somthing else.

Eli saw the black blur once again, but this time it deflected his arrow. However his arrow was too close to Rykker, so when his spike deflected it, the arrow tip had cut through his side. It all happened so fast that Eli wasn't aware what had happened at first, seeing only Rykker's hand going to his side, but then he saw the blood. He grew instantly alarmed, lowering his bow before he ran towards Rykker, eyes wide.

"Are you ok?" He asked when he reached the man, placing his bow down as he tried to get a look at his wound. If it was too deep then it could be serious, then they would have to get a Priestess.

The cut was pretty deep, and he was bleeding too fast. Eli was in a panic. There was no way he could heal this, and yet he had caused it, had caused serious injury to this man. He had to get a Priestess quick before the man lost too much blood. He didn't think that his life was in danger, but this was definitely too much blood he was losing, and if they didn't do something soon then it could turn serious. Eli was already putting pressure on the wound, making Rykker sit as he looked around for the nearest Priestess.

{Calm down, Eli.} He could hear Tyrale's voice, though it sounded a bit slurred with drowsiness. {Life is inside you, it goes no where. It only waits for you to call upon it. Focus like you have before and reach for it. It will answer.}

Tyrale's words seemed to send a sense of calm through Eli, and he returned his gaze to the wound. He took a deep breath then closed his eyes, thinking back to the other times he had called upon Life. He remembered the sensations, and tried to reach for that warmth inside him, then gently tug and pull it through his arms, down to his hands, and into the wound. He began to feel it. That warmth deep inside him that slowly bloomed, much like a flower, and tingels ran through his body like vines. His hands began to glow, the warmth transferring into the wound as it began to try to heal.

Ryyker looked at the blood on his hands with a confused look. How did that hit him and why is it hurting only a little? Was what Ryyker was thinking. Ryyker looks to the panicking Eli why is he acting so worried hes not the one in danger Ryyker didn't even think his own life was in much danger. "Calm down Eli its not as bad as it looks if you can heal it we just need to use some bandages, but if we do I think this training may need to wait." Ryyker said putting his hands in front of him to try to calm Eli down, panicking will only cloud his judgement and make him act rashly. And then the burning pain began to go away as Eli began to use his magic. "Well at least your getting to get used to your own magic I seem to have trouble hitting a small moving target.

The wound inflicted upon Rykker began to close up, stopping the blood from flowing, which was a good sign. Thankfully it was as Rykker had said, the wound was not as bad as it appeared, being only a surface wound. Nothing was damaged, it had only been a good clean cut, though to Eli it didn't seem clean at all. But once the bleeding stopped, Rykker was no longer in danger and should be just fine. Eli then lowered his hands, feeling quite exhausted once the glowing stopped around his hands, feeling quite breathless. Why was he so tired? This had been the fourth time that day he called upon his Element... First with his cheek, then he tried doing so to heal Tahvo's wounds and failed, then he had healed Orthrax's side at least enough to close the wound, and now this. Though they had been such small cuts, he was drained, feeling as though he had just been forcibly trying to push a huge boulder forward and had finally pushed it as far as it would go.

"Yes," he responded to Rykker's suggestion, "I think that's enough training for right now. At least in this way." They hadn't really done or accomplished much, but with their previous training as well, it had been quite a long day. Though Eli honestly hadn't done much, so he felt silly for feeling so drained after using his Element so many times today for the first time. Yet Rykker did not seem so bothered... "Aren't you tired?" He asked him. "Using your Element, I mean... I've used it quite a few times but not nearly as much as I'm sure you have, yet I feel utterly drained. Not to mention you were fighting in your previous training session as well. Either way, I think you should take it easy now and rest. That cut wasn't serious, but you did loose a bit of blood, and that could cause problems for you later."

Ryyker wasn't going to admit he was tired he went from a fight with Calina to shooting spikes, which was new territory for him. But Ryyker wasn't going to admit a weakness even though he planned on asking Eli to be one of his allies. "Calina was nothing compared to Scarlet, Calina was a rookie with talent Scarlet is a weapon master I've never been able to hit. As for my magic I assume its just beginners luck at least you got some good training in. But one more thing Eli I plan on staying here when we are given the choice, I figure this is the safiest place for us and our dragons I suggest you do the same but if you do we need allies would you be OK being my ally? In return I would watch your back when the time comes."

Eli was not aware who this 'Scarlet' person was, but obviously she had been someone from Rykker's past. Maybe even someone he knew up to the point he was sent here and will never see again. A master or something? He wasn't about to ask, not wanting to pry too much into Rykker's past when they still didn't know each other too well. He moved away from Rykker once he was sure that he was ok and slowly and carefully helped him up to his feet, taking care not to irritate his wound, though he was pretty sure it was fine now now that it was healed and closed up.

When Rykker talked about staying, Eli felt it was a good idea, and that now he had seen a calmer side of Rykker he was a little glad that he will be here now. When Rykker suggested that Eli stay as well, however, it caught him a little off guard. He had planned on staying. He was going to miss Reek and the farm, but if he couldn't see them again anyway even if he didn't plan on staying, then he might as well stay to understand who he had become now that he was a Rider. To make the Bond between himself and Tyrale all the stronger. So he simply nodded to Rykker's suggestion about staying.

But then he asked about Eli becoming his Eli. He grew surprised by this. Weren't they all supposed to be allies anyway? Wasn't that the whole point? Maybe that was what Rykker was trying to do. Maybe instead of just instantly getting the whole group to trust each other, he is trying to do it one by one. It was a good way to get everyone to trust the other, to try to do it slow, or perhaps did he mean that even if the other Riders disagree with him then he expected Eli to take his side? He could see the logic in it either way, but... He wasn't entirely sure he can trust Rykker yet. He had already shown that he could be violent and was quick to action, but....

"That sounds fair." Eli said. "We're all Riders, and despite our differences, we're all connected now. I would like to really make this teamwork, well, work for everyone. That includes you, Rykker, so yes. I would like to be allies with you, and will watch your back." He reached out a hand for a confirmation, then once they shook, he pulled his hand away. "Thank you for your help in my Element, by the way. I'll probably still linger around the training grounds and maybe get some training in with the other Riders, try to get to know more of them. What about you?"

"Yes we are all connected by fate for some point. I'm going to try to unite all the riders but I'm sure Raijin and Suki will be hard and so will Wreaver." Ryyker shakes Elis hand. "I'll probably stay around here try to train and get more allies." Ryyker answering Elis question.

Eli gave a simple shrug after their hands shook. "Maybe not, Suki is actually nice to be around." He said with a smile. "I think she's just a little shy is all. Her brother I'm unsure about but he is definitely protective over his sister so so long Suki is safe then he may come around."

In fact, Eli felt that he may come closer to becoming allies with Suki since they had more plans to train together. He was very excited about it and so was Tyrale, but even greater than allies, they may even become friends. Eli didn't expect to become friends with everyone here, but even one would do.

"Try to take it easy, ok Rykker?" He told his comrad once he told Eli what his plans were. With that he left Rykker to his own devices.

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[Isho13]

@DracoGale4

[fieldbox="Fierro & Tyrale flashback, red, solid"]

~A bit more towards the neck. And be careful with the claws, please.~ Tahvo instructed his dragon. He was lying on the grass, face down, so the little beast could attempt to give him a massage. Fierro had grown up to the size of a big cat. His red scales where finally showing through, and his snout was starting to become a permanently fuming machine, which was annoying when the dragon decided to snore right next to his rider's face, but a bit endearing the rest of the time.

~You wouldn't be so sore if you worked out more instead of reading so much. Your belly -I love it but still- is fat, and your legs don't have the strength you'll need for riding me in the future.~ The dragon complained while he stepped all over Tahvo's back. Tahvo didn't take the comments as an insult. It was true, he was a tad overweight when compared to his younger self, Fierro just had a harsh way of offering critique. ~Or at least switch reading positions more often! Dammit!~

~Sorry. I get too caught up in the reading and don't realize my arms are numb.~ Tahvo apologized, sitting up as Fierro jumped to the side, and brushing his eyes. They stung. He needed a longer break. He tried blinking quickly to make them wet, looking around to get his eyes used to the light of sun being reflected from the grass. Looking around like this, was how he noticed, not too afar, a certain little ruby dragon, next to his rider, Eli. He titled his head, wondering if his eyes were fooling them. ~That little one is... Writing?~

~You humans are not the only ones who can hold a stick with ink, ya know.~ Fierro commented, and jumped in front of Tahvo, so the human would look at him instead of past him. ~Lie down. I'm not tired. I'll go on with the massages.~ He insisted, eager to get his rider's attention back.

~Wait, I want to check out what he's doing.~ Tahvo got up from his spot, patted away the dirt on his trousers, picked up the books he had been reading, and walked over to Eli and Tyrale. Fierro watched him go for a few instants, then followed after him, but not without huffing a cloud of smoke in frustration first.

'Good afternoon.' Tahvo greeted the duo, walking up to them. He knelt behind the ruby dragon, so he could see what he was doing. 'If I'm intruding, I apologize. But I couldn't help to notice you, Tyrale, was it? Apparently writing. Turns out you're painting. Still, I wasn't aware dragons could have a skill that require such an amount of finesse.' He then turned to the red head, and asked Eli 'You taught him how to paint?'. Fierro just plopped his weight between the two humans, breathing out more smoke than usual. He wore a frown on his face, disapproving of his rider interacting with such a despicable dragon.

[/fieldbox]

 

[DekuNightFury]

[fieldbox="Eli and Tyrale flashback, goldenrod, solid, 10, Book Antiqua"]

It was one of those pass time moments where Riders didn't have to train and could use the time however they wished for themselves. Eli had never been given so much free time before. He was used to working from sun rise to sun down working in the fields. Any time he got for himself at all was when he would go sneaking off to explore the forests, and he considered his time with Talin his own pass time. He was finding a lot of other things he enjoyed doing with Tyrale, and he was surprised with himself to find that one of his favorite pass times was painting. Ever since his training with Suki, he and Tyrale had grown to love the art, and so even when they weren't training with the brush, they still found themselves using the brush for more enjoyable pass times. Eli even found himself getting better at it with every practice.

They were doing just such a pass time now. Eli and Tyrale stood together with a canvas before them on their own easels, though Tyrale was mostly sitting with his tail curled around him. He was now half the size of a grown lynx, his horns and spikes starting to show instead of being the small stumps that they once were, and he held a palette beautifully in one claw while the other held the paintbrush. His attention was solely focused on his painting, losing himself in his work, as he so often did. Eli, too, was focused. The exercise had done explicitly on helping him to keep his mind from wondering off and getting distracted. It was perhaps the only time he could ever hold still in one place doing the same thing without his mind going off somewhere that would cause him to forget what he was doing in the first place.

Neither noticed the two newcomers right away, their gazes being too focused on their paintings, till Tahvo spoke that is. However... It was not the one he addressed first that noticed right away. Tyrale did not respond at all when Tahvo spoke to him, nor did he look his way, only continued to paint with his back turned towards the other Rider. Eli had glanced up from his own painting and looked down at Tahvo as he knelt behind Tyrale to see what he was doing. Eli couldn't help but feel the slight pang inside him when he realized his bonded had yet to realize that Tahvo was behind him, all because he could not hear Tahvo at all, so had no way of knowing he was there. He could have scented him, but the smell of paint perhaps had gotten in the way and Tyrale was just too focused on his painting to notice. He gave Tyrale a slight nudge through their bond, and the small Ruby blinked before he lifted his head towards Eli questionably, then Eli relayed the message that Tahvo had tried to say to him.

Tyrale immediately grew baffled and turned his head towards Tahvo. {Oh!} He exclaimed, speaking with his mind. {Pardon me. No, you are not intruding at all! Of course not!} If dragons had skin, however, Tyrale would certainly be blushing. {Do you really believe it is good? That's what 'finesse' means, yes? I am flattered!} He glanced up towards Eli. {My Rider had a dream lastnight. You should really hear what he dreams. Anyway, I decided to try to paint it out.} He gestured to the painting. {He dreamt about a star. But oh, it is not a star, at least not what he would think a star to be! You see, this star has become a girl. But the girl-or star-fell from her home-which is the sky-} He pointed upwards. {-and she has no way to get back home. But later she is found by this kind orphaned boy because he heard her crying. When he asks her what is wrong, she tells him her sad tale, and you know what this boy does?} Tyrale was practically bouncing on the heels of his claws. {This orphaned boy, who has nothing, gives her paper. Paper! But not just any paper, and not as what one would give paper as it ought to be! No, this piece of paper had once been a letter left to him by his mother, the only thing he had in his possession and that was a precious item to remind him of her. He took this paper then began to fold it, and from it he made a butterfly.}

{'Here,' he says, 'you can fly on the back of this butterfly and it will take you back to your home.'} Tyrale continued. {The girl takes the paper butterfly, and she stares at it, before she looks to the boy and asks, 'Why would you give me this? This precious thing that once belonged to your mom?' 'Because,' the boy answers, 'no one should lose their home.'} Tyrale rubbed beneath his eye with a single claw as if to wipe away a tear. {Isn't that beautiful? The girl was so touched, that she promised the boy this: 'Your selflessness and kindness are great. For that and for helping me return to my home, I will make you this promise: Look for me in the night sky, and when you see a star fall, make a wish. Close your eyes and wish with all your heart, and I will hear you, and I will make that wish come true. Whatever it may be.' Then the paper butterfly began to glow, then it grew, till it was big enough to ride. And it was real! No longer made of paper, but of a bunch of sparkling specks made in the shape of a butterfly. The girl climbed onto it's back, and then it lifted higher and higher into the air, before it vanished into the sky. That very night, the boy looked for her just as she had said, and he saw the fallen star. He closed his eyes and wished. You know what he wished for?} Tyrale smiled. {A new home. You know what happened next? When he opened his eyes, a man was standing there, asking him what he was doing out at night all alone in the cold. With no shoes no less! And in nothing but rags. The boy told him he had no where to sleep because he had no home. Well that man took him to his home, where he had a wife and a young daughter, and they fed the boy and gave him clean clothes as well a warm place to sleep. In that single moment, that boy had a mother and a father, and a little sister. He had a new home.}

{And that's why, whenever we see a falling star, we make a wish.} Tyrale explained, pointing to the sky once more. {Isn't that such a great dream? So I'm painting the boy wishing upon the falling star, but I painted the star to look like the girl.} He pointed at the picture of the girl with golden hair that he made to be the radiating light like that of a fallen star. {Eli is painting the butterfly.}

Eli blushed and smiled sheepishly at Tahvo. "Well, more or less." When Tahvo asked if he taught Tyrale how to paint, he laughed and shook his head. "No, not me. We've been training with Suki, and well, she sort of taught us. After that, Tyrale began to read more about how to paint, and we three would do our own sessions on painting for the fun of it. It's mostly me and Tyrale though. I'm actually enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would, though Tyrale is far better at it than me." He gestured at his own painting then at Tyrale's. Where Eli's was pretty decent and could at least pull it off to a degree that could have one nodding in approval, Tyrale's own skill far exceeded his own. He went down to every last detail, to the features of the boy's face as he closed his eyes and wished, to the glow around the stars of the night sky to the falling star of the girl, making it appear as actual stars in the night sky. Were Eli could easily be seen as a storybook, it was as if Tyrale had actual models posing for him.

{Nonsense!} Tyrale protested. {I am no better than you, Eli! Of course not! We are equally skilled.} Eli only shook his head and shrugged at Tahvo. The evidence was clear right before their eyes.

"Anyway," Eli continued, "me and Tyrale have really made some progress in our training, other than our painting skills." He wiggles the paintbrush between his fingers as indication, though immediately stopped when slight specks of paint flew off the brush. "I've gotten better at healing, but it's still rather difficult. I can only manage small cuts to be honest, and any deeper takes way too much energy. What about you? How's you're..."

Eli trailed off, however, when his eyes caught a speck of paint dead center between Tahvo's eyes. He shut his mouth firmly, the white of his eyes showing clearly as his eyebrows rose. "Er, um... I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I've accidentally decorated your, er... Well the very top of the bridge of your nose. Right between the eyes." He indicated this with his paintbrush considering his other hand was preoccupied holding the palette of paints, yet this only resulted in even furthering damaging the man's skin with paint in the exact spot where Eli had indicated. The young man became absolutely horrified and quickly removed the paintbrush. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking! I don't know why I... Uh let me get a rag." He said, placing the items down before searching for a clean rag that had been left for him and Tyrale to clean their brushes and selves with for cases such as these.

However, Tyrale was way ahead of him. {I got it!} The Ruby dragon had picked up a cup of water he had been using to was his paintbrush with, and Eli could already see the disaster that was about to happen. "Tyrale, no!"

But it was too late. Tyrale tossed his water right into Tahvo's face, drenching his hair and the upper front of his shirt, though looked quite pleased as the paint dripped down his face with the water. Having accomplished what his Rider set out to do. Eli could only bury his face in his hands in shame. To further put salt in the wound, Tyrale turned his attention to Fierro. {Would you like to paint?}

[/fieldbox]