Return of the Dragon Tamers: The Plague of Ogual

[Soulserenity20]

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• 
  
  
  
  
  
  Return of the Dragon Tamers
  The time has come for the dragons and the humans to join forces once again...​
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  Hunting the Blackshire Stags
  
  Narien, Illyria, Avren, Pomona
  
  Reverie, Xylia, Alder, Saira
  
  ​
  ​
• 
  
  Terria has been rescued and returned safely to the meadow. Her retrieval came at the cost of another talented tamer: Goliath, and his dragon Hezekiah. Terria slumbers in sickness of the body and the mind even as Merrik has spent more than a week at her side, healing her thrice daily, doing everything in his power to bring her back to the Order.
  
  The party that ventured to eastern Galidus to sort out the issues in Kibran returned with a new stranger who turned out to be the bondmate of the Valor dragoness, Andraste. Alder Grey has joined the ranks of the Order and now works to find his place.
  
  Shortly after the Order's reuniting in the meadow, a council was called the a vote was ordered for the army's next tactical move. With the votes in, the Order is now set on unlocking the memories of the strange man Bren and travelling to Galidus to meet with the new king, Kylvest Brohn of Trespa while simultaneously meeting with the People of Dragons elders.
  
  Before the Order sets off once more, they are taking time to return to their training at the meadow and heal their hearts and bodies. At current, Merrik has chosen to mix things up and brought the Order out to the north-eastern woods to hunt for Obsidian Nova's favorite game: Blackshire Stags. After a great deal of drama in Kibran regarding Merrik's decisions on leadership, he hopes that the Order will begin to sort itself out within the ranks and grow to trust each other more deeply in a time when trust among comrades is a necessity.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Character Hex Colors
  [spoili]
  Aerarya is #800080
  Saira is #33cccc
  Merrik is Red
  Nova is Black with Shadow and Italic.
  Avren is Green
  Viridian is Yellow Green with Italic.
  Terria is Dark Azure
  Taega is Medium Gray with Glow and Italic.
  Requiem is Maroon
  Aleria is Dark Green.
  Agni color is #999999
  Narien is #0092b3
  
  [/spoili]​
  Soulserenity20 ---- Merrik Tetra ----- Obsidian Nova, Nightmare Dragon
  Soulserenity20 -----Terria Tetra ----- Ataegana Kuu'iah, Lunar Dragon
  Soulserenity20 -----Avren Lebram ----- Viridian, Forest Dragon
  Rainjay -----Saira Rinien ----- Aerarya, Atmosphere Dragon
  Rainjay -----Illyria Rowena Renthir ----- Mirazh, Desert Dragon
  Firejay1 -----Narien Ki'ila ----- Angi, Arcane Dragon
  White -----Rèverie Gray ----- Celeste, Celestial Dragon
  Mowkie ----- Pomona Ayelet Muldell ----- Katla, Vanity Dragon
  Mowkie ----- Alder Balthazar Grey ----- Andraste, Valor Dragon
  Crimson77 ----- Xylia Kalei Iwalani ----- Deventh, Swamp Dragon
  
• 
  Tetra Estate - Coliseum, 8:17am
  
  The morning air was cool and crisp, the last signs of Winter nipping at Spring's hold on the lands. There was a deep fog rolling in over the eastern forest, blanketing the ancient trees with an eerie, chilling veil. A pair of deep green eyes scanned the surrounding landscape from a hundred feet in the air. Their owner felt no fear, no discomfort of the altitude, being as much at home in the skies as he was on the earth. While the height and the crisp morning air did not bother him, a deep concern was festering within the corners of his mind. It was not unusual for worry and concern to waft about in his thoughts, but the intensity of today's concern was unprecedented.
  
  There was a silence that surrounded him, cocooning him in its peaceful tendrils, broken only by the steady whoosh of powerful wings. With each heavy downbeat, the man in the sky would exhale, taking in the pristine air the ancient woods provided and letting it out in a meditative manner. His dark hair swayed gently, not by breeze, but by wing-beat. The man was concentrating on the legend that was about to begin a hundred feet below him. The man was sorting out his thoughts, organizing his concerns, perfecting his plan of action. Worrying. Concerning himself. Stressing.
  
  The mind is of no use when it is tangled and knotted with stress and worry.
  
  Merrik Tetra opened his eyes as a wave of reassurance swept into his mind, settling what had been stirred up, putting his last lingering thoughts in the right place, and shouldering the mental burden that so commonly threatened to crush him.
  
  "Your wisdom could not have been more welcome. But to execute concern would be unwise. Today the stories of the world will shift mid-sentence, a new chapter forcing its way into a tale of growing darkness. Today the legends of old will be reborn, history repeating itself at the hands of peril upon these lands." Though his lips did not move and no sound rang out into the air, his words found their way into the mind that commanded the wings beating powerfully at Merrik's sides.
  
  The man in the sky was not alone.
  
  A hundred feet above the Tetra Estate, a creature of myth lingered in the air, sustained by the grip of its thick wing membranes on the cool morning air. The creature was massive, larger than any common animal of the lands, and it wore a cloak of scales as black as a night sky devoid of any stars. Blood red eyes that made every onlooker feel like prey blinked slowly as they stared at the distant fog bank. It's vast wings, cloaked in the same obsidian scales that coated the beast's muscular body, wore rings, red as the most scalding lava.
  
  The creature was a dragon. A Nightmare Dragon, to be specific; a beast of legends and fairy tales from a time long ago, long before the memories of even the oldest human. For hundreds of years the sound of heavy wing-beats parting the air could not be heard in these lands, or any other for that matter. For hundreds of years, the great draconic race was thought to have been extinct, perished by the hands of elves or man or even time itself.
  
  Few would believe their eyes. But Merrik Tetra would not so much as blink at the site of such a creature, for the dragon of nightmares and terror that claimed the skies was his dragon, and Merrik was its human. They were soulmates, best friends, companions, one.
  
  More than 2 decades ago, when Merrik was just a little boy, he was brought down into a damp, dark cellar in the depths of his family's manor. There, he received an egg. From within that egg came a voice, though not one any other person would hear, unless it so chose to be heard. Within that egg was a hatchling nightmare dragon, the same drake upon which Merrik sat at that very moment. The dragon was given to him by a strange, mysterious old man who called himself The Oracle. This man changed Merrik's life, shifted his path of fate to one of severity and ultimatum. His life for the next two years was leading up to this moment, this cool spring morning.
  
  Today, Merrik was going to form an army, a re-birthed order of old, summoned up again to bring forth a the great protectors of Illos. Today, Merrik was going to change the lives of a group of individuals, the very same individuals that stood a hundred feet below him in the center of a coliseum. Behind the doors that lined the walls of the coliseum were more dragons. More disbelief shattered by flesh and blood. Two years ago, Merrik had once again been summoned into that musky cellar where The Oracle appeared once agian. This time, Merrik didn't receive one egg; he received an entire clutch, each one a different color, texture and size.
  
  From those eggs hatched dragons, one of each of the draconic species, apart from the Nightmares. Those hatchlings had spent the last two years of their lives growing and learning from Merrik and his dragon, Obsidian Nova. They were being trained and prepared for this very day, this moment. Each of the drakes behind those heavy wooden doors lacked a piece of its soul, a part of it that could never have been filled. Not until now.
  
  The group of people standing, uncertain in the middle of the coliseum, were chosen long ago, though they could not have known it. The Oracle had selected them at birth, when their souls entered into their bodies with their first breath. Each soul chosen, was the missing half of one of the dragons below. And today, those two souls would collide and fuse together, changing the fate of Illos forever.
  
  "They know so little of what is to come." Came Merrik's soundless voice from his own mind into the dragon's.
  The less they know, the less they can fear and fight what is to be. Though we know that each of the humans below is the soulmate of one of our yearlings, the yearlings do not know for certain. They believe that these are mere potential candidates for the bond. They will test them just as a wild dragon would have tested the first of the dragonlords so long ago. The humans will pass these tests, of this we have been assured by The Oracle. Everything is set into motion.
  
  Let their oblivion be their guide, for both dragon and human. Let the bond work in its natural ways, it will give them strength in the long run. The humans MUST prove themselves to their drake, not only for tradition's sake, but to unlock the power that hides within their blood. Tamers are not made, they are born at the very moment a dragon's soul awakens. In that moment, the two become connected, separated only by distance and time. The tamers have an ancient magic within their veins, though they do not know it yet.
  
  Today, the bond with unlock that magic and change their lives forever. We should not delay it any longer.
  
  Obsidian Nova had a way about him that commanded submission and trust. There was no one else in the world that could calm and reassure Merrik in such a way as the black dragon. Nova had an ancient wisdom to him that came with being a direct descendant of one of the first bonded dragons of the Order of Old. Though merely 21 by age, the dragon's wisdom went on for centuries. Merrik agreed without a word or thought.
  
  With perfect intent-directed synchrony, the dragon descended, lowing the pair and coming to rest on a great stone perch that sat at the head of the coliseum. As the dragon's talons touched down on the stone and his great wingspan retracted to a resting position, Merrik stood up from his place at the base of Nova's neck and slipped down off the dragon's back without a sliver of difficulty, landing on the thick, stone perch below.
  
  The attention of the visitors in the centre of the round mass of earth focused on him. Some eyes shone with excitement, others with a sly intent, and others with a plain annoyance. There was too much personality within that circle for Merrik to handle all at once. He silently thanked the gods of old that he didn't have to get up close and personal with the entire group just yet. For now, the focus of attention was on dragons, and Merrik was completely at home in the realm of dragons.
  
  "You have all be told of your purpose for standing her today. I can understand if some or many of your minds linger in disbelief, this is an event of dreams and myth. But make no mistake, you are here to become heroes, legends, and leaders. You are here to become one with beasts of old, powerful creatures not seen in these lands for hundreds of years." He walked to the end of the perch, balancing casually on the round, stone hold.
  
  "The doors that surround you are the temporary dens of the dragons of Illos. The doors will open in a few moments. You must all be strong, be fast, and be brave. Today, you become dragon tamers."
  Then, Merrik's deep green eyes became twice as vibrant as any human's and he swirled his right index finger in a curious manner, concentration clear on his expression. The doors slid open, lifting up to reveals cascading plumes of steam as the temperature difference made itself apparent. The cool morning air welcomed the sound of wingbeats, too many to count, as a mass of dragons shot out of the dark spaces and soared up into the air. Flames of every color decorated the skies, scaled beasts of every shape, size and color bolted about before peeling off from the group and honing in on select individuals.
  
  One of the dragons shot a jet of colored flame down at the ground, nearing searing one of the soon-to-be tamers. The tests had begun.
  
  Merrik and Nova watched silently as the young dragons they had raised from hatchlings attacked, questioned, chased, scared, and tested the group of visitors. Each was seeking a human worthy of their soul, of their life, of their bond. Each would find a human, though they did not know it, and until then, they would test their worthiness endlessly. Merrik pitied the men and women below, for they had not been informed of what the bond was, nor were they informed of the fact that the tests the dragons subjected them to would look more like an attack than anything, despite the fact that the drakes would not actually harm them. This pity went away mere moments after it arrived as Nova's presence in his soul shifted with the drake's emotion. Any amount of terror and confusion was worth the bond of dragon and tamer.
  
• 
  
  Combat Event Guide
  +Steps+
  

  1. GM Scenario Introduction.​
  2. Player Response. Combat Begins.​
  3. GM Response to Combat. Required die roll will be presented.​
  4. Player Response. Player Roll. Player may close combat.​
  5. GM Combat Close Response (if necessary)​

  
  +Basics Behind the Rolls+
  
  Three Types of Opponents: Basic, Challenging, and Boss.
  Basic: Just classic battling. It is generally expected that your character can handle this with general ease.
  Challenging: These will require higher rolls and a bit of strength in whatever technique the character uses to attack.
  Boss: These will require the best rolls, the most creativity, and the best weaponry/spells/approaches suited to the character.
  
  Three Types of Character Approaches: Strength, Weakness, Long Shot.
  Strength: The character attacks within their class/strength/ability.
  Weakness: The player attacks in a class/ability that they are not necessarily comfortable or entirely skilled at.
  Long Shot: The player is being an idiot and doing something that would never work unless the die gods are on their sides.
  
  +How Opponent Types and Character Approaches work together+
  BASIC OPPONENT
  Strength Base Roll: 12
  Weakness Base Roll: 14
  Long Shot Base Roll: 16
  
  CHALLENGING OPPONENT
  Strength Base Roll: 14
  Weakness Base Roll: 16
  Long Shot Base Roll: 20
  
  BOSS OPPONENT
  Strength Base Roll: 18
  Weakness Base Roll: 20
  Long Shot Base Roll: 25 (requires stat bonus)
  
  NOTE: In a boss battle, there will be much more discretion for creativity and teamwork between players. Successful rolls will mean successful hits, NOT kills. Furthermore, for boss rolls, because they are much more difficult, the player will get a 'second chance' roll if their first roll is not successful.
  In Step 3, where the GM presents the required roll, it will have the relevant stats already added in and will be presented in a manner to explain the reason the roll is what it is. Stats are applied by level of skill, as portrayed:
  5% = Beginner ----> No Mod
  10% = Applicable ----> No Mod
  20% = Novice ----> +1
  30% = Adept ----> +2
  45% = Advanced ----> +3
  50% = Expert ----> +4
  65% = Sage (Mortal Mastery) ----> + 5
  
  Example:
  Shirin Vs. Challenging Opponent, Strength (Longsword)
  Base Roll: 14
  35% in long sword, +2 Bonus
  14% in valor, +1 Bonus
  14% in strength, +1 Bonus.
  
  14 - 2 - 1 - 1 = 10 Required.
  
  The player will then post a blank post with "Rolling..." posted and then roll a 20 sided dice (D20) on that post. Then the player will post a SECOND post with their response in accordance with how their roll went. They can wrap it up themselves (Step 4), or the GM can add a post in at the end to wrap it up accordingly.
  
  WARNING: If you delete ANY POSTS in these events, I will assume you're trying to cheat and get a better roll. I don't want any explanations, I won't believe a word you say, and I'll roll FOR you with a penalty of 5 added onto the battle. This means, for example, Shirin would need a 15 instead of a 10. If you make a mistake, for example, roll a D6, or roll twice. LEAVE IT. I have eyes. I can see the mistakes.​

[spoili][/spoili]

 

[Rainjay]

Saira knew little about this Alder, but his input bothered her for a reason she couldn't quite name. Perhaps it was because of his newness that she felt he should be quiet, or perhaps it was his positive words when it was a time for serious, logical thought. But she couldn't scorn him for that; he wasn't here when the time for encouraging phrases had come and gone. But some part of her still wished he, and Illyria too, would silence.

While she had some choice words for both Avren and Narien, the discussion seemed to draw to a close as Reverie approached, quite loudly changing the subject. Her irritation grew at her attempts to draw attention. Were they not adults? Could they not transition without the aid of of a sound? She swallowed back her sigh of frustration. Her methods were strange but Reverie was right in that they needed a topic change.

She couldn't figure out where the source of this sudden irritation had come from. Their situation had been tense and strained for some time now, but never had it bothered her to this extreme. One reason occurred to her, but she refused to believe it. She refused to believe that a single person's actions could have that much sway over her mind.

These thoughts distracted her, and by the time she was ready to expand on Reverie's thinking Merrik was already speaking. As always he had a solid way of wrapping up the discussion neatly and fluidly moving on to the next topic, this time less of a two-way decision and more of a progression of action. The King's absence from the meeting was less notable in her memory, though as Merrik described his thoughts she realized why it was important. But of all the information he threw at them when they first sat down, he now only spoke of two issues.

"What of the Don'hara? Certainly appealing to the interests of Valaeria, a known ally, is more important than working to the interests of an unknown," she said after Merrik finished. "The Don'hara are friends, too, and I believe it would be unwise to ignore their interests, no matter how important the Council is and meeting with Brohn. Would it be possible to pursue both tasks at hand? I, too, agree that at this stage we cannot simply flock together in one herd and travel from place to place like so. It is inefficient, and lets us grow weaker. Leadership," she looked to Narien as she continued, "is something all of us must learn, as well as obedience, if we are to do our job, regardless of our passions and loyalties. They are things that will keep us alive."

"With our numbers dwindling we need this aid, no matter the specifics of what Brohn has to offer. The Temple and the Glade are far... I don't know the specifics of the situation at the Glade, but if it cannot wait I suggest we divide into two once more. Those of a more... diplomatic, nature, can go to the Temple. Perhaps a trip to the Glade can present an opportunity to those who need assistance with leadership."

Illyria, who had been content to let the others in the Kibran trip say their part, spoke up then. "Preferably in different groups, this time." She did not have a strong desire to work with Narien, not for a long time.

 

[Soulserenity20]

Merrik listened carefully to Saira. She had always had helpful input but in this case, it made things more complicated. It was clear there were three pressing matters, four if they couldn't find a way to combine the Council meeting and their meeting with Kylvest Brohn. However, Merrik wasn't comfortable splitting the order into three groups. Only three tamers at each site? Perhaps if they were more experienced but he simply didn't feel comfortable given their level of expertise and the threatening nature of each of these ventures.

"It would appear we then have to make a decision. We have three matters that each need attention, each with their own rewards and potential dangers. If we go after the nature of our guest, Bren, we risk spreading ourselves too thin and ignoring political matters. This is a conflict between our external and internatl responsibilities. What we find, however, could prove to be of great value. Bren already has much knowledge and Aglares has an interest in him, whether she cares to show it or not. If were choose to head south and ignore the meeting in the North, with Brohn, we risk alienating an entire population from our aid. We must maintain the image of an Illosian Order, keepers and guardians of all. If we show too much favor in the south, we risk an uprising in the North. However, as Saira so eloquently put it: Valaeria and the Calidarian armies are our allies. Do we dare turn down aid for an ally?" He shook his head, what a difficult task they now faced.

He decided it was best if they took a vote. "I'll leave it to the Order as a whole then. We will not take on all three tasks, on this you must trust my judgement for I believe we will be at great risk of harm when spread too thin. We must choose two tasks to deal with immediately and the third will be left until we can tackle it together. There are risks for putting off any of the three, but we must decide. I vote that we uncover the secrets Bren holds and venture to meet with Kylvest Brohn and the Council of the People of Dragons."



Updated
Council in Galidus IIII I
Conflict in Calidar III
Secrets in Sylvis IIII

 

[Rainjay]

Saira waited a few moments for others to speak. When none jumped to speak, she shrugged and gave her part. "I think Bren's situation can wait. Perhaps we can investigate while we focus elsewhere. But I think the Don'hara, and the Council, are more pressing matters. We need allies. We need help. Maybe that aid can assist us in keeping the peace across the continent while we focus our efforts at a later time on Bren. So... my vote is for the council in Galidus, and heading to Calidar for the Glade."

"The Don'hara can handle themselves. Valaeria is wise, I don't think she would willingly give up an alliance for a cause as important as ours over our inability to solve every problem in her land," Illyria said afterwards. "I vote we figure out what's up with Bren instead, and try to get Brohn on our side."

 

[Mowkie]

As the group continued to discuss matters at hand, Alder found himself at a complete loss. He had no idea of the affairs of the Order - how would he, having just less than an hour ago being nothing more than a mere scout for the people of Illos? His mind grew flustered, his thoughts a pool of confusion and helplessness. At this sudden burst of insecurity, Andraste lifted her head from her outstretched talons and peered at him from the few feet away that she had chosen to rest from the effects of the Bond.

~When in Kuhl, the Order made allies with the queen of Encilis, but the king of Galidus was nowhere to be found, seemingly forsaking his duties to his people. They also stumbled across a man who had a surprising and somewhat frightening amount of knowledge for dragons, but whom had lost his memory. Right now, they discuss whether to meet with the queen, who is already an ally, go to the king, who they know little about, or try to unlock the memory of this stranger. My vote, personally, would be to go seek out the rightful king of Otamur, see how he fares and possibly guide him on the right path in our cause to save Illos from this plague. But we are still young in this Order, and I fear that our words would yet have little weight. Allow the others to consider, and if there is a tie amongst them, then speak up.~

The old sentinel turned his head so that his eyes would meet hers. She gave an encouraging, dragonly smile before once more letting her head fall gently onto her legs before her. She was a beauty - a different kind than the one he had ridden during the battle in Kuhl - but a beauty all the same. And her mind flourished with a need to move forward that filled him with both excitement and doubt. How grand a creature she was.

His mind came back to the now, and he turned his gaze to rest upon the party before him. Remaining silent, he watched as the others spoke their opinions one by one.

"Katla has been quite anxious to move for the search of Bren's memories, and I must agree with her. The queen will not leave us now that she has seen how capable we are and how much we are needed to stop this plague from spreading. And who knows how much this king is willing to sacrifice to this cause? Why waste time on trying to speak to someone who has yet to put any effort into this war when there is a lead for unlocking Bren's memories? I say we push for that first, and maybe whatever knowledge he has will give us some insight in where to move next." Pomona knew that her own opinion held little ground in context to the rest of the Order, but this wasn't so much her opinion as it was her dragon's - and she knew that each dragon had a great deal of say in the Order...even if Nova didn't get his way.

"But I must agree with Illyria. Whatever we all decide as an Order, I must press that if we are to separate, let us separate into more strategically-balanced parties."

 

[Crimson77]

Upon arriving back to the meadow, Xylia couldn't help but feel as though she had grown over the course of Kibran. Despite the hiccup, she felt closer to her fellow Tamers. It felt good fighting along side them. Though it was slightly short lived.

Xylia frowned. She had arrived at the last minute as she was nursing her own wounds from the combat that took place in Kibran, only to walk in to listen to all the things they had to say about Arven and Narien, she was uncomfortable. As much as she had detested that Arven went into the forest alone, in the end he did not choose to act alone. He accepted the help that arrived and allowed for his team to assist in the battle. Though they suffered minor injuries, Xylia was upset at how little and lightly they spoke of Arven, knowing she would have done the same thing. As for Narien, despite going against his words, she knew what it meant for leaders; the weight placed upon their shoulders to think of strategy and safety compared to carelessly attacking and risking everything. Xylia took a deep breath, these meetings always put her at an edge as she felt intimidated by all her teammates who have gone through more than she.

She walked into the room, listening to Reverie explain the current issue and Merrik carrying on from her words. As she made herself comfortable, she could not help but diverting her attention from Narien and Arven, contemplating whose actual fault or what the outcome would have been if things were different. Xylia jumped when she felt Deventh scold her to pay attention. She sighed ad listened intently now, contemplating the question and what the other girls say before finally speaking out, "If I may, t'ough not as knowledgeable in areas of the world and such, instinctively, I must agree with Saira. Though Valaeria may be wise but as allies we must not avoid a friend in need. Allies are very important, we don't want to lose anymore.. Neither can we ignore the fact from the conversations I ear' and am being told about, as you ave' said Merrik, that the memories of Bren cannot be taken lightly and pushed to the back of our minds any further." she paused, "That is my answer..." she cleared her throat and crossed her arms.

 

[firejay1]

Narien heard the implicit accusation in everyone's tones, but he didn't disagree with them and his failure as a leader had done no one any harm and taught Merrik who not to choose next. That was quite good enough for him. Though he sensed no one wanted to hear his opinion at the moment, Agni had things to say. She may not be a tamer, but her slightly surly human had no words of interest to offer, while she did. There were many things she wished to address about Avren's conduct and Narien's on the mission to Kibran, but the time would come for those things to be mentioned, and they were, all of them, not in the best of spirits to receive them. She addressed the matter at hand, instead.

Calidar is Narien's homeland, and ignoring their troubles would be unkind after they have offered their aid to us so freely, more so now that we have lost Goliath, the Queen's cousin, to Ogual. But I cannot help but feel her matters are less pressing to our cause. Galidus borders the plague and their situation is delicate. I feel we must at least spare you, our leader, to represent us among the people of Galidus in a time of great trouble for them. And though my honor is pained by defiling the graves of our ancestors, my heart begs we answer the question Bren provides, as it may mean more than we expect. I would vote to address the Council of Galidus and Bren, though splitting into two groups does worry me, still. There was a teasing note in the last of her words meant just for Narien to reflect on a bit, but she was serious about it.

 

[Soulserenity20]

Avren listened carefully, glancing over at Saira, and then to Pomona, Xylia, and Narien. They each had unique opinions. Avren was struggling to decide what was best. He had no clue which political maneuver would benefit them the most and the idea of him having a say was horrifying. And so, he went with his gut and trusted those he trusted. This time, however, instead of trusting Merrik, he chose to trust Saira.

"I vote for Valaeria and the Council." That was all he said, hoping nobody asked him to explain why, for fear of embarrassing Saira, but to his great relief, nobody did. It took him a moment but he realized that his vote didn't matter entirely because there weren't enough in favor of helping the Calidarians. He sighed but remained quiet and when the meeting was adjourned just a short while later, he jogged after Saira.


"Hey," he tried his best to sound casual. Or perhaps he simply was casual. Was he? A moment of thought offered a firm no. He was just trying. It was impossible to be casual around Saira. "Hello. So. Hey, uhm. I was wondering, if maybe you liked chocolate."

It was an odd question, completely out of the blue, but he really needed to know. He puddled around awkwardly until he got his answer and quickly excused himself to run of into the woods, his bare feet padding quietly along soft grounds, his locks flying wildly through the air as he slipped into the thick of the surrounding woodlands.

Merrik made his way back to the meadow. The Order had spoken and in two weeks, they would split up and depart. One group would travel to Origin Island, the other to the Temple of the Moon, located on the chilly slops of Heaven's Steps. He had a very difficult task at hand: who would he appoint to stand in at the Council and serve as the key ambassador for the Order in a very major political meeting.

Narien. That was his first response. Narien had failed, but his father had taught him that failure spoke nothing of character, but only to the need of another try. It was a man's willingness to give it another try that spoke to character. But then, another part of him wondered if perhaps Narien wasn't the best option after all. If perhaps this was too major an event to risk a repeat of the failures at Kibran. Saira not be better suited to such a role? She was charismatic, predictable, and level-headed. But then. . . Reverie had truly shown prowess in maintaining an objective and calm perspective in difficult situations. She had acted with great bravery and valor at the volcano lair. . . He sighed and let it fall from his mind in the hopes that his headache would pass.

Slipping past everyone, he made his way to Taega's stall and settled onto a worn stool that sat near her nest where he often rested while he healed Terria.

That night, he turned in early, exhausted mentally, he fell into a fitful sleep and woke feeling even less refreshed than he could have imagined. A quick wave of healing mana left him feeling a bit more refreshed, but more than anything, he longed for normalcy and training was more normal to him than anything else.

==== ==== ====​

The morning light broke the horizon before the Order's time of rising that day. The summer months had stretched their days long and had brought warmth and light to the northern woods. The gardens were in full bloom, flowers of every color dappling the landscape, fruits growing plump and and heavy on the boughs of vibrant trees. The low-lying crops were creeping along the grounds, sprawling out berries, gourds, and vegetables that served to fill the bellies of the hungry tamers.

Merrik often gardened in the early mornings. It helped him rise and gave him a relaxing routine. This morning, he brought in a large bowl of fresh fruit and prepared it with two fresh loaves of bread one of the other tamers had baked the day before and left to cool overnight. He set out yogurt from the cool cellar below, cultivated from imported milk and bacteria cultures he maintained himself. The last of the meat in the cold cellar was cooked up in thick slabs that he fried on the hot coals of the stove and he made a mental note to send out a hunting team.

It was in that moment that he decided what he would do for training that day. Mornings were always filled with agility and flight training. These practices were crucial for tamers that had to be able to fight atop a dragon's back while flying at high speeds but admittedly, the practices Merrik often assigned, though effective, could bore on into tedium. He felt a desire to mix things up today and so when their bellies had been filled and their bodies warmed and limbered up, he ordered the lot of them to follow him into the woods on dragonback. They flew for miles along a river to the east before cutting northwards into the thick of the woods. Here, he explained, were the summer grazing lands of Blackshire Stags, Obisidian Nova's favorite food and a list topper for Merrik as well. They rarely hunted them to feed the Order, but Merrik knew their herds would be large by this time and a few kills would do no harm.

The Order neared a large meadow and the herd came into sight: silver bodies with black antlers, a stunning size and strength about them. They stood nearly 12 feet tall at the head, their antlers offered them several more feet in height, however, making them appear as giants, and truly they were. Their size was a part of why Nova loved to hunt them, but more than that: their speed, and their wit.

"We need three. Split up into groups and get on it. I daresay it'll take us a good two or three hours to catch them. The fastest Nova's ever done is 40 minutes. These things can run for 6 hours straight, and they're smart! They might have enough mana to bring them to silence but they are still fueled by it!" He laughed lightly and hopped up onto his feet, knees bent slightly as he balanced naturally atop Nova's back, moving with each wing-beat.

"Oh, and two rules: tamers must make the kills and you're not allowed to sit down!" And with the black plumes of smoke that drifted from Nova's maw, the hunt was on. Hundreds of the deer took off, stags, does, and their young all bolting out across the meadow. in seconds, the clearing was empty and the woods thundered heavily with the sound of hoofbeats. The creatures truly were intelligent, as if they worked with some kind of a foresight that allowed them to predict oncoming attacks. Their speed was incredible and in the forest, only Viridian could keep up with any ease. They bolted in and out of the trees, weaving and winding through the forests, shifting directions, dipping into the thick underbrush.

Only the stags were allowed to be hunted, the tamers were familiar with this rule, but the stags were the fastest and smartest, making them nearly impossible for Illosians to hunt. The tamers would have to rely on the speed of their dragons to help in the hunt and their best chance at making a kill was with a precise, sharp bolt of fire to the heart. Weapons would be nearly impossible to use from on dragon back, so Merrik was looking forward to seeing how their mana skills could be honed for use in the hunt. Furthermore, with only 3 kills to make, groups would have to form.

Teamwork and leadership would be required, for no single tamer would be able to make a kill today. Merrik himself had only ever killed one of the things on his own and that was because he set an intricate trap woven out of a combination of illusion and cloaking mana. The four other times he'd hunted the beasts was with the weyr helping him. However, the meat was amazing and he believed both the hunt and the rewards were exactly what the Order needed.

 

[White]

Merrik did really well in the way he followed up on her suggestions, added another concern and then put it to the vote.
"Maybe we should inform the Queen of the decision and state the reasons as to why," was the only thing she added, choosing to not vote herself. She did not mind much and would only vote to break a tie. Reverie did notice that Alder, too, seemed to wait and presumed it may had been for the same reason.
Merrik concluded the conversation then and it was decided on what the order would do next. For Reverie herself, she went on and returned to her own small practise shedule for the evening.

The morning after, Reverie had expected to return to the order's original shedule and had prepared some of her own priority areas of practise inbetween and after. Wind magic and earth were two where she considered herself to not more practise in, to her own suprise, Merrik brought the order out and away from the meadow, flying for the duration of the journey.
Rev was astonished of these stags. Silvern and black horned, something she had and would have never expected to see. The order's leader gave them their assignment and kneeled up onto Celeste and unconcerned about losing the prey,she turned to the others and asked: "Alright then, who would like to come with me then?" Considering each and every tamer, looking from one to another. "How about you Narien?" Her eyes remained on him for a moment before moving on to look to Alder. "Alder, right? Would you like to come along?" And on traveled her eyes to finally rest on Xylia. "I really want you with me, Xylia," Reverie smiled. In truth, she did not particularely choose anybody for their skill or ability but for a desire to form more bonds, to build trust and in hopes of creating more unity among the Tamer.

 

[Rainjay]

Saira hoped that their choices would not come back to bite them. She doubted the Don'hara were the sort to be angered by such a thing, but she couldn't say she knew their nature. However, a vote was a vote; she wasn't going to argue it. It was fair. So, as the meeting adjourned she rose to her feet and began to leave. Moving quickly as to avoid conversation from the others, she began her way back to the stalls. She needed to clear her head of whatever was bothering her.

"Hey!"

Oh, no.

The exact person she wanted to avoid most was calling her. She stopped in the tracks, though failed to turn around until his footsteps brought him right beside her. "Hi, Avren," she said flatly. "What is it?"

"Hello. So. Hey, uhm. I was wondering, if maybe you liked chocolate."

"I--What?" Her brows creased into a momentary frown before she shrugged. "I guess I do. But Avren, while you're here--"

He left as quickly as he came, running back to the woods without another word. Her cheeks flared red, though not with embarrassment--was she actually upset? She shook it off, red hair falling around her face in disorder as she turned heel and trudged as hastily back to the hall. She doubted she could keep up with him in the woods, and didn't care to. But she needed to speak with him, sooner than later.

The next morning, she thought she would speak to him during a lull in the usual training. The patterns of the day were so engraved into their minds they performed their exercises without much thought. But Merrik had different plans--and she welcomed the change. A challenging hunt was what she needed to distract her mind. It was clear they would need to work in groups. Even the best nomadic hunters only outpaced their prey by working together, and it was surely no different for them. But it would be difficult. Several people already crossed her mind as those she would, under no circumstances, have a desire to ever hunt with, either due to the size of their dragon companion or their sheer lack of skill. But Reverie began to play the role of team captain before she could begin to speak. This time instead of irritation, she just felt frustration with herself.

Would Reverie make a fair companion in a hunt? She certainly proved her worth in other areas, but she'd never seen the tamer in the woods. Instinctively, she felt repelled from the thought, and it was there her frustration stemmed. She didn't want to work with Reverie, but she wanted to work with the people she'd requested to join her. Xylia, despite her silly nature, would make a wonderful companion. But... would giving Reverie a chance really hurt? It wasn't a competition.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized she would rather work with Reverie than Avren. His name came to her mind almost immediately when Merrik presented the task, but some dark, negative cloud filled her at the thought of his name.

She hated herself for it, but this swayed her mind almost instantly. Alder unnerved her, and she was wary of Reverie's skill. Not to mention, Narien's lack of concern as of late worried her. But it would be better working alongside Reverie's dream team than the alternative.

"I've been wanting to see you in action, Xylia," she said with a warm grin. "Team?"

 

[firejay1]

Narien was looking forward to training the next day. Frustrations aside, he had somewhere along the way home from Kibran decided that he was quite done working with most of the others for at least another week, and the mindless routine of their daily training, with only himself and Agni to really worry about, would have been a welcome relief. It was to his horror that he discovered that he would not be having any such relief. Almost the instant Merrik suggested they split into groups and left, Reverie spoke, and as usual, he instantly wished she hadn't. While Reverie, Alder, and Xylia appeared not to have nearly as much ill will towards him as perhaps Avren had, perhaps the only people he felt he could tolerate at the moment were- well nobody, actually. He had reached his limit. He had been stuck with this group of people for a couple months too long and he wasn't sure he could tolerate any of them at this point. There was Reverie, who was a little crazy, Alder, who knew nothing and would probably make him angry just by existing next to him, Avren, who currently hated him, Pomona, who was so obsessed with the hierarchy she had insisted he be consulted on every turn while not actually listening to him, Illyria, who had made it clear she had no desire to work with him, Terria, who was ever-critical and would probably be annoying at the moment were she not recovering from whatever Ogual had done to her, Merrik, who seemed to expect something from him he had no desire to give, and Sairantha, who had gotten much too close to him for comfort before the events of Kuhl. He had not spoken to her or sparred with her since the battle, but dealing with her ever-discerning eyes when he was already at a breaking point was not something he wished to do.

It was her speaking that made his mind up for him. He cast the four of them a smile with not a shred of warmth in it and spoke clearly. "Two archers and a woodswoman seems plenty enough for a single party. It seems I would better assist Illyria, Pomona, and Avren." He said the words without bothering to hide from his tone how much he did not wish to work with either party, and he pulled Agni slightly away from the others, not much caring if the three he mentioned were with him. She gave a quiet rumble of laughter at his churlish attitude, recognizing that she was one of the few of the party not feeling particularly upset by anything that had happened in the last few days. She had her reasons.

 

[Crimson77]

It was no lie to be repeated that Xylia felt like the baby of the group. Even when Dalaith was around, her experiences with the war exceeded all of her. And despite being the same age as some of the Order, she remained unequal. However, upon waking up today, her mood seemed to have lifted as Merrik offered them a challenge: hunting. This was the one thing she knew she could do, or at least had knowledge of doing. Given the explanation of the stags, Xylia contemplated her options on what should be done and how they should be caught before even thinking of killing it. The rules didn't matter to her, but it made things more interesting as she had practiced standing atop Deventh as she needed both her hands to make her attacks with her staff or spear more fluid, but with him flying as fast as he could, she was unsure.

"Don't worry, little one. We can do it." Deventh huffed, knowingly and proudly. Xylia grinned and nodded her head, petting her dragons head to further acknowledge their bond and strength.

Reverie voice perked from Celeste which made Xylia and Deventh turn back to the conversation. As Reverie chose her team, Xylia could not help but wonder from what perspective she was coming at having Narien and Alder on her team. However, all thoughts disappeared when she specifically stated that she wanted Xylia on her team as well.

Deventh offered a deep chuckle, remembering her attitude from way back when as he felt her energy shift from hunter to child. Xylia offered a beaming smile to Reverie, "I'll be glad to unt' alongside you, Miss Reverie!"

Just as she was getting excited on finally being chosen, Saira greeted her with a statement and offer. Xylia paused for a moment, shocked, this was more interaction than she had gotten in Kibran and she couldn't help but feel the warmth from her fellow Tamers. She nodded her head enthusiastically the very next second, "It would be a great honor to see you in action as well, Miss Saira!"

Narien then decided to assist the other team which consisted of Illyria, Pomona and Arven. Though Xylia had been hoping to have worked with Arven, whom she looked up to as they shared similar traits but it would also be fun to see how she fared without him. Fighting alongside him in Kibran was definitely enjoyable, despite it being a battle with enemies. She decided there and then, to make more effort to bond with the other tamers and decided that despite today being a challenge, she would have fun with it.

"Arven," she called out, "loser weeds out the garden!" she proposed out of the blue. In her mind, Arven reminded her of the older brothers she had in the village and naturally, much like the brothers in her village she knew the drive to a challenge would be to also challenge one another.

 

[Soulserenity20]

When Saira quickly moved to the team opposite his, Avren felt his heart sink. Was she avoiding him? A frown fell upon his face and suddenly he found himself lost in thought. He had made so many plans. Had that been a bad decision? Was it too forward? Had she figured out his surprised and been startled off by him like a doe catching the scent of a wolf?

"Oh gods!" He mumbled to himself, horror on his face. I just called her a doe and I a wolf! AM I HUNTING HER?

He was completely bothered by his own behavior then. He had simply wanted to surprise her. . . to make her smile. Her smile. The sadness seeped quickly through the bond and Viridian blew emerald sparks into the air.

"Enough of your mind mazes. You're being foolish and jumping to conclusions. Perhaps she simply wishes to see Xylia fight, as she expressed. Would you really assume her to hold ulterior motives?"

"Of course not!" He huffed angrily, as if he would ever think. . .such a thing. . . But. . . she was avoiding him. He was sure of it.

"Your mind betrays you, Woodman. Put your mind where it belongs right now: in the hunt."

The words were enough. The Hunt. The was something Avren was familiar with. Even if Viridian was opposed to it and never once hunted in his life, he was supportive of Avren's nature and his human needs. Avren gave Viridian a firm pat and jumped up onto his feet, steadying himself quickly before turning to face Xylia. Viridian had caught onto a tree and hung there as Avren shouted over at Xylia.

"You had best know the difference between a weed and a Bunglewort then, because I won't have you digging up my cooking herbs when you lose!" A brilliant smile and Avren leaned down to grasp a handful of Viridian's mane as the dragon kicked off of the tree, taking to the low skies of the forest's canopy and beginning the hunt.

The pair circled until the hunting party came together and while he couldn't stand to look at Narien then, he tried his best to put aside his distaste for the sake of the Hunt. "We need to determine their behavior patterns first. We need to know how they work to learn how to best them. Let's push them to their limits and see what we're up against!" He was lively and bright, excited for the Hunt and for the time, his mind was not focusing on his hurt feelings.

"Who wants to lead?"

 

[Rainjay]

It felt like the choosing of childhood play. Two or three leaders pick their teammates and those who aren't selected are assigned at default. It normally wouldn't have made Illyria uncomfortable, but she was unused to being last-choice... and less used to being useless. Merrik made it describe like this was less of the bow and arrow hunting Avren, Xylia and Saira enjoyed, which comforted her, but Illyria had only ever hunted in the way of fish, and even then she was terrible at it. All of what she knew was from her books, and she was quickly learning that book knowledge did not easily translate to practice.

She stood quietly while her team gathered together, playing with the pendant that hung from her neck. There was a dull throb in the back of her head, and she knew it would only grow. It seemed her luck had run dry. It had been weeks since she'd last had a migraine, but the beginnings of this one had kept her awake through the night. She first woke from a nightmare, one where'd she'd been barraged with stunningly vivid and clear memories of Kuhl, memories she'd thought she had forgotten. Then, the pain blossomed and prevented her from resuming sleep. It was pain she was very, very used to, but it left her in an agitated mood and she ultimately felt no desire to argue that she was on Narien's team, or to discuss who should lead. Even if it were to be Narien, she wasn't sure she had the energy to dispute it.

 

[Mowkie]

The morning sun reached through the tree boughs, sending sparkling light into the meadow and through the tiny openings of Pomona's room, signalling for her to arise. She was exhausted, both phyiscally and mentally, but her work was not over until the war was. So, like every day, she rose and dressed herself, throwing her short, choppy hair into a tight bun to keep it from falling in her face before dropping down her ladder to see that Katla was just beginning to stir. Stepping towards the pale dragoness, the mercenary found herself sitting down on the edge of her bondmate's bed and letting her fingers run across the scales.

~You are awfully emotional this morning, my human. What bothers you so?~

~Nightmare, as per the usual. For some reason, after meeting yet another soul from Otamur, my memories have stirred more than is the normal, and I must watch my past over and over again.~ She fell silent, her thoughts in too much of a swirl to allow her words to flow properly to the dragoness. Katla lifted her head, her breath blowing through her tamer's hair, eyes staring gently down at the woman, who looked distant and disturbed. Her voice softened as she spoke once more.

~You hear her cries again?~

A tear fell down a flushed cheek before a small nod came. ~I'm normally able to block such things...to simply move on with my day. But after Kibran...after someone acting so childish...what if another in the village had lost her child? What if, because of our lack of discipline, another mother must endure what I bear?~

~What happened was no single tamer's fault, my friend. We must learn to act as a team so that no other woman must go through your hardships. Do not let your loss burden you so...instead, let it give you strength to better defend those who haven't gone through the torment you endure. That is why we must keep training together.~

~You are right, once more, Katla. But I do not know how much longer I can bear such pain in silence...~

~You are not silent, dear one. You have two voices - your own and mine. Together, we will show this Order what it means to be a team.~

~How? I have never truly been a part of a team. I've always done better alone.~

~Have you?~

Pomona took a deep breath and let the question sit in her mind for a few moments. Then, slowly, she answered. ~I do not know...honestly, I cannot say whether my teamwork is satisfactory or not. I have yet to actually show much skill in that formality. But...I suppose, only time can tell whether or not I was meant to be a team player or not.~

~Just remember that you are meant to do as Fate has deemed for you. Let your own instinct lead you - a balance of the mind, heart, and gut is key. Now...shall we go see what our leader has in store for us today?~

The mercenary nodded, standing and walking out, her dragoness at her side. The heat of summer was already beginning to spring forward, and sweat had begun to bead even before they had made it to the designated area. However, when Merrik announced that they were doing things a little differently, Pomona could only sigh and wonder what he could possibly do to make things different.

If only she knew.

When they came upon the surprisingly large deer, her jaw almost dropped. How could deer get so big? Naturally, it was explained. They were fuelled by mana. Magical creatures somewhat like dragons, with intelligence and speed and endurance. In order to bring them down, the Order would have to figure out how to work as a team. And only a day after they had gotten back from Kibran, when tension was still high. This was not going to end well at all.

Add in the twist of the fact that she would not be allowed to remain seated on her dragon's back, and she wanted to groan and just go back to bed. This, naturally, made Katla laugh a deep, hearty thrum in her crest. As the woman slowly got onto her feet, wishing she had brought with her the weird saddle contraption that she had forsaken shortly after receiving it, she muttered in irritation. "I am not a good enough flyer for this, Katla. We must go slow or risk me falling."

~Then I suppose I should fly near the ground!~ She could hear the dragoness's laughter in her mind, which resulted in yet another outward grown.

As Reverie started asking some tamers to her side, Pomona felt like a child back in Otamur once again. She was always an oddball among her classmates, having preferred her wooden sword to dresses and bows. She never fit in with the others - a girl could not be with the boys because she was a girl, and a girl who liked swords could not be with the girls because she liked swords. How frustrating. Irritation mounted before she looked towards the two she was once more stuck with - Narien and Avren. But then...there was Illyria.

"How about we try going closer to the ground, Illyria? I think we would both be better to try and spook the stags away from the heard while the others fired from above. Does that sound like something you and Mirazh would be interested in?"

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[dash=#800000]
As he awoke from his deep, surprisingly blissful sleep, Alder gave a stretch and found himself smiling. Today would be his first day of training as a tamer of the Order. How exciting and fascinating! And yet, how very frightening. Would he do well? Would the others approve of him? What would his leader have in store for him?

~If you do not hurry, you will never find out! Come, human, you are late! A soldier should never be late to his formation.~

The demanding voice of his dragoness startled the old sentinel straight out of his bed, and quickly, without a word, he scrambled to gather his armor and gear needed for the day. It took him no more than a half hour to get everything on and slide down the ladder...only to find that the sun hadn't even risen. A droll stare was sent towards the oddly shimmering dragon, who huffed and looked away in denial. "I am by no means late. Why must you do that?"

~One must always be on his toes, no? Come, we can spend some time among the trees while we wait for the rest of the Order to awaken. I want to get to know you better.~

"But I thought that's what this whole Bond thing was about. Don't you already know me?"

~Well, yes...and no. I know your memories, your emotions, your thoughts...but in order to know you as a whole, I must spend time with you...speak with you...learn from you. Shall you indulge me?~

After a moment of thought, Alder gave a nod and was lead out of the stalls towards the many fruit trees, most of which had stopped producing their fruits already. For a while, both were silent. Then, finally, Andraste spoke.

~I felt you coming...I have felt it for months, now. But I waited until I knew you would arrive. I did not want to go and search for you with you so close to the plaguelands. Merrik would have certainly lost some of his hope if he lost a dragon who was still searching for their bondmate. And we need all the hope we can get right now.~

"So, that feeling I had gotten back when I saw the dragons flying over Ylandre...was that this calling that I heard about?"

~Yes, indeed. That was why you could not shake the feeling that you needed to find your way to the Meadow.~

"How very strange...I did not know magic could have such an effect on a person."

~Mana is the most powerful thing in the world...that is why it is coveted by so many and guarded so fiercely. We dragons almost lost ourselves completely because of greed and dark minds.~

"But then...why do the dragons remain in Illos? Why not leave it to rot?"

~I do not know about you, strange human, but I think there are enough good people to feel that Illos is worth saving. Did you not spend the last ten years searching for something that would bring hope back to one man?~

"But he was my best friend, my mentor...he was more of a father to me than my own at times. Of course I wanted to bring hope to him after watching him lose it."

~How close you were is irrelevant. You still dedicated your life to making him have hope again. And you completed your task, no?~

"Well, technically, the tamers did."

~Yes, and now you are a tamer. Funny how fate seems to bless you in that regard.~

"At least now I can dedicate myself to bringing hope...and maybe even a great beacon of light to the hearts of the people of Illos."

~Why care so much about others, though?~

"I don't know...I just do. I have a hard time making true friends with others, and yet I want nothing more than to see strangers smile. To make children laugh and wipe away fear and anxiety. I want to make the world a happy place...but I cannot do that alone."

~At least you are in the right place to do it now.~

Alder gave a nod, falling silent as he watched the sun slowly rise above the trees. "You are interesting, Andraste. You are so calm outwardly, and yet I feel your need to move within myself. Is that why you have chosen to walk with me?"

~Yes...and no. I do hope that we can train later, so that I might get a better feel for how you fight. But for now, I simply wanted to add you to my morning stroll so that we can get warm before the others are ready. I also really did want to just talk. We didn't get much chance last night, seeing as you were too tired to remain awake after removing your armor.~

"Fair enough. I had never flown that far." He chuckled. After all, technically, he had never flown at all before then.

~Well, I am sure you will get much more flying experience in today.~

They continued on for some time more, speaking of each member of the Order, and all that Andraste knew about them. She was particularly fond of Merrik's sister, Terria, and spoke quite highly of her. Alder made a mental note to visit the woman when she was awake to get to know her better. But for now, she continued to sleep, and he would be patient. After another half hour, the sentinel joined the others at breakfast while Andraste hunted alone to eat her fill.

Shortly thereafter, the man found himself on dragonback - the back of his own dragon this time, in fact. He was excited, and while he had made sure to listen to the advice of Avren and belted himself in, he felt somewhat awkward even in the natural seat behind her neck. It was around this point that he got to see strangely large deer and was told that he would have to help hunt these deer while standing on his dragon.

His heart sank. He had only been flying for a few days, and he wasn't even on his own dragon then.

~You'll do fine, so long as you keep your mind sharp. Listen to the others for now, let them be your guide. When you are strong enough, then we can lead.~

He gave a nod of understanding and listened in for the announcements of the others. Surprised to hear the young tamer of the Celestial drake call his name, he nodded his confirmation of hearing her. "I will be happy to join you, Lady Reverie. But I fear I will not make the greatest asset to your team. I've no knowledge of mana or use with a bow. If you are still fine with that, I will gladly follow you on this odd hunt."

At his response, Andraste thrummed her approval, eyes sparkling as she hovered in place.
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[White]

"As you wish," Reverie solemny replied to Narien and smiled when Xylia agreed. Alder, too gave his agreement and his concern to which she only gave a nod to, she was certain and she had a couple of reasons to choose him specifically. "Alright then..." she started when everybody got closer to their group of choice.

"How do we want to tackle it? After Otamur I did work as a hunter for several years but I doubt they will be prey comparable to ones I am used to find." Her eyes moving from one to the next of her team. "We could attempt a stealthy one with using fog, maybe set a trap this way, then try to see if we can detect them by sensing out for their mana, then aim for the same single target and pierce it with a flaming arrow." Looking to Andraste. "Andreaste, do you have two have something in your bond, something easier to grasp for Alder that could assist us?" Turning to Alder and the others with a smile, she asked: "Any other ideas or suggestions that might work?"

 

[Mowkie]

Andraste pondered Reverie's request. Her tamer was far from a hunter, but from what she could gather from his memories, he has managed a kill here and there in the past. And yet, he cannot weild a bow for the life of him. Alder felt useless, his irritation muddling her mind before she was able to cut him away.

~We have yet to work on our mana, but now is as good a time as any, I think, for him to try. I will try to show him how to draw upon the mana while we fly, and while he does this, I can try and drain the mana from the stag that is our target to make him panic. If we can achieve this, we may be able to separate the stag from the herd just enough to surround it and cut it off completely. These creatures are very intelligent, so I do not know just how well this plan will come to fruition, but it is worth a try. Once we have it surrounded, those handy with a bow should begin firing. It will take many arrows - flaming or not - to bring the beast down.~

Alder found himself swallowing nervously. Not only would he have to learn more advanced techniques of flying on his first day, but also mana while flying. After a little irritation followed by fear, he set himself in determination. He wanted this. He wanted to prove that he was worthy to be a part of this Order. And to do that, he had to learn quickly.

"Andraste, teach me swiftly so that I might be of service."

~Close your eyes, my friend, and let your body move with mine while your soul reaches for our bond.~

He hesitated a moment, a feeling of fear once more sweeping over him, before choosing to trust in his dragoness and closing his eyes.

~Picture yourself swimming in the darkness that is your mind now. Look for a thread, for it is there. When you find it, let it lead you to that feeling deep within your soul that is new and foreign, yet also familiar.~

It didn't take him long to imagine such a thing. He had felt this foreign spot in his chest for quite some time now, and the threat of which she spoke seemed to sparkle brilliantly in his mind's eye. He found himself reaching for it, and as it came to his hand within his thoughts, it sprang through his body, eager to respond.

~Good, you are a fast learner. Now, draw upon that thread, and let yourself imagine a small flame in your hand. In order for this to work, you must understand fire, itself. Watch it flicker and wave in the wind. Watch it breathe. If you can do this, you will find yourself with fire.~

He felt her body begin to move beneath him, and it caused his focus to falter. But as he steadied himself, he once more grasped that sparkling thread and began to picture a flame in his palm. It was small, its breaths simple and tentative. It flickered easily, risking being blown out with a single whisper of a breath. But if was a start.

~Good, human. Now, keep drawing on that mana, let your eyes open, and let that flame grow strong so that I might be able to draw upon the mana of the stag.~

Slowly, his gray eyes opened, and he looked down at the hand that was not clinging to the leather harness that held him in place upon his dragon's back. Inside it was a strange, silvery-blue flame that flickered desperately, barely able to cling to life. In response, he opened up and pulled on the thread of mana a little more. He could feel the power rush through his body and into his hand, and almost instantly, the flame sprang to life. It was massive all of a sudden, almost too much for him to handle.

"How do I turn it down?!"

~Calm yourself, or you will lose control of it, completely.~

He took a deep breath, and as he did, he felt his panicked mind calming a little. As it calmed, so, too, did the flame.

~Good...now keep it there...and let us hunt a stag!~

 

[firejay1]

"On edge" was a good way to describe the company, and Narien could not help but feel that Merrik had made his second mistake in a single week. What they needed, he thought, was a chance to be apart from each other, return to the rhythm of being members of the Order, instead of being forced into each others' company again as soon as they returned. He did not consider that his own need for a little solitude may have been clouding his thoughts, but Agni could not say she disagreed with him. Tempers were high, or at the very least strained. She watched them all quietly and carefully, much the same way Narien did, but with far less snarky commentary. Since she had grieved with Narien over her fallen brothers, Agni had become aware of a tension running through the Order. She realized it had been there for some time now, but it was only after she had stopped trying to be strong for the others that she recognized the cloud hanging over them. They had lost four of their number, and everyone was tired and worn by the burdens they carried, or new and anxious about their roles now.

As a dragon, she had always known her destiny was as a dragon of the Order, but being bonded with Narien she had come to understand that these children were not always prepared when their fate slapped them in the face. Going from being a wanderer or a denizen of the woods to being responsible for all of Illos was a difficult transition, and people were dying. She had been so blind not to see it before. Some of the Order ran harmoniously, but most had not known each other for even a year. Narien's poor leadership at Kibran had clearly brought these tensions to the surface, but they had always needed to face these issues eventually. As for the problems Narien had caused afresh, she only felt pleased it had forced his hand. She had not responded when Alder had suggested his problem was extra guidance and ambition, but her opinion was that he had needed, instead, a reason to care. He had walked into Kibran believing that no one would listen to him, and so no one had. He did not trust them and believed that none of them trusted him, which was, she suspected, likely true. Perhaps Merrik had taken the wrong route, but she was certain that the Order would break, or it would grow stronger, and they all seemed to understand that they could not afford for it to break, so all would be well.

As she soared through the air over the stags, she felt Narien's frustration bearing down on the back of her mind, but did not interfere with it. She knew her nature easily soothed his anger, but his memories told her that frustration had always driven him to better things.

When Avren spoke, Narien had been about to open his mouth to suggest that Avren take point here, as he was more familiar with hunting, but Pomona had beaten him to it. He was starting to get used to it, he thought sardonically to himself. Her apparent plan: have Illyria and Pomona swoop down and scare the stags, while the "others" (he guessed this meant him and Avren, but it wasn't her fault she couldn't seem to bring herself to name them) fired upon them from above. This did not sound like a particularly effective idea with the large dragons trying to navigate the forest and the deer winding in an out of the trees like a fast-flowing river, but Narien was tired of trying to speak to these people in any capacity, so he gave a shrug and leaned down on Agni's back, readying several glassy flames near his head to prepare to hurtle at whatever stags the females could isolate.

His eyes scanned the forest below, waiting for Pomona and Illyria to try and "scare" one out of cover. Normally, he would have taken some pleasure in this strange challenge. The oddballs of the Order always leached the pleasure out of everything.

You are short of humor lately. Agni commented knowingly.

And you are rife with it. He snapped back at her. He hadn't a clue what she had been about lately, but he knew she'd been in a fine mood all week and he could not imagine the reason for it.

So I am. She responded evenly, a tint of amusement passing between them. Shall we try something that might cheer you up a bit, then? When it comes time to fire on the stags, it would be a good idea to hang on.

She had been rather jovially cryptic of late, and Narien was starting to understand why it got on people's nerves to spin words and not explain them. That was part of what made it fun, though. He felt his muscles slowly unwind and his lips curved ever so slightly upwards in a slightly self-mocking smile.

 

[Crimson77]

Xylia growled at Arven's comment. What does he take me for? she thought, and scoffed as she took to the skies with her team. Xylia decided to push her slight vengeance with Arven aside and paid attention to Reverie who offered a plan. As Alder grasp his flames, Xylia pondered the plan, "Wait.." she called out, before everyone had went with the plan.

"Even if we separate t'e stag from the hoard, t'ey're still super fast. And as you said, a stag is difficult to take down. We should have a backup plan? Maybe to capture it? Set a trap to bring it to its weakest element?" Xylia stated, though at this point she figured she was rambling.

Deventh immediately pulled on their bond, a reminder that not everyone spoke 'Xylia' and immediately her face flushed and she could only muster an "Ahh..." as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

He shook his head and offered a deep chuckle before speaking for her, "Basically, a trap, of some sorts, to throw the stag into the air seeing as they cannot run on air." He simplified.

Xylia composed herself and nodded her head, "And since t'ey are very jittery and panicky, the trap has to be manual and properly timed. Plus, it won't be in the skies for very long... so... " she trailed off, "T'is was a terrible idea to begin with, wasn't it?" she questioned Deventh through her bond.

"Listen to your comrades judgement before second guessing yourself, and if it is, learn from it." Deventh replied calmly, though this advice was not his own. Xylia reminded Deventh of when he too first came to be. Always hesitant but doing things on his own which caused a lot of trouble. Xylia, at least, took the initiative to inform of the plan and not disappear which is odd as what Arven had done in Kibran reminded him more of Xylia and himself. She has been learning and taking note of her consequences was the only thing Deventh could conclude.

 

[Rainjay]

Illyria shrugged her indifference to Pomona's question. Mirazh was big, and she could feel his concern through the bond, but once again she lacked the desire to dispute Pomona's idea, mostly because she didn't want to come up with one of her own. Perhaps breaking the trees and foliage would be to their advantage in startling the stags, though if what Merrik said was true they were far too smart to let some clumsy dragons scare them away from their strengths. "Let's go," she said in a low, muted tone, not waiting for Pomona to indicate she was ready before she and her dragon began a low, and slow, flight into the woods.

Here, the light from the sun was somewhat muted, easing the strain against her eyes. But the headache otherwise did not falter. As they flew, seeking to locate a herd, she idly rubbed the back of her head, a small pit of anxiety growing in her chest. Hopefully this would pass before they divided and left the meadow once more. She couldn't imagine continuing to train like this, not to mention fighting or dealing with political babble. Just thinking made her brain hurt.

Then don't think. You should learn to better trust your instincts.

She sighed. Even his voice in her mind hurt.

They stopped when they were as close to the herd as they were going to get before they became alerted to their threatening presence. "Are you ready, Pomona?"

Viridian? Agni? Are you ready?

When all parties had readied themselves for the chase, Mirazh and Katla dove down towards the herd best they could through the trees, hoping with fire and noise to scare one away from the herd.

 

[Soulserenity20]

Avren was charmed by the entire experience. Because he wasn't hunting for survival -- they had plenty of food to keep them sustained for weeks to come back at the meadow -- he could enjoy the hunt in and of itself. He was amused greatly by Pomona who had decided that the only dragon built for maneuvering the forest should not be in the forest but decided not to say anything. After all, this was an exercise in pack hunting. The would-be alphas would sort themselves out and in the end, it was survival of the fittest. Merrik was letting the pack choose its own leaders. They had their alpha, but that alpha couldn't always lead the pack. Merrik needed betas and this was a surefire way of determining which of the tamers would best serve that role.

"If you have it all figured out, why not try and prove yourself?" The curious tone came as they followed the wind up to the canopy where they would supposedly be best served.

"I figure everyone needs their chance to learn. I don't need to learn how to hunt, Viridian."

"But is this about hunting? Or is it about Merrik's little test of leadership and of teamwork?"

"Aren't they the same thing, in this case?"

"You truly believe you have nothing to learn about teamwork and leadership?"

Avren's face twisted into a ratherd bothered expression. "I wouldn't say that. But too many wolves going for the kill often lose it. Pomona is taking her shot at leadership. I don't agree with her foolish hunting tactics, but at least she's willing to do something."

The dragon hummed quietly, dipping under heavy bough, following the scent of the herd with a precision that allowed him the luxury of never having to actually watch the herd, which in turn allowed him to focus entirely on the very difficult process of flying through thick, wooded air.

Below, Katla and Mirazh began their process of trying to break apart one of the larger branches of the herd.

ROLLING FOR MIRAZH AND KATLA'S SUCCESS AT BREAKING APART THE HERD:

Stats in use:
Speed, Agility.

Katla
Speed: 0
Agility: 0

Mirazh
Speed: +1
Agility: 0

Combined Boost: +1

Base Roll for Stags: 18

18 - 1 = 17+ Required

As the two tamers below worked to weave in and out of the thick forest, trying desperately to break the herd apart so that they could single off a handful of the stags and hopefully isolate one or two for the kill, it quickly became apparent that the tactic wasn't working. Katla was an amethyst dragon, one that had from small, contained caves. While strong and fierce, the amethyst was not at it's strength at agility flying in a heavily wooded area. Mirazh, a dragon whose strength lie in mana and intellect, was reasonably quick as a flier but lacked the agility needed to best the stags at their own game. It was clear to Avren that another tactic would be required to accomplish their task. However, he wasn't ready to step in. His turn would come, but for now, Pomona had chosen to take the shots.


Meanwhile, Merrik watched carefully from Nova's back, observing the tactics being used. He was ashamed of Pomona's failure to utilize Viridian in his natural habitat and even more so that she failed to consult Avren, one who was a natural hunter. She had chosen instead to take Illyria - conveniently the only person that hadn't likely annoyed her recently - and tackled the hunt, despite their dragons having few strengths in a game of speed and agility. Merrik shook his head in disappointment. Not only had Pomona failed to think clearly and utilize the strengths of her teammates, but the rest of the team had simply allowed her to make the poor decision without a word. This spoke poorly both to Pomona's leadership abilities and to the willingness of the group to speak up and challenge their leader when there was obviously poor judgement being dispersed.

With a sigh, he took not of what had happened and guided Nova to where the other group was, hoping they were faring better.