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Gildraug

Shur'tugalar | Dragon Riders

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Reignon rolled his eyes faintly as Jorundr dragged on the jest a little too much. Still, he grinned as he was able to help the man relax just a fraction. "Aye, that would do it!" he remarked. Soon enough, Ratha returned and the gathered crowd gradually dispersed. They were on their way again, the group with the three newest arrivals making for the Vault of Souls. While some commoners on Vroengard knew about the location, none but the Riders knew of its contents.

 

As the group moved on, Reignon momentarily concentrated on the way Ninarth's body moved beneath him, how each muscle contracted or relaxed within the base of their neck and shoulders. The fluid motions were simple, but also complex, composed of basic anatomy and something more. Briefly, it brought the Dwarf back to numerous exercises the pair underwent, coming to understand how each other moved so they could act in better unison.

 

'Your mind is wandering, come back to us.'

 

Blinking, Reignon chuckled and patted Ninarth's neck. The Rock of Kuthian stood before the group as Ratha spoke words in the Ancient Language. The stone cracked and shifted backwards, allowing the group entry. However, both Aurdis and Ninarth were no longer small enough to fit inside. Slipping down from Ninarth's back, Reignon brought up the rear, the massive rock scrapping shut behind them.

 

Red glow filled the tunnel until the space opened further in. Orange light filled the vast cavern, sprinklings of color decorating the walls. Before them, an almost endless sight of gem-like eggs were nestled in individual pillows, each waiting for their Rider to come. Before the three potential students were allowed to search for their companion, Ratha prompted them with the same three questions he had been asked when he first came to Doru Araeba.

 

Even today, he wasn't certain if he had the right answers. Vaguely, he wondered if the answers were dependent on perspective.

 

Finally, the younglings were set forward, the Urgal finding his egg within the sixth row. Daena seemed determined to not move forward at first but, eventually, she yielded and began to look. She didn't tough any of the eggs though and Reignon tilted his head, a slight frown crossing his roughened features.

 

Mia found her egg around the same time that Daena did, but much further down the rows than the other girl. She seemed rather impatient as she physically carried her egg over, causing the Dwarf a faint bit of panic, worried that she might drop it. However, she didn't and set the egg on the ground without incident. But her next action made him frown deeply: she was helping the hatchling break free of its egg. The Dwarf thought to hurry forward and stop her hand but, too late. The hatchling was out of its shell.

 

It won't grow to be as strong as it should.... Great Helzvog! Didn't the girl know any better? "Werg!" he exclaimed into his beard. If he'd been faster at noticing it.... He shook his head; nothing he could do about it now except watch the hatchling into the future.

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After Serbir's egg had hatched, it took a moment for the others to find theirs but Ratha was in no hurry. She exchanged some chitchat with Jorudnr, until a happy call ringed in the Vault.

"Ratha, I've found my egg!" the girl, Mia called. However, Ratha had barely inhaled air to call her to wait for a moment, before Mia gathered the egg into her arms and carried the egg away. Too stunned to say or move, Ratha watched as Mia carried the egg close to where Serbir was and put the egg down. Letting out a held breath of relief that the egg was fine, she started to walk towards Mia. She, in turn, had reached her hand out to the hatching egg and helped the hatching process by removing some of the shell.

"No, wait-" Ratha bit her tongue. She was too late, again. Patience was not this girl's strongest trait, apparently. The poor hatchling would become weaker than its brethren, Ratha was afraid. But how to tell this girl about it was another matter.

 

Sighing and letting her arms fall to her sides, the elf was about to turn around to see how Daena was doing, before Mia passed out from the energy which flowed through her and her dragon. The girl collapsed on the ground and her dragon uttered a small yowl. Serbir watched wide-eyed at Mia, holding his own jade-green dragon in his arms, already forming a bond with it by the looks of it.

"I-Is she alright?" he asked, face full of worry while his dragon tried to squirm out of his grasp and inspect closer what had happened.

"She's fine. Vopraan," Ratha said, the magic word thrumming in the air as she touched the girl's forehead softly, a tiny orange spark dancing at her fingers. She would wake up soon. Ratha glanced at the midnight purple dragon who stared back at her with green eyes, as if defying her.

 

Standing up and walking to where Daena was, Ratha noted that the girl was perfectly still and staring at a peculiar egg, an pearlescent egg. Ratha remembered that egg - it was brought to the vault a couple of hundred years ago, when she was still just a Dragon Rider. She herself had been accompanying the group which had found and brought the egg. The color was quite unique. Shaking her head, Ratha returned to the present time and inspected the egg again. It was wobbling slightly under the touch of Daena's hand - that was all she needed.

"Come now, Daena. It seems Faith has something awaiting for you," Ratha said as she used magic to transport the egg away from the rows, but kept a good distance to Serbir and Mia with their hatchlings.

"Try to refrain from touching the egg during the hatching. Dragons are fighters from the very moment they are born," Ratha advised and then retreated, allowing Daena to have her moment.

 

Ratha recalled the time when she had found her egg. Aatris's egg had reminded her of a citrine gem with gold veins and it had been slightly bigger that those next to it. Oh, how terrified she had been then, but still so certain of what to do. And when Aatris hatched and they formed their bond, Ratha realized her destiny. The memory made her smile slightly.

 

Walking towards Serbir, Ratha bended over slightly to look at the hatchling. She was jade green, hinting towards teal, with emerald-green eyes and a fierce look to her.

"How is it going?" Ratha asked, looking at Serbir. The long-haired Urgal boy licked his dry lips and ran his forefinger across the dragon's diamond-shaped head, the hatchling uttering a satisfied growl.

"S-She said my name. And, uh, I think it's going well? She c-cannot talk but, um, she seems so wise already!" Serbir said as his dragon tilted her head to look at the Head Dragon Rider. Serbir could feel how the dragon registered the sounds, images, and smells.

"Dragons are beings of magic with a mortal shell. They are old and wise even when born," Ratha agreed. "You can try to start teaching it - slowly - words and things of such matter. If she wants to inspect your memories, allow it. But this is very crucial that you allow her to start learning on her own pace," she continued, raising her voice slightly so that Mia and Daena could hear her, too. Serbir nodded in response and turned back to his dragon, sitting on the cave floor, oblivious to his own discomfort.

 

Mia seemed to have awakened and Ratha hurried to her, her cape flapping behind her.

"Are you alright? That seemed to be a stronger blast of magic - nobody usually faints," Ratha said. "But if you are feeling fine now, I suggest you start forming a bond with your dragon." But before Ratha left, she carefully reached with her mind at the hatchling, not touching its mind, but inspecting its body. Nothing seemed to be amiss on the inside, but on the outside... The composition of the scales was slightly off. What would come of it, Ratha couldn't tell, but what mattered was that the hatchling seemed safe and healthy enough for Mia to start communicating with it.

Leaving the two, the Head Dragon Rider walked softly to Daena, careful to allow her egg to hatch in piece and their bond to form.

"All's well?" Ratha inquired softly.

 

Meanwhile, Serbir had started to talk with the dragon more, a sensation which was... calming. He had never been very good with the 'mental stuff', so his skills were crude to say the best. The dragon often misunderstood him and when Serbir tried to correct her, more confusion happened. So, instead of talking to the dragon, Serbir sent images, sensations, and feelings. The method wasn't very accurate, but the hatchling seemed to understand it better.

The dragon was warm in his arms, the inner fire of the hatchling radiating through its scales. She turned her tiny head around, craning her long neck to inspect those behind them and standing in a group, uttering a silent mental question. Serbir tried to explain, to his best ability, who they were. When he showed a picture of Ninarth, Amontien, Aurdis, and Aatris, the hatchling became very excited and urged Serbir to take it to the people. Serbir responded with a denying thought, but the dragon insisted, calling his name with strong willpower.

"Serrrbir!" she said and sent an image of Reignon and Jorundr, alongside a strong feeling of curiosity. The Urgal sighed and once he was sure he had a secure hold of the surprisingly heavy hatchling, stood up and carried her towards the two Dragon Riders.

 

"What's this, now?" Jorundr asked lifting an eyebrow as Serbir came closer.

"Uh, she wanted to see you-" Serbir begun, but the dragon squirmed while trying to get closer to the Riders to get a sniff, that the Urgal had to focus on not dropping the scaly being. Jorundr uttered a soft laugh and extended his hand and mind, allowing the dragon to sniff his hand and touching the dragon's mind softly in return. Serbir could feel Jorundr radiating a feel of calm and serenity through the link, and he couldn't stop from smiling, ever so slightly.

Edited by Gildraug

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((I think Mia's not very resistant to magic... Plus I recalled Eragon blacked out in the first book and I thought that was normal. xd.png))

 

Mia awoke quickly after the spell. She could just about hear 'refrain from touching the egg while hatching' and wondered if helping her dragon had been wrong. Sitting up, Mia's left hand went to her forehead - she had a headache now... Smiling, she looked down at her dragon. She reached out, hesitantly, with her other hand, noting the white mark that settled there. She paused a few centimetres from the glistening scales, afraid of the same energy that might knock her out again. Her dragon seemed to take the initiative, though, and gently pushed its snout against her hand. The mark tingled, but nothing else happened, so Mia slowly stroked her hand down its neck.

 

Mia was just about to call about what to do next when Ratha hurried over, seeming concerned. Nodding in answer to the first question, Mia listened quietly to the instruction. Nothing was said about it, but there was... a feeling about that she had done something wrong. The Head Rider's words were brief and to-the-point, unlike how she was speaking to the other two. Perhaps helping a hatchling from its shell really is a bad thing? she thought worriedly. If that was true... How much would she suffer for her mistake? Would it prevent her from becoming a true Rider? Would they take away her dragon? Would - curious. It wasn't a word, but a feeling. A tiny brush against her mind, filled with curiosity. She looked down at the dragon, whose bright green gaze was fixed on her. Reaching out her mind, Mia tried to be as open as she could as she touched the hatchling's. It felt... somehow older than a newborn had any right to be.

 

Pushing aside that thought for the moment, Mia considered trying to communicate a message. But what? Friendship? Ownership? A picture of a sailing boat cropped up in her head and, amused by it, she decided to pass that along. A sense of confusion radiated back, and the hatchling's head tilted. Then, suddenly, it opened its mouth and squeaked, giving Mia a full view of its tiny, sharp teeth. Hunger was a sense the hatchling pushed strongly onto Mia, who chuckled slightly. "Okay, little one. What do you eat, though? The green one ate meat..." Mia looked around, wondering if there was any food about. The floor had nothing; Serbir's dragon seemed to have even licked the floor clean in her search for food.

 

"Um... Does anyone have any food I could give... What's your name, dragon?" She repeated the question mentally. 'What's your name?' There was no response but brief confusion, and hunger. "I don't even know if you're a boy or a girl. There's so much I have to learn..." Mia's voice hushed to a whisper, feeling out of place in this now-cold dungeon. The only warmth came from the small, weak creature in front of her. "It's just you and me. I'll take care of you - I promise." Mia knew the dragon couldn't understand her, as it just kept squeaking for food, but she didn't mind. Gently, she wrapped her arms around the dragon, and then jerked back as it bit one of them. "Ow! Okay, dragon, that's not good..." She took the feeling of pain and passed it across the link. A vague feeling of apology came through the hunger and the dragon licked at the wound a little before returning to squeaking.

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[[Eragon didn't blackout actually. He almost did but remained conscious.]]

 

As Mia returned to consciousness, Ratha lingered with the girl to see if she were alright. After, the Head Rider moved to Daena and Reignon stepped towards Mia. It seemed like the girl was attempting to communicate with her hatchling, silent but focused in the gaze. Serbir spoke up nearby and stepped towards Jorundr; hopefully the Urgal wouldn't mind a bit of a delay from the Dwarf.

 

"Here, feed her this; she'll stop nippin' at yer fingers then," Reignon spoke up, reaching into a pouch that had been placed on the ground. They pulled a chunk of fresh meat free and passed it over to the girl. "She doesn't have a name yet but, when she comes to understand what they mean, she'll choose one for herself," the Dwarf informed her, scratching his chin. "And, no. It's not just you and the wee hatchling; you've got yer fellows and the other people in Doru Araeba. Help each other, take responsibility for yer actions, and stick to yer morals and integrity."

 

They clapped her shoulder with a thick hand, examining the hatchling in her arms. His frown returned as he took in the diminished brilliance of her scales. With a sigh, Reignon sat back on his heels, resting his arms against his knees. "Who chose you as a potential Shur'tugal?" they asked, curious.

 

~~~~

 

Working with Larien was certainly an eventful experience; it always was.

 

Okalis was old, his grayed hair and wrinkled face having betrayed his age for years. With blue eyes, a hunched back, and skin unaccustomed to the hardships of labor, the man was clearly a prodigious scholar. If his black and white robes didn't indicate such an occupation, the air and poise he walked with surely did.

 

He sniffed, beak-like nose wrinkling faintly as he did so. Hopefully, he wasn't coming down with a cold, his work was too important to be delayed. Part of that work involved a project that he and Larien were both tediously working on. He really didn't understand why so many of his fellows regarded her with disgust or contempt; she was brilliantly knowledgeable for so young a girl. Shouldn't the elderly always boost the youth and encourage them to do their greatest?

 

That's what everyone crowed about anyways and, yet, when a youth surpassed their elder... He shook his head, a sigh slipping through his cracked lips. Raking knobby fingers through his swept-back hair, he pushed out the intolerant opinions of his fellows from his mind. His feet carried him to Larien's home, the plain-looking residence coming into view. Soon, he was at the front door, knuckles rapping against it.

 

"Larien? Are you home? I heard about your exchange with young Kavleam," he called. Fingers curling around the doorknob, he twisted and pushed open the door, a smile ready to greet his younger colleague. "Ah, good! You ar-" he came to an abrupt stop in the doorway, blue eyes falling upon Ki'lydwn. Immediately, his demeanor changed, a dark scowl replacing his usually bright expression. "Mahlaan," the old man hissed, hand snaking forward as his lips began to form a spell. "Malthinae! Larien, step away from her!" Okalis barked, gaze locked upon Ki'lydwn and watching for any tells.

 

He used to teach her but she never did surpass his skill level. However, he didn't know how much more she might have grown after becoming a traitor. Still, it would mean nothing given where she now was. He lifted his other hand, aiming a finger outside and upwards as he muttered another quick spell. A flare of light surged into the air, certain to attract the attention of whoever spotted it. Hopefully, a Rider or three would and hurry to the location. "Larien, Ki'lydwn fled as a Mahlaan sometime before you arrived here. She's tricky and not to be trusted. You're not hurt are you?"

 

[[Okalis is an NPC but I'm now thinking of making him as an official character.

Anyways, DH, it wasn't described that Larien relocked her door after entering her home so I assumed it was left unlocked. If it wasn't, let me know and I'll fix Okalis' entrance.

 

Fy, I'm running on the assumption that Okalis reacted quickly enough to throw out a binding spell. If you don't want Ki'lydwn to be bound in place, feel free to have it be that way.]]

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((Ah, having her bound is fine. She wasn't really expecting anyone to find her (so soon) and she was too busy trying to figure out how to talk. Regardless, though, I think most well-trained Riders should be able to break free of a single-word spell, used on only a split-second notice.))

 

Ki'lydwn was opening her mouth to respond when the door opened, revealing an older Rider she thought she would never see again. Ah. Surprise lit up her features for a brief moment before Okalis shot out an alarm flare and, apparently, a binding spell. You annoy me, old man.

 

'Are you in need of assistance, little one?'

'Tsk. No, I can live for now. Get ready for flight.'

 

Wahl kotin honaat lor do dii poguk kotin rot voth fos Zu'u aal uth vohaalvut... There. Now she should be able to project her thoughts into the Ancient Language, and be able to cast spells safely merely by thinking them. “Greetings, Okalis.” Words were trivial, fickle things, capable of showing so many things yet constantly being able to mean another. Words were not needed in this situation, where she could very well meet her end. Yet words, here, were somehow exactly what she needed to use.

 

”It has been a long time (yet still too short), Okalis-elda. It is to my (our) sorrow that you and I (we) must meet in such a circumstance.” Slytha’s words intertwined with her own, much the same yet worlds apart. In sound, they were similar. In meaning, too far. ”I (we) fear, however, that my (our) stay cannot be lengthened. Farewell (May the light be on your wings) Okalis-elda.” Respect was needed. Ingrained. Forced. Just as her life had been.

 

Thoughts A quick calculation. A small, saddened smile, directed at the man who had been their teacher.

 

Disorder A spell. A fate, casted since the beginning that would force her on the path of insanity.

 

A bond, shattered. In more ways than one.

 

Hope A desperate attempt for freedom. An illusion, made so that her escape may be possible.

 

Darkness A dragon. A Shur’tugal, the first of many, who would bring her demise.

 

A scream. A spell, wording so complicated that she could only hope to process it. A chain, dragging her back to where she never should have gone. Lost.

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((It's been a few years since I read them xd.png I thought he blacked out, but I probably misremembered. Not that it matters all that much smile.gif))

 

Mia smiled gratefully at the dwarf, and offered the meat to her hatchling, who scoffed it quickly, teeth proving to be as sharp as they looked as they tore it apart. Mia was impressed, but also slightly worried. 'Slow down...' She tried to impress the idea on the hatchling, but if anything, her communication seemed to have the opposite effect. So the hatchling was already a rebel. Great.

 

Mia was vaguely annoyed that the dwarf had heard her whispered words, but bit her tongue and forced herself to look attentive for his small speech. Well, at least the name information was useful; she would have to call her companion 'dragon' or 'hatchling' for the moment. The female pronouns - a subtle detail - were enough for Mia to realise her dragon was also female.

Oh and now she had someone wanting her life story... She may as well tell it. Not like she had anything to hide.

 

"I did." That was the simple answer, at least. "I never fitted in back home... not quite. So, I took my skills and looked for a purpose. When a Rider visited our town - I didn't catch his name - I guess I got a bit carried away by the beauty of his dragon." Mia smiled as her own scaled beauty licked her fingers. "I studied for a few years, and then I found someone who knew someone else who said he could get a Rider to ferry me over here. I think her name was Wrekin, and Kyf. Beautiful lilac colour... Strange, I think Kyf's scales were shinier than this. Is it just because my dragon is still a hatchling, or is something wrong?"

Concerned, Mia ran her white-marked hand down the little dragon's spine, careful only to move head-to-tail lest the small spikes catch her skin. "I know some minor healing spells..." Her concern obviously touched the hatchling, who stirred from her peaceful stance to nuzzle Mia's leg before curling into her lap. Her tiny claws dug in, a mild annoyance but little more. Mia was surprised at her small weight, especially compared to the egg. "She's so light..." Mia didn't try to pick up her dragon just yet, despite wanting to. "Is she okay?"

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Tanthanion had led Nithandros back to the Audience Hall before the younger Rider took his leave to reflect on all that had been said, but to Tanthanion's estimation, the lad seemed to be walking a little bit taller. He will be a fine Rider once his trails are finished, he can only hope Kalveam will also learn to remove this dangerous pride he has. It is a moot point at any rate, he has no control over such things, so he merely goes about his day. He walks into his room in the central spire and he collects his masterfully crafted suit of armor, his shield and he set his helm on his bed. Within moments, his armor is equipped along with his signature cloak and he replaces the weapons belt with both Hefvulon and his dirk in their places. He walks out of his room, closing the door gently and he walks out to the square once more.

 

Truly, the events of the day bother him, first the feeling of the Shade came to him from Larien, then the almost battle from an upstart hatchling, and now... A flare of some sort interrupts his thoughts and brings him back to awareness, What in blazes is going on!? he wonders as he runs towards the source of the flare, where he also hears yelling. He skids to a stop outside of a home where an old mage, Okalis by name, stands in front of some elf girl, but upon closer inspection, Tanthanion finds he recognizes her, Ki'lydwn! "So, at last you reveal yourself," comes the snarl and the sound of Hefvulon coming free of it's scabbard.

 

'Zencoria! Ki'lydwn is in the city! Find Slytha, she cannot be far!'

 

I'm on it, comes her reply as she takes to the sky after a moment's delay.

 

Tanthanions' eyes narrow dangerously as he stalks closer to Ki'lydwn with sword at the ready, "I have to say, this is either awfully brave, or awfully stupid of you to show yourself here, Mahlaan. Have you finally decided to turn yourself over for judgement?" comes the sarcastic question. His sword is poised for a strike, but whether for a lethal one or not cannot be ascertained.

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For a moment, enraptured by the looming fact that a dragon had chosen her, Daena's anger appeared to melt away. In that moment she was young and vulnerable again, almost innocent even, as she stared at the giant pearl that rocked back and forth beneath her palm. Her perpetual scowl had been replaced by a child-like surprise, as if the shock of the discovery had made her forget about the magic that sat heavy and oppressively in the air. Daena was so shocked she barely remembered to breathe.

 

This can't be right, was the first thought that trickled into her mind. There has to be some mistake. Maybe I moved it by accident. To test her theory, Daena removed her hand from the shell just as Ratha approached her from the end of the row. The sound of the Head Rider's voice was just enough to snap Daena out of the stupor, and immediately she moved away from the pearly egg, her guard thrown back up like a steel wall. In the middle of the room she noticed Mia with her hand atop the skull of a small, dull black dragon; Daena had not realized what transpired with Mia and the dragon's hatching, but at Ratha's pointed advice she gathered that something had gone amiss. As Ratha settled the egg onto the ground, Daena glanced between the other two chosen riders and their hatchlings. Those two likely had far more potential than Daena could ever hope to possess, which is why she wasn't all that surprised when the two of them had found their eggs. They had been brought there by competent riders, after all, and not some old goat that kidnapped petty thieves for a good laugh. Up until this point, Daena was convinced Malven's little production had been nothing but for entertainment.

 

Now, gazing down at the egg before her, Daena wondered what would become of her life. What would they do when they found out her mother was Mahlaan? And more importantly, what would her mother do when she found out her failed attempt to create a Shade out of her own daughter had resulted in Daena becoming a rider instead? Thinking about it was giving her a headache.

 

As the others had done, Daena lowered herself slowly onto the floor in front of the egg. Uncertainty clouded her expression as she watched the smooth surface of the shell. The dragon inside sharply shifted around, jostling itself, and the egg rolled forward briefly before coming to a rest against Daena's foot. She remained still, heeding Ratha's warning about aiding the dragon during the process. She watched in silence as small hairline cracks raced through the shell, meeting at a single point where the cracks had spiderwebbed together. A soft tapping sound rose from the center of the point, and it was several moments before the first small piece of the shell fell off. The dragon was certainly taking its sweet time-- it took quite a bit longer than the two that had just hatched prior before the egg was broken enough for the hatchling to finally extract the rest of its small body from the stone. A small white head craned upwards, thin spines the color of ivory protruding from its skull and down its backside like quills. Daena locked gazes with a set of eyes the color of pale lavender orchid petals. The little beast gave a small, musical trill of interest and lifted itself off the ground onto its unsteady feet. It wobbled only for a moment more as it experimented with the new sensation of unrestricted movement, and Daena stared at it the entire time, her face a mixture of guarded intrigue, fear, and the faintest glimmer of something sweeter. That damned hope would get her in trouble again someday soon, she was sure. But for the moment, she would enjoy the little of what she had left of it.

 

Ratha's voice distracted her again, and Daena looked up at the Head Rider. She wasn't sure what to say. The dragon had hatched of its own accord, and the fact that it had hatched at all was something akin to a godly miracle in Daena's opinion. And there was still the matter of the questions posed to the new riders; something that bothered her greatly, as it still made no sense to her whatsoever. What was she even supposed to do with a newly hatched dragon? Glancing back at it, she was startled to find it staring at her intently, sitting as quiet and still as a cat ready to pounce on its prey. The way it regarded her was studious, and its bright eyes almost unnerved her from the intelligence and wisdom that radiated through the pastel purple irises. Without realizing it, Daena uncurled her fingers from her palm and slightly stretched out toward the dragon cautiously. It gave a purr-like chirp before reaching out its muzzle to snuffle at her fingertips. The second she felt the roughness of its scales brush her skin, a lightning bolt of frozen fire jolted across her fingers and palm, and she immediately grasped her wrist with her unaffected hand and instinctively jerked away from the dragon. It crooned at her with a confused, disappointed note.

 

Her heart was hammering. That sensation was familiar in the way that sharp, sudden pain was familiar to her for various reasons. Although she was not in danger of losing consciousness, the edges of her vision darkened somewhat out of the rush of memories that flooded her mind, some of which were alien to her thoughts. It took her a moment to realize the bizarre emotions and images that flashed in her head were not her own, but that of the pearl-scaled creature sitting only a few feet away. She felt a wave of warmth flow into her heart, and was only able to recognize the sensation as concern once the dragon tip-toed closer and huffed its breath at her in a gentle whine. Daena wondered if the dragon could feel her own emotions, and what it made of the darkness that plagued her on a constant basis.

 

After a long moment of watching each other, the dragon approached Daena and carefully climbed into her lap. She had been holding her breath, and exhaled only after realizing that touching it did not shock her with ice as it had the first time. With extreme hesitance, she lightly touched the silvery-white scales along its neck, and then began to stroke the wings folded against its sides. The membrane of the wings, still wet from the mucus coating inside the egg, was shimmery like gossamer in the light. She marveled at the different highlights of color along the edges of each scale; at one angle, the dragon was haloed pink and green, and in another gold and violet. Just how such a beautiful thing had decided to claim her was beyond her comprehension.

 

The dragon hummed gently to her and climbed up higher into her arms before finding purchase on her shoulders with its thorny claws and draping itself around her neck, its long tail curled around her throat and its chin resting lazily on her collarbone. She reached up a hand to steady the small beast as she rose to her feet, now completely at loss for how to proceed. Unlike the other two, Daena did not sense an overwhelming desire for food through the connection that had just been established; she could feel an insatiable inquisitiveness as its gaze traveled from figure to figure within the room instead. Whenever it looked to another hatchling, an intense flow of cheer rushed through her being. Such a feeling had been so foreign to her for so long, she felt almost nauseated by it.

 

Daena looked over at Ratha to distract herself from the myriad of emotions struggling to establish themselves in her guarded heart. She cleared her throat and said quietly, "What..what do I do with...it?" How was one supposed to tell the gender of their dragon anyway, with only emotions and mental images to communicate by? The other two were female, according to the snippets she heard echo softly in the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted her dragon's lean body and spines, but nothing else really seemed to indicate a distinction between it and the two females. Perhaps hers was a female as well? Or she just simply did not recognize whatever dimorphism might exist. With hesitation, she touched the dragon's mind and in the form of a question projected an image of Aurdis and then one of Aatris, the two dragons she knew to be of different genders. The little one returned her curiosity by projecting Mia and Serbir back at her, and then suddenly a picture of a meat slab crossed her mind followed by a powerful desire and little remaining focus on her question. Unsure of herself, Daena stepped closer to the dwarf who had handed Mia a piece of meat to feed her hatchling. "Is there any left?" she asked, her voice not nearly as harsh as it had been when Malven first presented her to the other dragon riders. Though still hardened and rough, she seemed less aggravated as a result of the steady stream of peacefulness that emanated from the pearlescent hatchling through their newly formed bond.

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((Zeditha, all potential Riders are brought to Vroengard by a Shur'tugal who has seen potential in someone. It isn't just for transportation reasons a Rider is sent tongue.gif Plus, I highly doubt Mia could've learned that much information as she does know already by her own research, especially if she hasn't been mentored by anyone...?))

"What..what do I do with...it?"

Daena's question attracted Ratha's attention immediately, and the lean Rider walked softly to the girl, her leather boots making little to no sound, and sat down with a single elegant move. The elf said nothing for a brief moment, examining Daena's face quickly and trying to make her own assumptions on what the girl thought of all of this - being dragged by an unknown, if good-willing person to the legendary island of the Dragon Riders and then told her fate was possibly that of a Rider. She might have, Ratha realized with a pang of sympathy, thought this was all a joke of some sort. That was, until the pearlescent egg hatched. Ratha was about to reach out with her right hand to touch Daena's shoulder, but stopped the movement, unsure how she would react. Instead, Ratha put her hand down on her lap and gave a small smile and wished Aatris were here. He would've been able to say kinder and better-fitting words. Being isolated from her partner was always unsettling, even if their connection reached from Vroengard's eastern shore to Doru Araeba, if somewhat weak. But now, underground, she couldn't even feel the general emotions of her partner, only the certainty that he was alive. Over the years, she and Aatris had become more alike to one being with two outer shells, a feeling they both savored for it enhanced their personalities beyond what someone could do by themselves. Duty sometimes, like now, demanded for their divided attention and they had to be separated at times - periods which both of them hated more than anything and then savored their meeting with more enthusiasm and love. This wouldn't take that long, anyways. She would be able to talk with Aatris immediately after they left the Vault behind them and ascended back to the surface. The thought gave her strength, which she found somewhat humiliating - this was such a short time, not even a day! Focusing back on Daena and the question which she had proposed, an uncertain, confused question, Ratha took a deep breath and nodded her head towards the hatchling.

 

"Firstly, I suggest you start communicating with your dragon. He doesn't know any words, but thoughts, emotions, and feelings are his way of communicating. And yes," Ratha added quickly when she noticed Daena's eyebrow arch slightly. "Your dragon is a male. Notice the squarer shoulders and thicker neck than those of Mia's and Serbir's dragons, or how he is slightly larger than both of them? Aatris was a huge hunk of scales when he hatched. I had to give him to a escorting dragon to carry because my arms failed halfway back to Doru Araeba," Ratha dared a little snort. Laughing wasn't her best area, nor interacting with such young, young people. For a moment Ratha felt the heavy years weight upon her soul, like a mountain of people whose names she didn't recall anymore, places she once walked through but were dust now, and rulers risen and fallen, each with their own characteristic age. Time was truly the cruelest thing in this world, she thought grimly.

 

The silver-haired elf blinked a few times when Daena stood up and walked carefully to Reignon, asking whether there was any meat left. To Ratha's surprise, the girl's tone of voice had changed - it was as if something had truly changed when the bond between her and the pearlescent dragon was formed. But on the other hand, none of the newcomers would be the same anymore - their fate had now started its work, and their partners would change their very being. Ratha recalled a lecture she had once attended, where an elderly Shur'tugal debated that a person's True Name changed during the bond. This might be the reason for the energy, as when two souls are combined with a bond, their true selves are altered in the process. The debate had been lively and had taken the better part of the day, but she and Aatris had found it most interesting.

 

Meanwhile, Serbir was having trouble in keeping the hatchling in the air. Although he was strong compared to a human, the squirmy and scaly dragon made it increasingly hard for him to hold her. He then decided it was simply easiest to stay and the ground and sat down with a huff, letting go of the warm dragon. A feeling of unhappiness hit him as the hatchling noticed it was down on the ground again, and turned her majestic head to stare at him with mocking eyes. Serbir lifted his both hands to the level of his shoulders, the silver mark on his right hand glimmering from the movement, and looked away. He was amused how well they could already read each other's expressions. To think, he would spend the rest of his life with this magnificent being. If the bond was already this strong and fruitful, what would happen in the future?

 

"Heh, already having your first little conflict?" Jorundr inquired softly as he, too, sat down on the uneven and uncomfortable, if warm cave floor. The orange light reflected from his ruby-red sword, making it look like solidified fire. That, combined with the ever-present smell of sulfur, made the Urgal boy remember one of those long wintery nights when he would wake up to screams and the clash of weapons as their village was raided. Clinging to his mother's helm in the pitch-black night as they hurried to the mountains while those selected to fight would defend their backs, he would see dark shapes against flames and the cold, white snow, with a cloudless winter sky staring at the bloody scenery with emotionless stars. The air would smell like blood, fire, and death, and the air would echo with the cries and roars of Urgal which echoed from the mountainside until a whole army bellowed in the small valley, screeches piercing the air and the sound of metal sliding metal making his scalp tingle.

 

A distressed squeal broke his thoughts as the his dragon felt his discomfort.

 

She snaked her way to his lap and pressed her head against his arm, making a soft humming voice and glowing warmth and calm, although her panic was apparent. Serbir realized he had frightened her and sent an apologizing thought, while stroking the scaly, warm side of her. He then turned his lowered gaze to Jorundr, who was staring at them intensely, his beardy chin resting on intertwined fingers.

"S-Sorry," Serbir muttered, still stroking the dragon. She seemed to have calmed down now, but an occasional wave of worry reached him as she examined the memories he had just recalled. "I, uh, remembered something... She got s-scared, I think."

 

Jorundr nodded in response and the turned his gray eyes to meet Serbir's yellow ones. The gaze wasn't intimidating, but questioning. Even so, Serbir shied away from the gaze and focused on the dragon's scales, admiring how they reflected light so beautifully. Each scale was a priceless gem and more beautiful than anything else in the world. A smug feeling emanated from the dragon as she agreed, craning her neck to inspect her scales and licking some invisible speck of dirt off.

Edited by Gildraug

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"Ah, so Wrekin chose you. I wonder what kept her from bringing you in; must have had something to see to that couldn't wait. Well, no matter. Wrekin saw something in ya and it turned out right," Reignon remarked, grinning. Footsteps sounded behind him and a soft voice spoke up. "Eh?" Turning, he glanced at Daena and smiled brightly. "Of course! There's plenty in this sack," he replied. Digging through, he pulled out some meat for Daena's hatchling and stood, passing it over to her. "Here ya are! Eat up, little one," Reignon beamed.

 

Turning his gaze back upon Mia, he parted his lips again. "Since you're here too, Daena, I won't have to repeat too much. Anyways, don't worry about your lack of knowledge as a to-be Rider, Mia. We'll teach ya how to project your thoughts, ward your mind from unwanted guests, how to use magic of all sorts, the Ancient Language, and the history of Vroengard, Shur'tugalar, and all of Alagaësia," he informed. Mia started to fret about her hatchling then and he crouched down on the balls of his feet, placing a hand upon her shoulder to reassure her. "Ratha-elda will likely cast a spell to keep her from being sickly but, because you helped her hatch instead of letting her overcome that obstacle on her own, she won't grow to be as strong as others her size," the Dwarf said softly, smiling wanly.

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A male? As the hatchling skittered down the front side of her blouse to plop back onto the floor, her gaze skimmed over his willowy body to pick out the traits Ratha had mentioned. Daena supposed, comparing him to Mia's and Serbir's dragons, that he was a bit more robust in the chest and shoulders, whereas the females were leaner and longer. He was quite a few inches taller as well, she noticed. He chirped happily at Reignon as the dwarf pulled out a piece of meat; Daena felt a surge of excitement flood her veins, and she stumbled slightly at the impact of the hatchling's emotions. She inhaled sharply and gave her head a small shake. The euphoria he radiated made her dizzy, and almost sick to her stomach. It thankfully subsided somewhat as the squeal from the teal-green female distracted her hatchling.

 

Daena listened to Reignon as he spoke to both Mia and herself. However, at the mention of magic, the raven-haired girl stiffened abruptly. Her dragon lifted his head from where he was slurping down the remains of his meat to trill at her curiously.

"No," she snapped. The edge to her voice returned as a borderline growl, and the hatchling hummed nervously at the sound. She took a step back from the others. "No, no magic. Absolutely not." Daena had been so absorbed in the revelation of becoming a rider that the idea of magic-- and the stifling presence of it around her-- had been momentarily forgotten. But now she felt it like electricity in the air, and the hairs along her arms rose in her agitation. A slight tremor raced through her spine and she balled her fists tight, nails digging deep into her palms.

 

A tingly sensation in her mind made her twitch. The pearly hatchling padded forward, tilting his head every which way as he crooned at her in gentle, reassuring chirps. A flash of fondness melted into her thoughts from him; for a moment, Daena's spiking aggression appeared placated, as the anger in her eyes began to dull. But the moment she felt a soft probing in the corners of her thoughts, the dark corners that hid away the memories and pain, she hissed and grabbed her head in her hands. "Stop it!" she demanded, glaring down at the hatchling that stood by her feet. Panic started to seize her. The hatchling did not appear to understand; he felt her alarm, the irrational fear, and pushed harder into her thoughts to search for what could be causing her harm. Startled, she gasped and then hollered, "Leave me ALONE!"

 

He squealed sharply and jumped away from her, shaking his head vigorously as if something had stung him on the temple. Both of them staggered back from the force of Daena's attempt to expel the additional consciousness in her head, causing the pearlescent dragon to trip over the tail of Mia's dark-colored hatchling as he shook himself. Daena was winded from the pain, both from herself and from what echoed through the connection from the dragon; it felt as though the fibers of her being had been overstretched, like a pulled or strained muscle. A moment later she felt some of the pressure ease from her mind and she realized in her hazed state that the dragon had withdrawn as far as he could from her thoughts. A faint pulse of confusion and fear still threaded through the bond, and a crushing wave of guilt and self-loathing rolled through her in response.

 

Daena's breath was shallow and ragged. An image of Rawen burned in front of her eyes as if the woman were reaching through time and space to gloat at her daughter. Let the magic consume you, the woman said. Let it devour you whole. Be reborn. Goosebumps rose over her pale skin and she shuddered. In a low, shaky voice, Daena said through clenched teeth, "Are we finished here? I can't stay in here any longer."

 

A quiet humming sound lifted her gaze to her hatchling where he stood by Ratha's feet, his spiny tail wrapped around her ankle. The moment her eyes met pale lavender he cautiously tread closer to her, chirping softly. She felt him reach out to her again, curious, concerned, and once more a picture of her mother flickered quickly in her mind. Daena recoiled from the image, and it disappeared and was replaced with a flash of memory. Like deja vu, she saw his egg again, whole, and then his little head poking out from a gap in the shell. A glimmer of warmth grew in her chest, and whether it was from the memory he projected to her or the gratitude she felt from his attempt to soothe her fear, she wasn't sure. A content hum rose from his chest upon noticing her emotions settle somewhat, and he lightly rubbed his nose on her open hand as she held it out to him. "Sorry," she murmured to the hatchling. He trilled merrily in return to the fractured feeling of apology she awkwardly tried to communicate to him. She couldn't remember the last time she ever apologized, but at least he seemed to get the message.

Edited by Shiny Hazard Sign

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Mia breathed deeply to reassure herself. Well, that explained the feeling of doing something wrong - she shouldn't have helped her dragon hatch. "It felt like... like she couldn't manage it on her own..." She whispered sadly. A small trill came from the dragon, sensing the thought, and Mia smiled, sending reassurance to the dark purple creature. She wiggled her tail before sticking it out, over the edge of Mia's lap.

 

The hatchling seemed content, so Mia turned her attention back to the dwarf. She found it slightly amusing that she knew so much, and yet there was still such a lot to learn... "I did mention that I studied for some years, didn't I?" A hint of pride and arrogance showed through her humble shell. "I learned how to do many of those things myself. It was hard - I was told it would be easier after having a dragon hatch for me, but I wanted to be prepared. I did some research-"

 

Suddenly, a bolt of pain came from her dragon's tail. Edit point. Looking up, Mia finally noticed Daena's panicked state, and from a faint echo of the word 'magic' vibrating through the cave, deduced the problem. "Afraid of magic?" she whispered. "Why..." She gathered her hatchling in her arms and shuffled away from the others, getting to her feet after moving a small distance and backing into a corner.

Edited by Zeditha

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((Okay, Zeditha, this is a last warning:

Please, please, read everyone's posts and react accordingly. Right now, Daena is literally having a breakdown and, well, screaming within a cave.

I highly doubt Reignon would continue having the pleasant chat Mia and he were having when a student is in such an obvious distress, which is no doubt noticed by all.

Yet, the only thing you acknowledged was how your hatchling was rolled over by Daena's - or the only thing which touched you directly.

Addition to this, you continue having Mia "self-taught" - you don't mention anything about Wrekin, what exactly did he teach her, to what extent, where...

The RP suffers from this.

If you're confused what's happening, ask, send a PM, anything - we have a chatzy where we are talking actively, so it is not impossible to come and discuss about what/how to post.

Gilly out.))

Edited by Gildraug

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[[i just want to add what perturbs me the most.

 

-> Mia has been "training and traveling for years" to become a Rider? She "chose herself"? She "knew about the Rock of Kuthian as Ratha spoke"?

-> If that is all it took to be ferried over to Doru Araeba to potentially become a Dragon Rider, every last being in Alagaesia would be pressing against the West coast, trying to get over to Vroengard.

-> Mia can't possibly be self-taught as young as she is - let alone knowledgeable enough to know where Vroengard is, secrets such as The Rock of Kuthian, how to control/use magic (let alone know what it is), and how to project thoughts/shield her mind beyond communicating with her hatchling at this moment.

-> That's the biggest issue I've noted and brought to Gildraug's concern. That's the reason for why I had Reignon state that Wrekin is the one who chose Mia and why I had him act as if Mia was completely ignorant of how to do things, as if she had no idea she could use magic or project her thoughts and absolutely no knowledge about Vroengard.

 

Now, I'm going to pretend that Mia isn't attempting to prod Reignon's mind. :\]]

 

Smiling as the male hatchling chirped for the food, Reignon watched him eat while Mia spoke again. "If it felt like she couldn't break through on her own then it meant she wasn't yet ready to hatch, that she was still developing the strength she would need to do so," Reignon replied gently. Stretching his arms out above his head, he let them fall back to his sides and started to open his mouth to say more. Except, Daena made a strong disagreement with magic. He turned his gaze upon her, curious and worried. "Lass...?" he began, placing a hand on his hip. The young girl looked rigid, a tremble running through her body. Her hatchling moved closer and, for a moment, it appeared as if Daena was relaxing.

 

But that moment was gone faster than a heartbeat and she began shouting, head clutched between her hands. The pearlescent hatchling abruptly stumbled back, shaking its head, and Reignon started forward. Ratha was closer though, already hovering around the human child and attempting to soothe her. After a moment, Daena questioned if they were done in the Vault of Souls and, moments more, she eventually apologized to her hatchling when he came up to her, chirping.

 

"Well," they started, shifting their gray gaze between everyone. "Excitement done with, I guess we are done in here...," they said carefully. Clearing their throat, Reignon looked to Ratha and Jorundr. "I think the young ones have done all they needed to do here. It is a wee bit stuffy, now that I think 'bout it."

Edited by Narvix

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Okalis? Larien was just about to hear what this claimed Mahlaan was going to say when she heard her name being called from the familiar friend. Now was a terrible time however. Had she locked the door? She hadn't even thought to lock it again. How terribly stupid of her.

 

There was a flourish of movement and sudden chaos. Quite a welcome thing most times for Larien, except that it was in her own home and against her own guest. Okalis was claiming this rider be Mahlaan, which backed up her personal story. So that was good at least. But what was going on now was not what Larien wanted to happen. At all. Ki'lydwn was aiming a spell to Okalis, that much was plainly obvious as he also seemed preparing for a fight.

 

The damn Rider Tanthanion was back as well. Was this never going to be a peaceful time without him traipsing around? He was focussed on Ki'lydwn as well. Nobody but Okalis seemed worried about her? Good. Except, that also could be horrible. She would have to take chances.

 

The shade had been listening the entire time those thoughts ran through her racing mind. Ki'lydwn had somehow managed to entwine the speech of both dragon and rider. The foreign voice resonating mentally against her mental walls bothered her slightly. Something was going wrong. And in her own house. So much for keeping silent appearances and out of trouble. But, to be honest, most of that had been done away with already thanks to the arrogant dragon's challenge.

 

I'm not hurt. Hardly bothered. Or was... Larien sent to Okalis through their occasionally open mental link. It slammed to the walls, but hopefully would be noticed. She had secured off that channel again and returned her attention to what was going on in her own home. She had half a mind to knock everyone out and throw them out of her house. Yet, that wouldn't be proper. Not at all. Second option then? That would be equally as dangerous, even though it was her own house and this had warranty. Hopefully the Rider wouldn't see to just blatantly attack her for defending her own home.

 

Larien seemed very calm and collected for the sheer chaos going on in her home. The energies rising already for everyone else, except her. There was a reason. A small spark of a fire lit off, dancing along her opened palm as she admired it. The glow creating an eerie glow on her face despite all that was going on around her. She seemed too calm. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing if you knew her. This could have gotten much worse. But Larien grew the flame slightly and morphed it into a small dragon-like creature complete with its own little tuft of fire before it soon went out. Abruptly. The sound that created almost seemed as if the flame creature were in immense pain for those few precious seconds that it managed the noise. It was silenced all too quick to be right, even for just an illusion.

 

The sound, however, was loud enough to be a bother to the houses nearby. That would no doubt grab more attention. If, however, Larien allowed it. Her house's hidden wards had managed to deafen the sound to a mere squeak outside awfully similar to a mouse having a slight fright but getting away unscathed. The commotion the others created she could do nothing about, but she knew catching all of their attention with such a loud and terrible screech inside would be enough. And with minimal effort on her part.

 

She didn't, however, expect any of the fighting to stop. Larien merely wished a split second of attention. A brief distraction to better get a handle on everyone on her home. She spoke no words for that moment. Made no other movements and stayed oddly calm all through this. But that was the plan. If Tanthanion wanted to fight Ki'lydwn and Ki'lydwn wanted to fight Okalis, then so be it. But not in her home. Not where she would get the rap for the trouble.

 

"If we're going to fight, I'd have to kindly ask you all to leave." Larien finally spoke. The threads of calm worming their way through the sour notes in her voice. None of it matched the outofplace look to Larien's expression. There were hints of enjoyment on what was going on. The overall tone of the expression however seemed threatened, and the energy coupulating with that was awfully similar to what had been given off with the challenge at the arrogant dragon. It didn't quite fit the situation. Nothing about Larien really fit the situation at the moment. Yet, nothing really gave way that it wouldn't fit the situation either. Something was off, and despite the odd energies and mannerisms, it was hardly enough concrete evidence to fully predict Larien's hidden identity. Albeit, it was far closer than she'd ever come before.

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((I'm so sorry about that. I did plan to edit and add more; however I was cut off by the stupid parental controls I have.

 

Should I go back and edit the post or edit a new post into this one?))

Edited by Zeditha

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Whatever had crossed through Daena's mind and had caused the breakdown, Ratha was sure it had something to do with magic - as Reignon had mentioned how Mia's dragon could be taken care of, the girl had reacted to it like a whipped animal to a cracking sound. She was almost sure the girl was growling like a wounded animal, causing obvious discomfort in their partner, the hatchling whining and trying to approach Daena. But what worried Ratha most was the way how Daena was yelling at her hatchling, who had ran to her feet to safety. She could feel the warm, scaly sides next to her legs and the vibrations as he hummed sadly.

 

The Head Dragon Rider lifted her right hand, ready to utter a spell to calm the girl down before she created more havoc - but at the very last moment stilled her hand and decided against it. Daena was obviously somehow hypersensitive to magic, or had had some bad memories related to it. It would do ill to use magic. Not to even mention, that the entire Vault was shimmering with magic, the Eldunarí which were embedded into the walls radiating softly energy even though they were slumbering. Could they have caused something? The students were not skillful enough to feel the presence of the deceased dragons, but it didn't change the fact that the blanket of magic was thick and strong within this cave. It might've upset Daena greatly, whether she knew the source or not.

 

Even so, the Head Dragon Rider tried to soothe Daena by walking to her and muttering phrases under her breath, careful to make sure she wasn't accidentally speaking in the Ancient Language in order to put effect on her words. Slowly, Daena seemed to calm down, although she was still shivering slightly. The hatchling seemed to do its best in calming its partner - how he did it was unclear to Ratha, but as she witnessed his effect on his partner made her sure they were fated for each other.

"Are we finished here? I can't stay in here any longer," she said through gritted teeth an with a painful tone, staring blankly at her feet and holding her head between her arms.

 

"Well, excitement done with, I guess we are done in here... I think the young ones have done all they needed to do here. It is a wee bit stuffy, now that I think 'bout it," Reignon said after coughing a few times, and Ratha agreed with them. She cast a worrying glance at Daena, but decided it was probably best to go out into the sunlight before asking questions or discussing it.

 

"Take your hatchlings," Ratha said more bluntly than she ought to and internally cursed. The air was tense and it made the elf's short hair almost bristle like a fur, those few tufts at the back of her neck actually standing up. She then began to make her way briskly out of the cave, Cuaroc staring them with unblinking eyes, dipping its head as Ratha passed. Serbir lifted the jade-green dragon, huffing from the effort, and then trotted after the elf, his heavy footsteps echoing in the cave. Even though he was an Urgal, standing above almost everyone else although he was quite young, Serbir knew his hands would be dead by the time they ascended back to the surface.

 

Jorundr stayed behind and motioned for others to go ahead - he would bring up the rear. Licking his drying lips, due to the warm and dry air, he stared after his beloved, her orange cape flapping as she went. She had been greatly disturbed by what had happened, he could tell and scratched his graying stub and sighed. Life could never just be easy. Turning back to the students, he gave a soft smile and leaned towards them.

"Take it slowly. If you have trouble in carrying your hatchlings, just tell. The Head Dragon Rider seemed to take your request seriously, young one, which was the reason for her hurry," Jorundr added quietly with a sympathetic nod to Daena. "Let's go now."

 

Serbir followed Ratha as fast as he could, but the fact was that she was an elf, and he was an urgal with a heavy dragon. Even though Serbir was able to take two steps at a time with ease, the hatchling was becoming increasingly discomfortable and squirmier.

"P-Please, stop it. It's hard for, uh, me t-to carry you," Serbir huffed and projected his thoughts to the hatchling. She seemed to understand the basic message, but a moment later a wave of frustration and unease flushed over him and she began squirming again.

"Focus, um, on something!" he suggested. Maybe that'd keep the hatchling occupied. What he had not expected was a clear image of the previous situation from her, where Daena had broken down. The hatchling then brought up a memory of his own panic attack of some sort and compared them. She seemed a little sad, trailing longer on the emotion and other feelings such as worry to emphasize her point. Serbir understood - or at least thought so. She had noted that they all had something in their past which hurt, things which had been lying dormant and hidden until they had been bonded with someone. He sent a thought of sad agreement.

'We've all been wounded. And none of those scars never disappear,' he said.

 

Whatever she was about to respond was soon forgotten when Ratha stopped and lifted her hand, muttering something under her breath. With a creak, the Rock of Kuthian moved aside, scraping the earth and puffing up a cloud of dust. Sunlight glimmered from the dust particles and Serbir could feel pure amazement and joy from his hatchling, which made him smile, too. After the stone had moved aside completely, the silver-haired elf stepped out and gave a quick glance backwards to see if they were following her.

 

The icy-blue eyes locked with Serbir's yellow ones and he quickly turned his gaze aside, disturbed by the worry which were inside those pools of blue. The hatchling gave him other things to worry about when she broke free from his firm grasp and landed on the earth, fluttering her wings to soften the landing but to no avail, the leathery wings simply flapping uselessly on her sides. She had luckily landed on a patch of grass, so she wasn't even scratched. The hatchling then began to observe her surroundings with such detail and interest that Serbir couldn't help but crouch lower and follow her trail.

 

The sheer pure joy of the dragon made him grin, baring his fangs and making him look more ferocious than usually. The jade-green dragon then began running about, rolling in the grass and chasing her tail, the scales reflecting the sunlight into Serbir's eyes at times and forcing him to squint. Nevertheless, he uttered a soft laugh and chased after the hatchling, who began avoiding him and speeding herself with quick flutters of her large wings.

Edited by Gildraug

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((I've been trying for a while to figure out a good response for this RP. 'Hey, I asked a question! Answer it! *grumble grumble rant rant*' would just be rude. Repeating the question is pointless, trying to hide everything would just make me seem cold, and becoming suddenly cheerful would be annoying and out of place.

 

It's exactly this kind of situation that I hate. I have to reply, but every option seems to be a wrong one.

 

So... After a few days of thought, I realised what I have to do. Explain. And not about my character - I made some mistakes with Mia, that much is obvious. I attempted to make her resourceful, driven and ruthless... And didn't properly think through her flaws. Wait, I just explained about Mia. *facepalm*

No, I need to explain about me. There's some kind of cycle that I've recently noticed has been happening over the past two years or so. Simply put, I RP well for most of it, but there's a month or so when I start RPing badly, ended by a week or two where I stop RPing altogether due to depression.

You've managed to end my bad RP. Twice. You know who you are, twice-person.

 

I hate this month, because I think bad RP and depression are two (normally separate) blights on the world.

 

 

As for what to do now, I... Don't really know. One thought was to leave and come back when I've stopped being a sensitive jerk. The problem with that is simple: I won't. If I go, I won't try coming back. Another thought was to rewrite all the offending RP. It would be time-consuming, but I'm willing to do it. The problem with this option lies with everyone else - if my edits would cause a different reaction in your character, and you want to edit so that the story makes sense, it's your edit to make. If you don't want to have to do that... This option is out.

I'm out of other ideas, but I'm willing to try suggestions. Whatever would be the best option for the RP.

 

Hopefully, despite this annoyance, we can continue this roleplay, without my stupid OP character and story oversights.))

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((Zeditha, there's no need to go back and edit everything smile.gif

When we have been contacting you to correct you, it has been in the purpose for your future replies - but we do appreciate your thought.

I understand sometimes it might be hard to write good replies, but during those times you can just come and poke me like "yo, I feel like I can't really write for a while, I think I'll have a break, is that okay?" and then I'll be more than happy to help.

 

If you do wish to take a break, do so.

Even though it might be a little hard for you to get back, it is possible.

We can in your absence treat Mia and her dragon as NPCs and I can then help you to catch up when you come back.

 

And, asking many questions is better than asking none, I think.

As to your replies in general, we have pointed out the flaws/incorrect areas.

If you feel like your replies simply cannot improve the next time you post and we comment on it, have a look at those OOC replies/sidenotes again, or come talk to any of us. We won't bite you ;D

 

Others are free to add their comments, too.))

Edited by Gildraug

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((I completely agree with Gil. Zeditha I'm here to help, that's my job smile.gif I'm also more than happy to help despite being a mod cuz that's how i am as a person.... so like.... if you need me, wanna talk/rant/whatevs, go right ahead and shoot a message down my way and i'll answer as soon as possible smile.gif

 

As far as the rp goes, you've improved when we've corrected you on a few things so thats helpful. I don't see a reason to go back and edit every single thing. We've managed and i don't see that it would have affected too terribly much anyways.

 

Soooo, yeah. I have no idea if this makes sense. (it's 1:30am here xd.png ) but I mean all of it smile.gif I'm here. Somewhere. Always. I'll help if i can or just lend an ear if wanted. I don't judge i promise on my life.

 

*hides in everywhere*))

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Username: Faith_the_vampire_slayer

Character Name: Lessa of Teirm.

Species: Human.

Age: 17 years of age.

Gender: Female.

Sexuality: Asexual, homoromantic.

Personality: She is soft-spoken, quiet, and generally mild-tempered. Calm and collected, she prefers to plan thoroughly before she leaps into action. This planning doesn't have to be reading books and consulting maps, though; Lessa is very stealthy and is more than able to come up with a plan quickly, in the midst of scouting an area.

 

Very introverted. Finds it difficult to trust others unless they have proven themselves to her. When angry, tends to become passive-aggressive and sabatouges other's plans in secret. Can also be very manipulative when she wants something, and will stop at little to get it.

Appearance: Her skin is a dark shade of brown, almost ebony in appearance. She ties it back most of the time but when let down, her hair is long, dark, and kinky. It falls to approximately her hips. Lessa's eyes are as dark as her hair; though when the light hits them one can see that there are tiny flecks of gold among the brown.

 

Her features are sharp and her face has no traces of fat except a little around her cheekbones. This is the biggest indicator of the hard, poverty-ridden life she has had to endure thus far. Besides, of course, the scars marring her back and sides from her myriad run-ins with the law.

Background: Born in Teirm, as her name suggests. Lessa's family was all taken ill during a particularly nasty plague year and died; she was only 11 at the time, and had nowhere else to go. No trade, even, to take up. Therefore, she turned to a life of crime and theivery.

 

She was caught and jailed three times - twice her sentence was one year, the third her sentence was two years. During these times she became hardened and it was reinforced in her mind that she could not trust anyone. But eventually they let her loose onto the streets again, until she was picked up by the Shur'tugal, and taken to Vroengard, where the great city of Doru Araeba and a bond to a young dragon awaits...

Rank: Apprentice.

Weapon:

Dragon's Name: Myrimael.

Age: Egg, will soon-ish be little one.

Gender: Female.

Personality: Calm under pressure, like her rider.

Appearance: A light brown, the color of topaz. Long, slender wings (y'know, when she hatches) something like an albatross. By some fluke of genetics, her front legs will be shorter than normal and her back legs will be longer and more heavily muscled. (Think ostrich for back legs.) Long, powerful tail and elongated neck, strong and flexible. Eyes will be bright emerald green.

Background: Still eggy.

Other: Not mahlaan.

Edited by Faith_the_vampire_slayer

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[[Nope, not just yet if you're having her fresh to the city. However, you're supposed to fill out the dragon details with the name they'll eventually choose, what gender they'll be, how they'll look, etc. History and age obviously will practically be N/A (some took to putting "egg" in the age and "still an egg" in the history).

 

I find it really funny that all three human characters have former lives as petty thieves xd.png. They're all apprentices too aha.

 

I'll be able to post at some point soon but I'm not sure what day exactly. Getting back into school has left me rather exhausted and, on Saturday, I have to head out of state to visit my ill grandmother.

 

There's not a lot of hope for how much longer she'll hang on....]]

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[[Nope, not just yet if you're having her fresh to the city. However, you're supposed to fill out the dragon details with the name they'll eventually choose, what gender they'll be, how they'll look, etc. History and age obviously will practically be N/A (some took to putting "egg" in the age and "still an egg" in the history).

 

I find it really funny that all three human characters have former lives as petty thieves xd.png. They're all apprentices too aha.

 

I'll be able to post at some point soon but I'm not sure what day exactly. Getting back into school has left me rather exhausted and, on Saturday, I have to head out of state to visit my ill grandmother.

 

There's not a lot of hope for how much longer she'll hang on....]]

[Edited dragon section. And I'm sorry to hear about your grandma, Narvix. I hope that if she passes away soon, you find help and support for dealing with her passing.]

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The thrum of gentle cheer that echoed through the newly formed bond (though it still ached some from her episode of panic) was the only thing keeping Daena from outwardly exploding again. She felt a familiar anger buzzing under her skin like venomous fire, but whether it was at herself, the magic, or the others around her, she couldn't tell. Perhaps it was a combination of all three. Yet the dragon did not appear fazed, and he rubbed himself lightly against her pants leg with a hum of content.

Daena kept her eyes fastened on the ground at Ratha's feet, her brow drawn together in a scowl. The discomfort in the dwarf's voice and the bluntness of the Head Rider's coxed some of her deep-seated shame to rise. She gritted and bared her teeth, and when Jorundr spoke to her, she twisted away from him and glared into the dark spaces of the cavern. She didn't see why he bothered; it wasn't like anyone actually cared.

 

As the others gathered themselves to leave, Malven drew up the magical rope that had bound her earlier and stepped toward Daena, a grave look crossing his face. She twitched at the sight of the faintly glowing rope as he held it up.

"I think it would be best if--"

Daena stilled, and in that moment the pearlescent hatchling lunged forward with a sharp cat-like hiss and snatched the rope out of the older rider's hands. He bounced away, growling softly, the rope dragging on the dirt behind him. Finally, he came to a stop at the dwarf and dropped it at their feet, and then bounded back over to Daena.

Without a second glance at Malven-- who was too stunned to say anything-- she gathered up the hatchling in her arms (who huffed at Malven as they passed) and hurried past the other riders after Serbir. As they ascended the stairs, she took them two at a time with surprising agility and stamina, despite the heavy load that ached in her arms. The hatchling dug his thorn-like claws into her shoulders to perch himself as her arms began to shake from fatigue of supporting such a dense creature; though he was the size of a cat, it felt as though he had swallowed a fifteen pound stone.

 

Daena flitted past Serbir and his squirming green dragon just as Ratha opened the Rock of Kuthian to the outside world. The sun danced with rainbow hues over the pearly hatchling's scales the second it struck the silvery-white beast, and Daena lightly stroked her dragon's neck in admiration of his beauty. She moved off a ways from the others and sunk to her knees in the grass, still reeling from the turmoil of her outburst. Her dragon clung to her shoulder, his iridescent wings opened to the sun, but eventually slid down into her lap with comforting trills and coos. Small lines of blood stained the back of her white blouse from where his claws had unintentionally pierced her skin, though she didn't appear to notice.

Sunlight warmed her back and glossed her dark hair as she sat staring at the grass. She could see Aurdis in her peripheral, and thankfully the large gold dragon did not approach. Even if Daena did like Aurdis to a degree, she had nearly reached her limit with how much she could stand the dragon's rider. If she never had to see Malven's face again, it would be a cause for celebration.

"I'm sorry you're stuck with me," she said mildly after a moment, glancing down at her hatchling. The anger was ebbing from her voice the longer she spent kneeling in the grass, as if some oppressive darkness within her withered under the open sky. Her gaze lessened in intensity while she studied his scaly face. It occurred to her that she had nothing to call him by; how was it that dragons obtained their names, anyhow? "I'm...I'm Daena."

The hatchling blinked at her.

She felt herself deflate slightly. There didn't appear to be a way around the mental connection, even if it made her highly uncomfortable. Part of her was jealous the others had managed it so easily already. Fists tightened, Daena hesitantly probed for the dragon's consciousness where it remained drawn back from her's. She lightly touched it, uncertain, and the dragon on her lap hummed warmly. Daena, she repeated to him, and the thought attached itself to a sense of herself and the image of her face as she had seen it reflected after the elven women scrubbed her down.

Daena. The voice was gentle and calm, the tones oddly rich for a creature of his age and size. It reminded her somewhat of Jorundr's, only deeper. Daena. Daena. Daena! Each repetition was received with a soft current of adoration through the bond. She paused as the feeling washed through her. It was a strange, foreign feeling, for something to be so...fond of her.

 

The hatchling turned his head as he was distracted by the sight of Serbir's dragon romping around. A mental image of the green dragon flickered through Daena's mind, and a sensation of excitement and curiosity accompanied it. He strained forward on her lap to watch the other hatchling run, and Daena lightly stroked the quills along his spine. Go on, she suggested, motioning toward her with a nod of her head. He squeaked happily and rubbed his cheek vigorously against her knee before jumping off off of his rider to chase after Serbir's hatchling, wings flared open as he circled the other dragon.

 

Daena watched him trill and play-growl at the green hatchling for a moment before glancing over at Serbir. Part of her wondered about him; she hadn't missed the moment back in the Vault when his dragon had gotten upset over something. But he didn't appear to be inclined towards explosive reactions to whatever had caused the hatchling's discomfort at least. Daena envied him. She craved that kind of control.

 

She only sat there a minute more before rising to her feet. Quietly, she moved closer to where Serbir and the others stood, though she was still apart from the group. If her dragon, a newly born creature with no means of verbal communication, could make friends.... couldn't she at least manage a simple conversation without blowing up in someone's face? She took a deep breath. Why was this so damn difficult?!

"Your dragon is pretty," she managed after a period of silence, her voice low and tense in her unease. "Does she have a name?"

 

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((I'm going to impose some limits on Mia, because I've decided it's easier to do that than to rewrite her entire form.

- She knows what magic is and the basic concepts of how to use it, along with several basic Ancient Language words, but can't actually use magic. (She has tried, she just couldn't get very far.)

- She had connections and managed to set up a meeting with a Rider (Wrekin), but had to meet with several before Wrekin saw her potential and ferried her across.

- She knows about the history of the Riders, as far as one could learn from reading books and listening to tales of the Riders' Heroic Deeds. She knows of the Mahlaan, but only really that they are vile enemies of the Riders and nothing more than that. It's also possible that she questioned Wrekin about many things on their flight, including the fact that the Rock of Kuithan covers the place where you meet your dragon.

 

- Mia's weaker point is mainly restraint and arrogance. She's fairly good at hiding her arrogance, but it sometimes shows through; she considers herself to have the potential of being the best and is determined to reach that goal. When she thinks something needs doing, she'll often do it without asking first, without much thought as to the drawbacks of the task. This could get her into trouble, but once told 'you shouldn't have done that' she probably won't do it again.

Also, as a loner (and a criminal), she lacks certain social skills, mainly showing up her lack of trust in others.

 

I think that's it... I'll go and finish my last IC post, and then I'll continue with an IC edit here.))

 

Once everyone began to leave, Mia hurried after them, trailing slightly but not wanting to be left behind. She lingered at the edge of the cavern, wishing she could stay and learn its secrets, but continued hurrying after the others before they went out of sight. The hatchling weighed heavily in her arms, making it hard to climb the stairs. Sensing Mia's worry and fatigue, the hatchling trilled, and after giving her cheek an affectionate lick, jumped down to the floor. Without the extra weight, Mia climbed faster, and the hatchling kept a clumsy pace beside her, wobbling slightly on the stone steps.

 

Soon, they reached the Rock again. As sunlight streamed into the pathway, Mia's hatchling watched in amazement, sharing the expression with the human beside her. Mia saw the sunlight through new eyes - ones that had never seen it before. Suddenly, the mundane views of outside became beautiful wonders. A second later was the urge to go chase everything. With a chuckle, Mia nodded. 'Go play.' The hatchling complied, running after every insect, gobbling several as she went. Mia followed more slowly, admiring the way her dark scales glittered in the light. It wasn't long before the hatchling noticed the others and joined the chase, running around as any young creature should. Instead of engaging in conversation like the others, though, Mia stayed a small distance away, contemplating her new life alone.

Edited by Zeditha

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