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Gildraug

Shur'tugalar | Dragon Riders

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Lessa watches, transfixed, as the enormous, hulking mass of Doru Araeba comes into view. The rider - he never told her his name, and prefered not to talk at all - who brought her here twists in the saddle to look back at her and smiles at her excitement. His dragon is a large, amethyst-scaled beast, which shows the same general impassiveness as (her?) rider.

 

Nervous now, Lessa tries to predict where they'll land. What do the riders want from a pretty criminal like her? Will they pass some kind of sentence, turn her into a glorified slave on their island?

 

[Read the above as 'I have no clue how Lessa's supposed to get her dragon's egg'. Will she be taken to the Vault of Souls and made to touch the eggs?]

Edited by Faith_the_vampire_slayer

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[[i'd more suggest sending Gil a PM to see how you can come in smoothly and get caught up if you haven't read previous posts already. Do you have any knowledge about the Inheritance Cycle?]]

Edited by Narvix

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[[i'd more suggest sending Gil a PM to see how you can come in smoothly and get caught up if you haven't read previous posts already. Do you have any knowledge about the Inheritance Cycle?]]

[Oh yes, I read all the books. That's why I was attracted to this. So yeah, I'll go PM Gil.]

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"Your dragon is pretty. Does she have a name?" Serbir turned his head and tilted it slightly downwards to see the owner of the voice, Daena. The girl seemed to be somewhat nervous, keeping her gaze strictly towards the three playing hatchlings - Mia's dragon had joined them - and her shoulders were tense, the Urgal noticed. The dragons were literally radiating with joy, their scales reflecting and refracting the sunlight in such a beautiful manner he had a hard time to not stare at them. The large, older dragons were no less beautiful, but their beauty was fierce and dangerous, unlike the pure and innocent one of the hatchlings'.

 

"L-Likewise. She doesn't have a name yet, I'm afraid to, uh, say," Serbir replied with a small smile, cursing internally his stuttering style of speech. He should really work on it, else others might get the wrong picture of him - which they probably had. "I-I mean, she could say my name, but..." Serbir shrugged and trailed off, tapping at the tips of his ebony dark horns, absentmindedly. The situation was, no doubt, somewhat awkward, but Serbir felt glad that Daena had decided to talk with others. He was eager to get new friends, especially those with whom he would be spending the upcoming years in training, and it did good for her after what had happened - at least in his opinion.

"Your hatchlings will decide their own names within the month, as soon as they understand the concept of our language and what do their names represent," Ratha added as she, too, watched the hatchlings. Serbir's golden eyes widened slightly as he noticed the Head Rider was watching the young dragons with such tenderness and kindness, that he almost forgot he was a little afraid of her. Serbir's attention was broken as he heard a sharp squeal. After whirling his massive head towards the sound he noticed that his hatchling had pinned Daena's dragon down and was holding him by her claws. Their play fight was still play, but the jade dragon didn't understand she was hurting her playmate.

 

'Oi! Stop it! You're hurting him!' Serbir gasped through the mental connection and send an urgent thought to her of letting go. The jade dragon recoiled from the mental blast and jumped away, her scales bristling as she shook her head.

'Ah, sorry... I scared you, didn't I?' Serbir grimaced, but the hatchling seemed fine, judging by the mildly amused feeling which radiated from her as she turned her head to inspect him from a distance.

'Serbir,' she said softly and then uttered a fierce yowl and pounced after Mia's dragon, although the jade one was now much more careful with her strength.

 

"Sorry, it was entirely my bad for not keeping an eye on her," the Urgal repeated to Daena, his posture wary as he carefully glanced at the girl. Ratha had taken a few smooth steps closer without either of the newcomers noticing, a tiny orange spark dancing upon her silver mark. The magic was still strong here, too. Ratha wasn't sure what was the link between magic and Daena, but she wasn't extremely enthusiastic to find out, either.

Edited by Gildraug

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((Mia's dragon - the hatchling will be called Zeditha. xd.png))

 

Mia was quite happy to lean against a tree, grab a knife from her pocket and carve at a piece of wood from the floor. She noticed the awkward conversation, but decided not to bother listening; they were strangers, unlikely to share more than greetings. She was fine where she was, admiring the three young creatures playing together.

A squeal caught her attention, though; the Urgal's dragon had pinned the pearlescent one. Her hatchling stopped running around. She looked at the squealing hatchling, then up at Mia, and sent the squeal with an inquisitive feeling. Mia smiled. 'It's in pain, she sent back with a subdued idea of what pain was. The hatchling seemed to get it - she sent a memory of her tail getting hurt.

Their conversation was cut off as the green dragon pounced at the purple tail. Mia's hatchling squeaked in surprise before running off, making a high-pitched sound similar to a chuckle.

 

Mia smiled, appreciating her hatchling's happiness, and returned to her carving.

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Lessa comes to as something nuzzles her hand. Its small, scaly snout prods once, twice, three times; the snout's owner is persistant. And Lessa grimmaces as she flexes her hand, causing pain to shoot up her entire arm.

 

Yet her hand is what she notices. The itching is what she's aware of at first. An abominable itching the likes of which she's never felt before. After a brief scratch doesn't settle the irritation, she makes the effort to open her eyes and have a look.

 

A silvery mark - a burn, almost, but not quite - covers the center of her palm. The sheer impossibility of a burn that isn't a burn boggles her for a minute. Then a tiny chirp draws her attention to the tiny brown creature staring up at her. A dragon! A strange dragon, to be sure, but none the less beautiful for that. It's scales are a lovely shade of brown, like some of the exotic gems she remembers seeing in the jewler's stalls of Teirm.

 

Strangest of all is the way the tiny creature's front legs are shorter than it's back ones, so it balances on the back legs, whip-thin tail overcompensating madly. And it's long little neck is upsetreched, emerald-colored eyes wide with excitement.

 

Who are you, little one? Lessa wonders.

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Larien's fiery demonstration and slightly odd demeanor seemed to have worked. The fighting diminished and the Mahlaan left without too much incident after the shade requested Okalis and Tanthanion stay in her home. It took some work, especially for Tanthanion, but with a little persuasion and effort he seemed to comply for now. "You can always find her later. I doubt she will get far with this ruckus."

 

The shade moved back to her potions, and swirled one of the ones that still needed her attention. There were sensitive remedies in many of these, especially one that was still brewing. She payed most attention to that specific one, containing a few different types of poisons mixed together. If done correctly in the end, it could be sold for an extremely high price as an antidote but also as a poison itself. But Larien wasn't planning on selling it. She was planning on replenishing her stash of the various potions, hazards and herbs scattered around her home. Once she finished swirling this specific brew again, Larien turned her attention back to Tanthanion and Okalis.

 

"You both also might as well make yourselves at home." She stated with a gesture to the chairs Kil'dywn and herself previous had sat in. "Okalis, might I ask why you'd come along? I wasn't expecting any company, let alone all that had just happened." Larien seemed much more calm and homely now, although the slight off-putting nature of her demeanor seemed to overshadow that somewhat. The air she had produced with her show still hung like thick clouds around her, masking whatever else may be lurking underneath.

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The little dragon chirps and stretches out its little head to nuzzle her arm.

 

Reflexively, Lessa gasps and jerks her hand back. But she's just a moment too late; the tiny muzzle grazes her skin...harmlessly?

 

Nothing happens. Instead of her skin burning like the weird mark on her palm, she just feels a slight warm radiating from the dragon's body. Perhaps the mark isn't from the dragon at all? She wonders. But that can't be right, because she knows the legends. A Shur'tugal's mark appears when their dragon first hatches for them.

 

Oh. This hatchling is hers!

 

At this realization, a sense of warmth flows through her. And in the same moment a sense of openness nearly overwhelms her. Lessa's mind feels strangely fluid, as though the boundaries of her and not-her have been taken away.

 

It's like walking into a familiar room and finding that the walls have fallen down. She shies away from the yawning openness reflexively, horrified by this unexpected revelation.

 

Hunger.

 

Startled again, she blinks. Where did that come from?

 

Hunger.

 

In this strange inner sight, Lessa begins to notice a tiny brown thread, the same color as the little dragon's scales. The feeling of hunger radiates from that thin but tenacious thread, which can only be...

 

Oh my gods, Lessa realizes, well and truly floored. I'm bonded to a dragon.

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Okalis was uncertain, slowly scratching his left cheek as was his nervous tick. Shaking his head quickly, he smoothed down his robes and brushed his fingers through his gray hair. "Uh, yes... Thank you, Larien," the mage replied. Moving to take a seat in an offered chair, he cleared his throat. "I came to see how your progress has been. I believe I've reached a stable end to my experiments but, I'm not entirely sure and I'd greatly appreciate your input. Has there been any favorable result to the last piece of our project from your side?" Okalis inquired.

 

~~~~

 

Reignon watched Daena's hatchling as he snatched the magicked rope from Malven and dropped it at the Dwarf's feet. Otherwise, they ignored what occurred. The human Rider meant nothing ill about it; just making sure the girl didn't cause any trouble as he was responsible for her. Following the rest outside, the Dwarf remained silent and observant. There wasn't much to discuss, let alone do. However, when open air wafted into their face, the Dwarf was met by Ninarth's scaly nose filling his vision.

 

The tourmaline-colored dragon was humming with pleasure at the sight of the hatchlings, all but galloping over to inspect them and coo. 'They're all so perfect! And I get to teach one of them! Oh, I don't know what I'll do if they end up hurt though!' Ninarth fretted, circling around the batch of hatchlings and new Apprentices.

 

'Relax, will ye? We've been teachers before! 's not like we're going in blind! 'sides, if any of 'em get hurt, you'll be there to nurse them back to health in a jiffy!' Reignon huffed, resting a fist against his hip. 'Now, stop frightenin' the wee ones with yer pacin'.'

 

'Look who's talking.' Regardless, Ninarth stopped pacing, opting to plop down on the ground (creating quite the heavy thump) around the children.

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She observed the Urgal from the corners of her eyes. He looked nervous, almost timid, which was a curiosity to her and bizarre, to say the least. She wondered briefly what kind of dragon rider he was going to make. Daena glanced over at his dragon as she circled the pearlescent male; the teal hatchling appeared far more confident and aggressive than her rider. It was an interesting dynamic.

 

As Ratha spoke, Daena subconsciously began to rub and scratch at her arms. The magic gave her a peculiar itch that felt deeply embedded in her bones. She tried to distract herself by listening to the Head Rider, but even contemplating on the nature of the dragons' names wasn't enough to keep her from digging her nails into her skin. Suddenly, she felt the hatchling's presence fill her mind, and she grew still as his soothing aura washed through her body. Daena met his pale violet gaze and lowered her fingers from her arms.

His high-pitched squeal startled her, and Daena twitched as though she had been the one to be hurt. A wave of panic seized her and she jumped toward him where he flailed beneath the green female, but Serbir's hatchling leapt back in the same moment. Daena touched him gingerly as he righted himself, cooing to her reassuringly. The panic morphed into a spark of anger and she glowered at the teal hatchling before glaring up at Serbir. She noted Ratha behind where the Urgal stood and bared her teeth as a warning.

 

The pearly dragon rubbed his nuzzle against Daena's cheek and hummed softly. She felt the lingering ache of his playmate's roughhousing, but otherwise he didn't seem to be very bothered by it. The calm he exuded through their bond dampened Daena's bristled irritation until she was stroking the quill-like spines on the back of his neck with a newfound gentleness.

"It's....it's okay," she answered quietly, though her jaw remained clenched as a result of her discomfort. She'd never really forgiven anyone before, but even for something so minor it felt strange and alien. Daena was not a woman to let such instances slide; grudges and revenge kept her alive, including the smallest of transgressions, yet the dragon's presence now completely thwarted that. She watched silently as her hatchling romped over to Serbir's large feet and leaned against the Urgal's leg as a friendly cat might have done. Whereas Daena nurtured her festering anger, her dragon was a creature of forgiveness and light. Skepticism fell over her again-- why had this being chosen her, if they were completely different?

 

The iridescent hatchling moved on from Serbir (and a few warm chirps at Ratha) to gawk at the massive dragons lingering close by. Aatris lowered her large golden snout to sniff the newborn, who pounced on one of her nostrils with a series of excited trills. She snorted gently at him, and he hummed loudly in return. When he turned to the large, brown-scaled dragon who sat down with a mighty "thump," he craned his head back to gaze delightedly at their face.

 

Daena slowly drew herself to her feet again. Her exhaustion was getting increasingly difficult to conceal as she waited for some sort of instruction. She didn't have much choice at this point, now that she was saddled with the responsibility of the Shur'tugalar. Returning home seemed a distant dream. Everything was changing, and changing quickly. Daena looked away from the others for a moment, grappling with the knowledge that her days of hiding and running and thieving had ended. Familiarity had fled. Comfort had vanished. Anything she ever knew was unobtainable, all thanks to Malven the Jolly. She felt like a young child, lost and frightened, only she had no one in the world to save her. She ran a pale hand through her dark hair and exhaled softly.

 

Daena turned to survey the others once more, her blue-green gaze touching on their faces behind a guarded expression. Two other girls, both of which looked as though they led similar lives to herself, and the Urgal boy whose sheepishness looked sorely out of place. She faced Ratha and crossed her arms. "What now?" she asked, the edge in her voice returning. Daena didn't know how to feel or what to think about the Head Rider, or any of this, really.

Edited by Shiny Hazard Sign

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((Well I guess Lessa's with us, then. xd.png))

 

Mia glanced up from her carving again. She liked the simple activity, but it couldn't hold her attention today. Instead, she was drawn to the play of the hatchlings - her own, dark purple one in particular. Ratha's words wormed their way into her mind, through the ears of the young dragoness. The sounds seemed distorted, meaningless, until she drew them back into her own mind and found the information they contained. So the hatchling would pick her own name. Well, that took the pressure off her, although she had been mulling a few over in her head. 'Midnight' had seemed promising, but didn't fit. Mia wondered if it would be a reasonable thing to assign a name to the hatchling until she picked her own - a substitute for 'hatchling'. After a few seconds and a few more absent scrapes at the wood, she decided to voice it.

 

"It's a good thing they pick their own names, really - I'm not much good at thinking of them." Then, hesitantly, "Is... it okay if I call her 'Midnight' for now? Until she picks her own name? I don't want to just call her 'hatchling'..." She trailed off, unsure of the decision. It seemed wrong, but the other option seemed worse.

 

Nervous now that she had spoken, Mia drew the knife across what was beneath it, expecting the woody texture of her carving. Instead, the knife dug into flesh. Drawing it back with a slight gasp, Mia put the now-bleeding finger into her mouth. The hatchling, however, wasn't used to the sensation of pain and squealed loudly. Instantly, Mia was over to the hatchling, stroking its head and getting streaks of blood over her scales. "Oh dear... Sorry!" The hatchling continued squeaking, but began to quiet as Mia stroked her. "Quiet..." Mia breathed. She sent calm through their link. Her little nick wasn't anything bad!

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((Hazeh, I think you meant Aurdis, not Aatris ;D))

 

Serbir nodded gratefully in reply as Daena gave her forgiveness for his hatchling's actions, noting the act coming unaccustomed to. There was a sharp gleam in her eyes, a gleam Serbir had seen cornered beasts to have as they refused to accept their fate, but the pearlescent hatchling seemed to have a calming affect on the human female. Her jaw was still clenched and her posture tense, but the Urgal knew better than to think too much of it - there were some wounds which would never heal. As Mia questioned the Head Rider could they name their hatchlings with something temporary, Serbir's golden eyes lit up and he looked at the elf with excitement, eager to hear the Head Rider's answer. He changed his attention and glanced quickly at Mia when she gasped at a nicked finger due to her carving blade sliding across her skin instead of the wood. An immediate reaction between both the new Rider and the hatchling could be observed and Serbir felt a strange connection to the newcomers around him. They all shared this marvelous, unique bond with Alagaësia's finest beings and they all were Riders. Riders!

 

"You are more than welcome to give your dragons temporary names, as long as they're somewhat sensible," Ratha interrupted Serbir's thinking as she walked with slender steps to Mia. She knelt besides the human girl and gently took her finger between her hands and, with a quick glance at Daena, muttered a word in the Ancient Language. "Vahraan," Ratha said and tapped Mia's hand with her right palm gently, a tiny orange glow erupting from her silver mark. After the brief glow faded away, Mia's hand was healed.

"Take care of yourself, would you?" Ratha chuckled softly and rose. "You can call your hatchling Midnight until she chooses another."

"Shall we depart, then?" Jorundr asked calmly, noting the restlessness among everyone - they had been here for too long, already, and the day was growing old. Ratha nodded in agreement and motioned for the students to prepare themselves for departure.

"You do not need to carry your hatchlings anymore. Let them be free to run about as we walk, the sunlight and physical activity will strengthen them. And I am sure the older dragons are more than happy to give a ride for the young ones if they become tired," Ratha added with a wink to Ninarth.

 

Just as they began to walk away from the Rock of Kuthian, and the protective magic which rested around the area became weaker, a familiar mind touched Ratha's and she lowered her mental barriers with joy, embracing her partner of mind and soul.

'That trip took a while,' Aatris marked dryly and Ratha could feel the remnants of worry disappearing from his sunny mind.

'Apologies, we had a few... disturbances,' she replied and shared her memories within a few heartbeats with Aatris, a habit they both were used to.

'I see. I recommend you come as quickly as possible back. Amontien and I sensed something during the time you were underground. A strong presence of magic, although we couldn't exactly tap upon where and what it was. Or is,' Aatris hummed softly as he shared the sensations he had felt. Ratha's sharp eyebrows went into a slight frown as she reflected upon them. They didn't seem to be unnatural in the sense of a resultant of the many remnants of different spells gathering together as they sometimes did on Vroengard, but there was something... Ratha bit her lip as she felt a strange feeling nagging at her, once again.

 

'I shall send Jorundr immediately there,' Ratha decided and after she had received an approving thought from Aatris, she withdrew back into her own mind and motioned Jorundr to come closer. He came without a word, although a slight line appeared on his forehead as he silently asked what was wrong, looking into the icy-blue eyes of his love.

"Til los osos ahkon ko hiim. Mul lu. Lig, vust hi bo ahrk frolk fos nii los? Zu'u laan wah kos voth goraan gein dahsul," Ratha muttered quickly, careful to keep her face neutral as to not alarm the young ones.

"Naan fah hi, dii lokaal. Zu'u fen vothaalvut hi waan naan koros," Jorundr replied with a small smile. He ruffled his salt-and-pepper hair before giving a small good-bye wave and sprinted off, his crimson cape flowing behind him like fire. Ratha then, after giving a soft mental poke, contacted Reignon and Malven.

'Til los bo nau ko lohiim. Jorundr ahrk Amontien los nau niist ven wah siivahzen. Nid volzah, Zu'u los bek, nuz Zu'u laan wah kos ulaakei,' she told them. If there was anything a leader could do wrong, was to keep their friends oblivious of trouble. Too many times this could be observed from history, that leaders didn't trust the people with whom they worked with, slowly resulting into quarrels and downfalls.

 

"Where is he going?" Serbir asked softly as the human Rider was hidden by the woods of the winding path. He liked Jorundr a lot and found the exchange between him and the Head Rider to be most curious, although he had only recognized the most basic words.

"He has things to attend to, Serbir," Ratha replied as she looked around. They were still in the forest, although soon nearing the edge of it, the golden sunlight shining though the leaves and dappling the stony path. The air was now pleasantly warm, hinting of the approaching summer, and the wind breeze was calm. The hatchlings, on the other hand, were so excited about their new surroundings that they were anything but calm, tumbling in the grass or jumping in a pile of leaves or running among the Riders and dragons. Serbir's hatchling was walking and hopping in front of everyone, as if she was eager to see more rather than play around.

"So, Mia has decided to call her hatchling temporarily Midnight. How about you, Daena, Serbir, Lessa?" Ratha inquired with a small smile. Serbir tapped the tip of his horn as he thought about it, watching the jade dragon dart about but never failing to be the first in position, her scales reflecting light in the most marvelous ways.

"J-Just Emerald, I think. I've, uh, never seen an emerald, but I'm p-pretty sure she looks like one," Serbir gave a small shaky laugh, feeling slightly embarrassed at the name. The jade dragon turned around and squeaked, an emotion of amusement flowing though their bond. She seemed to like it.

Edited by Gildraug

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[[Faith, Lessa should have been with the group this entire time. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to get her dragon. Also, Ratha spoke to Lessa too tongue.gif ]]

 

Ninarth seemed to purr with the suggestion Ratha had proposed about the hatchlings. Quickly nuzzling the pearly hatchling with their nose as he turned his attention upon the larger dragon, the tourmaline-colored creature rose to their feet. The group was moving again. Though Ninarth hardly said anything to the hatchlings, they frequently shifted their gaze to them. Four new hatchlings! Each one a different shimmering color (though the one with the brown scales was certainly a charming looking thing). The biased thought amused Ninarth as they flicked their long tail, coaxing any of the hatchlings to play if they wished.

 

The earlier rough housing made the dragon particularly watchful of Daena's hatchling, examining his movements and behaviors to ensure he hadn't been harmed. 'Will ya quit fretting? The little one is fine, he'd indicate otherwise. You remember playing just as roughly all the time when you were tiny. Don't ya?'

 

Ninarth could feel Reignon roll his eyes and the dragon snorted. 'Regardless! As a full grown dragon, I need to look over the wellbeing of all hatchlings. My kind wouldn't survive otherwise!' the dragon exclaimed, feeling a bit insulted.

 

'Well, worry a little less about them. They're stronger than they often seem when they're cared for. Focus your attention on something more concerning.' The Dwarf relayed Ratha's words to Ninarth and the dragon paused for only a moment. 'Did you sense this as well?'

 

Ninarth kept their copper gaze on the hatchlings. 'Yes... I felt it too but I don't know what to make of it. I can't help but feel like I know what it is. Something familiar about it bothers my mind and yet... It alludes me!'

 

Reignon nodded, briefly glancing at the four students. Three Humans and one Urgal. Normally, Elves were the larger percentage but it seemed like none had surfaced so far this year. No matter, there were plenty in Doru Araeba anyways.

 

The edge of the forest was coming into sight now and Ninarth shifted their wings in anticipation for the opportunity to stretch them. "Ratha-elda, should we get the wee ones fed and shown to their rooms once we're in the city again? Leave the tours for tomorrow? Or did you wish to do something else?" Reignon inquired once the children had finished sharing temporary names for their hatchlings.

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Lessa looks around, taking stock. The group is small, only three other young riders. Two other humans and an Urgal.

 

Urgals are strange. Teirm is not the most diverse city in Alagaesia, despite its population and thriving trade businesses. Lessa can't remember seeing more than one Urgal before in her life. It occurs to her now that she hasn't wondered about that before.

 

Then Ratha asks them all what temporary names they'll give their dragons.

 

'I don't know,' she muses. Her little hatchling's brown scales bring to mind no names, or at least, she admits to herself, no respectful names. But then the little creature flails its oddly short front legs, batting at a bug that flies across its stumbling path.

 

Still hasn't quite figured out walking yet. And in a flash she has it.

 

'Raptor.' Because that's what the little one's body looks like, sans the long, whip-thin tail. Front legs proportional to its body like her own arms, strong back legs built for walking, running, and later pushing off into flight. And of course its wings, positioned much like a hawk's, though they're much longer and thinner in shape.

 

Confident now, Lessa nods. 'Her name's Raptor for now.'

 

[Redid this one because I derped and didn't read carefully earlier.]

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Daena glanced between Ratha and Serbir, but Mia's voice broke into her thoughts and the raven-haired thief's gaze flickered over to the other girl. The question was intriguing, she had to admit, which was the main reason she didn't snort or roll her eyes when seconds later Mia's knife bit into her thumb. That's what she gets for dragging the blade toward her own damn finger, Daena thought. When the Head Rider approached, Daena stiffened and took a large step back, turning away sharply as Ratha healed Mia's cut. It wasn't until they had made several paces away from that accursed rock that the tension in Daena's taut shoulders began to release.

 

While the others talked, Daena found herself gazing down at the little brown dragon who hatched for the other human girl, Lessa. Her own hatchling had gone from cuddling up to Ninarth's scaly nose to trotting around their miniature, bipedal version. His round, pale orchid eyes were bright and warm, and he made several cooing sounds at the other hatchling as the group prepared to continue the journey back to the great City. Daena got the impression that he was attempting to make friends, given he acted similarly with the other two females. It wasn't like she would know the feeling.

 

Midnight, Emerald, and Raptor. Those were the names they chose? Daena's upper lip twitched faintly. Hopefully their dragons find something less juvenile for themselves, she remarked dryly to herself. Almost immediately a twinge of disapproval flowed from her dragon and she scowled over at where he walked by Lessa's feet, shooting his rider a pointed stare. A moment later he returned to nuzzling the other human's leg, and Daena could feel the undercurrent of smugness from him when a rush of irritation rose within her.

 

Don't think I won't call you something stupid like Pearl, she told him.

He simply blinked at her in response.

 

She tried not to listen to the older members of their group while they talked. Of course, her mother never taught Daena the Ancient Language, but it sounded similar to the words she used when subjecting her daughter to... Daena closed her eyes briefly and pushed the memory out of her mind, grateful for when her hatchling did not latch onto the pained fragments. Either way, the words made her uncomfortable, but she would handle herself for now. The pearlescent dragon's mind within hers was enough to keep the rage and panic at bay.

 

Malven tapped at his bearded chin with a grave purse of his lips. He paused for a moment, as if selecting his next words carefully. "If you would have me, Ratha-Elda, I'm sure I would be better use concerning that than I am..." He glanced back at Daena with a small grimace and cleared his throat, "Ah, at...babysitting. I'm no teacher." The golden dragon striding behind him craned her head forward and chuckled.

There is a reason you weren't sent to look for new riders, she chimed, her voice thick with musical amusement. The old man huffed his breath, but didn't appear too insulted.

 

As Jorundr left, Daena let her gaze wander to the forest around them. She never really liked the forest. Rawen's old cottage was buried in the depths of one, and the months Daena spent escaping-- Daena shook her head again, her expression becoming irritable once more. Those damn memories. She'd had them locked away so well after so many years, but the link fastened between her and the pearl-scaled hatchling seemed to have busted those cages wide open. He gently touched a few of them, as if getting just a glimpse. She studied him as he examined what he could of the jagged memories like treasured, fragile artifacts, and suddenly a thought fluttered into her mind.

 

"I'll call him Sage," she said quietly, her voice slightly hoarse. He tilted his head, curious of the word, and she shared a few fleeting thoughts of meaning to him. Wise. Clever. Kind. Healing.

 

The sun glittered off his scales as he raced around in a wide circle, crowing loudly. Sage. Sage! He relayed back to her, and she noticed the glimmer of pride in him. Daena lifted a hand and pressed her knuckles against her lips to keep the others from seeing the small smile that quirked at her mouth.

 

Sage jumped after Serbir's "Emerald" with renewed energy, snapping his jaws at her tail and nearly side-swiping her to get in front. This time, however, he was much more careful not to take his eyes off his teal sister, lest she get the best of him while he was distracted again. He bristled the spines along his backside and dove into the grass between Ninarth's legs before weaving around those of the older riders'.

 

Daena kept her spot lagging behind the others, but she still heard the dwarf as he spoke to Ratha. In a voice clearer and stronger than she had used before, she asked, "All of this is free of charge? What exactly is expected of us in return for everything?" She couldn't imagine that the lavish dinners, a bed to sleep in, and probably even fresh clothing (considering most of them had very few pieces of it to their name) would be provided without expecting proper compensation. Hell, becoming a Dragon Rider had already cost her her freedom-- she wouldn't doubt that the expenses that came along with it weren't free of charge.

 

 

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((I hate using the same non-proper noun twice, and having a proper noun to describe something with makes me happy. xd.png I obviously can't refer to Zeditha as Zeditha until she picks the name Zeditha, so... Midnight she is! Thanks!))

 

Mia watched with curiosity as Ratha healed the nick. It hadn't been anything big - she would have been happy to let it heal naturally. But Midnight was calming down now... The hatchling looked up at her, finally stopping with the squeaking. Brushing her mind, Mia focused on the nick feeling better now. Midnight seemed to be comparing the small wound with the tail-rolling the magic-hating girl's dragon had given her - 'Daena', emphasised Mia to the hatchling. Midnight ignored this, deciding instead to follow everyone else as they moved away. Mia hurriedly followed, catching up just in time to overhear 'Emerald' and 'Raptor' being named. The second of these startled her a little - she hadn't noticed the third human girl. Hmm, no elves. Everything she had heard about Riders implied that Elves were the main race bonded to the dragons, yet the only one with their group seemed to be Ratha.

 

Smudging away a small bloodstain, Mia carefully returned to her carving, with a smile as Midnight played with the other hatchlings. She was definitely the most beautiful of the hatchlings, although the pearlescent one was nice too. 'Sage.' The sounds came from Midnight's mind, with an inquisitive tone. Mia returned with the meanings of the word, and mused over the reasons Daena might have chosen it. Obviously she was referring to the hatchling's mind, not its looks... Probably a good idea, but she wasn't taking back Midnight's nickname anytime soon.

 

((Argh why can't I find an end for this post... Mia isn't doing anything...))

 

As her fingers carved, Mia began to notice the shape they were forming. Tall, thin, with several distinct swirls... It looked like Midnight's egg had, albeit a smaller version. Happy with the shape, she put the knife away, letting her fingers roam the woodgrain surface as she walked behind the others.

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Lessa watches Raptor and Daena's hatchling as they start to make friends. The other hatchling's soft cooing sounds are clearly intriguing to Raptor, who immitates one, then squeaks excitedly and playfully tackles her new friend.

 

Sage, Lessa hears Daena name the other hatchling. An interesting choice. Lessa knows the word, but she doesn't quite remember what it means. She racks her mind for a minute and then lets the matter go with a mental shrug. It'll come back to her later.

 

A tendril of happiness flows through Lessa from Raptor as she tries to start a game of tag, racing back and forth on still wobbly legs.

Edited by Faith_the_vampire_slayer

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Ratha listened with a small smile as each of the students named their dragons, sharing the information with Aatris. Her partner seemed to hum at each name, glad to note how well the students were already bonding with their dragons - as it should be. What troubles laid ahead they couldn't know, but as long as they would have well-formed bonds, the Head Rider and her dragon were sure the students were exceptionally ready.

"Midnight, Emerald, Sage, and Raptor," Ratha listed each of the hatchlings as they stumbled about, playing and exploring to their heart's will. They reminded her of the time she was a new, young Rider, with Aatris by her side as they walked in the pouring rain and thunderstorm, yet not bothered by it.

"Ratha-elda, should we get the wee ones fed and shown to their rooms once we're in the city again? Leave the tours for tomorrow? Or did you wish to do something else?" Reignon asked after the students were done with their name-givings. Ratha nodded her thanks to Reignon, mentally scolding herself for not remembering to act upon so obvious things - maybe so obvious, actually, that her conscious mind had forgotten to mention about them. Nevertheless, she gave a grateful smile to the dwarf and spoke up so that all of the students would hear her even as they exited the forest, Doru Araeba glimmering before them, the tall walls and towers standing up against the flat landscape of the plains.

"Today, we shall get you all fed, dressed, and taken to your dorms once we reach the city. As Reignon-vodhr recommended, we shall leave the tours for tomorrow - you all must be weary from today," Ratha spoke and Serbir sighed with relief. He was exhausted! He had been flying in the morning, became a Rider by noon, and had walked to the Rock of Kuthian and back, all in one day. He honestly didn't feel like he could do much more, rather than eat himself full and then take a good, long nap.

"W-What about our dragons?" he asked as Emerald pounced after one of the first butterflies of this year.

"They shall accompany you wherever you go," Ratha replied. Serbir couldn't help but smile a little - of course! What would a Rider be without their dragon, right? Emerald puffed and the Urgal took it as a laugh of some sort.

'Oh, shut it, you,' Serbir thought.

 

Malven then came closer to the Head Rider and seemed to think before he spoke, which was, well, uncommon for him.

"If you would have me, Ratha-Elda, I'm sure I would be better use concerning that than I am..." he glanced back to where Daena was and seemed to cough. "Ah, at...babysitting. I'm no teacher." Aurdis chuckled and craned her neck towards them.

'There is a reason you weren't sent to look for new riders,' she added and Malven huffed, but didn't seem offended.

"You are more than welcome to join Jorundr, if that is what you wish, Malven. I know you are not of the type to be a teacher," Ratha nodded. "I am sure Reignon, Ninarth and I can keep these rascals in control even after your departure," she added and received an amused chuckle from Aatris, the sound echoing in her mind for a moment.

 

"All of this is free of charge? What exactly is expected of us in return for everything?" Daena suddenly demanded, her tone challenging and worried, as if she was afraid of the answer. Serbir lifted his golden eyes in sudden worry, the human's words shaking him to reality. Indeed, how would they pay this back? He had no valuables of any kind, nor did any of the others, by the looks of it.

"All of this is free of charge," Ratha replied with a strong edge to her words. Serbir immediately calmed down and Emerald padded over to him, keeping up to his longs strides with ease.

"However, what we expect of you in return is your loyalty to the Order. Loyalty to Alagaësia, to all of its people, and to use your training and your bond with your dragon as ways to upkeep peace. We are not mindless warriors, conquerors, or thieves. We are justice, the ones who watch, and the ones who guide. As to how all of this is funded," Ratha paused to point towards the magnificent city of Doru Araeba before continuing.

 

"We have mines on Vroengard, excavating rare volcanic minerals dwarves adore and have a very hard time to come by. Lords, commoners, and kings alike grant us compensations for our time and efforts if we do missions for them by request. Every now and then we acquire donations. Sometimes, a rich Rider who has been trading their entire life might give everything they own to the Order before they retire. Again, not all of us are warriors, although we all have the required training. Some do actually become merchants, scholars and traders, but should Doru Araeba call for them, they will arrive."

 

Serbir took all of this information in with wide eyes and his fangs slightly bared as his mouth hung open. The more he heard about the Riders, the more in awe he was. He was a part of this all!

 

"But to answer your question better, Daena, you will repay all of this with your loyalty and service," Ratha concluded and nodded her head to a passing farmer, who had bowed slightly before the Riders and allowing them to pass.

 

~~~

 

'Amontien, would you be so kind and drag your scaly bottom to the city?' Jorundr huffed as he contacted his partner, the old ruby dragon making a laughing sound which was more alike to a hiss.

'Coming, coming,' he replied and Jorundr could feel Amontien bidding his farewells to Aatris and leave the Hall and take flight, finding his Rider and landing with a teeth-jarring thud which he tried to soften. A few window glasses nearby shook but none broke, for Jorundr's relief.

'So, mind briefing me on what's happening?' he asked the dragon.

'As Ratha already told, unnatural magic levels within the town. I tried to contact Tanthanion and Zencoria, to no avail. Something has happened,' Amontien explained as the two of them walked down the streets, keeping their minds open and searching for the source of power. It was extremely hard to pinpoint the location even though they used all of their tracking spells.

'I think we should find Tanthanion and Zencoria,' Jorundr suggested and the red dragon agreed, beginning to search the city for the named pair.

'Tanthanion! Zencoria!' Jorundr called out as he found a trail of their presence. His eyebrows slanted into a frown over his stormy gray eyes as he noticed how their presence seemed to be wrapped underneath the suspicious magic. What in the name of the seven gods was going on?

Edited by Gildraug

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Larien listened to Okalis speak and thought over what would be the proper course of action. She didn't see any real fault in mentioning her plans around Tanthanion at this point.

 

"Most have gone rather well." She glanced at the one last vial still being prepared. "Just one left that's being somewhat of a trouble." She swirled it again slightly before setting it down back to where it was being heated. "Otherwise everything is coming along nicely with minimal problems along the way. As i expected." She added as she moved a few other vials to their proper spots after their use.

 

Larien paused for a second. "Would either of you like something to drink? I have tea if anybody would like." She might as well be a better hostess than she was being right now. "And Okalis, what do you need my input on with your end of the experiment?"

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The agitation borne from her reaction to magic was waning, to be replaced with a coldness that had been previously masked by her wild and scornful behavior towards Malven. She walked behind the others, surveying everything around them. The city was rising quickly before them in all of its shining glory, and for a moment she tried to picture herself on the back of an adult dragon, soaring high above the walls of Doru Araeba like an eagle.

 

Malven nodded his head at Ratha, an etching of relief crossing his round face. "I thank you, Ratha-Elda. I will see to it that Jorundr is accompanied," the human rider said, bowing his head of pepper-gray to her. Aurdis hummed her farewells to the others, and reached out her nose to Daena as goodbye. The thief-girl permitted the gold dragon to lightly touch her arm before she pulled away, but Malven was held fast in a deathly glare and decided not to approach his unpredictable charge. He dipped his chin at her, waved briefly at the others, before scrambling up on Aurdis's shoulders and taking off after Ratha's husband.

 

Daena watched him leave, but the kindling of contentment that rose at the sight was interrupted by Ratha's answer. She scoffed loudly and crossed her arms. "You say it as if I owe it to you," she responded coldly, her blue-green gaze brazen and fierce behind narrowed eyelids. "I see no reason to warrant my loyalty when none of this was of my own accord or desires. My servitude cannot be demanded or commanded by anyone." Aggression flared in her tone as she stared at the Head Rider, as if daring the elf to force Daena into submission. The last time anyone had attempted such was Rawen herself, and three people were dead now was a result. Damn the world if anyone thought they could buy or force her loyalty-- she didn't owe anyone anything, as far as she was concerned. She had not asked Sage to choose her, and in fact had wished not to be a Shur'tugal for fear of what would happen once she was discovered to be the child of Rawen the Stormcaller. She didn't even want to go to Doru Araeba in the first place!

 

"What would happen should I refuse? Would you take him from me? Kill him, or I?" Daena did not take her eyes from Ratha, even when Sage peered over from where he bounced around with Raptor (as it seemed Emerald was no longer interested in his fun) to trill at her nervously. He did not like the feeling flowing from his rider currently, but she was ignoring his warmth and consolation for the moment. She was determined about something, though he did not understand what. Suddenly, the emotion in her grew sour, as if she had abruptly overcome the savage anger that boiled within. "Give me a single decent reason as to why I would even consider joining your people," Daena continued bitterly, fists clenching and unclenching. All she knew was that the Shur'tugalar were somehow responsible for killing Rawen's dragon Aeldaer and driving her mad, thus leading to the violent childhood Daena somehow endured.

 

Sage gave his head a small shake and growled softly. The mind of his rider was tattered and dark, and even in all of his years within his egg, he had not quite expected such a mess upon choosing his rider. He twittered sadly at Raptor, but dodged out of her reach as she lunged for him. The longer he spent outside racing around, the more elegant his step began to turn; he was swift, almost graceful, in so much as a newborn could be. He flared his translucent gossamer wings at the brown hatchling and puffed out his chest, taunting her to try at him again.

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Watching "Sage" dart through the grass and between Ninarth's legs before taking to circling the older Riders, Reignon chuckled. Things gradually went sour from there as Daena's questions brought answers she apparently wasn't happy with. It made the Dwarf bristle, listening to the tone she used towards a figure so highly respected by thousands. "Now listen 'ere, ye wee welp!" they snarled, rough voice loud and grey eyes stormy. "Ye've had that opportunity to say 'no' this entire time! It's not our fault ye didn't speak up sooner! If I recall correctly from this morning, ye agreed to the trial and, now that ye've passed, yer goin' back on yer word!"

 

Ninarth's mind touched theirs but the Dwarf wasn't going to let the dragon stop him. Rivalry or not, no one disrespected the Head Rider in front of him! "Bah!" The Dwarf spat at the ground, glowering at the teen girl. "Ye expected ta fail the trials. Why? So ye could get out of 'ere sooner than lat'r and avoid bein' recognized? Too late lassy, I know darn well who ye are. But I ain't passin' harsh judgment withou' due cause! So ye bett'r do th' same towards us and treat us with some lighter heart!"

 

Again, the Dwarf spat at the ground and crossed his thick arms over his chest. "Great Helzvog, lass! Kill ya and yer hatchling? What sort'a people do ya think we are! Would we be where we are t'day if we went and did that to anyone who spat at us?" He shook his head. A frown crossed his face, hidden by his beard and mustache.

 

His grey eyes softened and Ninarth at to curl their tail around their legs. "You want ta know a good reason? Safety. Safety and a means to defend yerself. That's a pretty fair reason to me if I ever knew one," Reignon stated gently. "We ain't yer enemies, lass. Don't treat us like we are."

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Daena's anger is surprising. Watching the other woman, Lessa can't help but wonder what started this intense dislike. She can relate to a discomfort with being under another's thumb, but that's not what she senses rolling off Daena.

 

As Sage puffs out his wings, daring Raptor to try again, the brown hatchling turns and trots back to her rider. Reaching down to scoop up her dragon, Lessa decides to be wary of her peers. What could be causing it she doesn't know. But she can sense something dark coming, the way an oncoming storm can be sensed before one sees it overhead.

 

The odd thing is that she can't sense where it's coming from.

 

Raptor squeaks softly, sends an image from her short memory. It's the inside of her egg - strong, hard casing and warm, close darkness. Though she doesn't show it outwardly, Lessa feels like smiling.

 

Already trying to help me, are you? She marvels. I hope it's enough.

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(Words!)

 

Tanthanion wanted very much to rush out and cut down the wretched Mahlaan and be done with it. But the show of power that his suspected Shade put out was more than enough cause for him to stay put. So he did but he knows Zencoria will continue the search. 'Zencoria, Ki'lydwn escaped. Keep searching for Slytha, if you will.'

 

'How did she escape?'

 

'She fled, after our suspected Shade put out a show of power when I and Okalis entered.'

 

Zencoria growled and Tanthanion could feel her irritation at the news, but he also felt that she understood why he didn't pursue. A shade wasn't something to be taken care of a later date, a Mahlaan could easily be tracked down once more. Especially now that Tanthanion has felt Ki'lydwn's magical aura again.

 

'I will continue the search then, be safe little one,' Zencoria says.

'I will.'

 

Tanthanion eases against the wall, feeling to agitated to sit down. He listened quietly to the talk of potions but he examined Larien closely. While a magician would likely have the power she has, he cannot help but feel that there is something more to this particular magician.

 

"Would either of you like something to drink? I have tea if anybody would like."

 

Tanthanion licks his somewhat dry lips. "If you please, I'm feeling rather parched. Which experiment are you working on now, Okalis?"

 

-------------------

 

Zencoria soared close to the forests surrounding the mountain range of Vroengard as she extended her conscious to the lands around her as she continues her search. So far no luck, these Mahlaan hid themselves well. But perhaps she's searching in the wrong spot? It is likely, few of the caves in the mountains were large enough to accommodate a dragon. She banked back to Doru Areaba to search the outskirts of the city. As she got closer, she heard the call of one of the male Riders whom she recognized as Jorundr 'Tanthanion! Zencoria!' They sound urgent...

 

'Yes, Jorundr?' she responds. She banks to locate the male and sees him walking with his dragon Amontein. She descends and lands gracefully in front of them, although her impact is still bone jarring.

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As Daena challenged the Head Rider, Ratha simply stopped and turned around to face the human's demanding green-blue eyes, full of hurt and rage. She had suffered, that was more than obvious, but what could've broken her soul so completely, so utterly? Ratha thought with a pang of sadness.

 

"You say it as if I owe it to you," she scoffed coldly, narrowing her eyes. "I see no reason to warrant my loyalty when none of this was of my own accord or desires. My servitude cannot be demanded or commanded by anyone. What would happen should I refuse? Would you take him from me? Kill him, or me?" Daena snarled and held an unwavering gaze with the elf, which she considered a demonstration of willpower if anything. But she didn't budge, returning her icy-blue gaze evenly, her silver hair ruffled by the gentle breeze. Let her speak her mind, clean the poisonous thoughts as soon as possible.

 

"Give me a single decent reason as to why I would even consider joining your people." Sage snorted, obviously uncomfortable with his Rider's thoughts, circling around her and trying to comfort her. It was curious, Ratha thought, that their dragons often completed one's personality through their bond, and likewise - Sage was almost the perfect complement to his Rider, a stormy and a calm mind bonded together.

 

"Now listen 'ere, ye wee welp!" Reignon snarled, his low voice rumbling as he shot lightnings from his eyes. "Ye've had that opportunity to say 'no' this entire time! It's not our fault ye didn't speak up sooner! If I recall correctly from this morning, ye agreed to the trial and, now that ye've passed, yer goin' back on yer word!" Ratha was slightly taken aback by Reignon's strong response and was about to interfere in case someone might become upset, but Aatris stopped her.

I have a feeling his words might reach Daena better than yours, the orange dragon marked calmly and Ratha withheld herself, pursing her lips together and observing.

"Bah!" The Dwarf spat at the ground, which was something he did very rarely. "Ye expected ta fail the trials. Why? So ye could get out of 'ere sooner than lat'r and avoid bein' recognized? Too late lassy, I know darn well who ye are. But I ain't passin' harsh judgment withou' due cause! So ye bett'r do th' same towards us and treat us with some lighter heart!"

Recognized? Ratha caught the word and Aatris turned his attention to it, both of them realizing Reignon had found out something about the human girl before them. Whatever it was, it must've had a link to Daena's hurt.

"You want ta know a good reason? Safety. Safety and a means to defend yerself. That's a pretty fair reason to me if I ever knew one. We ain't yer enemies, lass. Don't treat us like we are," Reignon softened his words towards the end. Ratha then took a careful step towards Daena and opened her palms towards her, an elven sign of peace and friendship.

 

Ratha then began to spoke, but it was Aatris who used her voice as they had agreed with a flurry of thoughts, the elf's palm glowing strongly and steadily, resonating with Aatris' speech.

"Little one, would you hear out an old dragon?" they asked, gently. "It was war, blood, and sorrow which led to the creation of the Shur'tugalar - to prevent the future from repeating our mournful past of fighting. We became the peacekeepers, the scholars, the kind-hearted... Those who wanted Alagaësia to become a better place, to ward off evil. Our bond has been inscirbed into the fabric of Fate itself - it is Fate which allowed Malven to find you, it is Fate which brought you to Sage, who had been waiting for many hundred years. We do not expect everyone to give us their loyalty or trust immediately, but we will not kill anyone for it, gods! Least of all a young Rider and a hatchling, who have no idea of their capabilities," they sighed and looked at Daena, a shadow of someone they had taught years ago, someone who had been so bright and smart, but a shadow in her soul they could never cleanse. A powerful Rider who could call storms from the back of their dragon - a dragon Tanthanion and Zencoria had slain during a battle after the student became a Mahlaan. Rawen Stormcaller. The longer Ratha and, through her, Aatris observed Daena, the more sure of it they were.

 

But she never had a child! She died of madness years ago! Ratha gasped to Aatris.

We were never sure of it. Tanthanion reported that Rawen's reaction to her partner's death was so strong and frightening he had to flee the scene as the skies literally cracked open. Her presence disappeared after that storm, so we assumed she committed suicide from overusing her powers, Aatris replied sullenly.

Then... Gods, think of the horrors Rawen might've done to her, Ratha said, sorrow in every chord of her mental voice. Aatris didn't reply, but a wave of pity and sympathy flowed from him.

"Daena. We promise that we can help to heal you, teach you how to become stronger, how to defeat the demons inside your mind. You are not alone anymore - the Order is your family, Doru Araeba your home, Vroengard your haven. But most importantly, you aren't alone in your head anymore, either, you have Sage. On our word, if you allow us, we will try and correct the wrongs we have caused to you by not acting as we should've," they finished, staring into the eyes of Daena, awaiting for her reaction, for better or for worse.

 

~~~

 

'Yes, Jorundr?' Zencoria replied soon after the Rider had cast out his mental call. The midnight purple dragon landed before them, gracefully.

'What happened here? I felt a strong magical disturbance even through Aatris' rambling,' Amontien asked with a rough laugh of some sort.

'Ratha had an unsettling feeling about it, whatever it is. Have you discovered anything? Should we find Tanthanion?' Jorundr questioned calmly, although he tapped at the pommel of his red sword with an irregular rhythm. Something about the magic aura made his scalp tingle and he didn't like it one bit.

Edited by Gildraug

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Larien nodded to Tanthanion and disappeared into her kitchen area to prepare the tea. She made three cups, carefully for each. Okalis got his favorite tea, while Larien decided to give Tanthanion a guess and assume he might like her preferred tea brew.

 

After a time, the shade returned back to the area where her two unexpected guests were congregating. She handed off the other two teas, being sure neither dropped by accident on her guests. That would have been annoying to fix and clean up. She leaned up against an opposite wall near Tanthanion and sipped at her tea while waiting for Okalis' answers.

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