we own the sky // dragon rider roleplay // rp thread

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    QUEST LOG (aka. previous events and recap)


    ---


    MYOTIS & MYSHA


    With sightless eyes, a great white dragon stared out over the edge of a precipice. Astride her back a woman sat, following the blind gaze of her draconic companion as they both, in their own way, watched as dawn turned to day. The mountains that dominated their vision were bleak and grey, as was the imposing stone building that towered behind them; only when soaring over the fortress would one be able to clearly spot it against the stony backdrop, which was probably the intent of whoever built the place. Occasionally the grey sky and distant stone was interrupted by flashes of colour, where other dragons and their riders soared above their lofty home. A myriad of different colours could be seen clearly against the usually colourless landscape, if only for a couple of seconds before the dragon responsible glided out of view again. Where the rising sun filtered through the clouds and caught the ice, patches of blinding white light dotted the rocks, while the distant watchtowers cast long shadows and created contrasting areas of black against the white snow that surrounded them.


    The dragon's world was not made up of colour, however, but of scents, sounds, and sensations. While her rider watched the scene in front of them unfold with her own two eyes, the feeling of cold stone beneath the dragon's feet and the distance sound of rocks falling on rock all meshed together to paint an altogether different picture for the sightless beast. This method of sensing the world around her was something that had been honed over many years by the blind race of light dragons, and was something that few others were able to comprehend. Even the dragon's rider had a limited understanding, and that was only thanks to the abilities shared by their strong Bond.


    After a few minutes more of silent contemplation, the woman shifted in the saddle and turned to face her companion. 'Come on, Myotis,' she projected, focusing her thoughts into a coherent manner before directing her words across the Bond between them, 'we ought to get back to the main building. The night patrol will be back at any minute, and we need to be ready to switch out with them when they arrive.'


    Myotis huffed out a sigh - she always enjoyed being outside as the sun rose, even obscured as it had been today - before craning her neck around to nod to the woman. 'Yes, Mysha, I am aware.' she eventually replied, reluctance obvious in her tone, 'Though I do wish we didn't have to spend so long out on patrol. Fending off Hunters can get awfully dull after a couple of hours, as can the fetching, and the watching, and the waiting.'


    Now it was Mysha's turn to sigh, this being a common topic of argument between the two of them. The dragon and rider continued to gently bicker as Myotis took flight, soaring over the tall stone walls of the Blood-Bound's headquarters before landing in the open courtyard. A couple of other dragons had already gathered there, and Myotis nodded cordially to them while Mysha merely stared. Her companion may have been a 'morning person' (well, dragon), but Mysha was, regrettably, not, and only tolerated getting up so early to watch the sunrise because it made her partner happy. The knock on effect of this early start was that she wasn't the friendliest of people at the beginning of the day. Despite this, however, she mustered up the will to nod in response to Bel's greeting - the older rider had been assigned to lead the morning patrol, if Mysha was remembering the schedule correctly - and tried not to glare too much as she dismounted Myotis.


    BEL


    Bel, meanwhile, had turned her attention away from the newest arrivals and back to the crowd as a whole. The tall woman had arrived before most of the others, and had been watching carefully as people continued to enter the courtyard; there was a particularly big group gathering there today, and she wanted to make sure that everyone was present and ready before they began the patrol. It wasn't often that a large group was formed for such an event, but today it was a necessity. Once every couple of months, the Blood-Bound launched an extended patrol, one which had the purpose of thoroughly checking their defences and borders, while also stopping to hunt and collect necessary supplies from beyond the mountain range. Such a trek would typically last them a few days, and required a lot of bodies to retrieve and carry everything that they needed.


    In Bel's opinion, taking out such a large number of dragons was a bit of a risk. The more people there were in the sky, the more likely they were to be spotted by hunters, no matter how careful they were about masking their movements. Luckily, their mountainous fortress ensured that, even if their enemies did manage to track their group, they stood little chance of getting close enough to their home to do any significant damage.


    The sound of wing beats pulled Bel from her thoughts, and she looked up in time to see some more dragons approaching. A quick glance around confirmed that almost everyone needed for the patrol had gathered in the open area nearby. Good. 'Are you ready, Nohki?' Bel asked her companion, sending the thought across the bond.


    SALAZEL


    Far above the dragons and riders in the courtyard, a great red beast soared through the clouds and mist that had gathered around the mountaintops. With his sharp eyesight he focused in on his allies below, mere dots within the confines of the compound. The Blood-Bound headquarters was much easier to make out, from his viewpoint directly above it. The outer wall extended for quite some way around the main compound, encircling a number of buildings and gardens. Any non-rider allies or new recruits stayed in that area, Salazel knew, though the other riders often used the training grounds there too. Unlike the inner wall, there was a large gateway to allow for horses and carts to pass through, as rare an occurrence as that way. That, however, was not the fire dragon's destination. Dipping his wings, he began to glide closer to the main courtyard, and the great stone building that ran around its circumference.


    'We should probably land, hmm?' he projected to his partner, noting the large numbers of both riders and dragons that had already gathered down below. 'I think I spotted the night patrol returning in the distance. It won't be long now until we're called upon for our own duties.'


    ---


    OOC: I figure we'll all start with our riders & dragons gathering in the courtyard, about to go on patrol, then go from there. If anyone has any questions about the Blood-Bound or setting, then feel free to ask!

    Lathlaeril & Pisces -



    The courtyard was mostly quiet as Lathlaeril settled quietly against his dragon, watching the skies for the rest of the team that was being sent out. The rider had gotten here early to ensure he wouldn't be last and hold everyone up. This had seemed a good idea the night before, but when it had come to getting himself up and ready and getting Pisces up... He had seen a few holes in his idea. It didn't matter now, though, as they were where they needed to be when they needed to be there.


    The man turned observant eyes to Bel and her dragon Nohki, quietly observing in the soft glow of morning's light. His back rested against Pisces, he could feel her subtle shifts and the rumble that came with the soft noises she made while they waited. He and his dragon rarely used actual words to communicate, not that they couldn't, they simply wished not to. Instead they used motions and in Pisces case noises to get their points across most times.


    The air dragon lifted her head and attention to the sky at the sound of a pair of wings descending, letting out a soft sound of greeting to the light dragon Myotis and her rider.


    Lathlaeril nodded slightly at the new arrivals, opting for silence seeing as he could tell by the look on Mysha's face she would much rather be sleeping right then.



    Claudius-



    The dark haired rider always enjoyed morning flights with his companion, though at times he felt they were a bit much for so early in the mornings. Now, however, with anticipation dwelling in his gut the ride was much more relaxing than it normally would be.


    Dragged out of his thoughts by the sound of his dragon's voice through the bond, nodding his head slightly despite the dragon not being able to see it in their position.


    "Yes let's head down." He sent back in response, though it sounded a bit reluctant. He never did enjoy these journeys, but he knew it was for the sake of the dragons and riders that resided here in the large stone fortress. Dislike it as he may, he knew there was no getting out of it unless he wanted to be known as the guy who simply didn't care enough about anyone to help out.


    He let Salazel do most of the directing seeing as he trusted his dragon. He saw no need to try and take control of where his dragon went and when.



    Nohki-



    The grim dragon had settled to rest while they awaited the other dragons and their human companions. His scales, which were a mix of black and bronze, glimmered in the glow of the rising sun. He watched the others around him with disinterest, finding the lanky rider Lathlaeril and his dragon to be an odd pairing given the aloofness of the human and the motherliness of the dragon. Then again, he was a grim dragon with a "hero" of a rider, not exactly the combination everyone expected.


    His attention fell briefly to the entrance of Myotis and Mysha but he paid them no mind. Instead he turned his head to Bel as she spoke to him through the bond, rumbling quietly to her before he decided to grace her with an actual reply.


    "I am as ready as I will ever be, Bel" The grim passed through the bond, casually lifting himself from his relaxed position on the ground.

    [as ailin and sirona are not members yet, i'll put them near the border so they'll be found :p]



    Ailin was tired. He was cold, hungry, and tired, and he was not in a good mood. "We've been flying forever," he growled, holding on tightly to Sirona's golden scales. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" As usual, Sirona did not bother to answer him; she made a low rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate from her chest. Ailin huffed, still holding on to her but now shifting so he could rest his head on her golden scales.


    "We need to land soon. It's not comfortable to ride you for this long," he told Sirona. This time, he received no response whatsoever, but he felt her tip downward in her flight. Sirona made the softest clicking noises, using it to help her find a safe place to land; Ailin found the sound comforting. Ailin's hearing was not as advanced, but he didn't hesitate to put his trust into her, knowing that she would land safely.


    Once settled on the firm ground, Sirona bent down low, allowing Ailin to carefully climb down from her back. When he was on the ground, he took a minute to stabilize himself before telling Sirona, "I don't think we'll be able to find the Blood-Bound. They would have hidden themselves too well."


    Sirona let out a purring sound, and she flicked her lightly feathered, forked tail over Ailin's head, as if laughing at him. She was confident that they would find the Blood-Bound. Ailin mumbled under his breath, listening to the sounds of the area around them and wondering where they could find food. That was when Sirona finally decided to talk to him.


    "They will find us," she reassured Ailin, staring directly at him despite being unable to see him. Ailin wasn't convinced.


    "How do you know that?" he asked her, looking to the sky. He couldn't see, but he felt the air getting warmer as the sun slowly rose. Sirona didn't answer him.

    Zenna and Aerah


    Zenna had been part of the night patrol, which she didn't particularly like as she was more a day person than a nightowl, but she had accepted as (as Aerah had patiently explained) she couldn't have her way in everything. She closed her eyes and raised her arms so they were perpendicular to her body.


    "I love flying..." she muttered quietly, as if her loud voice would break the beauty of the silence of early mornings. "I whish I could fly."


    She felt her dragon partner's sides vibrate as a quiet chuckle, followed by a quieter voice, answered her.


    "But you are flying, Zenna." Aerah teased her.


    Zenna rolled her eyes and puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance.


    "That's not what I meant and you know it!"


    Aerah chuckled softly again, soaring over the mountains as they made their way back towards the Blood-Bound's stronghold. The Soul dragon's red eyes shone eerily from a face which would otherwise be hidden by the clouds. As they flew, Aerah suddenly pulled up short. Zeena frowned and gently patted her dragon's neck.


    "Aerah?" she queried. "What's wrong?"


    "Down there, by that over hanging rock... an air dragon." the dragon answered.


    "Is there a rider?"


    "Not that I can see... but I see a saddle."


    Zenna smiled.


    "Well, then, let's go say hi."


    With a snort in agreement, Aerah, the last Soul dragon, began her descent.


    Markus and Roth


    Markus was leaning slightly against his dark dragon, Roth, crystal blue eyes looking around rather insolently as he waited for the night patrol to return and the dawn patrol, of which he was part, to leave.


    "For crying out loud, stop slouching." Roth grumbled to his rider. "You remind me of an old mule."


    "I hate mornings..." Markus answered. "And I take umbridge at being compared to the offspring of a donkey and a horse. All they're good for is manual labour and an abattoir when they're too old for that."


    Roth snorted.


    "Would you prefer I compare you to a maid who has just begun to bleed...?"


    "Watch yourself, dragon." he snarled. "I know where you sleep."


    "Watch yourself, human." Roth responded without missing a beat. "I am aware of your quarters as well... and as of yet, you cannot best me."


    "Tch." Markus grunted.


    Roth looked down at his rider in amusement, his red eyes shining as he wrapped one of his dark purple wings around the human.


    "There, it's still night." he told him. "Now, will you please stop your b!tching...?"


    Markus smiled slightly.


    "Thanks, Roth."

    Zakus & Auron


    Zakus tumbled off Auron's hard back and onto the soft earthen ground of the courtyard, his breath coming in hard gasps as he struggled to pull air into his pain filled lungs. The rock in his palm had barely moved an inch with the spell that Auron had just taught him, but Zakus' eyes were already glazing over from the exertion. A low grumbling laugh came from behind him and he rolled onto his back to glare up at the monstrous head towering over him. An enormous gap toothed grin spread across the dragon's face, blowing a cloud of fettered steam into the collapsed boy's face as he thrummed with satisfaction. Then a twist of hated logic seemed to hit Auron suddenly and seemed to realize again that this boy struggling at his feet was still his blood bound rider, and a disgusted claw came to rest over Zakus' prone body, digging into the Earth beneath him.
    "Stupid child," came a serpentine whisper into Zakus' mind, and he tried to roll to his feet only to find himself pinned beneath a massive razor claw.
    "Off of me, Auron. I just can't do it," Zakus spit, his eyes boring upwards as he clutched his wounded pride. "Maybe if you just taught me how to use this power instead of stepping on m-WHPH-!" he was cut off a Auron's tail came whipping about to cover his mouth, hard skin biting into the flesh of his soft, pale face. "No excuses, human. You're just too weak."
    Zakus had to bite his tongue to keep from screaming at the beast with their shared telepathy. He was struggling just to breath with the hard press of the dragon's tail digging hard into his skin. He decided to go with a slightly more diplomatic route in precaution to the enormous grey claw that was still holding him tight to the ground beneath him. "Okay, okay. Well if you're not going to teach me how to use magic, the least you could do is not embarrass me in front of the other riders, or have you forgotten that we're at a meeting?" Auron's face twisted up into an angry snarl, but he relented and released Zakus from his captivity. Twisting about, Zakus didn't bother to say thank you to the beast. He knew Auron would never expect nor want such manners from his own rider. The dragon could do as he pleased. Zakus was too weak to talk him down anyway. Turning on his heel, he stalked off to a fair distance and waited for the others to arrive. Whatever he was due for in the future, it would have wait until this meeting was over. Then the dragon would have his revenge...

    Markus and Roth


    Hearing the commotion which was the arrival of Zakus and Auron, Markus crept out from under Roth's wing. He watched the whole palava as the dragon easily dominated his rider, pinning him down onto the courtyard with one sharp claw. As the dragon finally let the human up, a disgusted snarl on its reptilian face as Auron turned his back on his rider. Markus smirked as Zakus came closer.


    "Your beast still giving you a hard time, Zakus?" he called out to the other rider, a sarcastic smile on his face as he crossed his hands over his chest, waiting for the snarky answer hr knew was coming.


    Roth rolled his eyes, his red eyes on the earth dragon.


    You push the boy too hard, Auron. he told the other dragon, using his draconic telepathy. Keep going at this rate... and your own rider will hate you and not care whether you live or die.

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    Zakus & Auron

    Auron scoffed and shook his head non-commitally. "That's a given, Roth. They are humans, selfish creatures," he grumbled, bitter thoughts echoing through his mind. A old and painful memory flashed at the surface of his thoughts before he pushed it down. "I have no doubt the boy would kill me himself if I were ever to let down my guard."
    Shifting to stand on his back legs so he towered high over the wingless humans on the ground, Auron gazed distantly into the sky. The thunder dragon's mind was lost in a turmoil of thoughts and emotions as they bubbled to surface suddenly, and with a raspy breath he shut his double eyelids against the piercing sun. "Let's not kid ourselves about this war, Roth. It is not between riders and humans, it is a war about human greed. They see our power and they wish to take it... And that is a truly frightening thing."


    Zakus clutched a bruise on his arm as wandered over to Markus, his feet dragging with his exacerbated exhaustion. "Any harder and I might be dead. But hey, that might just be an improvement," he said, smiling a wickedly to show he was joking. "He always seems angry at me for one thing or another- nothing like your dragon. Just how do you do it?"

    Markus and Roth


    Roth merely watched the other dragon for a while, not saying anything, simply listening. He then shook his head.


    While I will not fault you on your analysis of the human species as a whole, are we not also creatures just out for our own self-worth? he asked Auron. Do not get me wrong, I have no love for humans. It took my own rider sevral weeks before he finally had my trust, even though he had saved my life. But...


    He narrowed his red eyes.


    I have no love of dragons either... given my past, I could say all dragons are not to be trusted. he continued. Would you agree with that assessment? My life was ruined because one of your brethren, a thunder dragon, accused me of something so vile only a Dark dragon could possibly have done it. The murder of a hatchling... who else would be so cruel.


    His tone became sarcastic.


    Who else could it possibly be... but the only dark dragon in the colony. he spat out. Do not be so quick to judge your rider. You don't know what he's capable of if you won't give him a chance.


    He turned his back on the thunder dragon.


    Oh, and stop closing your mind to him. he said. That's why he's struggling and keeps failing. Because you're expecting him to.


    Markus gave a curt bark of laughter.


    "Dude, I don't do anything... Roth and I just have an understanding." he said. "And you should have seen us in the early days. It took me weeks to get Roth to accept me, even after I saved his sorry ass from hunters."


    He looked over at the dark dragon.


    "He treated me no differently to how Auron treats you..." he said, looking back at the other rider. "And I'll admit I gave Roth a bad time too... At some point, I think we just saw our selves in each other and clicked."


    Skylar Primridge & Anil

    ( Twenty-one ~ "Sky" | Twenty-one )



    Her brown gaze looked around at the small crowd that was forming of both riders and dragons. She smiled slightly as she leaned against the side of her friend, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited. Skylar was content to just stand quietly and watch the other riders, still a bit new to Blood-bound and all. She felt a shift in the dragon's body behind her and raised an eyebrow. Are you okay, Anil?


    Anil stretched his wings a bit as he moved, sighing slightly. I want to fly already. I'm getting tired of just sitting around... Skylar shook her head, laughing lightly at him, earning a sharp nudge on her back. Don't laugh at me! I know you are feeling the same way!


    Nodding her head, Skylar grinned up at the beautiful white dragon. You're right, but I am clearly more the more patient one. Anil shot her a soft glare and laid his head down on his forearms. He looked up at the sky, wishig he could just go off and take a quick flight. But he knew that with his luck, as soon as he did he would have to return quickly so Skylar wouldn't be left behind. So he would sit here and wait until they were all ready, trying to be patient, but not really enjoying it.


    [center]

    TEMPLATE ©BOKEH | #BOKEHFANCY | PREMADE TEMPLATE

    Abilene and Rhaer
    -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
    Abilene giggled as she ran out of the stronghold's main chamber and out to the courtyard. Her dragon Rhear was floating along behind her snapping at her heels and grabbing at her dress, trying to catch her. The Ice dragon was intentionally missing so that the girl (mentally younger than himself) could have some fun before her mentor began drilling her with lessons again.


    Gaia
    -x-x-x-
    Sitting quietly on a rocky overhang, the massive dragoness sighed loudly, her voice sounding more like a rockfall than a release of breath. She felt it again, her rider's conscious. It was rubbing against her own like a bubble. A fragile, wandering bubble. Every time she reached out to try and communicate, he was gone. Gaia felt empty inside. Hearing wingbeats nearby, she sat up quickly and examined them, hoping her rider had been rescued and was on board.
    No, it was just another pair, returning the the stronghold for some meeting.
    The earth dragon wanted to scream, but instead simply opened her great wings and pushed off the ledge, allowing gravity to do it's own thing and bring her slowly back to the courtyard.
    Landing with a huff (and a few square feet of cracked stone beneath her) she sat down, listening.

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    Elizabeth "Lumen" Carter and Altus



    Watchful bright green eyes scanned the landscape around her as she sat atop her peace loving companion, Altus.


    Elizabeth had arisen earlier in the morning than most, a habit of hers she would never break. She did as she, and only she, would usually do. Her love for foreign culture was outstanding so her morning rituals were more or less influenced entirely by it. She believed solely in the samurai code, and considered herself to be one. She had stretched to get herself ready for the day, and practiced with her sword until she felt it was about time to go and take a quick shower in one of the nearby waterfalls that acted as such before she went to leave and greet her dragon, fully dressed in her regular attire of course.


    After five years of living here, things never really changed with her beloved Altus. She met him on the highest ledge in the facility as usual, bringing along his rather heavy saddle. She would wordlessly saddle him up, of course with a bit of his help, then climb onto his back and watch the scenery. It was apparent that it had snowed a bit the previous night which left the trees with a layer of snow on their leaves. It was a rather beautiful sight combined with all of the morning activity of dragons and their riders. She would sit here everyday for as long as she could before she had to attend to her usual duties as the Blood-Bound's strategist.


    Of course, today was most certainly different. She had spent almost a week planning and preparing where supplies would be picked up in today's extended day patrol. It happened every six months or so when the Blood-Bound's supplies needed to be replenished, as hunting and gathering in the surrounding area simply wasn't enough. Her family's insignia would be proudly printed upon every box of supplies that came from her brother.
    The thunder dragon turned his head to look at his rider whom was perched in her saddle upon his back.


    "It is time to go down and meet the others."


    The short-haired blonde looked at her dragon with a rather unhappy and reluctant look upon her face.


    "Yes, I am aware. I'm just a bit reluctant to go, however. It's very beautiful up here today."


    The dragons chest rumbled with amusement at his rider.


    "You always say this, although I very much agree with you. The snow makes the landscape all the more mystified."


    The dragon pause to looked at the lands around them, then returned his gaze to Elizabeth.


    "Still, it is time to go and put what you planned for so long into action."


    Elizabeth sighed, and nodded despite her reluctance to leave. She said this every morning, and that would never change.


    The yellow and blue scaled dragon turned his head to face the wondrous landscape and listened to the wind for a moment. It appeared to him that if he flew forward and simply glided down to the courtyard that laid well below them and their perch, they would make it there safely seeing as the wind seemed to be blowing from behind him this morning. He only hoped that the winds would not turn the opposing direction later in the day. He truly hated flying into headwinds, although it would make things rather convenient when the day time patrol returned to the Blood-Bound's stronghold.
    Altus took in a deep breath, his rider doing likewise, then let himself fall forward, off of the ledge and into the air.
    They fell at a fast rate, a good maybe one-hundred or some feet away from the courtyard however. Altus continued falling, albeit in a skillful manner with rider holding onto the saddle with experience. He didn't pull up till he was about thirty some feet above the quart yards level, when he was he pulled up very suddenly and leveled out his wings with expertise while his rider, Elizabeth, stood in the saddle holding onto the loops for her hands. From then on the two simply glided into the area where numerous dragon and rider pairings had already gathered. Altus and Elizabeth arrived only a few short minutes after Myotis and Mysha. Figuring that they would be nice company till the day time patrol headed off, Altus landed a few feet to their left and approached.


    "Good morning Mysha. I trust that your as grumpy as you always are at this time of day?"


    Elizabeth teased the woman whilst still standing in her saddle, her trusted sword on her right hip as always. Altus' chest rumbled once again in a chuckle at his riders teasing.
    Elizabeth had lived here for the past five, no, almost six years. She knew many of the more skilled riders in the Blood-Bound, although she did try very hard to at least know of all of the riders that lived here. Elizabeth found Mysha to be rather interesting and fun to mess with in her bad moods for example, like she was now. It just seemed to become part of her morning ritual if she ever saw her in the mornings.

    The post was edited 1 time, last by kastia ().

    MYOTIS & MYSHA


    Mysha blinked and looked up as the other woman called out to her, before realising who it was and suppressing a sigh. Elizabeth was a nice enough person to be around, and was also one of the better strategists that the Blood-Bound had managed to recruit, but Mysha had grown to be wary of her presence in the earlier hours of the day. For some reason the warrior woman always seemed to go out of her way to appear cheerful and peppy when Mysha was at her most weary, and also seemed to take great satisfaction in calling Mysha out whenever this was the case. As she was now, for instance.


    "Good morning, Elizabeth," the white-haired rider grumbled, sending a half-hearted glare in the other woman's direction. "I am doing fantastically well on this wonderful, sunny morning, thank you very much. No reluctance or sleep deprivation here. Not. At. All." Her words were laced with obvious sarcasm, and accompanied by an obligatory roll of the eyes. If she was to be poked fun at, then she figured that she might as well respond in kind.


    By her side, Myotis let out a rumbling chuckle. 'Humans can be so melodramatic,' she commented, projecting her thoughts to Elizabeth's thunder dragon partner. 'It is amusing to watch them grumble so.' Especially considering Mysha's usually stoic attitude, the light dragon privately continued. The only time of the day when the rider seemed to be anything but serious was early in the morning, it seemed.


    SALAZEL


    Salazel nodded sharply in place of a reply, before dipping his wings and beginning the descent to the courtyard below. The fire dragon took his time to do so, gliding in leisurely circles, though he did have to drop into a bit of a dive for the last part of the journey in order to avoid being overturned. The updraft created by another dragon's descent was enough to disturb his own flight path, thanks to his smaller weight, though he doubted that that had been the other dragon's intention. A quick glance towards the culprit confirmed his suspicions; Gaia had always been kind to him, though he couldn't help but feel sorry for her on occasion. Having a missing rider couldn't be easy.


    A couple of moments later and he was on the ground beside her, offering the larger dragon a friendly nod. When placed next to each other, the size difference between the earth and the fire dragon was almost comical. He directed a sheepish chuckle to Claudis through the link. 'I bet you sometimes wish that I was as strong as she, hmm?'


    BEL


    Bel nodded at Nohki's response. 'Then I think that it is time we began.'


    Taking comfort in the grim dragon's presence at the back of her mind, she stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Attention, please!" she began, her voice rising to a shout in order for her words to be heard above the various ongoing conversations in the courtyard. She decided to wait a couple of moments in order to let people finish what they were doing, before continuing.

    "In a couple of minutes, the night patrol will have landed and it will be our turn to take to the skies. See that you are ready to leave by that point." She paused for a moment to consider the riders' current groupings in the courtyard. "Mysha, Elizabeth, I would like you and your partners to keep watch from the front of the group. Markus, Zachus, you two protect the rear. Everyone else, stay in formation in the centre. Nokhi and myself will take point."


    Bel took the opportunity to shoot her partner a small smile, glad to have him by her side. She was acutely aware, however, that he could probably see straight past her mask of confidence and straight to the nervousness that simmered underneath. Having spent so much of her life as a loner, the responsibility that came with looking after such a large group of people weighed heavily on her mind. This was the first extended patrol that the ex-wanderer had lead.



    Ailin and Sirona remained where they had landed, and Ailin had long since given up on his search for food. "This was a terrible idea," he told Sirona, finally sitting down on the ground. "At least we could find food when we were near villages."


    "...We were also surrounded by Hunters," Sirona answered, stretching before leaving him alone in the clearing. Ailin had no choice but to rush to his feet and follow her. Although they were both blind, they certainly weren't lost. Using their sense of sound, they could easily navigate the forest until they came upon a small, fast-moving river. "We will rest here," Sirona informed Ailin, and he was too tired to argue with her. He didn't have the energy to try fishing, no matter how hungry he was, so he just sat down on the river bank.


    "If no one finds us, we're going back," he told Sirona. She made a rumbling sound, but did not answer.

    Zakus nodded to Markus, his eyes darting downward as thoughts filled his mind. What his friend was saying did make sense, but he couldn't imagine having anything in common with a giant scaleless grey lizard other than maybe stubbornness. Bel's voice broke through his fumbling mind and he lifted his head at the sound of his name on her lips. Me on patrol? he bit back a harsh grimace as he nodded up to her in acceptance. With Markus there things might go more smoothly than the last time he had gone to the rear with Auron. Roth would be there as well. Auron always seemed just slightly gentler in the presence of others of his kind. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad...


    Auron huffed and a billow of crackling electric smoke puffed out of his nose in a ring. Roth clearly underestimated the cruelty that humans were capable of, but after hearing the older dragon's story he had some sympathy for the Grim and even a little respect. They'd both been through a lot, both faced changes and hardships that the other could never begin to imagine. That was part of the reason why he would take his friend's advice with a heavy dose of salt. Roth was only trying to help him right now, so he would accept that kindness with gratitude in his own way, however opening his mind to his stable boy was just something Auron couldn't bare to bring himself to do. He just didn't trust the little twerp- if not for his humanity, then for his stupidity. Until he found a reason to trust his worthless rider, the spoiled boy could afford to struggle for a little while before war truly hit them. It would teach him some of the humility he would need when death and mayhem came to riders of this outpost and chaos reigned supreme.
    At the sound of Zakus' name being called for the rear patrol, Auron pricked up his ears and let out a small groan of indigestion. He could see the travesty that was ahead of them. Did Bel really know what she was in for with this assignment? Surely it was obvious by now that his rider was far too incompetent for direct orders.


    Skylar Primridge & Anil

    ( Twenty-one ~ "Sky" | Twenty-one )



    Skylar listened carefully as Bel spoke, Anil raising his ears. She slowly nodded her understanding, looking up at Anil. See? Told ya all you had to do was wait a little more. Now we know our position and we will be flying soon. She grinned and Anil slowly nodded as he stood.


    Alright, alright. I get it, he replied and swatted Skylar on the back of the head with his tail. She lurched forward when she felt the smack, rubbing the back of her head as she looked back at Anil. She glared and he released a low rubble from his throats that she guess was suppose to be laughter. This was how it was between them. Both Anil and Skylar picked on each other, got on each other's nerves, and were stubborn towards one another. But in the end, they had each other's backs and looked out for one another.


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    TEMPLATE ©BOKEH | #BOKEHFANCY | PREMADE TEMPLATE

    Abilene and Rhaer
    -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
    Skidding to a stop (and causing an eastern-dragon pile-up behind her), the young girl heard mention of a patrol, "Ooh! Ooh! Can I come! I can do it!" she called, bouncing up to Bel, "Ple~ease?"
    Rhear frowned as he rubbed his nose with a hand-like paw, Watch where you're going Abi he fussed.
    Gaia
    -x-x-x-
    The earth dragon did a sharp intake of breath, hoping they would allow her to go on patrol with them. It would give her a chance to look for her rider.
    Her name was no called. The armored dragoness visibly deflated, relaxing back into a resting position on the cracked stone.

    Lathlaeril & Pisces


    Lathlaeril nodded at Bel's orders, glancing over to Pisces as his dragon suddenly stood and moved over the giant earth dragon Gaia. He turned his attention back to the others as they all prepared to take flight, patiently waiting for his partner to finish whatever it was she was doing.

    Pisces glanced up at the much larger dragon, nodding her head respectfully. "Gaia, I believe it would benefit us all if you came along with us. You may not have been named specifically but we can say you fit into the "everybody else" category." The air dragon suggested with a soft chirruping noise as she waited for the much older and wiser dragoness to speak.


    Claudius


    Claudius kept carefully in position as his dragon descended, squinting a bit against the bite of the wind against his face. He relaxed back as they landed, gently patting his companion on the neck in form of praise for a neat landing. The human frowned when his dragon asked the question, joking or serious he wasn't sure but he would answer seriously regardless. "Salazel, you are very strong in your own way. I don't wish you any different." He stated firmly through the bond, wanting to make sure his dragon knew that he thought no less of him even with his smaller size.

    Nohki


    Nohki snorted at his owner's false confidence, leaning his head down to bump against her gently in assurance. He raised his head back up to glance at the skies as if to gain a better understanding of what awaited them though he could only see so much and so far. His attention fell back to his owner whom he cared very much for and wondered if this would be the journey they would become separated on. The thought of losing Bel sent a pang of fear into the dragon and by default through the bond despite Nohki's attempts to pull it back.

    Abilene and Rhaer
    -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
    Skidding to a stop (and causing an eastern-dragon pile-up behind her), the young girl heard mention of a patrol, "Ooh! Ooh! Can I come! I can do it!" she called, bouncing up to Bel, "Ple~ease?"
    Rhear frowned as he rubbed his nose with a hand-like paw, Watch where you're going Abi he fussed.

    Gaia
    -x-x-x-
    Hearing Pisces speak, Gaia nodded and turned her head towards the other, 'That does make sense, I don't need my rider to fly or fight. On a side note, tell me Pisces, have you ever felt your riders conscience rub against yours, like a bubble? I feel it all the time, do you think that means my rider is alive somewhere?'

    The post was edited 1 time, last by Selphrone ().

    Elizabeth "Lumen" Carter and Altus



    Elizabeth only smiled in amusement at Mysha, waving her hand at her in playfully dismissive way while she observed those around her. There were very few here that were even past their thirties, some even being younger than herself, making more of a show for her to watch than one would expect. Even so she almost found it a bit unsettling that there were very few 'elders' here, as she liked to have at least a few people older and wiser than herself around at all times. Still, no one got everything they wanted now did they?
    Altus turned his head to face Myotis with a dragons smile plastered on his face.


    "Agreed, Myotis. It truly is a show to watch in some instances such as this one."


    The thunder dragon chuckled at his own statement, projecting it solely to Myotis. Elizabeth gave him a quick questioning glance, but made no move to inquire what he was laughing about.


    "When will that young Auron learn to trust in his rider you think, Mysha? I find his hostility and hate towards that poor boy to be rather pointless, yet he continues like that nonetheless. It wouldn't surprise me if there would come a day where Zakus gives his companion a smack on the head while riding him if this keeps up."


    She felt pity for poor Zakus. His dragon was more than just a little unforgiving towards him in Elizabeth's eyes, but she knew far to well that this was just a phase that all dragon and rider pairs go through when first joining together. For example, Altus and herself had through something just like that, however it was a very short period of time. That was perhaps why she simply couldn't understand why Auron chose to harass his rider so much. Elizabeth let out a small sigh before she heard Bel's voice. She didn't hear what she said, but she knew what the intended meaning behind it was.
    It wasn't long till the area quieted down and Bel was able to address what was to happen. Upon hearing who she assigned where, she was more than just a bit surprised. Elizabeth had never placed herself anywhere, preferring that the person who she put in charge of the extended patrol to place her wherever they pleased so she didn't seem like a cocky person who loved to be at the front of all things. Nonetheless, Elizabeth only smiled at Bel, giving her a thumbs up at her assignments.


    "Very well then. Everyone, please assemble yourselves into formation so that we don't have to take very long to assemble ourselves whilst in the air."


    The blonde circled her hands around her mouth to project her voice so that she could be heard by everyone, adding on her request to what Bel had already said. To say the least, Elizabeth was very happy that Bel was slowly coming out of her loners shell, as Elizabeth tended to call it. Hence the reason she had arranged for her to be the one in charge in the first place.
    Elizabeth briskly patted Altus' neck, and only mere moments later did the dragon respond by turning in the direction that the patrol would soon be taking off in. It was just then that one last thing came to mind that she felt she must address.


    "Anyone who causes problems during this patrol will be reporting to me the very moment we arrive back here after the patrol has been completed. I'd like to make it very clear that this goes for all riders and dragons individually. Do not think I won't be watching."


    She once again cupped her hands around her mouth to project her words to everyone around her, although she was standing on top of her saddle this time so she could be turned towards everyone. She wouldn't be letting anyone ruin the hard work she had done to arrange for supply pick ups today. Elizabeth, feeling satisfied that her warning had gotten to everyone, sat back down in her saddle, bending over to get her feet into the loop holes of her saddle. She didn't usually use the loop holes, but for the younger riders she would pose as an example of sorts.
    Altus all the while was rumbling with what she could only assume to be laughter.


    "What is it your laughing at?"


    She inquired this through the Bond with a raised brow.


    "Nothing, nothing. Your only going to make yourself seem like a bossy woman to the young ones who don't know you well enough yet."


    Altus looked back at Elizabeth with amusement sparkling in his eyes. Elizabeth only scoffed in reply, followed by a brief 'Hmph'. Anyone who knew the pair well enough could very much tell what had just occurred between the two of them. Ah, what a show the two of them made for so many other dragons and riders.


    "Don't tease me, dragon."


    Altus only rumbled with laughter once more and shook his head, a dragons smile still plastered to his face.

    The post was edited 1 time, last by kastia ().

    Zenna and Aerah


    Zenna felt her dragon partner stiffen beneath her, then shoot back up into the skies.


    "What is it, Aerah?" she asked quietly, her eyes scanning the ground, but not as sharp as the dragon's.


    "Hunters!"


    "We need to get in touch with those two, now!" Zenna said sharply. "Can you get in touch with the other dragon? Find out where they are! Then get in touch with Myotis. We'll need to let the dawn patrol know what's going on! "


    "Roger that!" the dragon said with a smile, glad her silvery coloured scales offered them some protection in the sky.


    Still scanning the forest, Aerah sent out her thoughts to the unknown dragon.


    Hello stranger. She said. I'm Aerah, I'm with the Blood-Bound. If you can tell me where you are, my rider and I will help you and yours.


    She then contacted Myotis.


    Myotis... sorry Zenna and I aren't back yet, but we've got a situation. she told the other dragon. There's a new pairing lost out in the forest below our mountains- which is crawling with hunters.


    Markus and Roth


    Markus smirked and clapped a hand on the other rider's shoulder.


    "Don't worry, it'll get better... eventually." he told him. "But my advice would be not to antagonize Auron too much... after all, he is a dragon... and you're still human."


    His grin grew when he heard he and Zakus would both be rearguard.


    "Excellent." he said. "It'll be a nice change from being alone... not that I don't enjoy alone- time."


    He turned his crystal blue eyes on Zakus.


    "I guess it's your lucky day." he teased him. "With me and Roth there, Auron may actually give you a break."


    As he heard that he and Markus were to be rearguard with Auron and Zakus, Roth bit back a groan. He disliked being paired with another dragon-rider pair, just because he felt uncomfortable around them. He didn't trust anyone but Markus. Although, he could see the wisdom in it. With others there, Auron was unlikely to give Zakus such a rough time. All the Dark dragon could hope was that the Thunder dragon at least considered what he had told him. Shaking his huge head, Roth lumbered over to where the rearguard gathered as the call to position was made, hoping his rider would get on his back fast so they could take off. He was feeling restless all of a sudden.