RPG Of Humans and Dragons [PG-VL]

[TheResplendent]

[FONT=Tahoma][color=darkslategray][center][size=4]Chapter 1 - The Empire's Threat[/size][/center]

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Clashes of steel and cries of anger and battle filled the wind with dischord as soldiers of the Empire's Legion seem to fall one after another at the hands of the Sapiens Resistance soldiers. It was perplexing, and Donovan knew something was definitly a miss. Very rarely, if ever did Garai launch attacks in such half-assed fashion.

Donovan looked to Adriana who returned his glance as if with understanding toward what he was thinking.

[b]"We should return down to the field and help the other's, Donovan. Reinforcements may not be coming but the outer grounds of the base may still require attacks from the air to drive the Legion back."[/b] Adria said to her rider, Donovan nodded back in return and mounted his faithful blue dragon. They swooped down and rounded around one of the mountain's pillars and soon a couple of the other dragon riders came into view already engaged in battle.

[b]"It all seems too simple, it's as if Garai sends his troops to slaughter intentionally."[/b] Donovan said, slightly concerned with the odd nature of the situation.

[b]"Are you worried about the city itself?"[/b] Adria asked. Donovan shook his head.

[b]"No, the main gate is heavily guarded and I doubt the Empire's soldiers can breach the gate of [i]Beliarr[/i] in this fashion."[/b] Donovan responded, as he drew his lance from the large sheath located on Adriana's left side.

Donovan scanned the battlefield outside the gate of Beliarr, both forces were scattered. Soldiers of all classes within the Legion, some on horseback clashed with the ground troops of the resistance. The other dragon riders drove large masses of soldiers back from the air while arrows and minor destruction spells were fired upward in an attempt to harm them.

As they got closer, Donovan noticed that the commande of the Legion himself was present at the back of the Legion's attack force. Sabian Deimos, whos mere presence on a battlefield was intimidating enough without him actually fighting. Donovan watched as he cut down with ease any soldier who managed to break through that far. Donovan felt his adrenaline speed up as he grew angry at the sight of the Legion's commander.

[b]"Don't be foolish, Donovan. We will concentrate our attack on the masses of soldiers and protect the gate. That takes priority here."[/b] Adria reminded Donovan, sensing his anger.

[b]"Worry not, I know what must be done."[/b] Donovan assured his dragon as they reached the immediete vicinity of the battlefield. Donovan placed his left hand over the right side of his chest, feeling the scar left there from his battle with the Legion commander from the last major aussult the Resistance conducted on one of the Empire's major bases on the south end of Nidorram. It was a matter that had to be settled another time, unfortunatley.[/color]

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OOC - Alright, the events here in chapter 1 will follow the opening sequence of the chapter I posted in the anthology, slightly altered to fit the best interest of the RP.

Members of the Sapiens Resistance, engage in the battle currently happening against the attacking Legion. Do this how you wish, whether it be on dragonback or on the ground. Exercise all the imaginative freedom you can. If you want, you may even try to engage the Legion commander, Sabian Deimos. But remember, he is extremely skilled and you would most definitly not win in a head to head battle, if you wish to do so in your post.

Members of the Validus Resistance, you may post how you like for chapter 1. Spend some time with your dragon, interact with one another, train and exercise, walk around the city or forests, etc. It's a normal day for you until you are contacted at the end of Chapter 1. Again, take all the freedom you'd like here.[/FONT]

[Disenchanted]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][SIZE=1]
[COLOR=SeaGreen][B]ooc: awww how come no one has posted yet? : ( Hope what I've done is ok Bk, let me know If I need to change anything.[/B][/COLOR]

The soldiers positioned atop of the massive gate momentarily stopped what they were doing to look up at the approaching sound of beating wings. The night dragon swooped down low over their heads creating a draft of wind, before it settled with a loud ?whump? atop of the gate, next to one of its many watch towers. Alek swung down from his best friend; he thanked Era, gently stroking her neck. Today had been an all right day for them, but that could change in an instant. Alek was greeted a short time after landing by the commanding officer in charge of the watch tower he had just landed next too.

Alek slung his right arm across his chest, placing his hand just near his shoulder and bowed to the officer, the man returned the gesture and smiled mischievously.
[B]
?How have you been Alek?? [/B]

[B]?Fine Joseph, you? [/B]

[B]?I?ve seen better days.? [/B]He spoke with an air of sadness, looking out across the battle field, the commander?s mood picked up when he flicked his eyes towards Era and then back at Alek. Alek clutched his bow tightly, in all these years he had never given it a name despite his fondness for the weapon, and he was itching to go into battle after a short quiet period.

[B]?How are our forces fairing?? [/B]Alek questioned, straight to the point as always. He had known Joseph for a long time and even though he was a superior officer, Joseph had always insisted that Alek call him by his first name. Joseph?s brow furrowed at the question, he seemed generally reluctant to answer although the Sapiens forces did have the upper hand at the moment and were fairing quite well.

[B]?Our men are doing a fine job, but we both know how quickly the tide of battle can turn my friend?? [/B]
[B]
?You don?t sound confident Commander.? [/B]Alek interjected, following his friends gaze.

[B]?Something is amiss, I don?t like it.? [/B]Alek nodded, he also felt the same way. There was something about the Legions attack that felt off. A soldier walked up to the Commander and diverted his attention to other more important matters. Alek left the company of his friend with the same salute he greeted him with and rejoined his dragon companion. Era seemed unusually quiet, and calm, she would other wise be itching to go into battle much like Alek. Perhaps she too felt what they all seemed to be feeling. Fortunately her silence was not because of him. Their relationship has slowly been improving but some days it felt like one step forward and three steps back.

[B]?Shall we Era?? [/B]The great night dragon nodded and bent down to him, he stroked the side of her face before hurling himself up onto her back. Era possessed great stamina and could fly for a rather long time, her sleek design allowed for excellent maneuverability in the air. With a few quick and powerful flaps the purple dragon and her rider shot off into the air. They would circle the area around the gate; occasionally dropping down to land on it Alek had no problems shooting targets from the air. He smiled inwardly to himself, perhaps if today went well enough he and Era may not actually fight.
[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

[font=Arial]OOC: I'm sure I don't know. For my own excuse, I have been rather busy for the past week, so this was the first chance I got.[/font]

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[font=Calibri]A tall, cloaked man was moving swiftly and efficiently through the forest near the Validus stronghold, carrying a long halberd in his right hand. A sheathed sword hung from a red cloth sash tied around his waist. Though he wore thick riding boots, he made little sound as he maneuvered between various shrubs and deciduous trees. His unruly blond hair ruffled every now and then in sympathy to the occasional breeze, and his back was hunched over; he seemed to be focusing intently on the ground below and around him. He glanced upwards and froze. A large spiral spiderweb had materialized in front of him, reaching almost as high as his shoulders, and he stepped cautiously around the tree it was anchored to, looking for its spinner. The bright orange spider, about the size of a large pebble, had been hiding near one of the upper tether strandsâ??the man was thankful he had looked up when he had. Running into that little critter would not have been pleasant, and probably would have meant the immediate end of his expedition. Once clear of the trap, he continued on his way a little more cautiously, if no less swiftly.

Upon closer inspection, the man could be recognized as one of the Validus' dragon riders, Tristan Lancaster. Tristan, despite appearances, was not actually tracking anything; if he had been asked why he was moving in such a manner, he probably would have simply replied [b]"Habit."[/b] He would have then continued to say that he just did that naturally in forests, no matter the occasion or purpose. Then he would have dropped the subject.

At length, he arrived at his destination: a good-sized clearing in the forest's interior. A layer of thin grass covered the ground, evidencing frequent use. This was where Tristan came to train almost daily; he preferred the natural quiet, and he had no use for practice dummies. They stood still.

He hung his coat on the severed branch of a tree at the clearing's opposite edge and untied the sash around his waist, slinging the cloth over the branch as well and tying it securely in place. Tristan had cut off the branch himself when he had first started using the clearing, just after he had come to Kythira. The clearing had had a lot more grass back then, he reflected idly. Not that he wondered why.

His halberd lay where he had dropped it, back in the clearing's center. Approaching it, he slid the toe of his boot under the weapon's staff and kicked it up sharply, catching it in his waiting hand. He instantly spun it to his left and right, planting himself firmly in a guarded stance usually used against cavalry. From this position he began an intricate series of cuts, lunges, and spins; his movements were precise and fluid, every successive stroke slipping cleanly into the next. His feet stepped confidently back and forth as he adjusted himself to the numerous imagined opponents all around him. Early afternoon sunlight poured into the clearing, and the rider was soon sweating hard. He almost appeared to be dancing, now whirling about, whipping the polearm over his shoulder and around his body, now throwing out a wide sweeping stroke and smoothly reversing direction. An occasional grunt or [b]"Hah!"[/b] escaped him, accenting the sound of his hard breathing.

After a good thirty minutes or so, Tristan stopped, his hazel eyes glittering with exertion. Walking back to where his coat hung, he withdrew a waterskin from inside it and set his halberd against the tree, sitting down with his back to the rough trunk. He rested there for a few minutes, drinking thirstily and looking at nothing in particular.

When the waterskin was about half-full, he set it aside and retrieved his sword from its sheath, starting another similar session, with many graceful arcs and hand-switches. Tristan was not ambidextrousâ??in fact, he was decidedly right-handed, but an uninformed person watching him now would have thought otherwise. Years of practice had smoothed out his form, though they might not have granted him equal power in both hands. This time, he finished after only twenty minutes. He quickly took off his drenched shirt and stretched it out to dry in the sun, then decided that stretching out wasn't such a bad idea at that. The afternoon sun warmed him all over, and he soon drifted off.

When he awoke, the first thing he noticed was the large blue dragon head staring intently at him. The second was that it was almost dusk.

[color=Blue][b]"Good evening, O Great Warrior,"[/b][/color] Lethe rumbled mockingly. [color=Blue][b]"Welcome back to the land of the Living."[/b][/color]

[b]"Bother the Living,"[/b] said Tristan good-naturedly. [b]"I was having a very good nap just now."[/b]

[color=Blue][b]"I noticed."[/b][/color] The sapphire dragon nudged him to his feet. [color=Blue][b]"Still training?"[/b][/color] she asked.

[b]"No, I think I'm done for today."[/b]

[color=Blue][b]"Good."[/b][/color] Lethe's deep blue eyes glanced searchingly around the clearing. [color=Blue][b]"Where is your shirt?"[/b][/color]

Tristan sighed. [b]"You're standing on it."[/b] The dragon raised her massive forelimb and peered underneath while Tristan rescued his trampled clothing. [b]"At least it's pressed now,"[/b] he quipped. He thought about putting it back on, but it was extremely dirty now, so he rolled it up and tossed it over to where his halberd leaned. He picked up his scimitar and retrieved its sheath, tying the sash back around his waist so that the sword hung down at hand level; with his long arms, he couldn't use a standard belt sheath without feeling like he had just elbowed someone behind him. He replaced the waterskin and donned his overcoat, then turned to his dragon.

[b]"So,"[/b] he started, [b]"would you mind taking me back?"[/b]

Lethe snorted.

[color=Blue][b]"Do you need to ask?"[/b][/color][/font]


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[font=arial]OOC: So then. If any of you guy should happen to see calm, controlled Tristan walking around half-naked like it was nothing at all, feel free to have fun. (He's trying to get back to his quarters, for obvious reasons,so....)[/font] Edited July 8, 2012 by Allamorph

[Kitty]

[size=1][indent][b] ?Eden--?[/b] Leonus began with a serious look, though he was interrupted before he could say anything else.

[b] ?It's Eddy,?[/b] the teen corrected, smiling wide. It was amazing, and even a bit unnerving, that she was always seen with a smile. Since the day she joined the Sapiens, which was not all that long ago, Leonus had not once seen her frown, grimace, cry, or look or sound anything other than happy. He wondered what her life had been like, as she had kept her past a secret from him and everyone else in the Sapiens, but was more curious as to whether or not she would finally show him some anger or disappointment when she heard what he was about to say.

[b] ?Eddy... I'd like you to stay behind for this one.?[/b]

[b] ?I understand.?[/b]

[b] ?Look, I know--... You do??[/b]

[b] ?Of course, Leonus, Sir! Simply because I have a dragon doesn't mean I'm ready for a battle like this. After all, you have no idea what Deimos is planning, and you wouldn't want me to go out there, being unexperienced and not knowing what I was about to face,?[/b] she replied, telling him almost exactly what he was thinking to himself with that eerie smile still present on her face. He raised an eyebrow at her before letting out a sigh.

[b] ?You're [i]almost[/i] right,?[/b] he told her, to which she responded with a giggle, [b] ?You have a dragon, but you are inexperienced in battle compared to the other dragon riders, and I have nothing but a small inkling as to what Deimos is planning. But simply, I'm holding you back because you are young, and therefore probably the most likely to make a foolish mistake that will get you and the others killed.?[/b]

[b] ?A sensible prediction. But Sir, if I may...?[/b] she trailed off. He was silent as he thought for a minute before he nodded for her to continue.

[center]&&&[/center]

The sound of humans being squished is not a pleasant one, but Eddy had gotten used to it. Cinder seemed to have taken a liking to using his rather large feet instead of his flame, and Eddy refused to protest as it was certainly a good way for him to blow off some steam. She fought with her large axe in the meantime, cutting down the men that came at her with ease. A few had managed to get pretty close, but they were instantly picked off by the joyful, red dragon.

[b] ?You're enjoying yourself an awful lot, aren't you??[/b] she called to him as she threw back three men at once with a wild swing of her axe.

[b] ?You bet,?[/b] came his unusually cheerful, non-sarcastic response. She giggled again before preparing to use a spell. Within a few minutes, they had cleared out almost a hundred and fifty soldiers combined, and were starting to grow slightly bored, as was natural for a teenager and such an impatient dragon.

[i][b]?Is there anything [/i]else[i] to do??[/b][/i] he whined slightly. Eddy looked around, trying to find an answer to his question, but saw none.

[b] ?Nothing but more soldiers in every direction,?[/b] she replied, her always present smile not faltering for a moment.

[i][b] ?But I'm tired of them. I think I have a few of their bones stuck in my toes, too.?[/b][/i]

[b] ?Well, let's get up in the air and see if we can't find something better!?[/b] Eddy gently climbed up onto Cinder's forehead, seating herself comfortably between his large horns as he snorted out a few sparks from his nostrils. He lifted off of the ground with ease, and the two began observing the battlefield from the air. As he circled above, Eddy spotted her comrades battling in various ways with the soldiers. They were easily holding their own, which wasn't surprising. What [i]was[/i] unusual was the sight of one man in particular: Sabien Deimos. She watched as one of her acquaintances, Donovan, on the back of the majestic Adria, kept his distance from the intimidating man. She was busy pondering why the others weren't attacking the man when it was so easy to get to him when her thoughts were interrupted by Cinder's voice.

[i][b] ?Hey, why don't I stomp on him??[/b][/i] he chuckled, though he was entirely serious about the suggestion.

[b] ?No... A man like that getting stuck in your toes would quickly poison the rest of you,?[/b] she replied with a smile, though her voice hinted a more serious meaning behind the comment. [b]?Besides, I think going after him would be one of those mistakes that might get me and the others killed.?[/b]

[i][b] ?Don't tell me you're going to actually listen to that old windbag,?[/b][/i] Cinder asked, astonished. He knew her almost as well as she knew herself, having been with her since she was only a little girl, and he had never seen her take to obedience before. After all, she wouldn't be out here if she hadn't disobeyed [i]someone[/i].

[b] ?Don't worry, Cin. I'm not doing this for him,?[/b] she reassured him, stroking his scaly neck. He didn't like not knowing what was going through her head, and it frustrated him when she was hiding things from him. Before he could complain, she pointed out a fast-approaching swarm of Wyverns up ahead.

[i][b] ?So, the Brigade finally decided it wanted to show up, eh??[/b][/i] Cinder growled, showing a few of his sparkling teeth. If he could, he would surely have smirked as wide as possible. He was excited about the thought of being the first to fight the Brigade, which he could surely brag about later.

[b] ?I'm sure they'd appreciate a warm welcome to the battlefield,?[/b] Eddy grinned.

[i][b] ?Then why don't we give them more of a [/i]scorching[i] welcome??[/b][/i] he suggested maliciously.[/indent][/size]

[Ozymandius Jones]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Red][B]"YeeeeAHHHHH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"[/B]

The easiest way to discribe Samarkan de Locke's tone of voice was "girlish shriek." And Sadalbari, his dragon, was laughing at him for it, cavorting and skimming a claw's-breadth above the swift river beneath them, powerful wings flapping hard enough to kick up a wind that caused ripples on the river's surface. Samarakan - known to all and sundry as "Sam" - clung to Bari's neck with a death grip, yelling.

[B]"This isn't funny, not so close, not so CLOSE!"[/B] His feet were close to the water, and the jagged rocks sticking out of the river, and it was all he could do not to just squeeze his eyes shut and yell.
[COLOR=Black]
[B]"This, my youngling,"[/B] [/COLOR]Bari chuckled, [COLOR=Black][B]"Is what you get for focusing [i]entirely[/i] on one element. You start to fear what that element fears."[/B] [/COLOR]He banked, clawed wing-tip ducking under the water. [COLOR=Black][B]"I told you to focus in some other areas, but [i]no[/i], you had to be all focused on [i]fire[/i]..." [/B][/COLOR]He rolled, suddenly, flipping completely over so fast that Sam didn't have a chance to screech. [COLOR=Black][B]"It's only a river, it won't hurt you."[/B][/COLOR]

[B]"I'm not scared of it!"[/B]

Bari bared his massive fangs in a cat-like grin. [COLOR=Black][B]"Yes you are."[/B][/COLOR] His shoulders - rough and scaley under Sam's fingertips - quivered with amusement. [COLOR=Black][B]"And I am going to make you not scared of it."[/B][/COLOR] He did another barrel roll, chuckling as he ducked his head down to lick up a mouthful of sparkling clear water. Sam grumbled.

[B]"I don't need to be not-scared of it!"[/B]

[COLOR=Black][B]"Yes you do." [/B][/COLOR]And Bari ducked again, plunging Sam waist-deep into the freezing stream. Sam just blinked when Bari broke back into open sky, clearly threatening to dive again.
[B]
"Bari?"

[COLOR=Black]"Yes, Sam?"[/COLOR]

"Don't Ever Do That Again."[/B]

Bari just chuckled, ominously.

[COLOR=Black]"[B]Too late."[/B][/COLOR]

And they were plunging again, water spraying up in a fan, mist hitting his eyes.
[B]
"BARI!"

[COLOR=Black]"Oh, hush. We've got an appointment."[/B][/COLOR]

Sam could have sworn Bari winked at him as the flew - and dunked - onward, until finally they came in sight of a very, very small island - more a sandbar, actually - with a splash of purple-and-crystal and a smaller, tamer figure next to the massive purple splotch. Sam just groaned. [B]"Oh, [I]no[/I]..."[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[strwpoptart]

OOC: I am really so sorry guys! I've been unbelievably busy these past 2 weeks with school work and police academy stuff. I know I'm going to be a little late in posting stuff, but I do promise that I will post when I can.

[CENTER][COLOR=Green]Persephone was sitting in the make-shift saddle she made with her barehands for when riding in battle on top of Ciela. The saddle was made out of a type of leather and a knitted quilt. The pattern she created on the quilt was the image of her with Ciela by the water. When they were fooling around and sometimes while they were practicing she wouldn't use the saddle because Ciela really hated having it on her, but during battle it made it easier for Persephone to stay astride her when she made sharp turns and spirals. The saddle also made it easier for Persephone to stand astride her and fire her arrows off with her accurate percision.

The Sapiens were in the heat of battle with The Legion. Persephone wasn't really good with hand to hand combat or even close range combat for that matter so she usually stayed atop Ciela giving support from the sky. The first thing Persephone always did was look at all of her surroundings and where the enemy was located as well as her allies. One thing she was known for was her great sight. She always seemed to notice things before others did and saved many of her fellow Sapiens lifes due to that. This battle was taking place outside the city of [i]Beliarr[/i]. The city was located in a valley region. The wide open area had grass that was a beautiful green, but was currently being ruined by the soldiers stomping feet upon it and pools of blood. Unfornately there were also sparingly few trees around, meaning the battle was out in the open with very few to none places for the soldiers on the ground to hide. In certain situations that could be bad, but this made finding her enemies a whole lot easier. This made Persephone smile thinking, [COLOR=purple][i]"This is going to be too easy."[/i][/COLOR]

[color=lime]"You know Sephy I would normally agree with you, but take a look at the back of the enemy lines."[/color] Ciela said.

Persephone did look and for the first time noticed the commander of The Legion, Sabian Deimos, sitting in the back on top of his horse. [color=purple]"What the hell is he doing here? This isn't a huge important battle that he would be needed out here. I mean he barely shows himself at battles anymore anyways since he thinks of himself as so high and mighty. He usually just lets his military goons do all the work. Something weird is definetely going on."[/color]

Ciela said, [color=lime]"I agree with you."[/color]

Persephone looked around and found her fellow riders, Donovan Asclan and Eddy Reikenth. She took a moment away from battle to really look at them and to see of either of them also noticed Deimos. She concluded that they both did by the angry looks on their faces and the fact that they were being cautious just like her instead of justing going all out upon the enemy. [color=purple]"Lets be careful Ciela. Something definetely doesn't feel right. Can you send a message to Adriana for me?"[/color]

[color=lime]"Sure thing Stephy."[/color]

[color=purple]"Good. Tell her to ask Donovan if he has any idea whats going on and if he has a certain plan of attack that he wants us to carry out."[/color] Persephone wasn't about to let Deimos pull some kind of trick on them.
[/COLOR][/CENTER]

[4815162342]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Indigo]Meshuggener looked up even though Dionne, seated down between his forelegs just beneath his chest, didn?t. He rumbled gently as he lowered his head, lightly bouncing his chin on top of Dionne?s dark braided crown of hair, pulling some of the coiled braids to fall around her face.

[i]Look. Sammy and Bari![/i] Dionne chuckled warmly and perhaps a bit mischievously, reaching up to rub his warm scales as the two distant figures drew nearer to the isle that they sat on.

[b]?I see, I see?well, we will have to race them, yes? It?s our duty to play with the young pup!?[/b] The island the were on was grassy, had no shores, and was only [i]just[/i] big enough for Dionne and the bouncing, deep purple being that liked to call itself a dragon. So when the red dragon and its rider were close enough for Dionne to be able to count Bari?s scales, she stood quickly, sheathed her sword, and swung up onto Meshuggener?s back.

Dionne settled easily into place, and there was a steady thrum as with slow wing beats the two took to the air.

Meshuggener maneuvered as quickly as he could, and soon was flying alongside Bari, matching wing strokes. Purple wings beside red, the air filled with chimes as the breeze blew through Meshuggener?s beard.

Dionne shot a devious grin to her left at the young man on the red dragon, both hands braced in front of her on either side of Meshuggener?s spine.

[b]?Race you, boy.?[/b] Her exceptionally white teeth flashed as she mentally urged Meshuggener forward without even waiting for Sam?s answer.

Meshuggener responded fast ? or at least faster than Bari ? pushing forward and gaining feet and then yards before Bari even reacted.

Dipping and rolling the two dragons flew, the purple?s passenger laughing with delight at the speed and the rolls, and the red?s shouting out curses as Bari dipped beneath the water.

Dionne continued to laugh, glancing back at a soaking wet Sam and barely remembering to look to the front. She did, though, just in time to duck down as the entrance to the tunnels came up and Meshuggener ? with a large, toothy, draconic grin >D ? glided inside.

There was a loud chuff behind the two as Bari was forced to veer off, the tunnel semi blocked by Meshuggener?s backside and tail. Dionne called back, her voice lilting and tinged with the remains of her laughter.

[b]?Looks like I won, Sammy-boy! Now you owe me a drink??[/b] She trailed off as Meshuggener entered one of the caverns and stopped, their way blocked by the blue dragon, Lethe, and her half-naked rider. [b]??well, today we?re running into everyone, it seems...thinking of becoming a nudist, Tristan??[/b] One eyebrow arched, [b]?You do know they strip completely, yes??[/b][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkorange]OOC: There, finally posted. My extreme apologies for the lateness of this.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Allamorph]

[font=calibri]They achieved the caverns with good speed; the wind during the flight had been quite brisk, though Tristan hadn�t bothered to show it. Instead, he had spent the time deciding on a route back to his quarters that was both speedy and offered the least possibilities of traffic for him to negotiate. He didn�t fancy becoming that evening�s talk of the stronghold, and he was certain that his current predicament qualified. He was so absorbed in his planning that he barely listened to his dragon regale him with the events of her day, which from what he actually managed to hear had been very good, and had contained lots of sunning (her favorite pastime) and two excellent hunts. He did have the presence of mind to make appropriate remarks, such as a chuckle here or an [b]�Of course,�[/b] there, and Lethe hadn�t seemed to notice his preoccupation, or if she had she, in her rider�s fashion, also gave no sign.

[color=Blue][b][i]�We�re almost there. Hang on.[/i][/b][/color]

Tristan braced himself against her hide, clutching tightly to her sinewy shoulders as she rolled slowly over, still maintaining her speed. The stronghold shot by above his head, and for a brief moment he was staring up at the cliff that held the caverns entrance; his gaze drifted higher (or lower, depending on perspective) to the waves that washed against the cliff�s base several hundred feet below (or above � Tristan was quickly becoming disoriented), and for half a second it occurred to him that falling off would probably turn out to be extremely unpleasant. Then he was pressed into her back scales as she banked hard in a vertical arc and shot perfectly into the cave�s mouth. Her impressive wings beat once to brake her, then once again, and she alighted gracefully on the cavern floor.

Tristan glanced back at the entrance. The gaping hole leading into the cliff face had been present since his arrival, though both the entrance and the beginning of the primary tunnel had needed widening to accommodate the massive wingspans of Lethe and the purple, Meshuggener. Tristan smiled affectionately at the back of Lethe�s neck. Such large wings looked odd on her slender form, since she wasn�t anywhere near as bulky as her well-proportioned counterparts; unlike the other dragons, her muscles did not build up over time, instead cording tighter around themselves as she grew stronger, lending her a misleadingly frail appearance, though she could uproot mature oaks with little effort.

She exited the landing �pad� into a cavern to the left � most of the riders� essential equipment was kept here, and Tristan dismounted to stow his halberd with the harness and armor Lethe wore during battle. He almost began ascending the hewn stairs to the next levels when his dragon called him back.

[color=Blue][b][i]�Is that it?[/i][/b][/color] she inquired in an injured tone. [color=Blue][b][i]�Not even going to say goodbye to me?[/i][/b][/color]

Tristan turned back to face her.

[b]�Oh, come now,�[/b] he placated. [b]�I wasn�t aware that this was our last meeting.�[/b]

[color=Blue][b][i]�That doesn�t matter. It�s still rude.[/i][/b][/color]

Tristan rolled his eyes: [b]�Fine, fine. See you later. Happy now?�[/b] He attempted to leave again, but Lethe blocked his way with her tail.

[color=Blue][b][i]�My, aren�t [u]we[/u] in a hurry today,[/i][/b][/color] she commented dryly.

[b]�A little,�[/b] Tristan returned.

Lethe�s eyes narrowed, and her mouth crept into a smug smile. [color=Blue][b]�Really,�[/b][/color] she rumbled. [color=Blue][b]�And why would that be?�[/b][/color] She paused in mock thought. [color=Blue][b]�Ah. You wouldn�t happen to be a little embarrassed, now would you?�[/b][/color]

Tristan turned back to his dragon again. [b]�Yes,�[/b] he said flatly. [b]�Yes I am. I am not usually dressed�as I am. Meaning I am usually [i]dressed[/i]. Now will you stop grinning like that? You look positively evil.�[/b]

[color=Blue][b]�Oh, I don�t know,�[/b][/color] his dragon mused, ignoring his last statement. [color=Blue][b]�I think it looks good�[i]off[/i] you.�[/b][/color] She seemed quite proud of her pun.

[b]�You�ll forgive me if I don�t exactly take to the sentiment,�[/b] the rider retorted, obviously not as pleased, [b]�what with you not being human.�[/b]

[color=Blue][b][i]�Well, then. I suppose we�ll just have to get a second opinion,[/i][/b][/color] she informed him, a mischievous glint in her eye. Tristan was about to ask who the other party was going to be when he heard the whoosh of dragon wings at the cave�s entrance. He sighed irritably, fixing his dragon with a withering glare.

[b]�I don�t like you very much right now.�[/b] Lethe snorted in amusement. [b]�Who comes?�[/b] he continued.

[color=Blue][b][i]�The child.[/i][/b][/color]

[b]�Which one��[/b] he started, breaking off as the large purple head of Meshuggener came into view. He remembered then that Lethe always referred to Sam as �the feisty one�, and Meshuggener was �the child� because of his�interesting personality. Lethe had specific nicknames for all those she knew. In fact, Tristan and Kaien were the only two people�well, [i]beings[/i], that she actually called by name. At least, the only two he knew of. Still, he wondered why he had thought she was referring to Sam....

Dionne was speaking to him.

[b]��well, today we�re running into everyone, it seems...,�[/b]she was saying, [b]��thinking of becoming a nudist, Tristan?�[/b] One eyebrow arched, [b]�You do know they strip completely, yes?�[/b]

Tristan sighed again, then faced Dionne with a flourish.

[b]�Yes, well. You�d like that, wouldn�t you?�[/b]

[b]�Perhaps,�[/b] she returned without missing a beat. [b]�Though I�m sure I wouldn�t be the only one.�[/b]

[b]�Indeed,�[/b] Tristan responded, lifting his eyebrows in an unconvinced manner, following the action quickly with a quiet, [b]�It�s [i]her[/i] fault.�[/b]

The blue dragon snorted indignantly. [color=Blue][b][i]�Well! Since that�s the way you feel, [u]boy[/u], I shall take my leave of you.[/i][/b][/color] She exited the hall haughtily. [color=Blue][b][i]�I�ll be in my weyr if you should have need of me.[/i][/b][/color]

The riders looked in astonishment at the retreating dragon; Tristan made it a point to recover first.

[b]�I am sorry to also be dashing off like this, but I have other business that needs attending to.�[/b] He sent Dionne a rather conspiratorial sideways glance to allude to his true meaning and proceeded to take the stairs two at a time up to the top, sending down a [b]�I do hope you understand,�[/b] mid-stride. He paused in the doorway and looked down. [b]�It occurs to me,�[/b] he began suddenly, [b]�that we haven�t sparred in a while. We should look into that sometime.�[/b] He disappeared abruptly with another flourish, leaving Dionne no chance to reply.[/font]

[center]----------------------------[/center]

[font=Arial]OOC: Yeah, I just wasn't feeling it Wednesday night. Sorry. Anyway, shall we continue?[/font] Edited July 8, 2012 by Allamorph

[Engel]

[color=seagreen][size=1]The air whistled through Lethon's ears, bringing the fresh morning sea breeze to his lips and nose. He inhailed it, tasting the crisp wind and breathing out his stress. He cast a gaze over to the woods, the birds flying high in the clouds above him as they twittered a cheery morning song. He smiled to himself, reaching down to the ground and closing his thin and scarred fingers over a chain, suddenly flicking his wrist and pulling a long and rough, jagged blade from the ground.

Rocks and dirt flew up, a small dust cloud drifting into the sunlight. He grinned even wider, almost crazily. This was the best part of the day. It was his training time, of course, and who better to train with Lethon than-

[b]"Little one of mangled ears and wide smiles, do you believe you're going to beat me today?"[/b] A voice boomed, interrupting his thoughts. It was the most familiar voice he'd ever heard. A large, almost brutish green dragon strolled from the forest, obviously trying to impress the local creatures with his fearsome appearance. He looked like an incarnation of the lush green world's power to Lethon, and to most others that came across him.

[b]"Big one of pointed chin and smug grins, do you believe that I won't?"[/b] Lethon returned the challenge, allowing himself a laugh. Lethon began to slowly spin the chain, sending the raised and jagged blade into a circular motion, gently stroking the ground with it's not-so-gentle caress and sending up plumes of dust. Eranikus waved his large talons in front of his face, feigning a cough.

[b]"I believe that you're trying to blind and sicken me with all of that dirt, young one."[/b] He said rather dryly, before taking a quick and powerful swipe at Lethon. Gracefully and fluidly, Lethon leaned back, avoiding the claw.

[b]"Aww, what's wrong, wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, E-ran?"[/b] Lethon taunted in return, snapping his right wrist forward to send the jagged blade at Eranikus' face. It was slapped away by the emerald-like protrusion that adorned Eranikus' chin. To Lethon, it wasn't just a parry, it was a challenge. The forest seemed all-too-quiet for only moments before the sounds of bird's song and insect's laughter was replaced with metal's song and friendship's laughter.

Hoisting the blade up from the ground, Lethon stared up at Eranikus, quickly deciding a choice of action. He ran forward, holding the blade in a way that made it appear he'd strike for the tendons in the talon first. However, Eranikus knew this move by heart, and rose his massive fist up quickly. However, knowing an opponent's move in battle can often be a blessing and a curse.

Lethon, knowing that Eranikus read his moved, flipped the blade around and aimed a strike at the underbelly of Eranikus. He barely blocked it, but a large scratch could be seen on the scales.

[b]"Very good, little one! Let's try this one on for size!"[/b] Eranikus lifted his head up as if going to bite, but at the last second, sprayed corrosive acid at Lethon. Lethon twisted out of the spray's way, but a few flecks caught his face and arm, sizzling softly and sending searing pain up his arm.

[b]"Haha, I see you're still as sharp as ever, E!"[/b] With another chuckle, the two continued their training into the morning, the birds still singing songs and the insects and trees still laughing.

An hour or maybe a little less passed before the two collapsed against each other wearily, nuzzling up against the other.

[b]"Ahh, wonderful~. It's still early morning, what say you we return to a keep?"[/b] Lethon asked, panting and running thin fingers through his long white hair, feeling the sweat drenching his fingers.

[b]"Ah, I hear that other dragons and riders are there as well. I propose we head southwest to meet up with them. We could do with some social interaction, Lethon."[/b]

[b]"Sure, sure, sounds good to me."[/b] After resting a few moments, Lethon slung himself up onto the back of Eranikus, gently tapping his fingers against the neck of Eranikus. Getting the message, his great wings spread and they lifted into the air, enjoying the breeze's caress on their forms. They set down quietly and entered slowly, still relaxed and loose.

Lethon and Eranikus were greeted with the sight of a wordless Dionne. He smirked softly and told Lethon to stay where he was, before dipping himself into the shadow cast by the large walls and torchlights. Moving silently as a whispering cloud in a darkened night sky, he snuck up behind Dionne and tapped her shoulder.

[b]"Lost, or are you sleepwalking this early in the morning?"[/b][/color][/size]

[b]OOC:[/b] Extremely sorry about the lateness. My life has been quite derailed. But, ti's back on track now. Hope this is acceptable.

[4815162342]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Indigo]Dionne spun, elbow raised at an angle which she could easily slam the joint into a painful nerve, but luckily she froze as she caught sight of who it was. She lowered her arm, a grin spreading easily over her face as she slapped Lethon?s arm.

?Ah, Lethon.? Dionne drew her hand back, crossing her arms over her chest as she tilted her head. ?Don?t be sneaking up on me.? She turned, scanning the caverns until her eyes caught the two dragons behind them. ?But I should have heard you.? Her hearing must be going or something, ?Congratulate your dragon, it appears he has an exceptional skill at remaining quiet??

[i]And I don?t?[/i] The dragon rider chuckled as Meshi spoke, his voice laced with a pouting tone. [i]I can be quiet?![/i] Dionne turned back to Lethon, slinging an arm around his waist.

?Meshi says to congratulate Eranikus as well. He is in awe.? She kept the smirk well off her face as Meshuggener made a disgusted chirrup behind them. ?Shall we head to dinner?? Her question was well founded, for it was indeed dinnertime. Never-mind the fact that she wanted to beat Sam to dinner, as she had earlier beaten him back to the base.

Meshi?s chimes jangled as he settled down in a niche in the wall, speaking for once to the other dragon rider ? something he rarely did.

[b][i]She just wants to beat Sam again. She isn?t honestly being nice. Hmph![/i][/b]

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OOC: ?soooo sorry. Been sick and busy. D: But! Here is my short (and crappy!) post.[/COLOR][/SIZE]