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Closed Semi-lit: PG-13: The Order of the Dragon Knights

Interesting indeed, perhaps.

"More than what figured for a cave?" Kinri asked as he poked his head into the chamber shortly thereafter. (He had been able to hear the young man, afterall-tunnels were wonderful places for amplifying sound, as it were.) And yes, his foot still hurt a good deal; one could observe it with him gingerly making his way inside. "Expected the dark, moldy, and dreary sort of affair that you'd expect more from a black dragon?"

He smiled a little at the seated chap as-tentatively- he settled on his haunches nearby. "Or were you expecting mounds of treasure intermingled with the bones of intruders?"

"Either way, I'm glad you seem to be impressed," the young green continued as the tip of his tail twitched back and forth lazily, "The crystals are gifts from my relatives, and I'm supposed to be learning how to make them glow myself later." If, of course, he thought, they ever decide to get to that lesson. I swear, they act like I'd use them for some joke or other. What could one do with glowing rocks anyway for a prank? He had to wonder, to be honest.

"All in all...this isn't really that...austere of a place yet. But I'm guessing you like it so far?"
 
"And I will be your partner. Your name is..?"

Razkr gave a little squeal (which sounded more like a screech) of happiness. A human partner! Yay! He had waited so long for this, it's almost unbelievable. "Oh yay! Nice to meet you, Kourth! I'm Razkr, but you can call me Raz or Razzy or whatever nickname you can come up with. I'm a, as you can see --" Razkr flapped his wings a bit, "a bronze dragon, and I live in a cave near here -- oh! Do you want to see my cave? Since you're going to be my partner and all, you'll have to live in my cave for a while, and I should get you comfortable shouldn't I? My cave isn't that big, but I'm pretty sure I can find some space for you. If not, I can always dig a bit more and make it bigger. Anyway, want to see my cave?" Razkr said, his tail swishing behind him excitedly. He couldn't wait to show the human -- Kourth -- his treasures. The hu -- Kourth -- will definitely love the piles of sparkly things he had gathered.
 
Kourth chuckled. The dragon, Razkr's excitement amused him. He liked this dragon. "Alright," he said, "Let's see this cave of yours. Even if it isn't very big, someone as small as me should fit." Then he realized that he was actually bigger than most humans. But then, he remembered his theory on adjectives. Every thing that can be described, can only be described in comparison. He was bigger than most humans, but smaller than most dragons. He walked towards the dragon, stopping shortly before running into its leg. He reached out his hand to touch Razkr's scales, then stopped. "May I? he asked, looking up at the dragon, "I've never touched a dragon before. Your scales are beautiful."
 
Ardeina blinked. A test? Some of the points he raised were valid, even appealing. She was no serf - and if she did this, she would certainly prove herself. Was a bed really important? Yes - it was. And if working was really the only way... It was only because she wanted to prove that she could do this, that Endymion had chosen well. Gaining the respect of the people was important as well. Taking a deep breath, she nodded decisively, hoping she looked determined and proud. "I'll do it." She felt like there should have been an accompanying fanfare - accepting this wasn't easy!

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

Morrigan sagged a bit as her partner decided to stay on the ground, but showing off was showing off, and she loved to fly. Trying to keep her disappointment hidden, she lashed her tail and nudged him. "Alright! Watch me, then!" She pushed off of the ground, wings beating heavily. At first, she clung low to the ground, gliding and making curving passes over Charlie's head. Eventually she began to speed up, and then roll and spin as she flew, before rising in a tight spiral, and then diving. It was only with a good burst of speed that she was able to pull up and spin vertically, wings pulled in as she spiralled upward. It didn't last, but the dragon was in perfect control as she then plummeted to the ground, before pulling up again and simply soaring overhead to catch her breath. "Well?" she called out, waiting for a sign of approval.

((Tired=post fail. Yay, I'm back~))
 
Verne blinked, thinking back for a moment about his weird dream. What did it mean? He decided not to mention it though, as he tried to come up with something to reply to N'hee. "Oh, uh, yeah. It was nice and relaxing. You're quite comfortable to rest next to, master." He didn't want to anger her, since he still didn't know how she would react if he said the wrong thing, so he tried to remain polite and courteous. "So, I'm curious, and I'm sure I have a lot to learn. What is the Black Dragon way? How do you wish for me to act, and think?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The woodworker looked a little bit surprised how simple it seemed to totally change Ardeina's attitude, from one of surprise and disbelief about the job ahead, to one of eagerness and commitment. But then he looked back at the silver dragon, and realized he really shouldn't be that surprised at all. "Very well then. First thing we'll need is the design. Fortunately, I've made several beds before, so that shouldn't be difficult. And then, we'll need supplies...Lumber, rope, cloth, and filling... So then, why don't you two bring back some oak wood, to get us started?"

Endymion smirked and nodded. "All right. How much is needed?"
"Two trees would be more than enough. One might even do, if it's large enough."
Endy turned to Ardeina, lowering his head. "Well then, are we ready? This will be fun, our first project together."
 
"The Black Dragon's Way is to win at any cost. Nothing is too dirty, too underhanded, and too sneaky to use in battle. There is no such thing as honour on the battlefield. Acids, poisons, and creeping illness are the best ways to cripple your foes, while you lurk in the shadows, safe and secure. Value yourself above all else but me. Do you understand?" She purred, nuzzling the human.

She smiled, her lips curling back, and continued.

"I can teach you the way to create poisons with no known antidote, I can venom your weapons with my blood and breath, I can show you how to safely carry disease and infect others. That is our way."
 
Ardeina paled at the suggestion that she and Endymion were going to bring back two tree's-worth of oak. Or just one, very large, tree. That was... a large amount. She hadn't considered how much would be used for a sturdy bed. She had taken that completely for granted. You wanted one, a carpenter made it, you paid for it and there it was. Never had she had to help make one. Hopefully Endymion was going to actually fell the trees, or do whatever was needed to get the wood, as she was far too small to knock down anything. Aware that Endymion was waiting for her to reply, she gulped and nodded. "Um... ah... yes. I'm ready." She didn't look it - she was aware of that.
 
Charlie watched in awe as Morrigan flipped and spun in the air. He would never have thought that such a huge creature can move so fast and be so graceful in the air. Several times, the purple dragon had flew so low that Charlie thought she was going to fall, yet she always managed to pull up at seemingly the last second. As Morrigan swooped by for her last dive, Charlie was almost blown away by the huge gust that followed. The dragon pulled up and seems to be grinning happily. "Well?" Morrigan asked, hovering overhead.

Charlie stared, wordless. The performance was brilliant, and he couldn't find a proper way to describe it. So, for perhaps the second or third time in a day, Charlie found himself unable to speak.

Being with dragons do that to you.

"That was awesome," he finally said, not sure if there's another way of describing the performance.

------

Razkr grinned. This was probably the first time someone had decided that his scales are nice. "Thanks! I especially polished my scales this morning, so they're shinier than usual." He crouched down lower to the ground, making it easier for the human to climb on to his back. "You can ride on my back if you want, and I'll fly you to my cave. Or do you want me to hold you in my paws like Zz'lara did when she carried you guys here? Or you can find somewhere else to ride if you want, but I dunno where exactly you can ride. I suppose I pick you up with my tail, but I might drop you and that'll be bad," Razkr explained, his excitement clearly showing in his voice.
 
Kourth chuckled. "That would be pretty bad I guess, but that would depend on how high up we are. In any case, I guess your back would be the safest place." Kourth climbed on as best he could. It was his first time getting on a dragon's back and he was finding it more difficult than it seemed. He struggled a little, but eventually got there. Once seated and comfortable, he called down to his new partner. "Okay, I'm ready."
 
So that is her mindset.. I should have known. What really did I get myself into?

Verne thought about raising questions about that whole concept. He'd learned to be kind, courteous, and diplomatic when dealing with others his whole life, and what she had just told him went completely contrary to that principle. He wanted to argue with her right then. "Uh..." But as he stared into her eyes, nothing else came out. He felt so meek and small next to her. "... uh... uh huh..." was all he managed to say. And failing to even manage the courage to speak up only made him feel smaller and more sheepish. Verne lowered his head, nodding. "Yes... I understand, N'hee..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, she said she was ready... She really has to learn to mean what she says, at least to me.

Endymion didn't hesitate... he stealthfully wrapped his tail, near its end, around Ardeina before she could 'change her mind.' Grinning, he turned his head back toward her. "Let's go then, Ardeina..." The silver dragon leaped up into the air and began to fly off toward the forest, dangling his partner in his tail. With his tail wrapped around her waist, her legs were completely free to move, and there was soon nothing underneath them for dozens of feet. Endymion's tail waved in a simple, up and down wave motion as he flew, and even with the human carried in it, he used it for balance, countering the sometimes-violent wind gusts.

(double fail :( )
 
"Yay~ Hold on tight, and let's gooo~" Razkr yelled, perhaps a bit louder than he intended. He started running towards the flying deck, then launched off at the last second, his powerful legs giving him the last boost he needed. His wings flared open, and the dragon beat them mightily as they, slowly, began to rise. The view was nice, and, as the temple faded further and further away into the distance, one could see a large cliff looming up ahead.

Razkr wasn't flying particularly fast -- it wasn't as if he was able to fly very fast, anyway -- but the cliff was soon getting closer and closer. There seemed to be an unnaturally sparkly hole on the side of the cliff, and, if one look closely, one can see that it was actually a cave. There was a large rock right in front of the cave that can function as a landing platform, and it, too, sparkled unnaturally in the sun. "I'm gonna land, so hold on, 'k?" The bronze dragon shouted over the wind cheerfully.
 
Ardeina had to bite back a squeal as she was pulled into the air. Her legs flailed - there was nothing beneath her feet but air, and though Endymion's hold on her was tight, the way he kept lashing the tail around terrified her. What if he loosened his grip when he needed to balance against a powerful wind, and she fell? "You... you could have warned me!" she shouted, too panicked to think that raising her voice at Endymion could potentially be a very bad idea. It was hard to not look down, but when she did, she was sure she would be sick. Maybe, if she had been prepared, she wouldn't be so scared, but now her heart was pounding and she desperately just wanted to land.

---------------
Morrigan beamed at him. "I'm glad you liked it!" she trilled, tail lashing. "Maybe you'll like to try those with me one day. It's good you like flying so much. I'm a really good flier, a lot better than most. Sometimes I don't even see any point in landing - I wish I could just keep going and going without ever having to go back to the ground. That would be the best! But then... I don't think I'd be able to talk to you, since you don't have wings." This was her, just prattling on about anything that came into her head. Besides, watching Charlie's face for the inevitable confused look was always fun - he could never make sense of just what she was saying and why she was telling him this. It was a game to her, but a perfectly harmless one. Maybe he would get used to it, eventually.
 
Kourth braced himself for the liftoff as best he could, but nothing could have prepared him for the blast of wind that hit his face. Amazingly he held on tight, despite the urge to cover his ears to block out the dragon's roaring. Once in the air, he looked down below and gasped. The cave they had met in was growing smaller and smaller, and the wind blew through his hair and on his face. Flying was the greatest thing he had ever experienced in his whole life. "This is wonderful Raz," he cried down to Razkr. He heard a returning cry telling him that they were landing, and he was a little disappointed. Oh well, he thought to himself, This won't be that last time we fly together. Then he called down to Razkr, "Ready when you are Raz!"

((Evoli, my dragon character is still waiting for your human to find him.))
 
Dragons talk with their wings?

Charlie got to about the first half of the rant before confusion took over. Morrigan was saying something about how she won't be able to talk to him because he doesn't have wings... But... Isn't she talking to him now? She was also saying something about not wanting to land. Maybe dragons signal each other with their wings in the air. That would make sense, seeing that it was hard shouting over the powerful wind, and Morrigan had some pretty maneuverable wings.

... Or maybe that she just won't be able to talk to him when she's flying because he's on the ground, Charlie realized as his brain finally caught up to his ears. Morrigan was a nice dragon, sure, but her habit of blabbing out whatever is on her mind was confusing.

"Flying is pretty fun... But don't you have to land for food though?" Charlie asked, trying to make conversation before realizing how pointless that was. Morrigan probably would have a grand time just talking to herself.

----

"Yay~" Razkr whooped and spread his wings, bringing himself to a dive. The sparkles on the platform showed him where he was landing, and he was about to do his usual fall-from-the-sky-and-scare-the-heck-out-of-whoever's-watching before a thought suddenly occurred to him. He was carrying a human, wasn't he. That meant that he should land slowly and carefully. Ah.

Razkr opened his wings and slowed his descend. How should he get to this? He supposed that he could do whatever Morrigan was doing a while ago, flapping her wings in really strange angles and hovering in mid-air. But he couldn't do that -- Razkr knew that his wings don't bend that way, and they're not big enough to hover with. He looked down and saw that he was directly above the landing platform, which could be best described as a large rock jutting out of the side of a cliff lined with something extremely sparkly. Ah-ha!

Razkr spread his wings and flapped them gently so that he was falling, but not at a very fast speed. Not a very fast speed to him, at least. He landed, four legs down, on the platform with a loud thud and a small cloud of dust. The platform glittered around him. It seemed to be have lined with gems or something similar. "Ok, we're here! You can get off now!" Razkr called and crouched down so Kourth could slide off without killing himself.
 
Kourth gasped. Everything was sparkling. Anything shiny was treasure to Kourth. As a servant gold or jewels were pretty much forbidden. If you ever aquired them, your owner would make up some rule or law or any kind of reason to get it from you. Being a servant made you realize how greedy the world was. He began walking towards a cave in the rock, that surely belonged to Razkr.
 
((Just realized I could post here. D: Sorry guys.))

Morrigan lashed her tail. "I can eat birds. They're crunchy, with lots of bones, and not much meat, but if you find a flock in autumn, you can eat lots of them!" she announced. "Don't humans eat birds too? Burned, though..." She didn't see the point in cooking food when it was perfectly tasty raw - and with such a mixture of different textures too. Humans were weird... "It would be nice not to have to land. Maybe there's a spell to turn a human into a dragon? Then you could fly with me! Sitting can't be as fun as actually going through the air."

She furled her wings and looked around. Since they had been talking about food... sort of, she decided to broach the subject with him now. "Are you hungry? Should we go get food? Or maybe go to the cave to sleep, or something? What do you want to do?" And, once again, her eager muzzle entered his personal space as she tried and failed to look him in the eyes. The fact that her head was massive compared to his complicated things, but sheh ad heard that looking someone in the eyes was useful when having a conversation...
 
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