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

Verne gasped, staring wide-eyed at the huge creature before him. He staggered back a step and practically froze in fear, his muscles tightening, his arm trying to reach for his sword instinctually, but unable to even grasp that, even though he knew that wouldn't do a thing anyway. "A...a dragon...?" he managed to stammer out, unable to say much. His mind raced through a range of emotions and thoughts... shock... fear... amazement... What was going on? What this some sort of trap? A test? Or something else? He seemed rather stunned further that a couple of the others actually stepped forward toward the creature. "Wait..." he tried to say, holding out his hand in fear of something happening to the noble girls in particular.

The green dragon held still for a moment, allowing the kids to come forth, even touch her snout if they chose, but then suddenly spoke, in perfect English, in a feminine, contralto voice, smooth and deep. "Of course, my child. But do not take long, for others are waiting for us." After a moment, she pulled her head back, so that the others could step out comfortably, resting it on the ground, between her forepaws.

Mr. Lanhol then gave his own briefing. "This is Zz'lara. She is my partner dragon. And soon, each of you will become partners with your very own dragon. Your soon-to-be-partners are all waiting for you. Zz'lara will take us to them next. Follow me." The old man then leapt high into the air, twirling around like a diver, before landing squarely on the middle of Zz'lara's shoulders, standing up tall. "Climb up here, or Zz'lara can also carry you in her hands, whichever you wish. The green dragon opened her forepaws, unraveling her long claws.
 
Ardeina gulped audibly as she put her hand on the dragon's snout. The scales were smooth, and she was surprised that she could have gotten so close... And then the dragon lifted its head away and she scrambled back again, clenching her hands into fists. Just... what had happened? How come the dragon hadn't eaten her? When it spoke - and it sounded feminine - she eeped, stumbling back. It was intelligent. She was intelligent. And.. and... Her brain stopped working for a moment. Partners? With dragons?

People actually worked with the bloodthirsty, vicious beasts from tales? Yet... this one hadn't hurt them. The man certainly looked unharmed. She resolved to think about partners after she was on the dragon - and the only way she was going to be traveling was on her back. The idea of being held in those massive paws made her shudder. She walked over to Zz'lara and looked up, about to wait until someone else made the climb first. However, she was a noble. It was her duty to be the one the commoners looked to, as a leader. "Um... I apologize if I bother you." she said to the dragon, trying to figure out a way up to her shoulders and back.
 
Alanna squeaked when the dragon spoke, but took a step forward when instructed to do so. She crept towards Zz'lara, placing her hands flat on the dragon's scaly side, wondering how to climb her. She stood there in wonder for a moment, heart rushing, breathing heavy. This was a spectacular sight, and the thought of what was to happen... Her own dragon friend. The words that mister Lanhol had imparted upon them swirled in her mind, bumping up against each other and getting terribly mixed up, but she had gotten the gist of it.

A Dragon Rider. She had read stories as a small girl about people who rode dragons, but they had been nothing but happy fey tales to her then. She pictured herself perched on a dragon's back, the dragon, a massive beast of shimmering scales, powerful muscle, and bird-hollow bone under her. She pressed her head to Zz'lara's side, listening for a heartbeat. Would her heart beat fast and birdlike, or perhaps slowly and steadily? She just had to know.

((this post is weird.))
 
Raiha lightly sat in one of Zz'lara's forepaws, holding his wooden sword and cursing himself for not finding a real one. The green scales felt smooth, but they were probably tough.

Looking up at the dragon, he finally spoke. "Hey, just as an estimate, how hard are your scales?" He highly doubted they were soft enough that his sword could do anything... and it's face was too high up for him to stab it in the eye.
 
Gallea stepped back, not wanting the others to see her face, her reaction at this.. green lump of dragon scales and muscle. Dragons? What.. She watched, somewhat amused by the noble girl who had come just a bit ahead of her, looking rather nervous. Was she nervous? Gallea had no idea how she felt, but the dragon in front of her definitely was big enough to kill them all easily. And couldn't dragons breathe fire, or ice or something?

Not sure whether to keep her distance or move closer, Gallea ran a hand through her hair and stepped forward a few steps.
---
Kismet half-growled half-laughed at that dragon, N'Hee or something if she remembered. "There are no dibs," she said with a smirk. "And besides, all humans are the same, weak and useless." She paused.

"Besides, I bet some humans are calling dibs on the dragons. Hah."
 
Erandor quickly tried to hide his gasp as a dragon's head was revealed behind the gate. Two of the girls immediately wanted to touch it. How typically female.

The old guy introduced it-her I guess-and told everybody to get on, or they could be held in her claws. The green dragon looked nice enough, at least, Erandor assumed that the expression on her face was a smile.

Erandor liked the idea of riding in her claws. Sure, they were vicious looking, but it would be better than riding unsecured on her back, between her wings. He steped forward and announced his decision.
 
Verne just stood still for a little while, but after some of the braver individuals rubbed the dragon's snout with their hands, he finally stepped forward and reached out his own hand. The dragon's scales weren't completely soft, but they were smooth and mildly flexible, as well as surprisingly warm. He was suddenly shocked to hear what she did next, though... speak to them. About.... becoming partners with a dragon of their own? "... Wow..." he tried to say, though only managing to mouth the word.

After the dragon had moved back, opening her paws for passengers, Verne slowly walked forward. He decided the easiest place to stay was probably the paw. At least he wouldn't be in danger of falling off... the dragon could hold him tightly. He took a seat on one of her paws, next to Raiha. Hearing another boy near him just speaking a decision, Verne smiled and replied, "Just climb on then."

Mr. Lanhol glanced down at the young female noble, smirking a little when he heard she wanted a way up. "Well, I'll let you figure it out. I don't expect you to appear on top of the dragon from above or below, so you'll have to climb up one way, and move over here afterward. What do you suppose would be the best way to do that?"

The dragon's heartbeat was definitely not quick and peppy. A strong, slow pulse, beating once every few seconds, vibrated throughout Zz'lara's body, especially around her diaphragm. A natural breathing pattern also applied, normally only 2 or 3 breaths per minute. This was a massive creature, whose body was built for the long haul. Zz'lara glanced for one moment at the girls at her side, then back to her paws, before speaking to the little servant boy, somewhat more softly than before, though still easily heard. "My scales provide a certain level of protection, far greater than that wooden toy of yours could bypass. But I have learned not to rely on my scales as my only means of protection. You will eventually learn your own techniques for protection.
 
Ardeina looked up at the dragon again and sighed. The snout was less sloped, and she could climb on that but... it was the dragon's snout. Close to the jaws, and altogether too dangerous for her liking. Tentatively tapping the scales was one thing. Climbing around on it was entirely another. The tail though - it too was a gradual slope in comparison with everything else. She eventually gathered the courage and began to climb up it, taking care not to stay in one spot for longer than neccessary, lest Zz'lara find her ticklish and throw her off accidentally. Her muscles were used to some exercise, but her constant fear made her sweat until she reached the dragon's back. Standing there, she looked down at the ground and then shuddered.

At last she made her way to Mr. Lanhol, sure that her fear was showing itself on her face. "That... wasn't so bad..." she lied.
 
(Note: once again, you can describe what happened retroactively. I'm just trying to make sure the dragons have some extra plot to work with too)

After she was satisfied that everyone was on board, Zz'lara wrapped her claws around the humans in her paws, and lifted herself up onto her back feet. She held her neck down, however, to make sure the humans on her back were still stable. The large green dragon then spread her wings, turning around to face away from the mountain, and darted forward, flapping her wings until she could jump into the air with some lift. Mr Lanhol stood behind all the kids on the dragons back, watching to make sure they didn't fall off.

As the dragon was taking off, Verne grabbed tightly onto one of her talon-like fingers, hugging onto it for dear life. He saw himself raised high above the ground, higher than he had ever been before, and that was before the dragon even lifted into the air. He couldn't help but give a few screams, but only part of it was out of fear... oh, the thrill of being high in the air, flying at speeds he could have only imagined! Once he got over the initial knot in his stomach, he found the ride exhilarating. "Wahahahhooooww!" he cheered, grinning like a little kid in a candy shop.

Fortunately, the ride continued further without a hitch. Zz'lara flew just over a human city, situated in the valley of the group of mountains around, then past a forest, above a large lake, and then spiraled up a steep hill, ascending just barely 10 feet away from the hill, so close you could almost feel it. As she just passed the plateau holding the temple, she caught herself, hovering for a few seconds to let the humans see an aerial view of the enormous dragon temple, before finally beginning a descent, landing smoothly on the plateau, stepping forward on her hind feet and folding her wings at her sides. The green dragon then walked inside to meet the young dragons, standing across the room from them, then laid down on the ground, letting the humans down.

Mr. Lanhol slid down the side of his partner and landed on the ground, on his feet, speaking in particular to the humans, while lining them up in front of Zz'lara. "Well, this is it. One of these dragons will become your partner. But, you won't get to choose which one... They will be the ones to choose." He smiled, and Zz'lara nodded. The green dragon then announced, in a booming voice, "It's time, children. Time to decide your destiny..."

Verne squirmed a little as he stared at the young dragons, but quickly followed the orders of the older man. He took a deep breath and stood up tall among the other humans, trying not to fidget too much.

(All right, now the pairings can begin. Like I mentioned in the OOC, the dragons should choose among the humans who they want to partner with. After that, we'll just have to see)
 
Alanna hung on to the dragon's finger as she flew, having scrambled there after the huge creature had shown signs of taking off. She squeezed her eyes shut and held on for dear life, making a soft squealing sounds and pressing her face against the dragon's skin.

After they landed, she staggered away a few feet and fell to the ground with a soft whump.

"Oof." She muttered, getting to her feet and standing in line with the others.

N'hee got to her feet, grinning a wide toothy smile and creeping towards the humans. She held her thin head high, looking down at the assembled group with acid-green eyes. She snorted, and swing her head down so she was eye-level with them all. She smelled each one carefully, then made a 'hm.' noise.

"Which of you will I choose...?" She purred, voice soft as velvet, but dripping with venom. "Which of you is good enough for me?"
 
What? We get to choose?

But... a good partnership has to work two ways.

Arite was nervous now. How could a good partnership work if only the dragons got to choose? Couldn't they all get to know each other first, for the best chance of success?

She was also taken aback by the humans' appearance; they didn't look much like she had expected them too. She had no idea that just a few minutes ago they had been amazed at Zz'lara, had gotten the urge to touch her face and ask a few questions. If she had, then she wouldn't have laughed; she had the urge to touch them.

And they were awfully short, too. Arite had felt so tiny all her life. Blue dragons had always been the shortest; they could tower above the others if they stood on their hind legs, but their bodies were too long for one short, weak pair of legs to hold all that weight; she wondered how the humans managed it. Maybe they weren't as long in proportion to their height, so their legs were strong enough. And she was a hatchling, so she was basically the shortest of all, except for extremely young dragons. And she was taller than them. It was very odd to her.

And how exactly would they choose who picked first? It had to be done one way or another, or else there would be fights, which the humans would be unlikely to survive. Were they going to draw names out of a - what was that word - hat? Alphabetical order? Well, if it was alphabetical order, than she would be at an advantage.
 
Zz'lara smiled and began to speak to the dragons, "Go on, you may choose whenever you wish. Just know that if you wait too long, your choice may be gone, but if you pick too quickly, you might not be able to examine them as carefully as you might wish. So it is your choice when you wish to pick; there isn't any preset order.

Verne stood still, watching the first dragon to approach, who happened to be the black dragon, N'hee. While the black was only half the size as Zz'lara, in many ways, Verne felt even more on edge. For one thing, N'hee did not seem to have the calm, experienced demeanor that Zz'lara had. To him, her stature, her gait, and even her grin and voice said only one thing... She was a predator, in search of the perfect prey. It was enough to make Verne gulp nervously, his legs shaking, his breathing and pulse quickening, and his eyes wandering as the comparably-large black dragon began to examine him on her way through the field.

Endymion stood up and slowly began to walk over to the group of humans, sitting down maybe a dozen feet behind N'hee as the black was doing her examination. He watched each of the humans' reactions to the black dragon, then, after she finished her initial walkthrough, he spoke up. "Anyone appear interesting to you, N'hee?" He grinned, waiting for his chance to monopolize the humans.
 
"We'll see." N'hee purred, raising a clawed paw and hovering over the heads of the humans.

She let her fingers dance over their heads, as if counting them, tapping each one gently on the head with a claw-tip. She grinned, letting her head slide into place before her pick. She wrapped her claws around his body and lifted him into the air, looking the boy in the face. Her grin widened, and she got close enough to Verne's face that he would be able to smell her acrid breath, and look right into her gleaming eyes.

"You'll do nicely, my little prince. I think I will grant you the honour of using me as your mount! How does that sound?" She hissed, her tongue darting out and licking his cheek.
 
Raiha could barely suppress a shiver. The one that picked Verne was damn creepy, and the poor bastard got picked. Once again, Raiha had wished for a real sword. And that he hadn't bit his lip. What if dragons were attracted to that blood and tried to eat him?

He nervously glanced over at Mister Lanhol, gulping. He was sure that Mister Lanhol wouldn't let a dragon eat him... he hoped. And Zz'lara told him his wooden sword was useless... which it probably was.
 
Verne exhaled, almost in relief, the first time the black dragon passed by him. He wasn't sure just what kind of impression he made. I'm not the most brave, or the most skilled... or the most beautiful... he thought, as he stared at the black dragon. Maybe it'll pick someone else. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing. This worked... for a while... until suddenly, Verne felt -something- wrap itself around his soft waist. This made his eyes shoot back open and his legs practically jump out of his skin. The very first thing he saw then was the wide, toothy grin of the black dragon, staring back at him. Up... close... her warm, humid, rather vitriolic breath blowing over his shoulders, pretty much dulling his senses to anything else. He found himself practically paralyzed, staring hypnotically into the dragons burning green eyes, and could only grunt and watch as he was lifted up off the ground, brought up closer to the dragon's vicious maw. Her voice echoed into his ears, to which, for a moment, Verne was left speechless, his mouth left ajar, but finally, he managed to meep. He gulped again, stammering, "Th...th...than..k.... you..?"
 
"Good boy!" N'hee purred, placing the human on her shoulder, making sure to balance him, and walking off surprisingly gently. "You will do nicely indeed. I will make you into the best rider there is, my little prince... a Dragon Rider King, how does that sound?" She purred, acidic voice rolling over her tongue and tinkling to the ground, a thousand drops of venom.

She let her wings unfurl a bit, holing them level with the ground, and curved her neck so she could look at him. She inclined her head slightly, waiting for an answer.

Alanna, meanwhile, stared straight ahead. The black dragon was... jarring to say the least. She practically oozed poison from every pore, and that was a bit creepy. The girl trembled, glancing towards the massive black beast but looking away quickly. She puffed out her cheeks and made a determined face, looking quickly at each dragon.

Which one would pick her?
 
"Heheh, you bet I'm smart," Kinri said with a snicker before moving away. Personally he didn't want to push his luck more than he usually did, afterall. Still, it was oddly amusing to note he hadn't figured out that Endy was being highly sarcastic.

Oh well; suddenly far more interesting things were going on: Namely, the arrival of said humans.

Ehh....after all the stories I'd heard, I expected better, Kinri thought as he peered at the humans from where he stood-which was pretty much where they'd been asked to stay, as it were. Could be wrong, though... Bright blue eyes intently focused on first one, then another...even as his tail twitched with annoyance at N'hee claiming 'dibs'. Ugh.

And, it seems she's made a choice already too. Joy. Frankly the young green pitied that human; N'hee wasn't the nicest dragon around, so he understood. Still, he'd wait a moment...get a general assessment, perhaps. Though one did seem rather interesting already...

Kinri panned his head slightly as he eyed Ominak curiously. Dunno...that one might be interesting to be with....
 
Before Verne knew it, he found himself sitting on top of the black dragon's shoulder. Her voice continued to tear through his ears, echoing through his body. He had been used to being looked down upon, underappreciated, only a tool for the lord of the village, for his father, for the king, and practically everyone around him. But this was far different than anything he had felt before. N'hee's voice seemed to call out to his very identity.

"It's... lovely..." he replied, his voice surprisingly monotone, speaking subconsciously, his mind itself still in a state of shock.

Verne stared out ahead of him, watching into space, hardly even feeling the bouncing of each step the black dragon took. This... can't be real... what's going on... this must be a dream... is it? What's going to happen to me now? he wondered.

Endy watched the black dragon walk off with one of the humans, a large, bulky, but rather timid and plain looking male. To each his own, I suppose... The one that was chosen didn't appeal to him much at all, which only made him smile. "Well now... who will be our next victim.." Endymion spoke out loud, in a deep, dreamlike voice. He walked up and sat down in front of the group of humans. I need... someone... who I can bond with... who can understand me... who wants to always be... the best... His red eyes seemed to glow as he gazed upon each human individually, moving his large head in front of each human to examine them. One human, however, caught his eye, and while he didn't immediately reveal his selection, choosing to give each one their due attention, he then lifted his tail, curling it around his body, placing the tip of it underneath the chin of a young, well-dressed girl. "You..." Endy turned his head toward Ardeina, rubbing the back of his tail against her, then sliding it behind her and wrapping it around her torso. "...You are one lucky girl..." He snickered, showing her his sharp fangs. "Let's go, my lovely little human." He lifted her up and began to walk away from the other humans.
 
"In your paws?" With a little shiver, Gallea climbed into the dragon- Zz'lara's paws, beside the others, and held on for dear life.
----
Kismet turned a lazy eye towards Zz'lara, and the humans. "Oh look. Our uh, meals have arrived." She flared her wings, causing a strongish blast of wind, and stood up. Some of the humans looked rather twitchy and scared.. she could go with one of them, easy to boss around.

But they'd be useless.

Kismet sighed. This choice was harder than she'd thought; she couldn't just pick any random one... She passed a girl who looked to be a..what was the word, a merchant or something, in a black vest. She looked up expectantly at Kismet, who turned away. "Let's see.."

There, there was a girl over there. She was one of the more finely dressed ones, royalty of the humans or something. She was.. rather short, but so was Kismet, for a Purple.. She'd do, anyways. Kismet slunk over to her, and brushed the three feathers on her tailtip against the girl's neck.

"You don't look too edible, I guess I'll choose you," she said with a kind of smirk. Kismet shuffled around, and her blue-purple scales clinked loudly against each other. "So.. I guess you're my human. I'm Kismet." Kismet scooped the girl up with one claw and put her on her back.
 
Ardeina barely suppressed another undignified squeak as his tail first lifted her chin, and then wrapped around her and lifted her in the air. She had to show she was worthy of this honour... If it was an honour. Still, the dragon hadn't threatened to eat her, and he was pretty, his scales shining like polished silver. She briefly wondered if his scales tarnished, and then decided that to ask would be stupid. She focused on saying something that wouldn't be made up of 'ummm'. "Thank you for choosing me, sir dragon. My name is Ardeina, and I am a highly-ranked noble. Or I was. I'm not sure if my status has changed since I arrived. Might I know your name?" Perfect. Her voice was polite, to him, but haughty to show that she still thought of herself as a noble, and deserving of this honour.

---------------
Morrigan reared excitedly onto her haunches, looking over the humans. Some had already been chosen. Well. Let them keep them. She was sure that her partner would be better than those humans. Lowering herself back to all fours, she looked at a fairly tall and lanky human, with rather boring brown hair. He didn't look as well-dressed, but it wasn't as if the appearance of her partner would matter to her. "I'm Morrigan." she said conversationally. "I want to choose you as my partner. Do you mind?" Despite her apparent calm, her tail lashed behind her, a sure sign of her excitement and apprehension. Would Charlie refuse? Decline? She really, really hoped not.
 
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