Fantasy A Bond Unbreakable

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
The forest was silent (or at least as silent as it ever got). Though it's roof of slate grey clouds held the promise of storm, the air was empty of disturbance. There was no mighty flapping of dragon wings. No roars or growls interrupted the lazy swish of pine branches. Today, the only predators that stalked these woods were, thankfully, scale-less.

Snow squeaked under Reyla's boots, and the rabbit she had been creeping up on froze. It's ears perked upward. Small puffs of mist escaped it's mouth, hovering for only a moment before fading out of existence. Silently cursing, Rey pulled her bowstring taught and crouched low behind a bristle bush. The rabbit's head swiveled back and forth before locking on the hunter. Tucking it's ears back, it turned tail and bolted into the underbrush, leaving a trail of shallow imprints on the fresh blanket of snow.

"Damn it!" Rey scowled, clumsily shoving the arrow she had knocked back into her quiver on her back. She kicked the ground, sending a small spray of ice-cold powder over the thorn bush.

Rey had to catch something before she returned to the village or Fletcher would be furious... well, more furious than he already was. After all, Rey had been sent off to hunt on her own as punishment (Which seemed unfair to her. She had stolen that book from him ages ago and he didn't even notice, so clearly he didn't need it). Still -emptyhanded or not- she would have to return before the blizzard hit. The wall of ugly grey clouds was already drawing closer, and -as much as she annoyed Fletcher- she knew that he would never risk the life of anyone in his unit for something of such little importance.

Besides, she couldn't really blame him for being grumpier than usual. Everyone was on edge ever since they'd been assigned to Morstown. It was smack dab in the middle of dragon territory (some suspected that there was a den nearby). Rey didn't envy Fletcher. Just trying to keep everyone in fighting shape was stressful, she couldn't imagine leading the unit and training fledglings at the same time.

That didn't stop Rey from being mad at him though. Gods, it was cold. She rubbed her ungloved hands together, breathing a puff or two of warm air into them before releasing a gusty sigh. With one last remorseful glance to where the rabbit had disappeared, she continued to trudge through the woods.

( Caffeine_Obsessed )​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

A small cloud of cold mist escaped Asani’s nostrils as he flew through the air, staying close to the trees below him. In between his huffs and intakes of air, he hears nothing but the gust of wind, and the shifting of leaves. Luckily, he has spotted no danger so far. Though, hope to the gods he didn’t, if danger slipped right under his nose, his elders would have his head. With that thought in mind, he lowered even further, his underbelly just barely brushing against the treetops. With a slight change in the angle of his wings and tail, his spine shifting along with it, he speeds up, easily whizzing past the tall greenery.

A scent catches his interest. It’s quite a ways away, but he couldn’t quite decipher it. His curiosity taking over, he begins gliding, trying his best not to flap his wings all that much. If he avoids attention, and if this thing is just a lowly... unusual deer, he’d have food to bring back. Danger or not, it was a win win for him. A slight ache spreads throughout Asani’s rib cage and underbelly. Damn that human... even though the spell casted on him was two years ago, it still affects him to this day. Finding a small clear way of trees, he lowers down, his front claws reach the ground first, he back legs following soon after. He couldn’t keep flying with this pain. It happens occasionally, but damn if it doesn’t get annoying. At least there’s an up side, the scent is closer. And now that he’s on the ground, he hopes he doesn’t make as much noise as his wings would. The snow should soften his clawsteps. With a slight wince, he tucks his wings and slowly begins walking. The light blue glow of his abdomen reflects brightly against the snow.

Asani’s ears twitch as he hears the footsteps of the scent he’s been following. He slows even more, crouching the best he can with the pain in his underbelly. With his eyes glowing brighter, his maul slowly opens, revealing his long and sharp teeth. Intaking a large breath of air, he aims his snout up at the sky, and releases it. A swirl of wind emerges out of his jaws, his saliva following, forming a storm and rain into the sky. He closes his jaws, feeling extremely lightheaded. He wobbled on his feet, catching his breath and shaking his head to clear his mind. Forming a windstorm always took a lot out of him. A tornado would take even more. Gulping down some saliva for his dried throat, he focuses once again on his target. Now with a better view, he sees that it’s a human. A small human, but he can tell it’s not a child. With his maul opening once more, he emerges from the tree line, his head lowered, and his eyes- predatory, keeping his sights on the human as he approaches. Who knows what this little beast could do. With his jaws still open, he snaps electricity between his teeth, trying his best to intimidate this creature. He can’t quite tell the gender, only having seen humans in robes or cloaks or whatever those things were, so he couldn’t tell the difference.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Reyla just needed one deer. Or another rabbit. She'd even take a squirrel at this point! But, to her chagrin, not a single speck of fur graced her presence. Should she turn back? Glancing to the clouds, Rey estimated she'd have at least half an hour before the blizzard hit. Plenty of time, she told herself.

As if to prove her wrong, a heavy gust of wind swirled behind her. The sky hesitated for a moment before fat drops of rain began to fall, turning the ground slick beneath her feet. Momentarily, Rey was tempted to blame this on bad luck, but this felt too sudden. She'd been expecting a snowstorm, not rain. Perhaps she was just paranoid, but watching rain fall in a powder-covered forest seemed... unnatural. It was a cloud-darkened clearing the entrance to a cave rooved by the steep cliff beside her that Rey noticed she was casting a shadow on the ground before her. A shadow outlined by a light blue glow.

She whirled around, smoothly snatching an arrow from her quiver and knocking it to her bow. As if the thought summoned it, the beast emerged from the treeline. With it's head lowered and it's maw open, dripping with saliva. Sparks leapt between it's teeth.

A thousand thoughts within a single second. Rey had seen dragons before. She'd helped fight them, even. But she'd never been this close. She'd never been alone with one. It was smaller than she'd imagined when she helped load catapults for her superiors to launch at the giants in the sky, but still horrendously large. At least three time her height, if not more.

As she considered it's size (and exactly how dead she was about to be), Rey's hands guided her bow, aiming it straight toward the creature's strange exposed ribcage. Toward what she could only imagine was the beasts heart. It was kill or be killed. After this encounter, when Reyla finally got the time to look back on this moment, she' d realize that she hesitated.

In that split second of hesitation, with both creatures poised to fight, the windstorm above shoved a boulder on the nearby cliffside loose. What followed was an avalanche of snow and rock heading straight toward the pair.

Alerted by the crash and boom from above, Reyla glanced upward as the boulders began to fall. Without a moment of hesitation, she sprinted into the cave opening beside her. It occurred to her that the dragon could fit inside the cave as well, but that was something to be dealt with when she wasn't about to be crushed to death.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

With Asani too focused on actually being this close to a human once more, he didn’t even register the arrow being aimed at him, or the rush of snow and rocks heading their way. It was only once the human started running, that Asani snapped out of his focus. He stopped the electricity between his teeth, and looked to where an avalanche had already formed. A loud rumble of a panicked growl left his mouth. As he started to run as well, his claws slipped on the now slippery snow. His jaw landed smack against the wet blanket of snow. Thankfully it didn’t hurt, but that was the least of his worries right now. He lifted himself back up, wet snow falling off of his chin and neck. When he finally made it back on his claws, it was too late. The boulders crashed into him, what he assumes has crushed one of his wings, and front leg. He let out a painful screech, baring his teeth in agony. He forced himself to pull himself off under the boulder, or else the rest would surely be the death of him. He was successful, but his relief couldn’t motivate him to move. In too much pain, he lifted his injured leg up, his injured wing dragging against the snow- now seemingly useless. His jaw was left hanging open, trying his absolute best to handle the pain. His vision was going hazy- from tears or fatigue, he couldn’t tell.

With another strained growl, he indefinitely forced himself to continue running. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he leaped into the cave opening, his growl rumbled throughout the cave, bouncing off the walls. He crashed, his wings spread, defeated into the cold, wet, hard stone floor. Adrenaline now decreasing, his breath is labored, short. He was awake, but like hell he would move now. His senses were too consumed by pain to even notice another presence was in the cave with him.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
The cave was filled with monstrous growls and roars as the beast escaped the cascade. As much as she hated dragons Reyla couldn't help but wince as a boulder slammed into it's side. She could tell by the crunch that at least a few bones were broken. Still, the miserable creature clawed its way forward. Darkness blanketed the cavern as the mouth of the cave was covered by snow and rocks. Gentle blue light from within the dragon's ribcage coated every surface with an dim glow. The only sound was the pained breathing of the beast. Rey wasn't sure the creature even knew she was there.

All her life Rey had only two feelings for dragons. Rage and terror. After all, they were horrible beasts. Savage creatures that killed just for the sake of blood. She had lost people to these monsters. People she cared about. Strangers that she wished she had the chance to. She'd seen hunters who'd lost most their unit. Hunters who'd been scarred in more ways that the burn marks engulfing their bodies could show.

But looking at this creature, listening to it's labored breaths echoing off the cavern walls... Reyla felt nothing but pity.

They were stuck in here together. The entrance to the cave couldn't be disturbed without bringing the whole mountain down on them. Maybe deeper into the systems they would find exit, but freedom was no garuntee. This dragon might be the last creature she ever saw.

When Reyla sighed and began rummaging through her bag for healing supplies, she couldn't help but feel like a traitor. Helping a dragon was treasonous, no matter the situation... then again, she was never one for rules.

It was near impossible to distinguish between the items in her satchel. Her fingers brushed something waxy, something she could only assume was a candle. Should she light it (if the dragon saw her, would it kill her)? Biting her lip, Rey set stood it carefully beside her. With another nervous glance to the injured beast, she snapped her fingers. The candle leapt into flame, bathing the surrounding area in a warm orange glow.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani’s eyes snapped open, as to what he heard. Was there someone in here with him? What was he to do? He was too weak to fight back if it wanted to kill him. He was helpless. Absolutely pathetic. Is this how he dies?

With some difficulty, he lifts his head, turning to look where a soft light glowed. A deep growl emerged from his throat, rumbling the cave walls. He bared his teeth and his eyes glowed even brighter in rage... and maybe.. fear. The human from before. Didn’t kill him yet? What kind of sick game was this thing playing. If a dragon was as injured as he is right now, his tribe would have killed him off if he didn’t already die by the boulders. Wait, maybe that’s what it was going to do. It just needed light to see him suffer more clearly. With his growl quieting down, he lays his head on his uninjured claw, huffing out a large cloud of cold air. He keeps his eyes on the human, watching intently. If this beast was going to kill him, he wanted to at least see how it was going to do it.

With a swish of his tail, he laid it elegantly alongside himself, in more of a mental protection than a physical one. With a final huff of defeat, the spikes on his spine and tail smooth down, folding on top of the other. His ears are pinned back, but he tries his best not to freak out as this human does what needs to be done.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Rey flinched as the creature lifted it's head to face her. It bared it's teeth for a moment, eyes glowing with what she could only assume was rage (yet she couldn't help but wonder if it was fear). It glared for a moment before huffing and laying it's head back down with eyes locked on her. Gods, was she really doing this?

Gulping, she continued to rummage through her bag, stopping every few seconds to glance over the beast's injuries. As she began to prepare her supplies, she found herself talking to the empty air (in reality she was talking to the dragon, but she hardly believed that any message actually came across, so it scarcely counted in her mind).

"You probably don't understand what's going on," Rey began in a low tone usually reserved for skittish stray dogs. "And talking to you... well, it probably won't help." She squished a holly berry in her palm "But I'm doing it anyway 'cause I usually talk to the people I heal." Tapping her fingers into the berries' bright red juice, she began to draw a symbol onto a scrap of birch bark. "Not that you're a person," She added hastily. Glimmering faintly in the light, the berry juice looked like streaks of blood smeared into three concentric circles that were crossed by lines at various intervals. "Oh, and I'm healing you. Don't know if you've picked up on that."

"Because... I don't know. You're pitiful, I guess?" Reyla shrugged as she slowly got to her feet, ignoring every instinct screaming at her to stop what she was doing. Holding the bark in an outstretched hand, Rey began to mutter rapidly under her breath. The holly juice glowed pink and a familiar sensation of warmth radiated from the object. It occurred to Reyla now that she had no clue if the spell would work on a dragon or not. For a human, it could usually mend a broken bone in an hour or so, but the beast was far larger (and definitely not human). Too late to worry about that now, she supposed.

Keeping the bark held in front of her and her other hand within sight of the beast, Rey began to approach. Careful footsteps brought her to the beast's leg. Without making eye contact with it, she held the bark mere inches from it's skin and waved her free hand in a weaving motion. Bruised scales slowly started to fade back to their natural color, and the wound began it's long march toward healing.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani watched as the human... did something. He wasn’t quite sure what. He knew humans were capable of spells and magic, so maybe it was putting a death curse on him or something? His eyes slightly widened as he saw the berry’s nectar glow. This was his first time witnessing humans doing spells so close up. Of course, he saw humans doing magic before- causing him his injuries, but for some reason.. he didn’t sense that this human meant any harm. In fact- though he didn’t understand what it was saying- he sought comfort in it’s voice. It sounded soft and stable to him.

As the beast began to approach him, he bared his teeth once more- letting out a menacing growl. Even if he thought it meant no harm to him, he just can’t bring himself to trust human magic. He snapped his jaws in warning, letting electricity zap between them. His growl died down after seeing.. whatever this was, start to heal him. Why was it... helping him? He thought humans only knew violence and war. Who would pass up an opportunity to slay a dragon?

By the time Asani can only assumed the human has finished, he’s still in shock. But more so confused than anything. Slowly getting up, he puts a bit of weight onto the previously injured leg. A soft growl escapes him, as he immediately lifts up his leg again. It still hurt... but it felt better than it did before.

With his jaw tight, he supposed he should thank the human. He didn’t know if this human understood dragon tongue, but it’s worth a shot. Most dragon’s voices start with a rumble, almost a growl, and he was no exception. “Thank you. You are a strange human, but I am in your debt..” whenever he spoke, his sentences always ended in a rumbling drawl. His voice was deep, but he hoped he didn’t come off too menacing. Not knowing if the human understood him, he tried to think of other ways to show that he was grateful. Just then, an idea pops into his head. With a slight limp, he walked closer to the two legged being, curling himself around it. He, in no way, wanted to touch it (who knows what kind of germs humans have) but he laid his body down, curled almost around the human. He tucked his injured leg under his chest, his head laying on the other. The spikes on his spine piked up, the glowing blue hue of his rib cage and eyes glowing brighter. He lifts his head once more, opening his jaw, trying to dry heave something out of himself. Finally, with a final forceful heave, he coughed up a small gemstone. If a dragon liked a stone enough (and if it was small enough) they would store it inside themselves. Unless they were magma or lava dragons. They would just melt the gems.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Reyla wasn't sure how much time had passed when the pink glow faded and she finally lowered the bark. Judging by how stiff her arm was, it had been a while. But the dragon's leg seemed healed (though, she wouldn't be surprised if it was still somewhat fractured). She backed away cautiously, watching as the dragon slowly got to it's feet and tested it's weight on the injury. It growled softly as it placed it's foot down and quickly retracted it, but Rey could only assume it felt better than before since the dragon was willing to move it.

The dragon gave another rumbling growl that reminded her of the feral cats that she and Basil used to feed. The ones that never quite learned how to mew in and would instead do their best attempt at a friendly yowl and brush against their legs as they set out foodbowls. She wondered what Basil would think of her now...

Reyla was dragged out of her thoughts as the dragon limped over. She stiffened, eyes widening for a moment before the creature lay down and curled around her, it's scales inches from touching her. Rey was awe-struck. It was terrifying being this close to a dragon (for a split second she had thought of it as an enemy, but she had a hard time calling it a foe when she'd healed it just moments earlier), and yet there was something gloriously breathtaking about it. Seeing each blue-gray scale shine in the candlelight, watching the glow from it's chest grow brighter as it's spines lifted and fell...

And then it proceeded to cough up a rock.

Rey couldn't help but jump a small bit when it clattered to the ground. She blinked, unsure whether she was hallucinating or not. Tenatively, Reyla reached forward and brushed it with her fingertips. Smooth, cold, and wet. Definitely not a hallucination.

Casting a slightly bewildered glance in the dragon's direction, Rey -ignoring the slobber- scooped it into her palm and brought it closer to the candle. It was cyan in color with an iridescent sheen that danced with the firelight. A few rougher patches dotted it's surface, each one chalky and white. She had to admit, it was pretty.

"Um-" She wiped it on her shirt a few times, "Thanks. I guess I'll just... keep this...." She shot the dragon a confused smile and slowly dropped the gemstone into her bag, quietly hoping that the dragon had just swallowed a rock at some point and that this wasn't something they produced (an unpleasant memory of cats spitting up hairballs came to mind).

Trying to take her mind off the thought, Reyla turned to another topic. "You know, I've just realized that I don't know what to call you. 'Dragon' is getting a bit old." She hummed, tapping her fingers on the cavern floor. "Hm. What about... Thunder?"​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Seeing the human keep the gemstone brought a smile to his face (as much a smile as a dragon could muster). He then realized it was talking again.. and not doing some kind of magical chant. Asani tilted his head in confusion. Still curled around two-legs, the dragon sat up, looking down at it in curiosity. Was it asking him something? Or did this human just talk to itself a lot.

Not knowing quite how to respond, Asani let out a low rumble from his chest. Whatever he was agreeing to, he had no idea. He just hoped it wasn’t his death wish. He lifted his chin and tapped the human on the head with it, trying his best to ask what its name was. Then again, he supposed it was pointless. He couldn’t understand it anyway. With a huff and a flare of his nostrils, he laid back down, resting his head on the cold stone floor. Then, a predicament popped into his head. How exactly were they to escape here? If there was no way out, how could they get food? Freshwater? He couldn’t very well make a rainstorm in here, he would most likely cause this human sickness if he did. As much as he wanted to explore further, he needed a bit of rest. His injuries were draining him. With one last cautious glance at two-legs, he hesitantly let his eyes fall shut, the glow from them disappearing behind his eyelids. The glow from his underbelly dimmed as well, his body falling into peace.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
The dragon rumbled in response, something Reyla could only assume was an agreement. Thunder it was then. Her eyes widened when her head was tapped by her newly named companion. She was about to speak again when it- no, he (it felt weird to call him an it now that he had a name. And if Rey ended up being wrong... well he'd hardly care, would he?) huffed he laid his head back down onto the floor. The blue light within the cave dimmed as he fell asleep, leaving Reyla alone with her thoughts.

What was she even doing? She'd just healed a dragon. A sworn enemy. One of the beasts that had plauged her and every other human for centuries. If Fletcher saw her now, she'd be stripped of her rank and kicked out of hunter's training at best. Basil came guiltily to mind. If he could see her now...

But Thunder was different. He was special (Or, the uneasy alternative, he was just the same as any other dragon). She shoved the thought away. The point was that she wasn't dead now. If Thunder was a savage beast like other dragons were thought to be, then she wouldn't be able to say as much. If nothing else, Thunder wasn't evil, and that would just have to do for the time being.

With a tired sigh, she blew the candle out. There would be time to wonder about this later. Tonight, at the very least, she should get some rest. Rey shot one last uneasy glance toward the creature curling around her as she lay on the cold floor before laying down and drifting to sleep.
​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

As Asani awoke, he didn’t feel the sun shining warm against his scales like he normally expected. With a groan, he straightened himself out, and stretched, some of his joints popping in the process. Suddenly pain shoots through his leg and wing, a sore reminder of what transpired the other day. Sitting up, it took him a little while to adjust to the darkness, the glow emanating from him not helping all that much. He could always make it brighter but he didn’t want to, for fear of waking up the human. The human! That’s right. He nearly forgot about it.

With one last look from where the avalanche blocked them from the outside world, he made up his mind. Standing up, his claws clanking against the stone, he leaned down to nudge two-legs awake. Huffing air onto its ear, then lifting his head back up again. He should really think about what to call it. Two-legs seems a bit degrading. His eyes catching sight of the now discarded and smushed berry it used before, he leans down to smell it. Holly berries? That’s what it used? He glanced from the berry, to the human. Holly. That was a suitable name for now. He couldn’t wrack his brain of anything else, other than Berry, but that would just be stupid.

Turning his head to look at the empty and eery cavern ahead, it made him uneasy. Dragons didn’t have a lot of predators, but that didn’t stop him from worrying. It was unlike the caves dragons nest in, this was more damp.. and foreboding. The spikes on his spine slightly piked up, his ears pinned back. Subconsciously as his light glows brighter, his worries deepen even more. He not only had to worry about himself, but now the huma-.. but now he had to worry about Holly. Tearing his gaze away from the cavern, he looked down at the human, a rumble of worry emanating from his chest.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Something warm huffed in her ear. Reyla lazily swatted at Fletcher (judging by the fact that her hand didn't actually contact anything, she had to assume she missed by a mile). "I'm up, 'm up, stop shaking me," She groaned as she opened her bleary eyes to... not Fletcher. "Oh. Right. Sorry, Thunder."

Rey shivered, following his gaze toward the cavern's depths. Bits of damp rock reflected Thunder's glow, highlighting a few jagged spikes jutting out from the ground and ceiling, giving the impression of staring into a creature's gaping maw. She shuddered, this time not from the cold. Reyla cast a glance toward her companion as the light beside her brightened. It seemed she wasn't alone in her uneasiness. She met his gaze and gave a helpless smile that she hoped came off more comforting than nervous. "I know, buddy. I know," Reyla sighed, "But we've gotta get out somehow, right?"

Rey cast one last longing glance toward the cavern entrance (well, former entrance) before shouldering her pack and marching forward into the abyss. "See, it's fine!" She turned back toward Thunder, spreading her arms wide as if to use herself as an example. "Nothing in h-"

A deep rumbling roar echoed through the cavern. Hundreds of flitting shadows erupted from an unseen crevice and flowed past her -some flying so close that she could feel the brush of their fur- before disappearing off to somewhere that Rey could only assume was farther up.

"That- uh, that wouldn't happen to be a friend of yours, would it?" Reyla squeaked, knowing full well that it sounded larger than any dragon she'd ever heard.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

As the human stepped further into the cavern, arms spread wide, Asani panicked. Taking a step forward, scraping his claw against the ground as a warning, worry filled his mind. Suddenly a swarm of furry creatures (he could not identify in the dark) flew past them, startled by a loud roar up ahead. Asani’s ears perked up, the spikes on his spine sticking up in fear. That... sounded way too powerful to be of his kind. Taking a quick glance at Holly, he turned his sights back into the dark abyss.

With a shaky breath, he slowly stepped forward, the thought of their escape the only thing fueling his actions. If they did eventually end up meeting whatever made that sound, they would be screwed. With his injuries, he was pretty useless if it came to a fight, especially with someone bigger than him. His talons clacking against the stone floor, he kept his pace slow, too afraid he might alarm whatever awaits them. The dripping of murky water, and the low blow of wind flowing through the cave filled Asani’s hearing. He was trying his best to focus on anything else but that monster.

Looking back to make sure Holly was keeping up, he slowed his pace even more to match hers. Well, he assumed it’s a she, he couldn’t be too sure. His eyes scanned nearly every inch he could see, keeping on his toes. Another rumble was heard ahead, different from his, but not as loud as the roar from before was. He halted in his steps for a second, waiting until it died down, then continued. As nerve wracking as this was, they didn’t have any choice but to continue. It was either that, or they would die in here. He would rather go down fighting then die a pathetic death not even trying to escape.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Reyla gulped and followed hurriedly after Thunder. They moved quickly (at least for her), but she still felt like they couldn't get out soon enough. As surprisingly open as the tunnels were, she couldn't help but feel them closing in and swallowing her whole (if whatever made that roar didn't get to her first). Rey desperately wanted to talk. Even though she wouldn't be understood, it would still feel nice to be doing something (other than marching toward her impending doom, of course). But, for fear of attracting a mystery beast, her mouth remained firmly shut.

Another rumble coursed through the cavern. It was quieter than before and yet it still made the hair on the back of Rey's neck stand up. She shuddered and, with a hushed, weary sigh, continued to trudge behind Thunder. With her eyes glued ahead, she swiftly spotted something glinting strangely in his soft blue light just a few feet beyond them. It was almost mirror-like, but disturbances rippled across it's surface every time Thunder stepped closer to it. Liquid. Water, Rey could only assume.

She sped up, jogging to Thunder's side before stopping at the water's edge. In the dim lighting, she could see only grey-blue clouds floating serenely through the water as they slowly made their way toward the bottom of the cavern lake. Scattered stalagmites poked upward from the murky depths, a handful of them breaching the water's surface. A metallic scent hung low through the air as Rey squinted into the pitch black abyss before them.

"Looks deep," She murmured, to no one in particular. "Also looks like we've got nowhere else to go." Rey turned her gaze away from the pool to face Thunder. "We might have to swim."

Unbeknownst to the human, more cloudy muck was being kicked up in the depths beside her. One lone light, similar in color to Thunder's own glow (albeit a tad greener), flickered as mud flowed around it like fog engulfing a lamp on a cold night.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Suddenly, a loud rumbling shakes the cavern floors, reverberating off of the walls. It sounded close, but gargled. Asani tenses, the spikes on his back standing up. He backs away from the murky water below, using his tail to pull Holly alongside him.

At that moment, a serpent-like creature emerges from below, water droplets dripping from every spike of the beast’s head. Before the creature had shown its ugly head, Asani wasn’t even aware there was water before them. That could’ve been disastrous. Focusing his attention back on the monster, it looked very different from his own breed. Probably because it was a sea monster, Asani has not encountered one of those before. As much as he wanted to admire the beast further, it made its move. As the green glow emanated from its nostrils and eyes, it lunged towards the two, it’s snake-like body flying through the air.

Asani dodged- quickly pushing the human to the other side of him- so the monster only caught empty air between its jaws. An angry roar came from the beast’s chest. Asani opened his mouth to speak, but before he could even attempt a conversation with it, it lunged again- aiming for his throat. It seemed he was considered a bigger threat than the human- which is ironic. Aren’t dragons supposed to work together? Be civilized? Then again, he couldn’t be too sure this thing was a dragon.

They both toppled over, Asani trying his best to wrestle the thing off of him. Despite the creature not having any limbs- it’s size made up for it, being nearly twice the size of Asani. It kept snapping its jaws at him- Asani trying his best to push it, and its big sharp jaws away from him. The drool from the beast (it was either drool or the water from before, but he couldn’t be too sure.) leaked onto him, Asani cringing in disgust. As he strained against it, water droplets keep dripping from the sea creature, entering into his rib cage, occasionally igniting sparks of lightning to jolt out- but never enough to affect the beast.

BittyBobcat

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
For a split second -as she was being tugged backward by Thunder's tail- Rey had thought the creature was another dragon. Terrifying as fighting a dragon was, she thought that she might not have to because of her new ally. This assumption turned out to be dead wrong.

It lunged with a roar so loud it sounded as if the cave had just exploded. As Thunder and the serpent tumbled into a writhing pile of teeth and claws, Rey hurriedly knocked an arrow to her bow. She didn't know much about sea serpents (or whatever this creature was), but she had to assume it wasn't too different from your average dragon. Besides, anything dies if you soot enough arrows at it, right?

From behind Thunder, she pulled the bowstring taut. They wrestled with lightning fast movements, making it almost impossible to get a clear shot. Her moment came in the blink of an eye. The serpent had Thunder mostly pinned down and -though he fought like his life depended on it (it likely did)- the serpent was nearly twice his size. It's gaping maw spread wide, revealing razor sharp teeth wet with drool and cave-water. The gills at the side of it's head flared rhythmically with a bright greenish-blue glow. They made for the perfect target.

Thunk!

A river of crimson -tinted blue-gray in the dim lighting- poured from where the first arrow impacted. The second was shot in a split second and hit just a few inches below the first, eliciting another roar from the serpent (this one, Reyla noted with satisfaction- seemed far higher in pitch than it's original rumbles).
Caffeine_Obsessed ​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

As both Asani and the beast were distracted, it suddenly let out a painful screech. Finally pushing the thing off of him, Asani stood on his legs (although a bit unsteady), and caught his breath. As tiring as that was, the fight wasn't quite over yet. It flopped on the ground- laying on its back. It seemed it was either too injured or too unsteady to get control of itself… or maybe it was the downfall of having no limbs. The more it tried to get up, the more desperate it looked.

Finally getting the chance to try and conversate with it, Asani cautiously steps towards it. The serpent noticed him step closer, so it frantically tried to wiggle its way back into the water to escape. Before it could, he lay a claw on its torso, holding It in place. “Why did you attack us- or most importantly- me?!” It held no response. Maybe it really couldn't understand him. Looking back at Holly, he contemplated what to do. A. He could kill it. B. He could let it be and push it back in the water. Or C… Well there really wasn't a third option. If he killed it, it would be a merciful death. A death by a dragon’s claws would be honorable. If he let it go, who knows- it might decide to attack them again. That lays another question. Why did it attack them? Was it just territorial and we invaded? Or was it protecting something? Directing his attention back on the beast, he realized it stopped squirming. It just lay there, heaving heavily.

Maybe the human wouldn't like this, but it would be best to kill it. He didn't want to take the chance of the serpent attacking them again. Or maybe the human would enjoy it. He had no idea what went on in those savages’ minds.

Opening his jaws, he decided a quick death would be better. “ Xay zeilina zipo ri kagana justuzila. “ (“May your soul be reborn gloriously” in ancient dragon tongue. He only remembers a few verses of ancient dragon language.) Uttering a small prayer would relieve him of some guilt. Baring his teeth he lunged down, holding just below it’s jaw so it wouldn't try and bite him. He spreads his claws and gives a large quick swipe at the beast’s throat, then immediately snapping its neck with his jaws. A relatively painless and honorable death, he would say. It’s soul will be assured to a fantastic rebirth now.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Rey watched with grim curiosity as Thunder pinned the creature down. Was he talking to it? Could he even talk with it? Whatever the case, he looked oddly reverent for a moment, and then -in the blink of an eye- he had slashed it's throat open. The creature died within seconds, leaving a thick cloud of tension still hanging in the air.

The hunters would tell stories of dragons' bloodlust. Once they had arrived on the battlefield, people said they clawed through packs of hunters like a hot knife through butter. They fought with all the force of a hurricane -the only difference being dragons had intent. No matter how much tragedy they caused, hurricanes were simply weather. No wind craved death, it was only borne to the world and whoever got in it's path faced the consequences. Dragons, the hunters had said, craved blood on their teeth and flesh beneath their talons. Reyla couldn't help but be reminded of the gorey scenes they had spoken of upon seeing the blood dripping from Thunder's mouth.

And yet... the careful slash across the creatures throat told a different story. Maybe Rey was just going insane, but she could've sworn she saw the dragon's intent and it was a far cry from senseless violence.

She stood slowly, reaching into her bag as she did. Rey crushed a handful of holly berries and sat at the creature's maw. Gently, she drew her finger across it's forehead, forming the shape of an upside-down v and at it's peak a circle. Reyla had drawn this symbol a thousand times. On bodies, on gravestones, sometimes -when she had no berries or ink- just motioning it in the air. Nobody was quite sure where the tradition had started. Everyone had an opinion on what it meant. Ignoring the specifics, it was always good. As she stood and stepped back, it glowed a ghostly pink. Under normal circumstances, it would fade in a few days, but in the cave -protected from the elements- Rey wondered if it would shine forever (she hoped it did).

"Safe travels, my friend."​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Watching the human make some sort of symbol on the creature, he supposed Holly didn’t enjoy violence. Then again, maybe this was an act of joy for these creatures- but somewhere in his gut he doubted it. If anything, Holly was one of the good humans. He’d have to believe that.

With the beast defeated, they should move forward- no matter how much Asani dreaded going through the water. The plus side, at least the serpent didn’t leave any lethal or fatal marks on him. Taking another glance at Holly, he steps towards the water, anxiety building up in his chest. There really was no other way through, was there? Stepping his front legs into the water was the easy part, but his ribcage was a much bigger problem. How the hell was he supposed to go through this? He didn’t want to injure the human, but he didn’t want to extinguish his electricity. Looking around the cave in a panic, a frustrated growl rose from his chest. He could… swim on his back?... no that’s just stupid.

With a gulp, he stepped further into the swaying water, barely brushing his underbelly on its surface. Eyes snapped shut, he forced himself to go the rest of the way, water splashing his sides from the force he brought. Immediately, electricity sprang out from his underbelly, zapping the water and stray bolts jumping in the air. It made the previously dull, dark cavern light up a bright cyan. After a couple agonizing seconds, it died down, his ribcage no longer glowing as brightly as it had before. With a pitiful whine, he slowly cracked his eyes open. All that effort of storing up lightning, gone in merely seconds. Bummed out, he makes his way further in, his tail and wings resting on the surface. With just his neck above water, he turned his head to the side so he could watch Holly. As much as he would like to tear something to shreds to take out his frustration, the human didn’t deserve his wrath. That didn’t mean he would take pity on them, especially now of all times.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Reyla sighed and shouldered her pack once again. She stood for a solemn moment, gazing into creature's empty eyes, wondering what it's last thoughts were.

A loud splash ripped her from her mind's wanderings. She whipped around -hand clenched against her crossbow- only to find Thunder fording the river (and making quite the show of it). Sparks skittered across the water and flipped through the air in a brilliant flash of light before popping out of existence. Rey couldn't help but wince. Thunder didn't seem hurt -though that whine might've been a bit mopey- but she couldn't imagine the ordeal was comfortable (then again, he seemed perfectly fine with his entire ribcage being exposed, so perhaps this was normal).

Whatever the case, he seemed content to keep moving, and now that the glow in his chest was dimmer than before, she had no choice but to stick close by or risk losing sight of him. She dipped a hand in the water. Cold, as anyone would expect from a stream that had never seen the light of day. With one last wary glance to the water's depths, Reyla leapt in.

Rey had never been a graceful swimmer, and the freezing cold temperatures certainly weren't helping that. Her splashing was so loud it could've awoken a deaf bear in the middle of hibernation. She had half the mind to be embarrassed that she managed to be louder than the dragon almost three times her size, and yet -with the goosebumps marching up her arms- Rey found it hard to care.

As she made it to Thunder's side, a warm current brushed her foot. It lasted only for a split second, but... there it was again. Still cold, but definitely warmer than the surrounding waters. Tentatively, she swam a few feet against the gentle, nearly undetectable, flow of the river. It was warmer still, which meant the source had to be warm, meaning that... "Thunder!" She spun to face him "The stream leads out!"​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

He could almost laugh at how much Holly was struggling, but he supposed he could understand. Humans didn’t have scales, fur, etc. to cover up their skin against nature’s powers. Apart from how weird that is, it seemed the human was speaking once more. Tilting his head, he turns back to face her. What was she on about now? Humans and their constant talking. Holly seemed to be frantic about something. Was she injured? He couldn’t smell any blood on her from before. So surely that wasn’t it.

Swimming closer he noticed that his claws met something.. slightly warmer. Was the human really bleeding and he hadn’t noticed? How ignorant could he be? Wait- he looked down into the glowing water. What if Holly found something. Maybe it was his desperate mind- but could Holly have perhaps found a way out? How embarrassing, a savage human having found it out before a dragon. He would tell no one of this.

Sucking in a lungful of air, he ducks down into the murky depths. He could carve out a whole stone tapestry on how much he hated water. Halting himself- he supposed it would be easier to take Holly with him. Judging by the way the human swam, she wouldn’t do any better diving. Coming back up, he tries to gesture with his wing for her to climb onto his back. As much as he cringed at the thought of having the human touch him, it would be faster this way.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Thunder dipped beneath the water and -for a moment- Rey was convinced he'd left her, but he resurfaced mere seconds later (leaving her a bit guilty for even thinking that). Her eyebrows furrowed as his wings twitched. Was he trying to tell her something? She swam closer, nearly close enough to touch (something she still didn't quite like). Rey found herself wondering what it was like to swim so easily. She was almost tempted to hitch a ride- oh! Was that what he wanted?

She shivered. Reyla had to trust Thunder (to some extent, it was hard not to by now), but she couldn't shake the thought of it being a trap. Still, with a nervous frown on her face, she drifted closer. His scales, slick with water, left her scrambling awkwardly onto his back. It took a long minute of hurried groping in the dark to grab hold of one of the spikes sticking out of his spine and heave herself up.

Being up there felt... weird. Ignoring the fact that it went against everything she'd ever been taught, it was nothing like riding a horse (which was really the closest comparison Rey had). Thunder was at least double the size of any horse she had ever seen. There was no saddle, and she was forced to find a gap between spines (while carefully avoiding being in the way of his wings, of course). Not to mention the fact that Rey was freezing (exiting the water had only made her colder). Even so, she leaned forward and wordlessly grabbed hold of the spike before her, bracing herself for their dive.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani huffed in annoyance, this human was slowly becoming more of a nuisance to him than anything. Even now, Holly struggled to climb onto him. With some difficulty she found herself seated between one of his spikes. With water dripping off of her, and her being damp and soaking wet- he doubted she was very comfortable, but there wasn’t really anything he could do. Not that he wanted to of course! He felt no pity whatsoever. But he did have to say he didn’t envy her one bit. She was practically shaking from the biting cold.

Lifting up a bit taking a breath himself (trying to warn her to take a breath before the dive), he dove down the most gentle way a dragon his size could dive. He supposed his wings helped push them forward, but it was painstakingly obvious he wasn’t a water dragon. Nor would he ever want to be one, he would much rather live his life flying through clouds than swimming in some murky, wet, fish excrement polluted domain.

Swimming along this river took more strength than he thought. Or maybe it was just his desperation to escape that made him use more energy. Nevertheless, they were making quick progress. He did have to breach the surface a few times to take gasps of air, but other than that it was smooth sailing. Ironic.

By the time warmth cased around their bodies, Asani’s muscles felt like they were on fire. He didn’t bother taking any breaks with freedom so close- so admittedly he was getting tired. As if the gods answered his prayers, daylight shone above them. The whooshing in his ears suddenly sounded like the singing of angels. With a last ditch effort to speed things along, he strained his muscles even further until finally- he breaches the surface. Water droplets surrounded them, as he spread his wings in the air (almost imitating flying). Then they splash back down, him now leisurely making his way to land. Once he reaches it, he pulls himself up, and flops down- energy now spent. Asani panted heavily, but finally content, the warm sun enveloped his tired body.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Sunlight! The way is shone against the half-melted snow was blindingly bright, but her eyes adjusted quickly, leaving her with the scene of a lazy mountainside stream overlooking the forest below. Cold as she still was, the sun's warmth felt better than a thousand blankets in winter. Had she had the option in this moment, Rey would've chosen to never pass through shade again. Speaking of which, what time was it? A glance to the sun showed that it was about noon, but noon of what day? If nothing else, the encroaching snowstorm she had seen before their misadventure appeared to have passed by now.

She slid awkwardly to the ground as Thunder flopped down onto the riverbank. Rey was tempted to join him in his sun-basking, but there were places to go and plans to make. Fletcher would be furious (now that she thought about it, he probably already was furious that she'd disappeared out of nowhere. More furious, then) if he found out she'd been lazing about with a dragon instead of getting back to base.

It occurred to Rey as she wrung the ice-cold water out of her hair that she wasn't sure if she wanted to go to her home. Thunder certainly wouldn't want to. Granted, they could just part ways and make this the end of it. She could imagine it now. Appearing at the doorstep of the barracks, getting an angry (but relieved) lecture from Fletcher, making up some story about how she escaped a avalanche (alone), and then... return to her life as it had been. Train beside the other hunters, kill dragons, grow older and get promoted (or die in battle, but Rey was a bit more optimistic than that). Follow her dream, just as she always had.

But what if she had to fight Thunder in battle one day (could she even kill any dragon now)? What if Thunder was genuinely good (what if all dragons weren't inherently bad)?

Reyla sighed. There'd be time to philosophize later. Right now, she was hungry, and she was willing to bet those shadows in the water were fish. So, with practiced ease, she grabbed her bow, knocked an arrow, and shot one. Or... at least tried to. She missed, which sent a spray of water over her face (not that it made much difference considering she was already drenched. "Gods damn-! Fuck it." She snatched another arrow and -sloppily- speared it. It took a few minutes for it to stop flopping around wildly, but once it did she tugged it off the arrow, chucked it onto the bank behind her, and readied her makeshift spear for another.​