Fantasy A Bond Unbreakable

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Hearing commotion beside him, Asani cracked open his eyes to watch. It seemed Holly was busy hunting herself food- FOOD. Throughout all this hectic experience Asani nearly forgot why he was out here in the first place. He was searching the territory for danger- he sure as hell found it- and game to bring back. Shit, his Elders will kill him. Speaking of- he should head back now that he’s out of that stupid cave. But... he doesn’t necessarily want to. Well- not that he didn’t want to, he couldn’t even if he did. With a lethargic groan, he pulled himself up off of the snow. He shook a bit, forcing the damp snow to fall off of him- though some still clung to Asani due to the water. No matter, he should focus on the situation at hand.

He looked back into the water, dreading having to get wet again. No. There was no way he was going back in there. He would much rather bite off his own tail than having to swim in that freezing cold underworld again. Even for Asani, the water was way too cold for comfort. Defiantly huffing, he turned his nose up and flared his nostrils. Turning his back to the water, he began his walk into the forest. There was bound to be better animals than puny fish to hunt. Unlike some of his peers, Asani didn’t enjoy the taste of fish as much. He would eat it of course, but he would much rather find something bigger and fatter. Side eyeing behind him, he watched as Holly slowly disappeared from his view. He’ll go back of course, but not before finding something more suitable for his palate.

Lifting his nose in the air, he caught a whiff of more warm inviting scents. Asani was practically drooling. Stretching his wings, he prepared to take flight, but immediately winced once they stretched too far. It seemed the cold made his injury worse, and even made his limbs cramp up!

Damn this cold.

His hatred for the water grew ten times its original size in his mind. He supposed hunting on foot would have to do. He was pretty sure he could outrun his prey anyway, even with his injury.

Maybe an hour later (Asani really couldn’t tell the time anymore, nor did he care at the moment) his jaws were stuffed with the carcasses of rabbits. He stuffed them down into his throat pocket, the upper part of his neck somewhat protruding. He arrived back at the lake they just escaped from, and stood on his back legs to bend his neck down. Opening his jaws, his game dropped from it, creating a small pile on the snow. The rabbits he stored inside his throat pocket came falling out, leaving him heaving. With one last heave, he accidentally let out one of his gems. He makes a small growl of annoyance and picked it back up, pointing his nose towards the sky to force the gem down once more. He was embarrassed to say this wasn’t the first time that has happened. Looking back down at his findings, he puffed his chest out proudly, a low growl-like purr reverberating through his body. Sure it wasn’t much, but without flying and his injuries, he was decently proud of himself.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Rey couldn't stop a twinge of worry when Thunder disappeared into the forest. Was he going to leave her here? Still, she remained at her post by the river. He'd come back, she was sure of it. And even if he didn't, why should she care? She could manage perfectly well on her own.

After catching enough fish for dinner, Rey set about making a fire. She had spent at least twenty minutes trying to light a pitiful pile of kindling that was damp with snow when Thunder arrived. Her nose wrinkled at the sight of him coughing up what must've been an entire warren's worth of rabbits. And a gem (what was with him and eating gems?). She erased the expression of disgust quickly, though. "Ah... uh, good job, bud. Since your... uh, done with that, then would you mind helping out here a bit?" Rey gestured to the measly pile of firewood she had collected, hoping he would get the gist.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani scrunched up his nose in confusion as Holly gestured towards the pile of wood. Did she seriously expect him to light that thing? He wasn’t a fire dragon after all. Flaring his nostrils, the spikes on his spine rippled in annoyance. With a huff, he stepped forwards, closer to the logs and bent down until his nose was almost touching it. Guess it couldn’t hurt to try. He just hated wasting his electricity.

Opening his jaws, his teeth grazed over the wood. He brings forth small bolts of lightning that jump between his teeth (just like how he first met the human). Eventually, once it caught onto the logs- a small flame started within it. Asani withdrew from it with a shocked scrunch of his nose. He really didn’t expect that to work. Why hasn't he tried that before?! Excitement overtaking him, he starts prancing around the fire and Holly, his tail whipping the air. Suddenly he slams himself down, nose inches from the fire and his spine ruffling. A pleased thrum emanates from his chest.

He lifts his head and turns towards Holly for her reaction. His body abruptly freezes, suddenly realizing how idiotic he was acting not even a minute ago. Great, now he made an embarrassment of himself in front of the human. How humiliating. He lets out a low annoyed chuff towards her, and turns his back. His tail curls around himself in a protective manner. There was no way in hell he was gonna live that down was there?

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Rey snorted. A broad grin spread across her face as she tried to hold back a giggle. If his excited bounding about didn't break her resolve, then the fact that apparently dragons could purr did. She burst into a hearty laughter that made her stomach sore. As her amused cackles slowly came to an end, she got to her feet and absentmindedly patted Thunder on the snout as she walked by to collect her (now almost frozen) haul of fish.

One particularly long stick and a few more wood-collecting trips between the surrounding forest and the fire later, the savory scent of roasting trout wafted through the air. Reyla's mouth watered. It took about ten minutes to cook completely, but it felt like an eternity. She dug in the second it seemed charred enough to be safe to eat, ignoring that it was still steaming hot. It was unseasoned and burnt her tongue, but Rey could've sworn it was the best meal she'd ever eaten.

After eating her fill and filling her waterskin (with melted snow rather than river water, she'd heard too many stories of contaminated streams wiping out villages with plague to make that mistake), she cast another glance toward the sky. It seemed there was still plenty of daylight left. They had time to get moving. But to where? Rey sighed. Unsurprisingly, ignoring her problems had not brought her any closer to an answer.

She scooted closer to the fire. "So... what now?" She said, more to herself than Thunder.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Now, sure Asani didn’t understand human tongue, but laughter was an all around common thing that everyone knew. So when Holly began loudly doing just that, it ticked off Asani even more. He lowly grumbled as she petted his snout. Seeing her eat reminded Asani of his own hunger- having completely forgotten about it due to his excitement. He got himself to his feet, and made his way over to his discarded pile of rabbits. Chucking one in his mouth he swallowed it whole, Asani not having the patience to savor it. Seeing the human cook her catch intrigued him- but he has seen fire dragons cook their food before. He just wasn’t aware humans did the same. Having recently seen his own lightning cause fire, his curiosity peaked as he considered doing the same to his catch. He immediately disregarded the thought. Maybe he could try it some other time- but right now he just wanted to eat his fill. With that in mind, he continued scarfing down his food- the cold fur and warm inside complementing each other nicely.

Now content and full (though he feels as if he could still eat a whole herd of cattle), he stretched himself by the warm fire. His aching, cramped limbs finally able to relax from the warmth. A pleased rumble goes through his whole body, and he yawns. He feels more relaxed than he’s ever felt before, even with a human so close by. He looks towards the sky, longing to be soaring- even for a minute. Actually, maybe he’ll be able to. He got himself to his claws once more, and stood on his hind legs- stretching out his wings. Still a little sore, but it’s enough to fly. His tail swings in excitement, finally having a way home. Just as he’s about to set off- he remembers Holly is still right beside him. Never mind her, now that he’s free he could stop caring about the stupid human. But.. he just can’t bring himself to fly off. His body just won’t listen. What the hell was wrong with him?!

He growled, displeased and looked over to the said problem- Holly. He internally rolled his eyes, and slammed his claws back down into the snow- frustration building up in his core. If he did leave, he would leave her stranded- he knows that. But why should he care? Surely she’d be able to take care of herself. He shakes his head and growls, stomping his claw in the snow once more. She did heal him after all, maybe that’s what this all is. He just wants to repay her. Nothing else. His nose turned to the sky once more, longing to be home.

Fine. If it has to be this way. He looked towards Holly once more, than back to the sky- glancing back and forth. He made a pathetic whimper/growl, and looked to her with pleading eyes. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing. Wanting to bring a human to dragon territory- his home nonetheless?! He must be crazy. Or dumb. Maybe both.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Thunder looked horribly forlorn as he stared distantly into the sky. The expression was reminiscent of the look she had worn when she'd left her first home... but what could a dragon be homesick for? Rey wondered, a little uneasily, if the rumors of a dragon nesting site nearby were based in reality. Thunder was... alright. Certainly not a bloodthirsty monster. Other dragons, however, she couldn't vouch for (and, even if they were just like Thunder, he had still tried to kill her when they had first met), and should be avoided at all costs.

Or so, that was what she kept trying to tell herself as Thunder fixed her with a puppy-dog-eyes stare.

"What?" She said, a bit crossly.

He turned his gaze to the sky.

"You better not be saying what I think you're saying, 'cause the answer is no."

He whimpered.

Gods, was she really considering this? It would be a death sentence! ...But did she have any better plans?

"Fine," She huffed, "But if you get me killed than I am totally haunting you."

With that, Rey got to her feet and -as a sour expression poured across her face- realized that flying with him meant more of the riding on his back nonsense (granted, he could carry her with his claws, but she would much prefer their previous arrangement to being dangled in the air like a freshly caught mouse in a falcon's talons). She grabbed one of the spines along his back and, with her small amount of practice giving her a somewhat better idea of how to, slid onto his back in a matter of moments. Her stomach turned a bit at the idea of being so high up. Gripping the spike in front of her tightly, Rey swallowed down her nerves. "Alright... let's go."​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani suddenly had the urge to buck Holly off of him like some wild unicorn- but fought against it. Other than leaving her here, this seemed to be the only way. With a huff, he bunched up his muscles and pushed himself off the ground. Other than the extra weight on his back, it wasn’t too hard to do so. Reaching up higher he glanced down to examine his surroundings- trying his best to gain his bearings in order to find the way home. What a story he’ll have to tell to the elders- actually… maybe that would be a bad idea. Them hearing about Asani not immediately killing off a human? That’d be shameful. No. He’ll have to hide her. Hopefully temporarily, he wouldn’t want to be hiding this secret all his life. How long did humans even live?

He snapped out of his thoughts as his gaze sought a familiar path. His claws flexed in anticipation, and redirected his way towards the more known bearings around him.

After maybe half an hour later (the sun was still in the sky so it couldn’t have been that long.) he caught sight of more dragons in the distance. His home. A lot of rock- greenery, and a ton of activity, with a waterfall close by. The perfect place for a dragon’s nest. Though right now it seemed to be more calm than the normal hustle and bustle he was used to seeing. He saw no Elders or Royals around yet so he was thankful for that. As much as the Elders would make his ears bleed with their chastising- the Royals would rather spend their time tearing his limbs off one by one if they caught sight of him carrying a human. Damn it, he might have to make a pit stop to figure something out.

He lowered himself a ways away from his nest- Landing behind a couple of big boulders to shield themselves. He racked his brain for what to do. He couldn’t very well just mosy on in with a human. He growled in frustration and tossed his head around. Suddenly a thought sprang to mind and he lifted his head, tail swaying. Now, normally dragon allies weren’t allowed inside a dragon’s nest- no matter how close they were. But there were exceptions. Merchants, healers, builders, or on the rare occasion- egg hatchers. Dragon’s could do all of this themselves of course, but some instances required smaller and nimbler limbs than what dragons have. As much as he hates the thought, he might have to take out a goblin he finds (which shouldn’t be too hard.) They were smaller than humans and a bit more… brazen, but if he finds a suitable disguise she should go by unnoticed. Though he doubted she would enjoy it all that much. He cringed at the thought of having to become a goblin for a day.

With a stomp to the ground (trying his best to tell Holly to stay) he flies off towards where he knows a goblin camp lay. He would be sure to find a stray goblin that surely won’t be missed.

He came back not too soon after, and his claws dropped all sorts of materials. Leaves, vines, female goblin clothes, and Laynece berries (which produce green nectar goop). Although- for how she’d be able to fake goblin teeth, bumps and boils, Asani had no idea.

He plopped down and waited patiently, fully expecting her to realize what he wanted.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
With only a few flaps Thunder's wings, they had been launched into the air with the force of a catapult. Rey leaned forward and shut her eyes, gripping to the spine in front of her like it was her last lifeline. She would've stayed like that for their entire flight had it been shorter, but he eventually levelled out into what felt like a gentle soar, and Rey would hate to have flown with a dragon without even seeing what it was like. So, reluctantly, she cracked her eyes open.

"Holy shit."

From up here, the trees might as well have been toothpicks. The ground rolled out in a blanket of green pine needles and gray cliffs, and the mountain at their side poked majestically from the dirt like a slowly awakening god. Wind batted at her hair like a playful kitten, and a flock of sheep-like clouds pranced across the sky. Crisp, cold air filled her lungs, but if it was any chillier up here than down below, Rey didn't care.

"I can't believe you see this every day," She breathed, which was less of a statement to the dragon than it was a realization to herself.

Of course, their venture couldn't last forever. Thunder swooped downward beside a pile of boulders, and -with a pointed stomp that Rey took to be a sign that he'd be returning here soon- took off. As much as she hated the idea of being alone in dragon territory, his return didn't bode well either. It took a moment or two for Reyla to process what the strange assortment of items Thunder had dropped at her feet were fore, but it clicked the minute her eyes caught on the clothes -which were undoubtedly goblin in origin.

"You have got to be kidding me," she groaned. "Goblin? You're making me disguise as a goblin?"

Unfortunately, she didn't have any better ideas. Despite her protests (which continued in a grumbling manner throughout the entire process of getting prepared), Rey concealed herself as best as she could. Leaves and vines gave for the texture of warts and boils (albeit, ones that were only convincing if not scrutinized for very long), green berry nectar stained her skin, and -finally- her discarded clothes were dumped into her bag in exchange for the goblin's (which, while they were a bit of a tight fit, were at least not entirely uncomfortable).

With that finished, she slung her bag over her shoulder and shot Thunder a withering glare. ​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

With a satisfied huff, Asani considered even spitting out another gem of his to show his gratitude- but immediately retracted the thought. He couldn’t just go giving out his precious gems all the time like that. He did have to admit, seeing the displeasure on Holly’s face amused him to no extent. Remembering what humans did to show happiness, Asani bared his teeth imitating a smile. He’d seen Holly smile before- so he hoped he made an accurate depiction.

Now it was time to get a move on. Unfortunately (or in Asani’s case fortunately) Holly couldn’t ride on his back again. If the other dragons saw a goblin- or any living creature for that matter- riding a dragon, he would be disgraced. The upside however, is that the nest wasn’t too far away. With that in mind he turned tail and walked out from behind the boulders- casually making his way back to his home.

As they got closer, Asani could hear the chatter and the smells of familiarity. He could catch the scent of all kinds of creatures mixed in with his kind. Normally that would annoy the living Cerberus out of him, but this time the fact only filled him with relief. It would be easier for them to blend in this way. The cause for all the outsiders however- did make him annoyed. Throughout all these events, Asani nearly forgot that the dragon’s were preparing for a holiday that was extremely soon to come. So they had outside help- with the decorations, cooking/hunting, etc. He usually wouldn’t spend his time enjoying holidays, but this was an exception. It was more so a duty that he had to come. It was the day to celebrate the new breath of power. It happened every 10 or so years, where dragons get to battle their Elders to take their spot and rank. Maybe even earn their title. Every dragon who resided in the nest were required to attend. With the festivities being a bonus. Though Asani personally hated all the commotion.

Blinking out of his thoughts, Asani realized it was only a few steps closer till they officially entered the nest. Puffing his chest out and raising his head and wings, Asani stepped over into his territory. Seeing as there weren’t many dragons as normal, he figured they were out gathering materials for the outsiders to get to work. Letting out a shaky breath, he passed others by as normal (or at least he thought he was. He was acting a bit suspicious but Asani didn’t realize it). Other than dragon’s, he could see orcs, ogres, goblins, manticores, harpy’s, hell- even werewolves. There was bound to be more- but he found it a bit off-putting that there were so many other creatures here. He figured this many creatures invading their nest set the other dragons on edge too, so they’d have to be careful.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
In any other situation, Rey would've taken Thunder's bared teeth as a threat. Instead, she found his grin absolutely goofy- even if it displayed the razor sharpness of his fangs... Okay, maybe it was a little threatening. However, it didn't fail to bring an amused smile to her own face. "Nice try, big guy, but maybe next time a little less... this." She dropped her scowl in exchange for a broad grin in a mock imitation of his own.

It fell quickly as they began their short hike -Rey didn't know much about goblins, but their terrible oral hygiene (as well as their general hygiene) was legendary. Despite the looming threat of the dragons' den, she couldn't help a spark of curiosity. No human had ever entered the lair of a dragon and left with their life. For a single, silent moment, the thought of how useful the information she could glean from this visit could help the war effort, but she dropped the idea with an impatient shake of her head. Her decision had been made, she wouldn't -couldn't- go back to her former life.

Rey stuck close to Thunder's side as they cut through the wandering crowds. She'd never seen this many monsters in one place. Coarsely furred werewolves shoved past the murky-colored wings of harpies as they scrambled about with a purposeful (or, rather, dogged) quickness to their movements. Imperfect as her disguise was, Rey released a relieved breath. Among the mingling herd of orcs, goblins, and manticores, no one would give her a second look.

Still, she caught a nervous tenseness to Thunder's wings out of the corner of her eyes. Was it not as good a cover as she'd thought?

Rey cast a sweeping glare across the area. Now that she thought of it, why exactly were there so many creatures here? If the dragons here had these kinds of forces at all times, then there was no doubt in her mind that they would have easily overrun the territory ages ago. They couldn't have these kind of numbers at every nesting site. What made this one special?

Thunder's nerves were contagious. She shifted anxiously on her feet and tried to catch his eye with a questioning tilt to her head.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani didn’t even notice the tenseness in Holly- his mind already filled with his own anxieties. As they made their way further in- more dragons made their appearance known. Barking around orders, directing the allies. If Asani weren’t a dragon, the ferocity in the dragon’s would be sure to intimidate him. But, with him being one- he could understand their frustrations. As everyone knew- dragons liked to keep to themselves. Having all these other creatures inside their nest would be sure to frustrate them and make them anxious.

Asani tried his best to partially block their view of Holly by stepping just a step in front of her- shielding her with his body. Most of the dragons paid them no mind, too busy with directing the outsiders. Until one particular dragon stepped in their way. He wouldn’t necessarily call him a friend- more of a hindrance. A dark green dragon with vines covering most of his body. Devlin- though bigger than Asani- had the personality of a rambunctious bratty little hatchling. At this point Asani shouldn’t even be surprised Devlin approached him right away. He was always in Asani’s business after his injury from the humans. As annoying as Devlin was, Asani still held a hidden affection for him. He saw Devlin as almost a larger little brother.

Devlin pushed his face merely inches away from Asani’s own, and wiggled excitedly. “Hey! Where have you been?! You didn’t even apply for the tournaments! You promised you’d sign up with me remember?..” Devlin made a low whine, the spikes on his back bristling. Asani huffed in frustration, not having the time to deal with him at the moment. “No. You made your ramblings as usual, and I ignored you. As. Usual. You probably mistook my silence for somehow agreeing with you, you nosy little worm.” He then tried to get past Devlin, but ultimately failed. Damn him and his largeness. Devlin got even closer and growled in frustration as Asani recoiled from the closeness. “Oh come on! You have to! Maybe you’ll even-“ he got cut off as Asani finally shoved past him. “I’ll see you later, don’t you have to help the others?” He rolled his eyes as he made his way to a more safer location. Luckily, Devlin didn’t follow.

He strayed away from the bustling crowds, and out of sight form most of the other dragon’s. As he plopped himself down near a small stream of water, he sighed. He almost missed being in that cave then having to deal with all this commotion.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Rey nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of the roaring dragons. Razor sharp teeth, gargantuan claws, not to mention the wings... there wasn't a single thing about them that didn't sing killing machine. Even their allies seemed to cower beneath their might, scrambling from place to place with a nervous quickness to their steps. Rey nearly had a heart attack when green, vine-covered dragon darted in front of Thunder.

Rey -obviously- couldn't understand what was being communicated, and yet she couldn't help but be reminded of an excited puppy yapping at an older dog. As uncomfortable as she was being close to the strange dragon (it still amazed her that she now made the distinction), the expression on Thunder's face brought a grin to her face. It took a few seconds for her to remember she shouldn't show her teeth, and she -reluctantly- allowed her smile to drop.

Still, being right in the dragons' lair... there was something emboldening about it. For so long, Rey had lived in fear of these creatures. That they would burn down her home. That they would destroy her life as she knew it, taking friends and family... and yet here she was. Alive. Could anyone blame her if she flaunted it a bit?

As Thunder lead the way toward a small stream, she turned to face the green dragon and waved goodbye.

When Thunder plunked himself down at the river's bank, she sat at his side. "Tired?" She hummed, tilting her head at him as he released a sigh. It hadn't occurred to her until this moment that he was taking a huge risk letting her into his home. What would the others do if they found out? Rey couldn't imagine it would be good.

She gave a sigh of her own and patted one of his front talons once or twice before attempting to catch his eye and -mimicking his ridiculously broad grin- shot him a smile. ​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani grunted, acknowledging Holly beside him. How unusual. He found Holly- a human- more enjoyable company than his own kind. The Royals will be sure to have his head.

Suddenly, an idea sparked into Asani’s mind. What if they all saw humans like how Asani saw Holly? Not to be feared- but to be accepted. Maybe even liked. Asani knew that this thought was highly unlikely to even be considered. However, there was that one sliver of possibility that gave him hope.

After contemplating a bit in his mind, Asani got himself up and searched his gaze through the crowd, looking for a few dragons who he knew to go to. Once he caught sight of Devlin once more, he got himself up and reluctantly made his way over to him.

Nudging his side, Asani flared his nostrils- clearly displeased. “..Devlin. So, you remember talking about the tournament right?..” he sighed in frustration, bowing his head in defeat. “Well. I’ll join with you.. but! With H-.. but with a goblin friend. That is my condition.” It took a moment for the words to properly settle in his mind, but once it had- Devlin’s eyes lit up with joy. He started prancing around Asani, chanting his victory over and over. Finally, he stopped in front of him, vines coiling and shifting around himself. “Yes! I knew you would! There was no way you would have left me to do it alone! But uh.. why a goblin of all creatures?” Asani tilted his head up in defiance. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. I’ll go and see Jacner about the tournament.”

With one last apologetic look to Holly, he made his way over to another larger grey dragon (Asani was one of the smaller dragons of his nest) and signed them both up for the tournament. Jacner, being the ever so serious dragon- nodded and gave them both a stone with a single symbol on it. Once they see that a human and a dragon can work together, surely they will see humans in a new light.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Rey followed Thunder's gaze, finding it to land on the dark green dragon from before. She squinted at it- him? -taking in the vines and bouncing gait. They distantly reminded her of Thunder's fireside prancing. Rey held back a snort at the thought (she was never letting him live that one down). If the strange green dragon acted like that all the time, then she would find him hard to be scared of.

Momentarily distracted at the sight, it took Rey a few moments to realize Thunder had gotten up. "Hey!" She gave a soft, but miffed objection as she scrambled to her feet and trotted after him. "Could've said something, y'now."

It only took a few seconds to catch up, but by the time she had Rey could see the grumpy way he was flaring his nostrils. Judging by the green one's excited bounding, she had read their relationship perfectly when they had first met. Definitely a puppy and old, tired coonhound sort of situation. She snickered at the sight of it. Thunder's apologetic look, however, brought her amusement to an abrupt stop.

That couldn't mean anything good.

She stuck close to his tail as they approached a larger, gray dragon (Why were they all so big anyway? Rey had thought Thunder was large, but every dragon she'd seen after had only served to prove her more wrong) who plopped a rock into her hands (seriously, what was with dragons and rocks?!).

She peered at the stone with the expression of a child who was given an egg. It sat in her hands, held gingerly -as if it was likely to explode at any moment. Seeing as it didn't, she cast a bewildered stare toward Thunder and tilted her head pointedly.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Seeing the confused look on Holly’s face- Asani suddenly remembered that she was in fact, not an actual goblin. Therefore, she had no idea what this stone meant. Asani looked around in a frenzy, desperately searching for some kind of sign one of the outsiders should’ve put up. Seeing one being stuck on a stone wall by an orc, Asani gestured his snout in its direction. He doubted it held human language, but maybe she’d somehow get the gist by the drawings of (rather badly made) dragon’s and ogre’s fighting- decorating the poster. Outsiders weren’t obligated to fight (unlike the dragon’s) but they were welcomed to out of their own free will. That is- if they weren’t afraid of losing their life. The battles would either end in death, or in rare cases- a forfeit.

With Holly distracted- he tried his best to slip away. There was something he had to do that he didn’t want Holly to know about. Well- he didn’t want anyone to know about really. Unfurling his wings, he flew up to where his own little domain laid. Checking around for any lurkers watching him, he dug up a plot of dirt- where his precious gems lay underneath. A pleased thrum went through his chest, seeing it undisturbed. Gobbling up a couple of gems (he never liked having few gems on him) he quickly covered the hole back up with the previous dirt, patting it for extra measure. Other than his gems, he liked to collect human things on his travels- most however weren’t in the best condition. He mostly picked up shiny human things. But there were exceptions. He found most of his collection by human trails. Although dangerous- there were occasions where he found abandoned human objects. Humans were quite the oddballs.

Now that he looked at it, his domain was rather barren. Besides his nest, only his human collection was seen. A displeased growl left his throat, but he quickly turned back and flew off his ledge, heading back to where he remembered he left Holly. With a gem left in his jaws, he munched it up- a few stray shards falling below. He didn’t enjoy eating his gems, but they tasted too good not to. Plus it made his scales tougher (although temporarily).

Hopefully Holly didn’t hate him for leaving her- but surely she bode fine without him. He felt smug about himself for thinking of the goblin disguise.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Reyla followed Thunder's gaze and eyed the poster warily. It took a long moment to decode the crude depictions of dragons and ogres, but once she recognized the shapes, it clicked rather quickly what the poster meant. She couldn't be right, though. Could she? Because if she was reading it right, then that meant that Thunder had just signed her up for fucking gladiatorial combat.

As Rey turned to face him -and, given the chance, loudly question what in the world he thought he was doing- she was met only with his departing back. Great. He didn't even have enough respect to look her in the face when sending her to fight for her life.

Fuming as she was, Rey had to admit that the reasoning made sense. Judging by the matching symbols on both their rocks, they would be fighting together (or, at least, that was her hope). If other dragons saw a human fighting alongside a dragon... well, they sure wouldn't be thrilled, but perhaps they'd be willing to not kill her on sight -an improvement, if a small one. Still, she couldn't stop a small, nervous gulp as she stared across the nest. The dragons here were huge. Even with Thunder's help, the idea of fighting them was... she didn't want to say terrifying (even if it was), but certainly not desirable.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Thunder landed behind her. "Oh, great, so you've finally decided to come explain yourself then," Rey huffed. She fixed him with a scowl. It wasn't as if she expected an answer, she just felt it was only fair to show how absolutely-not-thrilled she was about the situation.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Seeing the pissed expression on Holly’s face- Asani has the decency to feel bad about leaving her. At least- that’s what he thought she was mad about. He couldn’t possibly think of anything else she would- oh. Right. The tournament. Figures that would make more sense.

Asani bowed his head in apology, but it was obviously half-hearted. But, considering that they are risking their lives for this- he supposed she did deserve some compensation. His chest heaving, he threw up another gem of his, the clattering of the fall drawing a few dragon’s attention. With a loud territorial growl, bared teeth, and his tail slashing the air- he warned the others to stay away. No way in hell they were going to lay a single claw on his gems.

He suddenly realized the sun was starting to go down. The dragon’s in the nest were beginning to order the others around more frantically. This was the last day to prepare for the festivities after all. Though, with the fear building in the outsiders, Asani noticed more mistakes were starting to form. Typical dragons.

A troubling thought then sprang to his mind. His nest didn’t have a sanctuary for outsiders. Damn the gods. A pointed glare was sent Holly’s way. Even though she already had the gall to ride on Asani’s back- invading his nest was another thing. He never allowed anyone inside his nest- well.. except for Devlin. But that was hardly Asani’s fault. The big bastard would have done it either way.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Rey sighed and picked the gem up with exasperated half-smile (it was just something she'd have to get used to, she supposed). "This doesn't mean I'm happy with any of this," She huffed with a sidelong glare in Thunder's direction. The statement lacked any real bite, only falling into a moderately-perturbed grumble. "But fine, I accept your apology." Rey slid the sparkling gemstone into her bag. "One of these days I'm gonna run out of space for these, though."

For a moment, she thought that Thunder's grumpy stare was simply a lingering effect of his snarling and posturing toward the other dragons. The fact that it seemed to be targeting her directly dispelled the idea. "What?" Rey said, a bit crossly. "You're not the one who got signed up for a death match without knowing, I don't see what you have to be mad about." Was he tired, maybe? It was getting late...

Oh.

"Well, I'm not terrifically fond of the idea of sleeping in a dragon nest either," She grumbled, crossing her arms. "We all have to make sacrifices, bud." Perhaps it was a bit harsh, he was the one who brought her here. Although, even Rey had to admit that she would hate Thunder sleeping in her own bedroom.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Asani huffed and turned up his nose in offense. Although he didn't know what in the world she was saying, even a mouse could figure out she was giving him sass. Oh how easily he could teach her a lesson, maybe fly into the air and hang her upside down. That would surely teach her. Though, he supposed he wasn't any better. Who knew what kind of diseases humans held... So he had a right to be upset! See? Totally justified.

Knowing she couldn't understand him, Asani mumbled under his breath, "Stupid human.. and their stupid existence." Just because Asani refused to kill this certain human, didn't mean he couldn't still despise their very being.

Reluctantly, Asani bent down so Holly could- once again- hop on his back. He'll have scale damage by this point... With another harsh glare and a flare of his nostrils. he motioned for her to get on. As embarrassing as this was, there was no way a flightless creature such as her- or a goblin- could reach his nest by foot.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Reyla resisted the urge to bite back with another retort. It didn't take a genius to know he was growling something rude. Still, even if the thought of magically gluing his mouth shut was tempting, it wouldn't make things any better. And she needed to conserve her spellcasting materials. Though Rey didn't know a terrifically large amount of combat magic, it couldn't hurt to have them on hand (if nothing else, then to heal her wounds later... assuming there would be a later).

She winced slightly as Thunder bent down. More flying? Her legs were still sore from their last flight.

"That nest better be close," Rey huffed, less at Thunder and more as a general warning to the universe. Reluctantly, she grabbed the same spine she'd used the first few times and swung her leg over with significantly less scrambling than previous (of all the skills to gain, mounting a dragon was never one she imagined). "Gods, you need a saddle." She groaned. Not that she honestly expected Thunder would be willing to wear one. Then again, Rey couldn't imagine this was comfortable for him either.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

A warning growl rumbled in his chest. Though- of course Asani wouldn't actually attempt to damage Holly, but a little scare wouldn't hurt. Bunching up his muscles, he launched himself into the air, his tail whipping behind him. Wanting to get to his nest fast (also an attempt to frighten Holly just a bit), Asani hastened his flight. Although not at his full speed, it did put a strain in his still sore limbs.

Finally reaching the nest, his talons screeched against the stone floor, putting a halt to his momentum. A pleased rumble reverberated through his body at the sight of the familiarity of his nest. He quickly bent down once more to let Holly off of him. Trotting over to a small pile of thatch, the glow in his abdomen brightened. Asani bent down and a spark jumped between his teeth, catching the branches and lighting the previously dim room. If it wasn't for his ego, he would thank Holly for even making him try to experiment with his electricity. Though, now he would claim he figured it out by himself.

Looking around he did have to admit, the light made his nest look more inviting than before. It also made his little domain warmer, which he supposed was a plus. dragging himself over to his makeshift resting place, he laid down and curled in on himself. Its been a while since he lay here. Back when things weren't so complicated. Back when things were simple. Him hating humans, and humans hating him. That seemed so wrong now. Past Asani would light his bones on fire if he knew that future Asani was In this position.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
Reyla rolled her eyes at Thunder's growl and hunched down in preparation for take off. "No need to get all gruUUUUMPY-" Her halfhearted complaint quickly turned to a yelp when they shot into the air at breakneck speed. A frenzied smile broke onto her face as she clung to the spike like it was her last lifeline, releasing it only when they had reached solid ground (and, even then, waiting a few moments for the adrenaline to settle).

"Okay, first of all fuck you," Rey began as she slid off Thunder's back and turned to face him. "Second of all, still fuck you, but third," She held up an accusing finger pointed toward his snout. "We have to do that again some time." That was just about the biggest rush she had ever felt in her life. Wind sliding past her face, thunderous flapping of wings at her side- there was nothing else like it.

That being said, she couldn't help a small sigh of relief as the fire flickered to life (with far less celebration than last time, she noted). The stone den seemed comfortable enough -perhaps even nostalgic considering it's resemblance to the cave they had been in before (had that really only been a night ago?). Of course, there didn't seem to be any extra sleeping spots. Not that she had really expected any.

Rey trudged up beside Thunder, her legs still aching (more than before their short ride). At this point it was hard to care about touching a dragon anymore. She flopped beside him and, basking in the warmth of the fire, was asleep in minutes.​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Blinking open his eyes, it took him a few minutes to come back into reality. That was one of the most comforting sleeps Asani's had in a while. His jaws opened wide in a yawn, while he stretched his limbs. Hearing his joints crack, he sighed in satisfaction. He got himself up just as the sun was beginning to enter his den. Shaking off a few stray leaves, he noticed the fire from last night had since died down. All that remained in its place were the ashes of the burnt thatch. As he looked out into the rest of the nest, he realized it was already bustling with activity. Except- unlike before- there was a pleasant excitement in the air.

Anxiety built in his chest. He hadn't actually had time to think about what he was actually planning on doing. Was he seriously going to show a human in front of all his den-mates like this? Was he insane?! This could mean death- or even worse- banishment! It wasn't like he could get out of it now. He already signed them up- and well- dragon's are true to their word. At least... they should be. A deceitful dragon is shameful, but certainly not unheard of.

Shaking out of his thoughts, he stalked over to Holly and tried judging her awake. He was sure he was showing signs of his anxiousness, but he wouldn't be surprised if it was mistaken for excitement. He looked back down at the crowd, his spine practically jumping along with his hyperventilating.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Reyla Nefram
"I'm up, I'm up!" Rey groaned, waving a careless hand through the air to swat Fletcher away only for it to land on scaly skin. Her eyes blinked open with a bleary squint against the sun that had begun to shine into the room. Silhouetted against it was a large figure that was definitely not Fletcher. "Oh. Right," She hummed. "Sorry-" Her statement was broken by a yawn and a tilting crack of her neck that got rid of the worst of her morning stiffness. "Sorry about that, Thunder."

She raised an eyebrow at Thunder's panicked breathing. So now he was anxious? A bit late for that. Rey gave him an absentminded few pats on the snout anyway, like one might pet a stressed dog (...a large, intelligent, reptilian dog).

All things considered, Rey was surprisingly calm. Sure, she'd never properly fought a dragon before, but this is what she'd been training for. It couldn't be that different from the training dummies... aside from the fact that they would actually fight back. And have unknown abilities. And that she'd be teaming with another dragon. But otherwise, she was completely prepared. Right?

She shouldered her bow and gave her arrows a nervous once-over (they seemed fighting fit). "It'll be fine," Rey said, more to herself than Thunder, as she slid her satchel on. "Worst comes to worst... well, worst comes to worst we die, but that's the absolute worst case-scenario."​

 

[Caffeine_Obsessed]

Asani Riku Daskalov

Throughout Holly's- no doubt- non-ceasing ramblings, Asani couldn't fight the thought of a ground covered in dragon's blood. He couldn't decipher if it was his blood, or his den-mates. Either way, it was going to be a horror show. Asani knew he had to steel himself in order to accept that. It had been forever since he last fought another dragon (not counting that damn serpent from the cave). He couldn't be too sure how he would react- especially fighting beside a human for Gods' sake.

It was going to be his first ever time doing an act that betrayed his denmates. (In his eyes anyway)

He couldn't be too sure what they will do once they see who Holly really is- that thought did nothing to soothe his nerves. Well, it was a bit too late to go back now. With a huff of air, he steeled his shoulders and bent down so they could make their trip onward.