Fantasy Observations

[Regynleif]

Aria took a few deep breaths after Tristan departed and she was suddenly glad she was in a lavendar field for an entirely new reason as the scent helped calm her racing heart, even if it was only a little bit. Should she actually run the other way?

No. He was going through all of this trouble just for her and was letting himself be vulnerable. She owed it to him to use whatever courage she had to face him in his true form. Besides, even if he was a dragon, he was still Tristan. The sound of a tree crashing from the area he had left for gave Aria another good fright. She guessed that was a good of sign as any that there was now a full sized dragon in the clearing. She took another deep breath before mustering all of her bravery and started walking in that direction before she could talk herself out of it.

Upon reaching the beginning of the clearing she was trembling. She kept her gaze on the ground in front of her as she took a few tentative steps inside. Slowly she looked up and stopped.

To say that seeing a dragon was breath taking was extremely accurate because she had suddenly forgotten to breathe. She stared, completely taken aback by the sight in front of her. He was absolutely beautiful. His scales shimmered in the light of day and his eyes... they were still that clear blue she had grown to be fond of. She began walking towards him again, slowly reaching a hand out to place on his head. "May I?" She whispered as she stopped just short of touching him.

 

[Renia]

He was truly amazed that Aria was able to approach him... A new kind of respect was forming for the human. He'd seen a good many hunters far more skilled and capable of fending off an enemy turn and run screaming through the woods at their first glimpse of him in dragon form. And yet Aria was so swiftly willing to touch him. Tristan responded to her request by giving a soft rumble of approval and shifting his massive head slightly so that he pressed against her palm. He could not form human words with a dragon tongue, but Dracolings were capable of another form of communication.

You are taking this better than I expected... His voice would likely shock her. Telepathy was the only way he could communicate with his own kind in dragon form, luckily it worked with other beings as well so long as he knew their language. She would hear his voice in her mind, and perhaps her brain would translate it as if she had heard the words with her own ears... he was unsure of how it exactly worked with humans. Dragons rarely spoke to her kind. Though, in his opinion, they were missing out.

 

[Regynleif]

Aria gave a soft and timid smile when Tristan gently pushed against her hand. She was certain he'd be able to feel her trembling, but she was so consumed with the warm feeling beneath her hand that she hardly cared. She was touching a dragon! An actual myth!

Soon after she heard Tristan's voice but... where was it coming from? She certainly hadn't seen him move to speak, but she definitely heard him and it gave her a start. "Um, well I'm probably still not taking it the best but... I still know it's you. That makes it easier." She voice quavered but was gaining strength. She was gently running her hand over his scales in fascination and getting braver, allowing herself to trail her fingers along his neck. "What's it like? Flying?" She asked while keeping her attention on what was before her.

 

[Renia]

Flying comes natural to Dracolings, so I am not sure I can describe it the way you would experience it... He paused, eyes closing briefly as he tried to see flight through a human's perspective, rather than one of complete normalcy. It is like... being truly free. No limitations holding you to the ground. No place you cannot reach. You feel the wind try to hold you back, but know that it never can. Flying is the most powerful feeling there is.

It was far more than he could describe. Flying made Tristan feel invincible. Like nothing and no one would ever catch him. Not unless he wanted them to, at least.

 

[Regynleif]

Aria gave a small chuckle, "That sounds beautiful and makes me feel so small compared to you." Her hands paused as she was truly beginning to grasp the grand difference between them. "Tristan?" She whispered, "Why are you bothering with a human like me?" She looked sad as she realized she could never match his magnificence, never be truly worth the time he was spending with her. "Oh, nevermind that." She suddenly exclaimed and forced a smile while putting her hands on her hips. "I believe you have a promise to keep!" She looked at him expectantly, hoping he either didn't notice her falter in confidence or would ignore it.

 

[Renia]

He was growing used to her mood swings, he decided. In fact they no longer surprised him. Aria seemed to bounce between confidence and a lack thereof quite often. He had never met anyone like her.. but that was not saying much at all, since he had never taken the time to get to know anyone else. Still, the fact remained that Tristan was getting to know her better. He nudged her with his nose.

Climb on, then.. if you can~ he taunted lightly, stretching out as much as the small clearing would allow and trying not to knock over any more trees. I believe you are quite possibly the first human to be allowed to ride a dragon. Or at the very least the first to charm her way onto my back. Try not to pull my scales too much? They're rather itchy."

 

[Regynleif]

She gave a small snort in reply at the idea of her charming him and prepared herself mentally as she searched for a good place to climb onto. "Aloe, another plant, it's good for itching and soothing the skin, er, or scales I'd assume." She rambled off as she tried as gently as she could to hoist herself onto his back. After a minute of struggling and feeling entirely embarrassed she managed to get onto a solid perch and gave him a few soothing strokes.

"Sorry about that, it definitely wasn't my most graceful moment." She laughed nervously. "Please don't drop me, ok? I may not be scared of being up high but I do have a healthy fear of falling from great heights."

 

[Renia]

Tristan was adequately distracted by the mention of a new plant that might have the power to soothe his itchy scales. That would make his time in human form much more endurable. Remind me to have you show me that 'aloe' plant as soon as we land.

He snorted, slight puffs of smoke curling into the air around his nostrils as evidence of his scoffing. Dragons do not drop anything they do not fully intend on being rid of. You are entirely safe with me. Now hold on.

Heaving himself up into a standing position, Tristan decided to play around a bit with Aria before the actual flight and wriggled experimentally to see if she could keep her seat where she was. Are you sure you can hold on? I do not mind catching you out of the air, but I do not believe it would be as enjoyable for you~

 

[Regynleif]

"I do have some aloe at home, I could easily whip up a poultice for you if you'd like." She said while making herself comfortable. She let out a yelp when Tristan began wriggling beneath her and tightened her grip, but did remain steadfast in her spot. "I-I'm not going to fall if I have any say about it!" She squeaked out indignantly.

She took a deep breath in, held it, and then let it out slowly. "I trust you not to drop me. And I am really grateful that you are sharing this experience with me." She bent down and gave his neck a quick hug, allowing herself the small display of affection. She straightened back up and steeled herself for take off.

 

[Renia]

Tristan turned his head to look at her. Careful now, Aria, or I might begin thinking you like my company~ Now hold tight, the hard part is getting off the ground.

He gave her a moment to ready herself, and took the time to consider the best way to take off with a girl on his back. Admittedly this was a first for him. Typically he did not have to worry overmuch with how aggressively he leapt into the air. But today he had to find a balance that was gentle enough as to not dislodge her, yet strong enough to take them into the sky. Tristan chose to lean more toward gentle and take the rising slowly this time. A smooth leap upward and his wings spread to catch at the air, shoving it downward in smooth, slow strokes that kept them rising in small increments. The forest ebbed further below them as he lifted them straight upward. Only once they were safely above the trees did he switch to gliding, and the treetops began to flow beneath them. He picked up speed a bit, shifting slightly from side to side almost as though swimming through the air, feeling less wind resistance from the motion and hoping it would make the ride smoother for his passenger.

How are you holding up back there? Ready to go back down, or.. shall we go higher?

 

[Regynleif]

She had prepared well enough for the take off and he was gentle enough that she had little trouble adjusting. As soon as they were comfortably airbourn she let out a laugh of glee. Slowly she let go of her hold and spread her arms as she let her legs keep her in her spot.

"Why would we ever go down, Tristan? This is amazing!" She laughed, realizing she would probably love flying for the rest of her life. She had been so scared but now that she was up here, feeling the freedom of the sky, she was happier than she had ever been. She laughed again as she reclaimed her hold. "Go as high as you'd like, I want to see the whole world!"

 

[Renia]

He laughed. Hearing the glee and wonder in her voice... was he supposed to feel happy because she was? Was that how emotions worked? Sharing the sky with her was infinitely more fun than it had ever been flying alone. Tristan found that he would have to watch himself closely, or he might become very addicted to company. And it would be a very bad idea to become attached. Dragon attachment was much stronger than human attachment.

The world is a very large place. How about we settle for the clouds for today? And he was already angling upward, aiming for the lowest clouds. It would be cooler up there, so they would not be staying long lest she become too cold and risk sickness, as he heard humans were prone to do. But he felt she should experience being amongst the clouds at least once in her life. It was like being in another world altogether, where nothing was visible but sky and fluffy whiteness. Yes, that was something he simply must show her. His thanks for her promise to teach him more about the world below. And for accepting him as he was. He'd been so afraid to show her what he really was. But Aria was still treating him like a person rather than a monster. He had not known how much he needed that.

 

[Regynleif]

She laughed again at his response. "I guess you are right, the world is quite large." When she noticed him angle himself to go higher she closed her eyes to feel the rush of air against her face.

She kept her eyes closed until she felt him level out once again. Slowly she opened her them and looked at the wonders around her. Never had she dreamed she would be amoungst the clouds! She took in a breath of the chilly air and coughed. "Whoops, it's certainly cold up here." She joked.

Wrapping her arms around herself she gazed at the clouds. "I'm envious, you can see this view whenever you like. It's beautiful, like a dream." She said wistfully.

 

[Renia]

There are advantages to having a dragon for a friend, he responded lightly. But next time we come I think you will dress more warmly and we can stay longer. For now, it is time to return to the ground. I've kept my promise, so now you get to teach me about aloe.

He was already drifting lower, concerned with that cough she had given. He was not going to allow her to fall ill because of their flight. Not when he had every intention of trading another trip into the sky tomorrow for more lessons from her. Besides... he would be terribly lonely if she didn't show up to talk to him. No, letting her fall sick simply was not an option.

 

[Regynleif]

"Oh, so we're friends now?" She teased lightly, because she definitely liked the sound of that. Leave it to her to dislike humans and end up with a dragon for a friend. But it was nice to think that she would get to spend more time with him. Maybe she was more lonely than she originally thought.

When they reached the ground she slid off almost gracefully as her legs felt incredibly weak. She wasn't used to riding horses, so she wasn't terribly surprised it took a lot of work to ride a dragon. She allowed herself to sink to the forest floor and brush her fingers through the grass to help reacclimate herself with being on solid land.

"Right, give me a moment to regain my sea legs." She joked again. "I'll take you back to my home and show you some aloe, along with some other plants." She smiled up at him before suddenly remembering he was still in dragon form. "Oh right! I suppose you wouldn't fit inside my house in that form. Is it alright if I just close my eyes while you transform back?" She asked with a tilt of her head. She hadn't noticed but she had completely lost all fear if him.

 

[Renia]

We are. It was a confident statement and he paid little attention to it as he angled more downward and picked up more speed. He would not have allowed just anyone to ride him, let alone to see his true form. He'd taken an instant liking to her. Perhaps it was that she had known things he did not, or that she seemed to care about things other people knew little about and barely noticed. Perhaps that had translated to him as an ability on her part to appreciate things others would not. And just maybe, he had felt, she might see the same worth in him as she did in her plants, once she understood that he had a bit of magic in him, too?

He gentled their decent before they reached the trees and lighted into the clearing as slowly as he had ascended from it before. His tail still managed to clear a small cluster of saplings near the edge of the clearing, but inwardly Tristan was a bit glad for it. If he was going to use this meadow in dragon form more often, then he would really like it to be a lot wider to accommodate him.

He found himself moving his head over to where she sat, looking down at her as she spoke to him. Tristan was relieved at how happy she was now. It felt as though they had grown quite a bit closer today. She certainly seemed a bit less wary of him now, even though he was still a giant lizard with wings. He huffed a little at her and transformed instantly back to human form, still standing over her with his hands on his waist and a brow raised.

"I'm fairly certain the shock of seeing a dragon become a human is a little less than seeing a human become a dragon, so I think you will live," he responded with humor. "I count myself lucky that Dracolings are able to transform purely by magic, honestly. I hear a werewolf transformation is a lot more lengthy and painful..."

He was still scratching at the scales on his arm as he spoke. It was such a common occurrence in this form that he barely noticed. The shirt sleeves has been pulling at the scales so much that the had begun to tear at the skin beneath them, and those tears were becoming infected. It was an annoying pain, but nothing much to a Dracoling. And with the scarlet hue of his scales it was difficult to see the redness beneath them, so he had no idea that anything was really wrong.

"And what are 'sea legs' anyway?" he questioned as he held a hand down to her to help her stand. "You say a lot of things that make no sense to me."

 

[Regynleif]

Aria blinked at the sudden difference in appearance to reorient her mindset. She softly took his hand and noticed how warm it felt and the flutters in her stomach at the contact. After she had stood she processed his question. "It's a saying humans use. Particularly sailors as they have to get used to they way a boat moves on the ocean compared to solid land. They call them their "sea legs" and it can translate to any time you have to get used to various different things." She still had his hand in hers as she was too distracted to remove it. When her eyes naturally strayed to his scales she noticed something seemed off.

Using the fact that she still had a hold of him, she gently pulled his arm to her to examine it. "I've seen you scratching at these a few times. The skin seems very irritated and even cracking open in some places.." her voice trailed off as she continued looking at his arm. "It seems the plants I will be teaching you about are the ones I will be using to treat you." She stated, still holding onto him.