Fantasy On Dragon Back: A Dragon Rider Role-play [Closed]

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Kuro dropped down, though he drew no weapon. He left Whiplash standing behind him as he watched her. "You really think you know the record? You only know the lies my former superiors put on my record. Did you ever ask the others in my former units how they felt?" He asked walking calmly towards her as Whiplash stood by. "You say I fucked up two chances. Do you comprehend, for even a moment, what kind of hell I endured before those reports were written? Captain Goldabad attempted, on more than one occasion, to cut off my tail and explain it as a training accident." He hissed, his eyes narrowed to slits.


"Whiplash saw it coming and clubbed him some two hundred feet across the arena. That's when he put in for me to be transferred." He concluded as he walked slowly in a circle around her, his eyes calmly watching her with her weapon. He didn't have a weapon on him. He used his claws and bare hands. According to some accounts, he was one of the best unarmed fighters around...


"As for that second chance in Typhoon Squadron.... Let me ask you, whose account did you read? Did you read the ramblings of LT Draxxus? Did you bother to check HIS file to see how many reports condemn him? Did you read the other report, written by the Squad Leaders? Or did you disregard it? If you read it, maybe you'd realize the real reason I haven't been kicked out yet." Kuro squared his shoulders to face her now.


"Although those over me aren't usually able to see past my ears and tail, those I've fought alongside have seen what I'm capable of. They'd be up in arms if I was booted out, and I get the feeling Command knows that." He remarked simply, taking a step towards her.


"You do a lot, I can't and won't attempt to put anything against that. But how does that help in a fight? You're in a position where you're expected to lead us in a fight. How will helping the elderly or making gear aid us when combat finally happens? If you want my respect, You better be able to prove you're a Rider first and foremost." He growled as he took another step forward.


"I don't act like an ass because I don't like people. I just respond when I'm challenged or threatened. And since you've chosen to challenge me, I will answer. Whiplash, make sure no one interferes..." The dragon just nodded her tail raised in case anyone else tried to get in the way.


"You think I haven't done enough to earn a higher position.... I guess I just have to prove myself to you then..." He lowered himself, powerful legs kicking off as he lunged for her with surprising speed. He knocked her arm holding the blade aside, his closed fist striking her side before his elbow came crashing into her solar plexus. With one swift motion, he swept her foot out from under her, dropping her onto her back rather forcefully.


"That should more than prove myself to you... Now it's your turn. Prove to me you actually deserve to be a Rider Captain. Get the fuck up!" He growled, glaring down at her as he watched her, his tail flicked angrily behind him as he watched her, waiting for her to rise. This was her opportunity to earn his respect. She claimed she didn't judge him for what he was. That ultimately helped her, but the way she still talked down to him and doubted his abilities needed to be addressed if he was to respect her at all. If she could prove herself in this fight, she would earn his respect, but only if she came to show him the same courtesy.


@Mystik

 

[Arasaloe]

Braith turned her head, hearing a thud and yelp, and noticed the younger girl. She blinked in surprise, glancing at the mounting tensions between the gato and the captain, before making her way over to her. “Hey, you okay?” She asked, leaning down to offer her a hand up. “…While I normally don’t have a problem with youngsters watching, I don’t think right now is a particularly good time.” She smiled faintly at her.


She paused a moment, looking over towards the captain and the young man. She knew from how they were talking that this fight was inevitable, but it was still uncomfortable. Her mouth twitched into a frown as Kuro actually hit the captain, and she moved to grab one of the red balls, gripping it hard before winding back and letting go. It sailed through the air between the two, whistling with the force she’d put behind it, and slammed into the earth hard enough to kick up dust.


“Are we playing a game, training, or wasting time?” She snapped, before rubbing the back of her neck. She walked back to Kor’s side, resting a hand on his warm scales before climbing onto him. “Whatever. I’ll be in the air, whenever anyone decides to do something productive.” She added, leaning low to his neck.


Let's get out of here. She muttered to him, rubbing the sides of his neck.


He made a noise of agreement, spreading his wings and leaping off the ground. He flapped his wings a few times to gain altitude. Where do you want to go? He asked.


Not too far. Wouldn't want to get in trouble. Just make circles around the arena until they're done with this.


She felt Kor's heavy sigh before he nodded, turning to follow the edge. She laid her head on his neck, watching the group from the air. This was her new squadron. And not even an hour in, and they were at each other's throats. She idly moved her finger in circles on Kor's skin, something she always did when she was bored. It gave her something to do, and it seemed to soothe him. It also had a somewhat zen-like affect on her, as well.

 

[Mystik]

​

The words had barely registered in her head as she'd suddenly felt the wet earth beneath her envelop her back. For a moment she was stunned, the wind knocked swiftly out of her. Her eyes whipped frantically around as she began to be deprived of oxygen, though in a short few moments her regular breath had taken place again. Dreav's head perked up from its docile position, his long white fangs being shown again. Recognizing the force wasn't lethal, he merely rose and started to pace from side to side, raising his wings. It was a threat to Whiplash in particular, rather than Kuro. Dreav didn't find the Gatomen a challenge of any sort, and the bigger prize rested on the Rider's companion.


A small grin forms on her lips. She parted them softly to speak in a hushed tone, "So that's why you're here..~". Viktoriya laughed softly and gripped her sword which now lay a few inches from her. "Well, Kuro.." Her breath shoved out a series of short coughs.


"I doubt I'll even have to rise,".


Within a split second her grip tightens around the thin hilt of the sparkling blade that had been soiled by mud. The heel of her right boot drove into the dirt, giving Viktoriya momentum to push herself upward, and a point of rotation. Upon getting into her kneeling position, she rotates her entire body around with the tip of her blade arcing through the air and inevitably dragging itself through the Gatomen's chest. All of these movements were executed with such delicacy yet force in such a brief period of time, it may have been hard to process the exact movements she went through. Inevitably a streak of blood streaks from the man's chest, falling onto the Captain's arm. The shining blade glistened with blood and dirt, and stayed risen in the air past Kuro's chest.


Unlike most opponents, Viktoriya quickly rises and grabs Kuro's collar. It wasn't an act of aggression, but rather it was an attempt to keep him upright. The tip of the blade that rests in her right hand slithers across the muddy ground as she sighs.


"Don't doubt that I've earned the life I live."

 

[Nooguy]

Freyah stepped back as she stood by Rhavir's side, watching as Kuro and Viktoriya came to stand off against one another. In her earlier years as a rider she'd normally attempt to intervene between the two, but the tension between both parties needed to be released, and sooner would be better than later. Turning to swiftly climb up Rhavir and sit upon his saddle, the rider simply watched the two with her arms crossed. The Glacin seemed to share a similar standing in the matter, having seen hundreds of encounters such as this between two parties. Often times intervening only led to the shown angers and frustrations being repressed and left to build and build until once again erupting, often at the worst of times. If true injury was to be had he and his rider would intervene, the larger glacin capable of absorbing a strike from that dense tail to disperse the two parties if need be. Rhavir gave a deep rumble in his chest as he watched the two, the tone quaking through the air as he watched. "May the weaknesses of both parties be purged in this confrontation for the betterment of rider and dragon alike." He spoke in his calm, deep tone to the two riders and dragons.


As the inevitable strikes and blows were given Rhavir's pale eyes watched carefully at the altercation, shooting to the Furios of Viktoriya's. "Peace Dreave, this must be done else ruin will draw from the unfinished grudge." He said in a firm but calm tone. Freya gave a sigh, watching as that blade arced through the air drawing blood. A daring move, anyone but a practiced swordsman would have likely miscalculated the strike and struck deeper potentially slashing at the heart or lungs. "Definitely not the best of ways to get things started eh Rhavir?" She said softly to which the large Glacin simply growled in affirmation.

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Whiplash didn't even acknowledge Dreav, her tail raised as her eyes just made sure no one interfered. And if the dragon were to step in, he'd get a boop on the nose he'd NEVER forget...

​

A soft chuckle escaped Kuro's lips when she grabbed his collar. "Given you managed to cut me... I can't deny you've got a great deal of skill. Skill I'd say that makes you more than worthy to be Captain, given my last two superiors tried incessantly to do what you've done with no success" he remarked, staring down into her eyes. There was a light in those eyes now, not anger anymore, but.. .amusement?


"However, I do note there is room for improvement." he chuckles softly, pressing just enough so she can feel his sharp claws pressing on her chest over her heart. If he really had any designs on her life, he could have ended it right there. Gatomen were gifted at birth with claws instead of nails, and Kuro's black claws were carefully groomed to be sharp and deadly.


"You dropped your guard to get in close, though I do appreciate your concern." He smirked down at her, his tail flicking playfully behind him now. Any hint of anger was gone from his voice and demeanor. Like a cat, his emotions could change at the drop of a hat... "How about this, I won't doubt you've earned the life you live, if you accept that the negative crap on my file is mostly lies and slander and pay closer attention to the positives. Deal?" He asked watching her, his ears perked up as he waited for her answer. A smile was on his lips now as he watched her. Nothing in his demeanor was condescending, if anything, it seemed he had acquired a bit of respect for the young captain for being able to actually wound him... Given the immense experience gap, it truly was a feat she had been able to cut him like that.


She wasn't like other Captains... No, she reminded him of Captain Henry Falchion more than anyone. He was a fair leader. Perhaps he had been too quick to jump to assertions, but her responses certainly hadn't helped matters...


"And... I'd also like to apologize for rushing to judge you so quickly. I guess after dealing with imbeciles like LT. Draxxus for five years I got a bit cynical..." he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, his tail making awkward loops through the air. Apparently, he had the humility to admit when he was wrong, unlike many of his prior superiors...


All this time, he paid almost no attention to the wound she had inflicted on him. Then again, the reports mentioned an instance when he used himself as a distraction to save his Squadron. Surely he had not come unscathed out of that... How many times had he taken abuses so that his fellow Riders would not? Just how many times had he used his body to shield those around him...


No doubt the reports against him had to be lies. And if they truly were lies, what kind of hell had he been dealing with as a Rider before now?


@Mystik

 

[Mystik]

​

Viktoriya winces as his claws press up against her skin. "The goal wasn't to kill you, it never was. I could say the same to you,". If Kuro were to look down at this current moment he'd find the tip of her blade aimed upward toward his rib cage. She flashes a brief smile back at him. "Now, if you would excuse me, I need to vomit,". Her grip on his collar releases and she proceeds to bend over, gagging violently before her stomach empties into the mud. Blood falls out along with the contents of her stomach, he opening an existing condition that remains to be disclosed at a later date.


Moments after this rather violent display of sickness the Captain straightens her back slowly and comes back up into a stand. Looking around at the other Riders, she clutches her stomach. Dreav quickly slithers up to her side, rubbing his maw against her back nervously. Viktoriya.. We need to leave. She bobs her head up and down weakly and her face turns pale. She mumbles something next to Dreav's ears and he grunts. "Riders, Rhavir and Freyah are in charge. The Captain is ill, she won't be able to attend and monitor the games today. A report is going to be filed later. It will be safe to assume a new Captain may be assigned after today's.. Incident," Dreav growls and turns his head to Kuro. "She'd like you to seek medical attention. Either from herself, or the Medical staff.".





Shortly after speaking Dreav bites the back of her collar and lifts her upon the saddle. He jetisons both of them high into the air and quickly flies off back toward Viktoriya's forge. "I'm not fit to be Captain," The rider mumbles quietly. Of course you are, this is something that you can't control.. You should really tell command before they put you into something I can't get you out of. Viktoriya shakes her head, "No.. Not yet,". Dreav huffs and slams into the earth beside the forge, the numerous tools that dangle from the ceiling clinging against one another. I'll wait here. Yell if you need me, Vik.. Viktoriya nods and stumbles off the saddle, grunting as she hits the dirt on her side. Another spurt of blood comes from her lips upon impact. She scrambles to throw herself back into her home, stumbling about as she frantically opens cabinets and bottles. Her hands fumble to mix together multiple medicines into a nasty smelling and looking concoction. The brown surface foams slightly and Viktoriya looks at it with disgust. Her shaking hand clutches the bottle that contains the medicine, slamming it up to her lips. Viktoriya chugs down the concoction, water coming to her eyes as the vile medicine trickles down through her organs. After finishing off the bottle she drops to the floor, the glass shattering next to her.


Viktoriya curls up into a fetal position, clutching her stomach as she waits for something unknown.

 

[Nooguy]

Upon seeing the two rivals reconcile with one another Rhavir lets out celebratory roar into the air. "May this moment mark a rebirth for this newly forged camaraderie!" He exclaims, stomping his left front foot on the ground in accentuation. Freyah herself even gives a broad smile as she sees respect exchanged between the two recently begrudged enemies. However it seemed the jubilation was to be short lived as the rider's smile turned quickly to a worried frown when Viktoryia suddenly doubled over, retching rather violently onto the earth. A worried growl left Rhavir as he found himself rather surprised, the dragon not having smelled anything off about the woman when they all arrived. Freyah softly pet the base of her dragon's neck in reassurance.


Hearing the declaration from Dreav both Freyah and Rhavir gave a bow of their heads, the rider solemnly taking the hopefully temporary position as she watched the Furios take his rider and fly into the air to seek aid for his rider. Rhavir gave a low hiss of worry but quickly shook it off as Viktoryia and Dreav fly off, leaving the rest of the group on the field. Freyah similarly brushed aside the worry as dwelling upon it would do no good for their captain or each other. "We shall continue on as we would if Viktoryia and Dreav were still with us. Let us continue to set up into Teams so that we may enjoy a game of kivon ball." She spoke out to the others as Rhavir stepped forth while she spoke.

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Kuro narrowed his eyes as he watched the Captain and her Dragon leave. He was a skilled fighter, but he knew full well his attack wouldn't have caused such a violent reaction. No... the Captain was hiding some preexisting issue, he was sure of it. However, what her Dragon had said worried him.


A report would be filed, and no doubt Command would interpret anything written as him attempting to kill her. Well, that was it then. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Command to hand down his walking papers. Odds are, they'd try to confiscate Whiplash. Try being the operative word. Whiplash would never be separated from him. They had a strong bond that went back to when they met...

Spoiler

~~~


Kuro had been on his own for some months. His parents had gone out to a local Bazaar and had never returned. Kuro never found out what became of them. He was forced to fend for himself, resorting to thievery to survive. Thankfully, his cat-like agility enabled him to succeed in his endeavors without ever being caught. Thus he had managed to live. However, the seasons began to change. Winter was fast approaching. Desperate to find a way to procure warmth, Kuro had gone to the Bazaar to find some blankets to pilfer. Down one dark alley, he found a booth set up. Now, even to a seven year old, a mysterious booth in a dark alley seemed weird.


But his concerns were set aside when he noticed what was on the booth. A large bundle of blankets lay resting on the table. Enough to keep him warm no matter how cold the winters got. He checked to be sure no one was around, before he pilfered the pile, dashing through the back alleys to get away. When he finally put a safe distance between him and the scene of his most recent crime, he realized the bundle was particularly heavy. He wondered if, perhaps, he had pilfered more than just blankets.


On the outskirts of the town, he had set up a ramshackle hut, It was little more than a few boards with a tarp thrown over it. It leaked, and the wind got in through the cracks, but it was the only means of shelter he was able to procure. He crawled inside, carefully unwrapping the blankets one at a time, until he came across the source of the weight he had noticed before. A dragon egg...


As he examined it, the egg began to move. In awe, he held the egg as a crack formed slowly in the top. A subtle tapping came from inside the egg as the crack extended further until a tiny, silver scaled head poked out from the confines of the egg. His golden eyes met the blue eyes of the baby dragon as it carefully crawled out of the egg. She was small enough that he could easily hold her in the palms of his hands.


"Woah.. a real Dragon...." He murmured, gazing at the creature in awe. The little dragon shivered a little bit, snapping Kuro from his awestruck admiration. "Oh no... you're probably freezing..." He murmured, quickly picking up one of the blankets and pulling it around them. The Dragon gazed up at him, wondering eyes staring into his as her little tail flicked behind her. Kuro couldn't help but smile down at the little creature. He had been alone for so long, it was nice to have a friend..."My name's Kuroneko Kouun." He introduced himself mostly just to be talking again.


"K....Kuro..." The baby dragon managed to speak. It was common knowledge that dragons started learning to talk from the moment they were born. If they were spoken to a lot as an egg, they would sometimes be fully linguistically capable the moment they hatched.


"Kuro works, don't push yourself.." Kuro murmured, gently patting the dragon's head. The little dragon nuzzled into his touch. "I should give you a name too..." Kuro murmured thoughtfully, watching the little dragon. About that point, a small fly, likely the last one of the season, buzzed into his little hut. It flew in Kuro's face, and his ears lay flat as he glared at the annoying insect. The baby dragon watched the fly, and Kuro's annoyance, until it came close to her. Once it was close, she spun and slammed her tail down on it, crushing the fly under her tail.


"Woah... I think I may have the perfect name for you... Whiplash...." He smiled down at the dragon.


"Whi-..... whiplash?" The dragon gazed up at him as he nodded. "What do you think?"


"My... name is... Whiplash!" There was a hint of joy in her voice as she nuzzled into Kuro's chest, her tail swishing excitedly behind her.


The two were inseparable from then on. Whiplash grew quickly. She contented herself to riding on his shoulder everywhere, enjoying the sights of the city, even in winter. Kuro kept a blanket wrapped around them as a makeshift robe, only their heads poking out into the elements. Days together turned to weeks, and soon, spring came and chased away the bitterness of the cold. Normally, Dragons would be near the size of small ponies by now, but less food and exposure to cold had slowed her initial growth. As it were, at about 3-4 months old she was still able to ride on his shoulders, granted she either draped herself around his neck, or she would cling to his back and ride along.


She was in this position when the two noticed shadows cast from overhead. When the two looked up, they saw Riders coming in to land in the open areas of the Bazaar. As it happened, these Riders were finishing up a patrol, and were stopping for supplies. This was the first time the two had seen other dragons, so they couldn't resist getting close. Kuro hid behind a wall, observing them as Whiplash's head rested on his to watch as well.


They're dragon Riders!


Yeah! I didn't know they came out this way!


We should go talk to them, Kuro!


Despite his nerves, the excited tone of Whiplash's voice gave him a bit of courage. He slowly made his way forward, Whiplash's club tail swaying almost in perfect time with Kuro's tail as they approached. His ears were laying flat, betraying his shyness as he approached the Riders.


"Well would you look at that? That Gatomen over there has a dragon!" One of the men remarked, pointing over at Kuro as he approached, causing the small boy to jump in surprise.


The Riders dismounted and approached him, their weapons and posture causing the boy to stare in awe.


At least, until one rider, the one who spoke before, reached out for Whiplash. "Sorry, kid, but this town's no place for a dragon. We'll have to take her back with- GAH!" He cried out before he could finish his statement as Whiplash's tail whacked his hand away, a loud crack indicating something in the man's hand had broken.


"I'm not going anywhere without Kuro!" Whiplash screamed, her wings flaring up as she tightened her grip on his back. She wasn't going anywhere without him, that was obvious. Only Kuro's hand gently stroking her head got her to calm down. If he hadn't calmed her, she might have gone after that rider again...


At that point, one of the Riders removed her helmet, long hair falling down her back. "I swear Brutus... one of these days you'll learn..." She shook her head. "Anyone with half a brain can tell these two already have a bond." She rebuked her comrade, clearly feeling no sympathy for his broken hand. "So your name's Kuro, huh?"


"Yes ma'am, My name is Kuroneko Kouun... and this is Whiplash" Kuro introduced himself and his dragon, a wide grin spreading across his young features. Even his tail flicked excitedly behind him.


"Clubtails are a rare breed. They are very selective with their Riders from what I've heard... This is the first time I've seen one in person" The woman remarked, admiring Whiplash's silvery scales from a safe distance. Clearly this woman respected the power in Whiplash's morning star tail.


"Tell me, Kuro... You ever think about becoming a Rider?"


That had been the start. Captain Selina Kyle had been the one that brought him to Fort Kivon, and it was her recommendation that got him started as a Rider. Of course, it also should be noted that the only reason he was admitted was because Whiplash outright refused to let anyone else near her, and demonstrated incredibly violent tendencies towards anyone that tried to get near her besides Kuro.


Even to this day, the two are almost never seen apart. He even sleeps in the caves with her instead of in a bed, just as they did before he became an official Rider. But of course, his time in training, and as Rider, had been far from easy. Prejudice against Gatomen was very real, and he had to fight against it every single day.


~~~~


Kuro was snapped out of his daydreaming when he heard Freyah speak. He turned his gaze to her. "I'll have to sit this one out, at least until I stitch myself together" He remarked. Whiplash moved behind him, sitting down and, as Kuro sat, her tail moved under him as a seat. He dug through his pockets to come across a needle and some medical thread he kept on his person. He threaded the needle, pulling his clothing off before he set to work, pushing the needle into his skin as he stitched his wound together on his own. Necessity had forced him to learn to do this. This was far from the first time he'd been cut up.... As he worked, he didn't wince, or show any sign of pain...


Now that his top was removed, it was evident he had seen much combat, Most of his torso was covered in scars. Burn, slashes, cuts, tears, rips... No doubt he had been through a lot. But what was most concerning was a brand on his chest.... Someone had burned onto him the words 'Black Cat'....


A black cat was bad luck, and someone made sure Kuro would never forget it...

 

[The Succubi Queen]

Aranai watched silently as the fight went on. Well, at least now she wouldn't be in trouble for being late....


"Uh... so that was.. a thing... " She commented. She looked between all the riders that were assembled. She knew none of them. Excellent. Well, at least it could be said that they wouldn't automatically hate her for being a mess-up.


The small girl patted her dragon on the neck. She had been worried for a few moments that their leader was some kind of racist, but it seemed that Gatoman had a history of misbehaving? It seemed to have been all worked out now, but.. because of their literal duel on the Kivon field, she had missed a chance to be introduced to their captain at all. She gave a sympathetic glance to Kuro, who was stitching himself up, before turning back to the rest of the squadron.


"So uh- what are the teams? I'm actually pretty good at Kivon Ball, if anyone wants to be a team with me!" If the dragon cooperated enough for her to play at her full skill. Oh, right. She had yet to introduce him. "I'm Aranai! And this grumpy-guss is Azmodan!" She patted his neck again, hoping he didn't say anything to embarass her. "We've been a pair for a year now, and this is my first squad so uh.. yeah! Nice ta meet ya!" She grinned, trying to hide how nervous she was.


((Sorry about my totes out of context reply earlier, I didn't realize we were already on the second page!! I'm so embarrassed, I promise I know what I'm doing.))

 

[Soviet Panda]

Azmodan growled lowly as he felt the hand on his neck. She was his rider, not his friend. He had enjoyed watching the brief fight, it was entertaining. But it was soon over, and he was back to the reality that he still had a human on his back and they were supposed to play some sort of ball game soon. Well, guess he had no choice.


---


Connor looked at the girl that had arrived. She was a curious one, fresh out of being a Squire and paired with her dragon for less then a year. Well, he was in the same boat really but Buras seemed like a much more enjoyabke companion then that Viper. Guess he was lucky that one had with such a nice temper.


Buras did most of the talking. "Me and Connor aren't on a team yet. I can't fly fast or make sharp turns, but I know I can handle being hit by one of those balls." he said, quite proudly at that last part. "But I'm not sure what the other teams are anymore." he went on to admit.

 

[Mystik]

A letter donning the seal of House Yunevich arrives for Kuroneko, attatched to the leg of a tinier dragon. It gleams with red and gold coloring upon its scales, though it seems to not grow much larger than its current size.


The note attached reads, "Kuroneko Kouun is in charge until I return. Please obey his command. - Viktoriya Yunevich".


@One Mean Ghost

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Kuro was shocked to see the note... She had put him in charge? He couldn't explain it, nor could he rationalize why she would do that after what happened... He closed his eyes, pulling the thread tight on his stitched up chest before he tied it off, using his claws to cut the excess away. He rose to his feet, his shirt still off displaying his heavily scarred body, including the brand 'Black Cat' on his chest. As his eyes scanned the arena, he realized that, essentially, things had fallen into chaos...


Time to fix that... Whiplash came up behind him. She knew his mind better than anyone. Without needing to be told, her tail slammed the ground, shaking it and ensuring that everyone's attention would be gained.


"Everyone, Fall in and listen up. According to this letter that just arrived, I'm in charge of training for today" His voice suddenly took on a tone of authority. It wasn't condescending, though, just a sign he knew how to take charge. First things first, the watcher(Maiya). "I don't care if you want to watch us train, but I do ask that you take a seat out of the way." He remarked as his golden gaze fell upon her. Deep down, he knew all too well what it was like to want to watch Riders train. He had been in her shoes once upon a time. "Your dragon is welcome to come in too, but I can't let you participate unless you're in the Squadron, liability issues" He explained before turning his gaze to the next situation to be addressed.


His tail swished behind him as he scanned everyone. They sure had a variety of dragons... such that, as of yet, arranging teams would be rather difficult.


"As much as I would love us to play a healthy game of Kivon Ball, I see there's some confusion as to how to play. So for the meantime, we're going to postpone that game. Instead, I have a challenge for you. He reached into his pocket, pulling out three bells. "This challenge is pass, or fail. Failure means additional training, and I'm something of a sadist at times" He smirked a little bit. "The challenge is, you have to try and get one of these bells from me in the air." He remarked as he hopped up onto Whiplash's back. The dragon lifted her tail, a subtle reminder of what awaited them. Luckily, it was padded, so it wouldn't kill. But it would still hurt like hell to get thwacked by it.


I love this game, Kuro!


I know you do, just remember, we're not trying to kill them!


"Use whatever tactics you deem necessary. When you're ready, come and get me!" Kuro laughed as Whiplash shot into the air, her four wings carrying them high into the sky as the subtle jingle of the bells dangling from his belt chimed in the air. There were only three bells, but there was more than three Riders around now. So there weren't enough bells to go around...


"Oh, and Clotho, no tips for them. I want to see what they do without instruction." he called to the resident sourpuss..


Despite his young age, Kuro had been a Rider for 9 years already. He had a significant amount of experience behind him. This challenge would be a very rigorous test. He wondered if they would figure out how to pass before the sun set. If not, well, remedial training would hopefully hammer the idea into them...


@WonderFry @Beowulf @Mystik @Arasaloe @Yonsisac @The Succubi Queen @Nooguy @Redshift

 

[The Succubi Queen]

Finally someone to talk to! She smiled at Connor and began to reply "Well, Azmodan is good at more evasive moves, so if you play keep and we take offense-" she was interrupted by the arrival of a Tiny Dragon bearing a message. Their captain was already leaving? Aranai hadn't even royally messed up yet, and the fight with that Kuro guy hadn't seemed that bad.


Aranai groaned as their interim captain (hadn't he just been bleeding everywhere? Why was he suddenly in charge?) changed the rules of their first day. But she was good at Kivon Ball. She liked Kivon Ball.


Bells??? And there were only 3 of them?? But there were how many people in this squad? This was going to be one of those crazy hard tests that probably had a trick or riddle to it, wasn't it? She hated crazy hard tests, and she hated tricks and riddles, but... she was used to extra training. She'd been getting it since she had joined the riders. Remedial groom training, remedial army training, even remedial manners training (a life with an entertainers caravan did not exactly breed the best manners). She was used to being labeled a failure.


But this time was going to be different. She had Azmodan, and she wasn't going to let her lack of skill drag him down. She was going to push herself to the limit today, and get that stupid bell. For him.


"Sorry, Connor, looks like we just went from teammates to competition- which seems counterproductive, considering we're a squad. Shouldn't we being doing some kind of team-building exercise?" she mused to no one in particular.


@Beowulf @anybody else, I guess.

 

[Arasaloe]

Braith.


She was falling. It was her favorite thing to do. She could feel the mist of clouds as she fell through them, hearing Kor calling for her above.


Braith!


He was always a sour-puss about this, worried he wouldn't catch her in time. She knew he would.


Braith, wake up! Something has happened!


She was jolted back awake by Kor making a stomach-flipping roll in the air, almost de-seating her.


"Wha-?"


The captain is gone. Kouum is in charge, I guess. There are bells on him. We must get one. How Braith fell asleep, he wasn't sure, but he had been trying to keep an eye on the goings on down below. He rose higher as Whiplash came off of the ground. Perhaps they'd forgotten about them, and he could use it to their advantage. A small flame escaped his mouth, a sign that he was really worked up in whatever he was doing.


Braith smiled a little. It was nice to see him have so much interest in something. Sometimes she worried about the guy. She patted his neck twice, sitting up straight.


Alright, let's go get a bell. She murmured, shifting so that she wasn't sitting with her legs on either side of him, but under her, feet against his scales. If that's what he wanted so badly, she'd make sure it happened. He did a small circle, watching the way Whiplash moved, before diving down towards them, speeding up as they went with the help of a few beats of his wings.


In no time at all they were within range.


Now!


Braith's eyes watched Kouum's movement, before she launched herself from Kor to the other dragon. If anything, she prided herself on her ability to move bareback on dragons, using what little there was to keep a grip.


Immediately after, Kor went to grab for Whiplash's tail as if it were a ball. Not only was his plan to make sure she couldn't use momentum to hurt him, but it might also down her to have all his weight hanging on her.


@One Mean Ghost

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Kuro?


Yeah, I hear them. Let's make this fun!


Kuro rolled back to the smaller saddle near Whiplash's haunches, just as he did, She beat her wings and flipped in midair, her tail escaping Kor's jaws before he could latch on, her body flipping a full time in the air so her tail came up under his jaw. It was a warning shot, this time...


While this was happening, Kuro had used the momentum of the flip to launch himself into the air towards the falling Braith. "Good idea, but trying to get the drop on a cat is never that easy!" He smirked, twisting his body so he flew past her in the air, dancing tantalizingly out of her reach before he started his descent. He grabbed the handles on the sides of his armor and pulled, the glider suit wings revealing themselves as he soared. He angled his descent so he landed once more on Whiplash's shoulder saddle. "The rest of you going to chime in, or are you just gonna watch?" Kuro called down to the dragons that had yet to take off.


This training was meant to be incredibly difficult. If there was one thing Kuroneko and Whiplash were good at, it was maneuvering in midair like this. Attacking one on one against them would make it nearly impossible to get the bell. Sneaking up would be difficult. Gatomen had heightened hearing senses, after all. Worse, they really didn't have a blind side to attack from. Whiplash could change direction and rotate so quickly that there really was no opening to exploit if one was attempting to get in close.


No, single person attacks just weren't going to work... If any of them wanted a bell, they'd have to work together.


But then, there still was only three bells....

 

[Arasaloe]

Ouch! Kor shook his head to clear the short blackout in his gaze. His eyes narrowed at the other dragon before he noticed his rider plummeting. He shot Whiplash a look before diving to catch Braith in his clawed hands, setting back down on the arena dirt, panting a little with the exertion.


Braith smiled up at him in appreciation, before glancing towards the airborne Gato, eyes narrowing. Clever little bugger, she had to give him that.


Kor raised her to his shoulder and she climbed back onto her seat against his neck to think strategy(something she was pitifully inept at). Surprise was gone, which was one of their best advantages. She tapped her fingers against his scales, heavy in thought. She highly doubted it was appropriate to set the duo aflame.


"Let's watch some of the others first." Kor rumbled, rubbing his rather achy chin.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Now! Azmodan thought as he saw the furios dive the dragon and her rider with the bells they were to get. Launching himself into the air, he sped towards the inevitable impact of the two. He nimbly flew out of the way of the plummeting rider, and the dragon that was soon diving after. But he flew like an arrow to one target, and one target alone. The club tailed dragon, Whiplash he remembered hearing somewhere. With a roar, and maneuvering the rest of his body for a mid air collision with all for talons facing Whiplash, he braced for the collision, and was determined to hold on and not let go until they got one of those damned bells. That is, if his rider was even capable of getting a bell or if he was to get that as well.


---


Connor stared as the dragons flew at their target. Pathetic. he thought to himself as he turned and mounted Buras. "Buras, circle Whiplash until an opening is spotted. I will tell you what to do from there." he said. And soon after, he and Buras were also in the air. But they didn't rush Kuro and Whiplash for the bell like the others. No, he was happy to calmly circle, bidding his time.

 

[Nooguy]

"Well that was a rather quick campaign as squad leader. At least I can say I had a flawless career." Freyah remarked with a soft laugh to herself after she heard Kuro declare the purpose of the note that had been flown to him. Rhavir gave an audible rumbling chuckle in his chest as he glanced behind himself and down at his rider. "Shame, and here I was looking forward to having a gilded saddle and enjoying the company of the other haughty dragons belonging to the commanding class." He said with a humorous tone of sarcasm to his words before turning to face Kuro as he made his announcement of a 'game' they were all to play. A quick glance was thrown skyward as the dragon pondered if Kor and Braithe would know of the events transpiring below.


Freyah looked up in the air as Whiplash and Kuro soared upward, quickly ascending into the clouds above leaving the rest of the group save for one pair standing in the arena dirt and sloppy mud. Rhavir knew he outclassed the clubtail in strength, but while he had decades of experience flying there was no way he could match the agility and speed Whiptail's four wings allotted her. Freyah was already pondering thoughts in her own head as she looked to the others who remained on the ground. Perhaps one of the other Furios could combine their fire with Rhavir's breath to create a steam in the air which would no doubt condense into a thick cloud-like cover that the rest of them could exploit through coordinated surprise attacks through the screen with the middleweights being able to make quicker attacks as well.


Rhavir gave a warble, a wince washed over his face as he watched the attempted ambush quickly fail, Kor receiving a firm smack under the jaw. As Kor and Braithe returned to the ground Freyah urged Rhavir to come up close to them. "Hey Braithe I have an idea." She remarked before suddenly jumping from her saddle and climbing along Rhavir's thick neck, the dragon leaning it over to near Braithe. The brown haired woman leaned forward as she knelt atop Rhavir's snout before whispering into her ear so as to ensure Whiplash's enhanced draconic hearing couldn't detect anything from the position. "I think Kor and Rhavir's breaths could combine to create a thick and effective screen of clouds in the air which we could all use to better launch an attack in unison. The limited vision will likely hinder Whiplash's and Kor's reaction times as well." Freyah whispered softly into Braithe's ear before leaning back and sliding down Rhavir's neck to her saddle once again. The duo went around to the other riders and dragons to explain her plant so they all could more effectively conjoin their efforts once enacted. After speaking to everyone discreetly Freyah looked around to everyone she'd talked to before speaking clearly. "Alright everyone's heard my idea, let's go!" She shouted with gusto.


Rhavir glanced over to Kor and gave a soft chuckle. "Are you well Kor? That strike upon the chin looked like it hurt." He remarked with a tone of sympathy, but slight humor as well as his tail swished faintly behind him. While he likely didn't have to worry about a broken jaw, a similar strike would likely leave a nasty sore bruise as well as marring a few of his dense scales in the process. However upon hearing that loud exclamation from his rider the large glacin quickly expanded his wings and kicked off from the ground while letting out a booming, air quaking roar up toward Kuro and Whiplash as he and Freyah swiftly ascended through the sky. Freyah glanced over her shoulder hoping Braithe and Kor were close by.


@Arasaloe


@Beowulf


@The Succubi Queen


@Yonsisac


@Mystik

 

[The Succubi Queen]

Aranai slammed against her dragon as he took off without giving her a proper signal. "Whoa, whoa, whoa whoa we didn't even work out a plan!!"


As the pair shot towards Whiplash like a festival rocket, her hands wrapped around his sinewous neck, the best grip she had, since his dodging and dashing were bound to throw her out of her saddle (she hadn't exactly strapped herself in yet). "Azmodan, what are you-" She then saw his target, the large Clubtail. He was going directly for the bells. Which seemed like... the worst idea in this situation. But, maybe that was the whole trick to this? Try the obvious first? She clung tighter to the dragon. If he managed to get close enough to the pair of their interim captain without putting her at risk of being maimed by that morning star of a tail, she would get one of those stupid bells.


"Azmodan, I'm trusting you to make this work...." she said, just loud enough for the dragon to hear. After all, she didn't trust herself to come up with anything better. She used a free hand to messily strap her legs into the saddle, hoping the simple one-handed knots would hold.


They were mere feet from the Kuro and Whiplash now. Her arm lifted away from Azmodan's neck. She was ready to snatch one of the bells, if she could get close enough to the Gatoman's waist.


@One Mean Ghost @Beowulf

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

You'd think they'd have noticed charging right at us wouldn't work...


Clearly my last warning wasn't sufficient.... I'll be sure to knock sense into this pair...


They aren't in sync, let's hold off the smashing just this once... I'll deal with these two, you handle the roaring numbskull down below.


Charging right at a Clubtail was.... a poor choice. Clubtails had no ranged fighting capabilities, and they weren't quick like most Lightweight dragons. What they WERE good at, however was close up fighting. That was where Clubtail's maneuverability, and their tails, shined. Now, given they had attacked so quickly after the first, they could have potentially gotten the element of surprise. If the dragon hadn't roared when they approached... Kuro and Whiplash didn't need much time to react, they just knew what the other was thinking. Kuro hopped back to balance on Whiplash's tail as the dragon folded her wings, letting herself drop out of the sky and out of the way of Azmodan's outstretched claws. Just as the dragon and Rider passed, she flicked her tail, launching Kuro up to land behind the Rider, standing on Azmodan's back for the moment.


"You guys need to learn to work together. If you two aren't on the same page, you leave yourselves wide open." He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Being a Rider, isn't just about having a dragon. The two of you need to learn to understand each other, not just on a spoken level, but on a mental level, even an emotional level. In battle, a half second of hesitation or confusion can cost lives, not just yours, but the lives of your fellow Riders..."


As he conducted his midair lesson, Whiplash was front flipping down towards the rising Glacin, her descent combined with the Glacin's ascent meaning she reached them in a matter of seconds. At the last instant, she spread her wings, stopping her flip as her tail thumped him on the nose. Another solid warning shot. Everyone got one warning shot. Whiplash was fair that way. Of course, everyone ONLY got one warning shot... The next one would be a real hit...


"If you guys are trying to get the drop on us, you should probably not shout so much. Roaring doesn't help much either. If you tell your opponent you're coming, they'll be ready!" Whiplash roared as she flew up into the sky, away from any rising Riders. Luckily for the Riders, neither her, nor Kuro had heard of the plan. There was still hope, if they could keep their mouths shut from now on....


Kuro heard the roar and chuckled softly. He didn't need to look to know what happened. "Well, that's enough of a lesson for now, keep in mind what I said before you try again" he flashed a grin before he just let himself fall backwards. He had been sure to keep out of her reach, so the bells were still secure even now. He flipped a few times in the air before he landed softly on Whiplash's back.


Looks like they're starting to learn...


Yep... we better be ready. That one you thumped looks like she might have a plan...


I hope so...





@Beowulf @The Succubi Queen @Nooguy

 

[Arasaloe]

Kor snorted slightly, watching the others' attempts before turning his head to look at Braith.


Feeling better? She asked with a faint smile, before looking at the airborne dragons. Freyah had a good plan, but she moved too quickly. Braith shifted slightly, before giving him the go-ahead pat on his neck, sliding her bow around to her front, drawing an arrow from her quiver. The cat was quick, but she could be quicker. She'd get one of those damn bells, even if she had to have help to do it. Kor didn't deserve anything less.


Kor rose into the air again, bypassing Freyah, making a grumble of sympathy to seeing Rhavir hit. He knew how that was.


"Ready when you are!" Braith called to his rider as she gripped the recurve bow low in her lap, Kor beginning to prepare his fire for the moment of truth as he rose higher.





@Nooguy

 

[Dante]

Aeidon sighed, leaning on Katska's warm scales,comfortable and cozy, unfortunately that didn't help him to stay awake when he was already exhausted. He was seated inside a little hollow between Katska's long slender neck and her slim back. The hollow was sheltered, warmed by Katska's body heat and just big enough for Aeidon, his belongings, and a small saddle. It was the perfect riders hut, but unfortunately right now although he wanted a perfect riders hut he needed a uncomfortable and freezing high up place that would keep him awake and let him look around freely. He looked up at Katska's drooping head and the little line of coils that led to a vantage point on her head. He shivered at the memory, after one day up there he had been freezing,soaking, aching and just miserable. He had given up and came down, a considerable feat for a straight backed fighter who was a stickler for seeing something through to the end. After he had come down he had set times for himself, wanting to make sure he had a look every fifteen minutes. Normally Katska would be looking for anything but currently she was barely awake, lazily and unprofessionally flying with her eyes closed and wings drooping. But Aeidon could hardly blame her, they had been flying hard for 3 days to make up for time lost when they were waiting out the storm, and Aeidon was exhausted, and he hadn't been the one flying. Now he checked his watch, which was given to him by his team when he left, which was tucked in a pocket of protective padding. He looked at the time and sighed, he was 3 minutes late, slowly he pulled himself up, and grabbed his coat before disengaging himself from the hook of the saddle, put there for sudden evasive movements. He pulled himself nimbly out of the hollow, which he knew like the back of his hand. He grabbed the coil that streched from Katska's head to her back, which was there for the same reason as the saddle. He walked across her neck towards her head, thankfully her neck was flat and even sometimes sloping downwards because of her exhaustion, normally it was more an uphill walk, though sometimes he might even have to pull himself up if Katska was completely mesmerised by something and not listening.


Once at the crest of Katska's forehead Aeidon looked around, and quickly widened his eyes at the sight, the clouds that had made up a thick fog for them for a while had parted, revealing a sprawling, old stone fort whose walls spread over the mountain side. It took away his exhaustion, filling him with adrenaline and then he stared at in wonder, the ancient fort a sight to behold. After taking his fill of the sight he slid down the bridge of Katska's nose between her eyes. "Katskaaaa Katskaaa, come on sleepy head, we're here, only a little bit farther and then you can eat you fill and hole up in cosy cavern" He spoke in a deep velvety voice, patting Katska's face, he only acted this playfully with her and sometimes with his squad, the thought of them brought a frown of sadness to his face, but he quickly banished them to the back of his mind for a later date. At the sound of the word sleep and eat Katska's eyes popped open, before she rumbling in a soft, feminine voice "Very well, but I expect it to be a banquet of chicken and venison" Aeidon smiled, chuckling, before jokingly replying "It shall be a feast of the ages" A toothy smile streched across Katska's scaly face. Slowly they descended in a lazy circle, before landing softly on a green plain. Aeidon pulled out a wrinkled and stained parchment, which bore the details of his accommodation here. He had been set up with a small apartment in the riders barracks, while Katska had been given a large stone cavern in the side of the mountain. She had been given one normally reserved for one of the higher ups because their ones were made entirely out of stone, deep in the mountain, meaning no other materials that would easily melt under Katska's acid. The large part was just because she was rare, with only two other long wings in the service. He looked over at Katska, who was about to flop down asleep, fearing she would collapse he quickly led her to the cavern, where she proceeded to curl up and fall asleep with no warning. Aeidon probably would have done the same except the adrenaline hadn't run out, and neither had his curiosity, making him wide awake. He glanced quickly at the sleeping form of Katska before setting off, quickly finding a groom, he gave the boy a farthing for good measure, saying he needed 10 rarely cooked deer and 5 well cooked chickens delivered quickly to said cavern, and well seasoned with spices. After the groom set off, Aeidon set to exploring his "new" home.


He quickly found the rider barracks, stables and the hatchery, but before he could discover more he reached the arena. Glancing in he found it occupied by a obviously new squad, who painfully reminded him of the first time his old squad met. He shook away the memory and entered, before remembering he had been transferred to a new squad, as he looked on he recognised some of the people from the description he had been given. Currently they were playing some sort of a strange game were everyone was charging and attacking the club tail in the centre. He entered and leaned against the wall to the side, face impassive and eyes critical, looking at the antics of the duos.


((Sorry this took so long I was side tracked and then this became so long and so on xD ))

 

[Nooguy]

The smack to the snout did indeed smart, but Rhavir shook it off with a snort as he continued to ascend into the air. Freyah glanced back and gave a soft sigh of relief as she saw Kor and Braithe ascending close beside them. The rider gripped the front of her saddle as she and braithe flew higher and higher. They had to get close enough so the obscuring screen would allow them proper cover. Freyah looked to Braithe before nodding her head and giving a thumbs up, tapping the base of Rhavir's neck to signal him.


Inhaling a deep breath, Rhavir opened his jaws before letting loose a heavy torrent of arctic, cold water into the air. Freyah's right hand reached behind her, unsheathing her blade as she prepared for Kor's fire to roar forth into the wide deluge of water cascading up toward Whiplash and Kuro.

 

[The Succubi Queen]

Aranai gave an audible whine as their whole plan went horribly, horribly wrong. She had spent the whole "lecture" grabbing for the bells, but she was tied into her saddle, and had lost her maneuverability. When Kuro leaped off Azmodan so smoothly, it was all she could do not to scream in frustration. The worst part was, Kuro was right. She and Azmodan made an awful team. She had spent years training to be a dragon rider, and when she finally got a dragon, she just couldn't hack it. Maybe they had all been right about her in the camps. Maybe she was just gypsy trash. Not Rider material.


She has missed Freyah's planning period, as she and Azmodan had been launching through the air at that point, so she was a little perplexed when Braithe and Kor, alongside Freyah and Rhavir began to fly back up, circling below, the dragon. She ran over the notes mentally in her head, Rhavir was a Glaceon, so frost breath, and Kor was a- OH!! Their plan mad sense in her head.


"Azmodan, they're gonna make a smokescreen! Or, well, a steam screen!" She whispered in his ear excitedly. "Is there a way we can use that?? Get one of the bells before the rest of them?" She asked him, her hand patting his neck rapidly. "We can, right? We're already right above them, he'll be waiting on an attack from below, right? We can grab one!"





@Beowulf

 

[Soviet Panda]

They had missed. But, more importantly, he had missed. He, Azmodan, the Viper, had missed his target. Curse Clubtails and their ability to suddenly drop like a rock. And he suffered through the speech that Gatoman said. He couldn't make a grab at the bells himself, as much as he wanted to, because he was to preoccupied with flying. When the Gatoman dove off, he was half tempted to follow after him, but then his rider Arani said something. Cover? Yes, he could use that, and then they could use their height to quite literally get the drop on them. Oh yes, that would do. "We can." he rumbled, keeping an eye on the clubtail. "But we'll need to be quick, hit them before they leave the screen. Then they'll be able to see us, and we'll lose our chance."