The Dragon Rider's Chronicles

Ardra stood up and walked right in front of Matthais, moving around Kenzo. A resounding smack echoed through the room as the back of her hand came into hard contact with his cheek. "....how dare you....of all people...speak to me of my loss." She turned away and walked down the hallway, away from the others.


Kestus froze in shock. "....why did she do that?"


"....what just happened?" Neera was suddenly sobered completely.
 
Matthais's tongue pushed out his cheek and he spat the blood on the floor in the opposite direction of her departure. "That, Neera," he wiped his lips with his sleeve. "was hatred."


He closed his eyes for a second.


He looked up and smiled his half-smile. "Well, I think that's enough excitement for tonight. I think I'll be hitting the hay. Good night to you all." He quickly stalks off to his room, sleeve at the corner of his mouth.
 
Kenzo stood in minor shock for several seconds, before giving Neera an odd glance of pain and departing down the hall after Ardra.
 
Matthais sat on his new bed and sulked. How am I going to deal with her?He didn't come up with any answer before he fell asleep, and had dreams of hope and worry.
 
Ardra stood in front of the window, looking down on the canyon. Tears flowed down her face as she stared into the night. There was no anger now, just pure sadness. The few memories that she had her mother alive seeped into her memory like a blood stain. Then she could see her mother's dead face. Ardra sunk to her knees, allowing sobs to escape her lips as she covered her face in her hands.


-------


Kestus sighed and put the cakes away in the refrigerator. "I guess we should save these for tomorrow; the icing needs to set anyways." He flitted away to his own room, fully aware that tonight would be a day filled with new difficulties.


Neera waited for him to leave before sighing. "....finally alone." Her hand reached into her pocket and she pulled out a mirror. "....relgr sia dask." The mirror swirled in the silence and suddenly a woman's face appeared. She was stunningly beautiful, with the same golden blond hair and blue eyes.


"Neera, my darling. I have watched you today."


"I miss you." Neera sighed. "Life here is...different."


"Why do you act so....naive and stupid?"


"Because I'd rather they not know everything about me. Or what I truly am. Or what I can do." Neera sighed again but louder this time.


"They are your comrades; it is only a matter of time."


"....I don't want them to think that I'm a freak, though." Neera brought up a hand to cover her face.


"You were born different, child. You must accept it eventually."


"How can I even learn to control it?" Neera asked, looking imploringly at the image.


"I do not know. But perhaps someday you will."
 
Kenzo somberly walked up next to Ardra and slowly sat down next to her, cross-legged. He remained silent, but stared at her, sadness and empathy betrayed in his eyes.
 
Sanz kept silent amongst the arguments that occurred. He hadn't dealt with them much in his life before . . . but he was REALLY beginning to hate politics. So someone's father, or someone's father's father did some wrong against someone's family over a decade ago. Of course it would be painful for such subjects to be brought up, but that was no reason to go around practically seething hatred, to the point where he could almost smell it. He shook his head and left to his room as the others dispersed . . . he was looking forward to seeing Auntyrmarun again tomorrow . . . the rest he wasn't so sure
 
Ardra finally looked up at him with a tear-streaked face. "....of all the people....why did it have to be....that clan.....even Neera is better to deal with than this...."


------------


Neera put away her mirror and went to her bed. A worried look covered her face; could the rest of them handle what she could do? The Sentoni family had many, many secrets and this was her secret. Oh well, she'd worry about it tomorrow. She fell into a deep sleep a few moments later.


------------


Kestus collapsed on his bed. Was all this tension simply from politics? Could that really cause all the hatred he had seen in Ardra's eyes? As he mulled over this, he accidentally fell asleep.


------------


Draconas walked into the bay and walked over to what appeared to be a blank wall. "Nif ifni." The wall suddenly had a door appear in it, which when opened revealed a doorway. He walked down it, down to the very end of the hallway, the door on the outside disappearing behind him. A heavy, iron door with pulsing white crystals stood in his way. He cautiously opened it and stepped inside.


The room itself was bright, as if the moon itself was shining from the center. The walls were scrolled with draconic language, presumably spells. The furniture appeared to be brand new although it was obvious that the room had been lived in for some time.


At the center of the room, white light's rays flooded from a person. It seemed to emit from the person's skin and the person was facing downwards, deep in meditation. Long, wavy brown hair obscured her face from view until she looked up. Her eyes were odd even for a diverse species of humanoids. They were a reflective silver with a draconic slit in the center. But even this did not detract from the fact that her beauty was hypnotizing almost. She was elven to be sure and her graceful features created an almost goddess like image.


"....you disturb me?" Her voice was light, musical, but still packed and impact that made one fear her.


"....Irisvar. I found a group of riders that are in desperate need of...one of your skills." Draconas looked down respectfully. "They will need your healing arts in battle, for they are completely combat oriented. The only magic among them is a pyromancer."


"Indeed." Irisvar closed her eyes for a moment. When they opened, they were almost human except the irises were an almost-white gray. "I have felt them from the first time that they arrived. A group of misfits, to be sure."


"One of them bonded with a Shaira dragon." Draconas shook his head, still surprised.


"I saw." Irisvar stood. "A Roux. The dragons above are either enjoying their games or they have serious plans."


"You have yet to ask me to bond with a dragon, Irisvar. Perhaps it is time." Draconas looked up at her for a moment.


"Things come in due time. When it is the time, I will bond with one. Until then, I will watch over your eclectic group of riders." Irisvar walked over to the door. "I will....look upon them....and see them for who they truly are this night."


"Two of them are still awake." Draconas interjected. "You cannot let them see you when you are....well....in this state."


"I am a priestess of Welunaariv, Queen Dragon of the Night. I am never not "in this state" as you say." Irisvar looked at him with a pained look that carried an almost psionic force.


"....I know not how they will take one of the old ways, such as you. I worry simply that you will not be happy." Draconas backed up a step, the power of a simple look from this creature overwhelming.


"I will be happy." Irisvar stepped out of the room. "When they sleep, I will look in on them." She went over to a closet. "Leave me. I must obscure my skin."


"As you wish, Irisvar." Draconas began to walk out the door, relieved that he was leaving. Her very aura was unnerving.


"Draconas. Do not introduce me as Irisvar if you do not wish for them to know as of yet. Call me Iris." Irisvar did not bother to look at him as he left.


"....as you wish." Draconas closed the door behind him and headed down to his own room in that hallway.
 
Sanz let out a sigh and chose to let tomorrow's problems wait until tomorrow. There was no point in losing sleep over something he had no control over. The bed was set . . . differently than one would expect. The pillows were bunched up in a small pile the headboard, taller than it was wide. He merely pulled off his vest and threw on a pair of thin/fuzzy pants. Rather than crawl under the covers, he sat at the headboard and leaned back against the pillows. His sheathed blade was leaning against the headboard, kept in the crook of his arm, and he pulled a single blanket over him before the veil of sleep finally blanketed his mind . . . though not his senses.
 
Kenzo sighed gently. "We certainly are an odd team, aren't we? I feel bad for Sanz and Kestus, getting caught in the middle of our conflicts..." He hesitantly rested a hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her somewhat. "I...know of why you have such feelings towards the Roux clan. I will not be so foolish as to tell you to believe and forgive him on face value...that would make me quite the hypocrite," he said, referring to his...conflict with Neera and her family. "...For the sake of the team, I intend to try my hardest to put my past behind me, and work together with everyone, even Neera. May I ask you to do the same regarding Matthais?" He spoke quietly and gently, as he was making a difficult request...both of himself and of Ardra.
 
"I will work by their sides. I'm sure I will come to trust all of them with my life some day." Ardra nodded, eyes changing to a cold anger. "But I will never like them. I will never love them as comrades. I'd sooner put a dagger in their backs." Ardra stood. "We'd best get some sleep. Tomorrow will be filled with new irritations and excitements; we'd best be ready for them."
 
Kenzo rose slowly. He was having trouble expressing himself; years of self-imposed isolation had that effect on people, as he'd closed off his inner feelings from the world. Finally he looked into Ardra's eyes, as he tried not to give anything away in his gaze. "Will...you be alright?"
 
Ardra stood, her arms crossed behind her back, in almost a soldier's stance. Her eyes pierced through the darkness, not looking at him. "Alright is a relative term. I'm sure I will be alright. Whether you or I believe that I am alright however is an entirely different question."
 
Kenzo sighed slightly...it pained him to see someone so...alike in certain mindsets and experiences. He started walking back towards the common area slowly, stopping after a few meters. "If the time comes when someone has earned your dagger in their back, please do not dirty your hands so needlessly..." He glanced back, and his eyes flashed with something almost like rage, but more...protective in nature? "...Such an act is better suited for the 'Hermit' of Ventenadana." With that he faced forward and continued walking.
 
"....I'll keep that in mind." A half-smile covered her face that did not reach her eyes. She followed him back down the hallway. "So are you going to room to sleep this time?" There was a teasing edge to her voice. Ardra wanted to get rid of the tenseness in the air.
 
Kenzo blinked, in surprise. Was she perhaps asking him to...? No of course not, that's utterly ridiculous! If he reddened any, it was hard to tell because of his skin. "I...appreciate the offer, but I should be fine in my own room. I think my wound has settled enough now." He wasn't able to look her in the eye at the moment.
 
"Fine then." Ardra walked to her own room. "I will see you tomorrow and I pray the dragons above give me the patience to deal with this motley crew." She glanced behind her, noticing that his eyes were cast down. "....you've been alone far too long, Kenzo. You really need to learn how to interpret what people say again."
 
Kenzo moved to his room's door and sighed. Finally he looked up to meet Ardra's gaze. "I said before, you spend far too much time worrying about me," he said. He was trying to harden his heart again, but his eyes showed the opposite: they had softened slightly. He opened his door. "...Good night, milady," he said, calling her 'milady' instead of 'Ardra' in a small effort to be able to distance himself once more.
 
"As I said, I am not "your lady," Kenzo." Ardra smiled, a softening to her features. "I am no higher than you. Do not put distance between us by considering me your princess. I won't stand for it." She shut the door behind her, then sat down on the floor in front of it. What had come over her? The way she was speaking and acting was....abnormal to say the least.
 
Kenzo stood for a moment, and couldn't stop a small grin from forming. Nothing got past her, it seems. After many moments hesitation, he walked over to her door. "Goodnight...Ardra..." he said calmly, almost apologetically, and returned to his room, closing the door behind him. He set his two swords against the end of the bed, and sat down on the bed itself. He dressed down into a pair of plain cotton shorts (no shirt) and lied down to sleep.
 
Ardra undressed and crawled into bed. Her mind whirled with the day's events. What had happened in one day that had changed her into the person who was speaking to Kenzo? Too much was happening and it was making her head spin. She finally fell into sleep.


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Darkness descended upon the entire living area as if on cue. Irisvar approached, a long, white cloak covering most of her body. Her silver eyes had returned and they shone out from beneath the cloak. She approached first the room of Ardra.


The girl was extremely tired and gave no reaction to her entering. Irisvar looked down upon her, but one watching would think she was looking into her. There was much pain in this one, more than anyone knew. She had the potential of greatness to be sure. Irisvar touched Ardra's forehead with one finger; she would give her a bit of peace this night from her own.


The next room, however, was Kenzo's. Irisvar simply looked at the door knob and it opened with barely a creak. She glided into the room, almost like a ghost in white. Looking down upon this one, she sensed something that interested her. His destiny was closely intertwined with the female dark elf and besides that it intertwined with something much more. It intertwined with the Great Dragons themselves. Her eyes widened and she stifled a gasp. Could this one be....?
 
Kenzo's eyes snapped open at the stifled gasp. He attempted to launch himself out of bed and into a defensive stance on the floor, but his wound would be having none of that. With a small grunt of pain, he ended up on his knees on the floor next to where he'd been sleeping moments before. He stood quickly, left arm wrapped around his waist to apply pressure to his injury. His right hand was raised in a defensive stance. He stared coolly at the almost-ethereal woman in front of him. "Who are you?"
 
Irisvar's eyes flickered like a dragons as she studied him. Apparently, she had not been quiet enough. "Peace. I'm not going to hurt you." She drew the cloak down lower, trying to hide her eyes and her illuminated skin.
 
Kenzo adjusted his stance. "Answer the question, woman. Who are you?" His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. "WHAT are you?"
 
Irisvar tensed, then relaxed, allowing her cloak's hood to fall back. The iridescence of her skin shown like moon beams. Her eyes, unbound, stared into his own with a power that none could imagine. "I am the one who is to keep you and your misfits alive. I'd suggest you learn to show proper respect to a woman." The last phrase brought about a wave of almost psionic energy from her silver eyes that were staring into his.
 
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