The Dragon Rider's Chronicles

Matthais helped Iris fully secure herself into the saddle. The leg straps holding her legs in the saddle just behind his.


"Lean in close Iris. Don't worry too much, we'll be fine." Matthais said trying to calm the woman. Keep the acrobatics to a minimum for today. We'll ease her into them.
 
I see. Kenzo remained silent for quite a while, head down. Finally he looked up to watch Ardra. Fly us adjacent, he projected as a request to Bane.


If Bane had eyebrows she was definitely raising one, but she complied.


Kenzo waited until they'd steadied in the air before speaking. "Is something bothering you?" he asked, still staring straight ahead.
 
Ardra stared straight forward as well. "No. Why would you think something is bothering me?" She was not going to give him the pleasure of thinking that she was jealous of Iris. Sure, Iris was gorgeous and all but she doubted that Kenzo was that stupid. Forward, Majeir. Get ahead of him. Majeir agreed and flew faster to get ahead of Bane.


Auntyrmarun banked extremely sharply, unused to the feeling. ....wait until we get to the beach to try that. I was...unprepared. He leveled out his flight and began heading in the correct direction.


Iris was clutching onto Matthais as if her life depended on it and was actually squeezing tight enough to cut off air flow. Flight was something that she was completely unprepared for.


They approached the long stretch of sand that Draconas meant for them to train on and began to make the descent to land.
 
Kenzo and Bane exchanged a glance; Kenzo's was of confusion, Bane's was of mild amusement. They flew faster and rolled over Majeir, now at their right side. "No particular reason," Kenzo said calmly, "Just...the impression I got, was all."


What was bothering her? Was it something he said? Something he did?


...Something he DIDN'T say or do?
 
"If you could loosen up, Iris, that would... *wheeze* be great. I'm having trouble breathing." Matthais said tugging gently on Iris's arms that constricted his chest.
 
Sanz complied with the desires of the dragon beneath him. He hadn't expected such a . . . sharp reaction. Once they reached the sandbar however . . . all bets were off. Rather than raise his arms up though, he merely ran his hand along the side that was to be turned to. Nothing fancy for now . . . work on the basics before you fall off the saddle
 
Auntrymarun turned just slightly, complying with the feeling that his rider wished to go that way. His mind was fully open and ready to listen to his rider's commands.


"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ardra answered. Her mind got the urge to turn left, farther away from him. Majeir suddenly jerked to the left, his tail slapping into Bane. Bane roared and snapped at the offending tail, barely missing.


Iris loosened just a little bit. "....sorry.....I don't particularly....like flying." She was still shaking. "Mostly because....I really don't like heights."
 
The flight started out with simple ideas


left


right


hard right


Sanz began to get a little more . . . some would say daring. He focused his thoughts towards Auntyrmarun, a vision of the world upside-down. He wanted to see if they could fly with the ground and sky reversed . . .
 
"Well either you'll figure out how to deal with that or you aren't going to be able to keep us alive like you want to," Matthais said after sighing from her release of his chest.
 
Kenzo grit his teeth and had Bane cut them off, and then fly over them with another roll. This time, however, Kenzo dropped off of Bane while they were upside-down over Majeir, landing backwards in front of Ardra so that he could face her. He gripped the horn with one hand to steady himself while Bane flew under and behind them. "Ardra...spit it out, already." He was finally looking at her, but his face was blank, and like earlier, his eyes were deadened; they didn't burn as they usually did.
 
Auntyrmarun flipped upside down, flying in the way that Sanz had requested. He immediately looked back to make sure his rider was fully fastened.


".....I'm supposed to become a rider like you people." Iris sighed. "....but....the crystals gave me no dragon....."


Ardra froze and so did Majeir in mid-air. "....you....you just seemed eager to talk to Iris...." She looked away and down in embarrassment. "....it's really nothing...."
 
"...That's it? That's what was bothering you?" Kenzo tilted his head, his only display of any emotion or feeling at the moment. "She snuck into my room, Ardra, and told me...things." He couldn't quite bring himself to repeat Iris' words...especially regarding himself and Ardra."I wished to discuss it with her, is all." His brow furrowed slightly. "Why...would that bother you?" he asked (both her and himself, honestly).
 
Sanz felt his sense of the world become completely turned around. Up was down, and down was--He had to stop thinking and flash open his eyes as gravity started to tug at him. If his hands hadn't flown to the grips on either side of the harness, he would now be falling into the shorefront below.


Back. Now.


Sanz tried to keep his thoughts in order and calm, as well as trying to avoid simply giving orders to Auntyrmarun. He was a partner, not some beast of burden. However, in this case he had to focus his thoughts both quickly and concisely
 
"....I....I don't know...." Ardra refused to look at Kenzo and her skin was turning darker, signifying blushing. "As I said...it's really...nothing."


Auntyrmarun flipped back up quickly. You told me to. He chuckled, a rumbling purr from his throat, as he continued to fly on.


"....it's never happened before...." Iris's voice shook slightly. This topic upset her; she felt like a freak. She had no dragon. Draconas told her that she needed to try to go into the crystal placer again, but she was too scared to do so. "I'm supposed to be a rider; instead, I'm a med kit for you people and a magic blaster when needed." There was a quiet anger in her voice, showing the frustration she felt.
 
Sanz shook his head, but was smiling anyway. He took a deep breath and took in his surroundings before shutting his eyes again. This time, he decided to let Auntyrmarun decide the path of their flight.


Decide our path . . .
 
Kenzo hesitantly raised his free hand and gently yet firmly grasped Ardra's chin, forcing her to look at him. He stared into her eyes, still giving nothing away. "Ardra...of everyone here, I honor and serve you, and you alone. Whatever is bothering or ailing you, you can confide in me."


Below them, Bane rolled her eyes.
 
"Don't sell yourself short," Matthais said. "There are important people throughout the world that do great things without a dragon. Just because you aren't a rider does not make you lesser than the rest of us.


"King Donnar of the Southern Isles held his castle against an army for forty days and nights. Beanfield of Castio slew a manticore by his lonesome. Karen of the Reach kept the Gates of Darkness closed by herself for a day and a half with nothing but her will while the priests sealed it. These people are great, are heroes, and had never ridden a dragon. Don't let what the world has thrown at you dictate your life. Be great, the only thing keeping you from it is yourself."
 
"......you don't understand....at all." Iris shook her head. "I am an Initiate Priestess of the Moon Dragon. I am the top Initiate. I was sent here to become a rider. It's my only purpose in life and I have no dragon. The High Priestess has ordered me to stay here until a dragon presents itself. I have a feeling I'll be here the rest of my life."


Auntyrmarun flew out over the waves, flying up to avoid waves. On a whim, he flew through a giant wave to see how his rider would react.


"......please....don't look at me like that....and.....please don't make me answer that." Ardra closed her eyes so that she could not see him.
 
"If you are only waiting then you will wait for the rest of your life," Matthais said a little bite in his voice. "You can't just let the fates handle everything. If you want something seize it, or take action to that end. If you don't know if something will happen waiting for it is just cowardice dressed up in logic and self-defeatism."
 
The sea . . . Sanz could feel the spray across his face. He had about two seconds to act between when he saw/felt the image of the wave and when it collided with him. In those two seconds, the massive blade on his back was pulled off and set in front of him. It remained sheathed, but he pulled himself up so he was holding on to Auntyrmarun only with his calves.


"HAH!!!"


His mouth opened into a roar as he swung the sword in front of him, splitting the wave before it collided with him, though spray still fell over his form from the sides of the wave
 
Kenzo sighed and released her chin, dropping his hand down to his side neutrally. "I never intended to force you to do anything. I just wanted you to know that I'm here to support you." Kenzo meant it as her loyal soldier, of course...not that he specified it. He didn't think he had to...
 
"....you try telling that to a High Priestess who is convinced that you are the one who will make the prophecies come true." Iris replied. "I am stuck here until I get a dragon or they find some other use for me."


Auntyrmarun threw back his head in a rumbling laugh. Afraid to get wet?


"....okay." Ardra knew what he meant and for some reason it really wasn't actually okay with her. She didn't know why though. She opened her eyes, a slight pained look in them. "I understand."
 
Afraid to get thrown off.


Sanz pondered for a minute as they continued over the waves, suddenly imagining the clouds above them. Auntyrmarun climbed suddenly, blasting against the waves into the sky, and then above the cloud line


Shall we surprise one of the others?


For once, Sanz wasn't training or remaining stoic. He was . . . enjoying himself?
 
Kenzo stood up, using wind magic to move the air around him for the most part so that he wouldn't be launched off. He looked down to Bane, communicating psychically...and whatever he said made Bane grin knowingly. He looked to Majeir. "My apologies, but I'm borrowing your rider." Without waiting for a response he dragged Ardra off the saddle, slung her over his shoulder, and leapt off of Majeir.
 
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