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Post by Brenton on Jun 26, 2013 16:58:05 GMT -5
Brenton stepped out of the gates of the city with his new dragon resting on his shoulder while buckling his swords and dagger back onto his belt. In his mind he was going over all of the ways he could go about this training with Isrydia while trying to not show how much of a crush he was developing on her. Finally Brenton gave up and turned around while drawing upon the vast knowledge he had gained from his service to the Empire. There were many things to know about dragons and not all of them he could teach but he had helped train Feanaro and Jarkore back in Ellesmera and now he was going to help Isrydia and her dragon. So, this might be a good place to learn a bit about dragons and being a rider.
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Post by Quetzal on Jun 27, 2013 14:44:29 GMT -5
Isrydia and her dragon followed the king of the elves out of Dras-Leona, the dragon trailing sleepily behind, belly still full of food from the celebration the previous night. Since they had been traveling through the wilderness before reaching the city for the celebration, it had not had the chance to eat its fill before yesterday, delighting in trying as much of the food as possible and very happily accepting the food people fed it to get a closer look at the hatchling. Its icy blue scales shone white at the edges in the bright sunlight, keen brilliant blue eyes flicking all around it to take everything in. Its Rider walked ahead, watching Brenton, who would teach her how to care for it. This was something they were both grateful for, since the dragon did not have a firm grasp on language to explain its needs, and anyway did not know about what food was best for it, how to make a saddle, that sort of thing.
When Brenton stopped, Isrydia halted too, the dragon trotting up to her side. Here outside the city gates was where the guards would be able to see unfriendly visitors, and there was far more room than within the walls. "Thanks, Brenton. Kuasta, my hometown, is also Brom's hometown, so my childhood was filled with stories about him and dragons in general. Still, I don't know about the practicalities of being a Rider. I've been doing my best, but I'm not sure about a lot of things; what's best for a dragon to eat, how to clean them properly, that sort of thing," she explained. The dragon looked at its scales. They were shiny enough. Did they need cleaning? It gave one a cautious lick.
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Post by Brenton on Jun 27, 2013 17:09:33 GMT -5
Brenton smiled at the dragon hatchling that ran by Isrydia's side. He could still remember when he was new to the dragon rider business before the Empire found him, how Vaentr had run just like that the first time he ate his fill. Finally Brenton looked over at the new dragon hatchling and realized it was trying to tell him something. The elf king focused and soon he had a vision of Oromis and Glaedr, drawn from his memories, as well as Vaentr and himself. Then he saw William and several soldiers from the celebration. All of them had one thing in common, they were all males and there wasn't a single thing to do with a girl in the mental link. Brenton gasped and crouched down. He looked at the dragon hatchling and realized that it, he, was a male. The elf king looked at his new dragon with awe because he had never heard of a dragon being able to do that before.
His little guy, do you have any idea what your name will be? Brenton spoke calmly to the dragon and watched as the golden scaled creature nodded vigorously. The elf king thought for a second about ancient dragon names and started drawing them in the dirt. First was Vaentr, like his first dragon, but the dragon shook his head in disgust. Well that was out. Brenton went through several more before coming to one of legend that he almost forgot. Grazael! With a final hope, Brenton drew the name in the dirt and was amazed to see the nod of approval. True Grazael was unable to speak yet but he had just named himself. Well Grazael, you are certainly a smart dragon for such a young age. Now do you want to go play with your friend?
Grazael jumped into the air and tried to fly but fell on his back. Turning over he ran over to the other dragon and nudged it gently and playfully. Grazael is indeed intelligent Little One. I hope you don't forget that because I suspect he has much to do with the future of the riders. Vaentr's mind left Brenton speechless but he turned to Isrydia and smiled warmly. So, what you should know right away...dragons are vastly intelligent beings who cannot control magic like we can. Next is that you can now use magic but don't do anything without using the ancient language and don't do something you wouldn't be able to do otherwise. Dragons are able to do many things and can eat a lot of things but Vaentr's favorite was always deer that ran the land. If you can find them good but they do not enjoy sheep because of the wool. Also you should know that your hatchling can tell you its gender and name but you must help it.
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Post by Quetzal on Jun 28, 2013 14:08:46 GMT -5
((Just letting you know, I'm going by a Saphira's growth for a reference, and she didn't 'say' a word or name herself until she was about a month old))
Isrydia was delighted to see Brenton and Grazael work out the dragon's name and gender together. It was a privilege to see such an important step in the young dragon's life. She had not only seen his hatching, but now had been present when his name was chosen, remarkably early for a dragon. He must be a fast developer, which she supposed fit his energetic personality and apparent liking for running all over the place. Her own dragon was much calmer, its mind still complex but not hasty in the slightest. It was happy to bide its time, patient and able to wait for the right moment. That was its attitude to decisions, anyway. With regard to everything else, it had a deep curiosity and a strong desire to learn more about the world around it.
Isrydia was somewhat surprised Brenton told her directly that Riders could use magic, but she had heard that before in stories that they were supposed to find their magic by themselves, although before the Fall it must have been hard to prevent new Riders realizing they could use magic as there were enough other Riders for them to click that magic was something they had in common. "I know I can use magic now. An elven Rider called Laetri once tried to teach me to use magic, but I couldn't do it then. It was one of the first things I tried after my dragon hatched; I managed to make a small flame, the same colour as its scales. I only know the word brisingr in the Ancient Language, though. Any advice on where I might find books to help teach me the language?" she asked.
She nodded at the information about a dragon's diet, then turned to her unnamed hatchling when he talked about the dragon's name and gender. Grazael had managed to name itself so soon, although her dragon knew she felt no pressure to find its name before it was properly ready. Its mind brushed against hers, gently increasing the contact the two maintained almost constantly so that they could communicate. Despite the dragon not fully understanding words and being unable to speak in return, the two had learned to cope with this through emotion, sounds, and images, as otherwise Isrydia was often misunderstood. She preferred not to speak words into the dragon's mind, either, the whole thing being alien and strange for her, making her feel unsettled. It would be difficult to ask what gender the dragon was without words, however, so she knelt down and spoke to it aloud.
"Do you know if you are a boy or a girl? Or something in between?" she spoke clearly, sending curious thoughts towards the dragon so it would understand what she was asking in spite of its currently poor still-developing grip on language. She could sense it thinking hard for some time, both about itself and about what was meant by 'male' and 'female'. She could tell it knew which it was biologically, but was thinking about which it felt more like. After careful review of its past thoughts on the subject, it nodded, then paused for a moment, thinking of how to express this.
It then sent her an image of herself, which at first made her think it was a female, but then it also sent a her a feeling of disconnection and complete difference. She took this to mean it was opposite to her in this sense, in this case meaning it was male. It - or rather, he - squeaked happily when she worked this out, and she could feel his joy. He was definitely male, both biologically and in the gender he felt he was. "You're a he," she voiced aloud. He gave her a toothy grin and nuzzled her affectionately. "What about your name?" to this question, he looked down for a moment, then shook his head. She could feel ideas forming, but he could not decide on one just yet. Taking an interest in Grazael again, he then tried to pounce on the younger dragon's tail playfully.
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Post by Brenton on Jun 28, 2013 15:23:48 GMT -5
Grazael tried to Dodge the larger dragon but only managed to get himself tripped by his too long tail. He squeaked in annoyance and nipped at his new friend before stopping. Some new feeling was coming from Brenton and Grazael was confused. To the new dragon he sent a questioning thought and then a image of Brenton and Isrydia accompanied by the new feeling Brenton felt, a crush.
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Post by Quetzal on Jul 4, 2013 11:52:52 GMT -5
The hatchling hopped away from the nip, making an odd sound between a chatter and a hum like a dragon's version of giggling. He too was puzzled by the image from Grazael, as well as the feelings he was showing from Brenton. There was nothing in Isrydia's mind like that right now. The feeling was a little like how she felt towards her parents and brother, in that there was caring there, and it was also similar to how he felt about Isrydia, but less intense and still different. A strange sense of liking for reasons the hatchling could not think of. He flicked his tail and sent back and image of the two with how Isrydia felt about Brenton, which was that he was deep respect but some resentment for his arrogance and how he treated William the previous day.
Isrydia watched the two young dragons for a moment, then turned back to Brenton. "He's growing very quickly, faster than you'd expect for something the size of a dragon. I know that rate of growth must slow down or all dragons would be as big as mountains after just a decade instead of a hundred years or so. When will he be big enough to ride, then? Or to breathe fire?" she asked. |
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Post by Brenton on Jul 6, 2013 15:26:33 GMT -5
Brenton thought deeply about his answer and then nodded slowly. Dragons grow at different rates but usually they can be ridden by about a month after having hatched. Now for breathing fire they can normally start that at around two months old for longer periods of time yet there is no guarantee he will follow this time frame because once again all dragons grow at different rates. The king looked over at Grazael and the other dragon and smiled to himself. Brenton, Grazael knows how you feel toward this other rider and I caution you to hold your thoughts and feelings close because he is letting the other hatchling know as well. If it got to Isrydia then there could be issues. Vaentr spoke to Brenton before returning to his own thoughts. Brenton sighed and looked at Isrydia again. Oh if you want to learn the Ancient Language then I have some books I can give you that have all that is written in them. Go to Du Weldenvarden and head to the Crags. In that house there is a guard who will see this necklace and will take you down to the training grounds below. In that area there is a cave that you have to show your Gedwey Ignasia to and say your name to have it open. There are multiple books in there and also gems that hold power in them. Find the books and then pick three gems from the store because I'm sure you might need them soon enough. It will also help you not die if you over do it with the magic. The elf king swallowed nervously and continued. I'm sorry for how I treated Sir William. I know he was your mentor and only trying to protect the soldiers and I never intended to hurt anyone or to challenge his authority.
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Post by Quetzal on Jul 6, 2013 17:42:43 GMT -5
((I swear it's supposed to be six months until they can breathe fire...?))
The hatchling extended his wings at the mention of reaching an age at which he could carry a person, stretching them to their full length. The sun shone through the thin almost white membrane of his wings, displaying the intricate network of blood vessels coursing through them. He could hardly wait to be able to take to the skies, longing to feel the rush of air and to see the ground far below him. He could feel already that his wings would soon be strong enough to support his own weight over short distances and low heights, but give it a few weeks longer and he might even be able to soar high above and explore the knew realm of the sky. Sharing that with Isrydia would be incredible when the time came and his size granted it. The thought excited him, making him impatient to fly high with his Rider. From what he could tell, he was growing at a slower rate than Grazael as he had yet to decide on a name, so he had a feeling he might take longer to reach each milestone than Brenton was suggesting, but that was fine.
Isrydia was surprised by how helpful Brenton was being, and in his generosity with his offer of books and gems for extra energy, as well as his apology for his treatment of William. This was simply not the same person she had seen yesterday. That Brenton had been full of himself and too proud to say sorry, but this elf was showing he had a kind and considerate side. He was not as bad as she had first thought, it seemed. The apology made her smile. "Thanks, I really appreciate that. A lot of the Varden don't like seeing people challenged because they're so proud. Suppose they have to be, to be as dedicated to their cause as they are," she meant her gratitude deeply. "Thank you also for the offer of the books and gems. Du Weldenvarden is a long way away, but once my dragon is big enough, we should be able to ride there. I'd imagine it'd be safer getting there from the air where you can see everything clearly. The whole dying from using too much magic brings to mind another worry, however. How do I know my limits with magic? I don't really fancy testing myself given the risks. So how am I supposed to know when a spell will kill me?" she asked. She was well aware that using magic used up a person's strength, but she did not know how to gauge the limits of her new abilities. |
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Post by Brenton on Jul 6, 2013 21:37:56 GMT -5
((Sorry time span in the books confused me with no actual set time. I guess it is six months to breathe fire but riding the dragon is confusing because Saphira was still too young to actually be ridden in the book.))
Brenton smiled slightly and handed the necklace to Isrydia anyhow just in case she decided to head to Du Weldenvarden sooner. He glanced down at his hands and then grimaced at the question. The easiest way to tell is to think of whether or not you could do the task without magic. If you can't possibly do it without magic then there is no way you could with magic because it would take all of your strength to use the spell. Brenton brushed his hair out of his face and looked at Isrydia thoughtfully. She seemed nice and he definitely wanted to get to know her better but why was he making sure she knew all of this when he and most of the new riders figured it out on their own? Brenton knew the answer but didn't want to admit that if Isrydia died then he would be upset more so than he should be.
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Post by Quetzal on Jul 7, 2013 10:20:16 GMT -5
((For future reference, what does the necklace look like?))
Isrydia gladly took the necklace, securing it carefully around her neck so that she would not lose it. It was something she would be sure to keep safe. Brenton's words about magic would be helpful too as she learned more about magic. There would be difficulties finding her limits, but knowing that it worked based on how easy the task was to accomplish was important to know. Lighting fires, lifting things and so on would be possible, but not making things out of thin air or moving say, a house. There had to be ways around that, of course, since experienced spellcasters could cast complex spells to achieve things which otherwise would be impossible, but before she could think of how to get around this rule she would have to master the basics first, and learn more of the Ancient Language. Visiting the elven dwellings was something she had always wanted to do and it was good to have a reason to go.
Thinking of Du Weldenvarden, as king of the elves Brenton might well have to return there at some point in the near future. The pale hatchling gently headbutted her leg, feeling her sadness. She might not reciprocate the king's exact feelings towards her, but she hated goodbyes. "Where are you going from here? I myself don't think I'll stay in Dras-Leona for much longer, things are still pretty tense with the Empire. Are you going to head back to Du Weldenvarden? The elves must be pretty shaken still with recent events," she asked, referring to what happened to Islandzadi and Arya's disappearance. |
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Post by Brenton on Jul 7, 2013 21:34:18 GMT -5
Brenton smiled sadly and nodded at the mention of his mother's death. He had never really enjoyed how she had treated him but she had still been his mother and it still hurt. I was actually going to see if you wanted me to ride with you to Ellesmera since it is a long journey better made with company who knows more about getting through some areas. Plus if you have aid then I can also teach you some on the way there. The king looked at the oak leaf shaped amulet on the necklace and how the silver glinted in the sunlight just around the dark green emerald in the center. He loved the necklace for its simplicity compared to some other ones.
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Post by Quetzal on Jul 8, 2013 10:57:47 GMT -5
It was a relief to hear that Brenton would be riding to Ellesmera and was willing to accompany her, since Isrydia was not a very good navigator so suspected she would get lost unless she waited to be able to ride her dragon there, as from the sky it would be easy to see where everything was. Having never been to Du Weldenvarden before, it would be dangerous to try and travel through the maze of a forest alone. If anyone could find their way around in the home of the elves, the elven king would. "Sounds perfect! I'll see if the Varden can lend me a horse; they have in the past when I was just an apprentice, to I imagine that won't be a problem now," she said happily.
The hatchling gave a squeak and looked into her eyes, mind pressing against hers, questioning what had just been decided. She sent back and image of travel, and the idea of a big forest where elves lived. He cocked his head to one side, curious about what she meant but understanding that a journey would be involved. A feeling of acceptance was returned to Isrydia; he was comfortable with traveling a long way so long as he was with her. The world was exciting, and he wanted to see as much of it as possible. She was pleased as she did not really have anywhere else to go right now, so might as well head to Ellesmera where she could meet elves and other Riders to help in her training, as well as just to learn from in general. "When were you planning on leaving?" she asked. Any time was all right with her, so long as she had enough time to say her goodbyes and collect her few belongings. |
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Post by Brenton on Jul 9, 2013 0:37:28 GMT -5
Brenton thought slowly about all of the possible routes and smiled. He was ready to go at any time but he really wanted to go as soon as possible. The elfin king raised up to full height and bowed slightly. Royal transport at the service of you. I am willing to leave at any time you wish to go. Brenton spoke jokingly and brushed his hair out of his face. The king reached down and picked up the new hatchling Grazael who had curled up and fallen asleep. It was funny how a dragon could go from so playful one minute to tired and asleep the next.
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Post by Quetzal on Jul 9, 2013 6:00:26 GMT -5
Isrydia's own hatchling watched with amusement as Grazael dozed off, amused by the other hatchling's sudden change of activity. He must have tired himself out with how hyperactive he'd been so far in his life. Isrydia did not pick up her hatchling as she knew he would ask or just scramble up her legs to her shoulder if he got tired of being on his feet. It seemed as though it was about time for her and Brenton to part to prepare for their departure from Dras-Leona.
Briefly she thought about how much time she might need. She did not own much or know many people, so her goodbyes and packing would not take too long; all she really needed to do was purchase some food and other supplies, as well as locate a horse. She could probably be ready by that afternoon, but the hatchling was still sluggish from the celebration and would need more rest from their journey here from Kuasta and the Spine, where his egg had hatched for her. "In that case, I'll meet you here early tomorrow morning. I'd better go and get everything together, then. I'll see you tomorrow!" the young Rider grinned before turning to head back into Dras-Leona to prepare for the journey to Ellesmera. |
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Post by Brenton on Jul 9, 2013 10:31:22 GMT -5
The elfin king nodded and watched amused as the other dragon watched Grazael. It was kind of funny how things had progressed so far. When Isrydia walked away, Brenton decided he would go back to Dras Leona and find his horse as well as the guards he had told to stay behind. Slowly the king walked toward the city and felt a new presence, one he hadn't known for awhile. "King Brenton, wow you are king now. It's been awhile since we last talked but we need you in Du Weldenvarden soon." The mind of one of the high ranking magicians touched his mind and Brenton sighed before telling him he was leaving tomorrow morning. Brenton walked into the city and immediately bought several packs of food as well as some meat for Grazael who would need food as soon as he woke up. Then Brenton went to his home and told his guard about the trip the next day.
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