&& when i ruled the WORLD.. [[flam//merril]]

[[[ jak ]]]

The sound of a gentle tide drawing rhythmically upon the narrow strip of shoreline roused Jak from his sleep shortly after the disk of the sun began to lick the eastern horizon. But while he could hear the lake a few feet away, the birds in the trees overhead, the rustling of the brush as the wind whispered through the forest, he was blind to the world save for his white-blue bubble.

The membrane of the bubble was lined with veins, and it was of a translucent color that allowed light to seep in and illuminate the space. But it trapped in warmth so effectively, Jak felt as if he were lying next to a comfortable campfire no matter which way he was facing. He stared up at it for a while, mesmerized by the sight, before finally stirring and propping himself up on his elbows.

It was no bubble at all, but a wing, extending from the shoulder of a sleeping beast that lay on its side beside Jak. He had been nestled close to its belly, where a fire burned eternally and kept the chilly air at bay. He patted the ice-blue scales of its underside a few times, and, when it displayed no reaction, gave it a solid hit. Although he had put quite a bit of force into his blow -- although it was still rather weak, considering he had just awakened -- the beast seemed to feel a mere tap, and it allowed itself to sigh deeply before pulling its wing away. Jak was dazzled by the sudden sunlight.

The beast, now revealed to Jak, was a dragon, whose entire length glittered in the early morning light like frost in the first days of winter. He extended his wings to their full extent in the air and stretched like a massive cat, yawning widely. A puff of smoke escaped from his jaws, foreshadowing his ability to breathe fire, which would undoubtedly develop during the coming months. Although he was only a couple of months old, the dragon was already rather large, and showed no signs of slowing his growth rate. Already he was more than twenty feet from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail.

As he had every day since his dragon, who had chosen the name Frostbite for himself, was two weeks old, Jak mentally reached out and touched his mind to his partner's. He never really had gotten over what a curious sensation it was to link consciousnesses with another creature; it was like having two beings residing within his head simultaneously, and he could sense all of Frostbite's emotion, share his thoughts even though he did not always understand them completely. The unity, although it felt overly invasive at first, was comfortable and mutually enjoyed, and with time, Jak had come to welcome it enthusiastically.

Frostbite swung his head around and blinked at Jak. Good morning, little one, he said, his voice echoing directly into Jak's mind. While his scales may have resembled ice, his voice was warm and inviting.

Jak smiled and patted him on the shoulder. Good morning, he replied. With practice, he had learned to speak telepathically with Frostbite, and did not need to use his voice to communicate with him. In fact, he could not recall speaking out loud at all for at least a few days. But it was of no consequence; there was no one to talk to save for Frostbite.

He turned his gaze out to the glistening expanse of Flam. They had arrived at the western tip of the lake late during the evening of the previous day. There they had decided to stop for the night, Jak stabbing a few fish out of the water with a sharpened stick while Frostbite hunted for larger game among the trees. They had dined well that night, and even in the morning their stomachs were full, and they were content. Jak had never been privileged with such bountiful meals each and every day. He found it a bit ironic that he would eat better in the Spine than he did in the village of Faymere.

Thoughts of his home village were generated in his mind then, and he wondered exactly how long it had been since he had departed. He could recall the day of his plunge into the wild clearly: the windstorm, falling into the stream, spotting the stone -- which turned out to be an egg -- under a bush, bringing it back to his camp only for it to hatch in the morning. It was at that moment that he had decided to leave, to vanish into the uncharted wilds without a final glance back to his childhood. How long ago had all of this occurred? Winter had reached its conclusion, and spring was just reaching its height, he recalled. Now it's close to the middle of the summer. So that would be... two, three months?

Yes, that seems about right, came Frostbite's reply. Both were satisfied with that estimate, so neither considered the issue further. Besides, time did not matter, now that they were so detached from society.

The past months had arguably been the most magnificent and fulfilling time that Jak had ever experienced. For once, he was not caged, tied down to a false home where he was unwelcome and abused. For once, he was unafraid of the unknown, and instead embraced the mysteries of the Spine and Alagaesia. With a dragon by his side, who could dare to challenge him, to try to control him? Bonding with Frostbite was like finding his other half.

Dragon and Rider stared out over the waters of the lake side by side, Frostbite lying down comfortably and Jak sitting cross-legged by his right paw. They would not need to do anything at all that day; they had traveled far to reach this unforeseen but still welcome point, and since they were already full from the night's feast, there was no need for them to forage or hunt for another meal. Instead, they sat in silent contemplation of the land that they had passed and the world they had yet to explore.

But in this silence, another question that Jak had yet to ask but had pondered nonetheless rose forth in his mind. Frostbite, he said a bit hesitantly, Why did you hatch for me?

Frostbite did not respond for a while, but instead turned to look straight at Jak. The silence stretched on for so long that Jak shifted his position, uncomfortable under the scrutinizing, ice-blue gaze of his dragon. Finally, Frostbite asked, What do you mean by that?

Well, you know I'm not the greatest person around, Jak replied, averting his eyes to stare at his feet. I've done some things I'm not proud of, and I certainly am not very friendly or agreeable when it comes to other people. I just don't understand why you chose to bond with me rather than another person, one who is pure of heart.

Do you think I made a mistake? Frostbite asked. It was neither threatening nor challenging, but curious, as if he sought a genuine answer.

Even so, Jak felt uncomfortable with the inquiry. I don't know, he replied earnestly. I am certainly not displeased with your decision, but even so, I do not understand your reasoning. Why me, of all people? Why did you not hatch for a better person than I?

Before he replied, Frostbite extended his wing and used it to pull Jak in closer to his side. He held that position, so similar to an embrace, and yet so much more secure and gentle. There is good in your heart, Frostbite said. It is buried beneath a tormented and hurt exterior, but it is there. I have sensed it many times, and I know that a good soul resides within you. It must simply be extracted from the false personality that you have developed over the course of your life.

Jak shivered in spite of the warmth and huddled closer to Frostbite's side, enjoying the proximity and company but offering no reply. Besides, there was nothing he could say to further the conversation. So they both let it die, and instead resumed their study of the landscape that they would one day conquer together.

[Merril]

The land was not as soft or forgiving as the rivers and lakes that Merril was used to. It was not cool, or smooth, or fluid, and the Elf did not care for travel by land at all. Having released her pony with a blessing of fortune, Merril disrobed on the shore of Flam Lake and slid into its sparkling waters.

As she gently began to submerge herself, the Elf they called Adurna Eld Moi took up a song. It lilted and coursed, taking on the form of the water around her, until it was difficult to tell where the water ended and the magic of the song began.

Merril felt the aches of a week in the saddle drifting away as she bathed and floated, singing her song and letting her cares waft away with every note that slid through the air or skipped over the ripples of the lake.

She forgot the troubles of the world for a while; that she was en route to perhaps the largest battle since her very first in old Ilirea. Standing in the shallows, Merril let the water run through her fingers and allowed her toes to sink into the flat, round rocks of the river-bed. She continued to sing, addressing the lake itself.

"I accept your song, and offer you mine..."
(In order for this to fit with Merril's timeline, I hope it is alright for this scene to take place before the battle of Belatona.)

[[[ jak ]]]

The hours dragged by slowly and without incident. After Frostbite lay down upon the soft earth and Jak nestled himself between his dragon's paws, neither of them moved anywhere, save to adjust themselves. As they watched the sun rise above the rippling waters and into the vast expanse of the sky, their minds merged lazily and without conscious effort, leaving them with a pleasing, calm bond. It was arguably one of the most wonderful sensations that Jak had ever experienced.

But over time, his stomach began to rumble, and he forced himself to stand and stretch. There was no need to reach out to Frostbite's mind to alert him to his hunger, as their mental link had already brought the need to the dragon's attention. Jak stifled a yawn and clambered up onto Frostbite's back, settling himself into the hollow space between his shoulders before Frostbite stood up and extended his cramped wings out to their full extent.

Once both were comfortable, they leaped forward, past the shore and over the lake. Before they fell, Frostbite pumped his great wings once, tips skimming the surface of the water, carrying them a bit higher. Again and again he flapped, and with each powerful stroke they climbed higher into the cool air above the water. In no time at all, they were soaring freely a hundred feet up in the sky.

There was nothing quite like flying. It was so liberating, so magnificent and grand, that Jak felt like he could rule over everything tethered to the ground below. The wind blasted his shaggy hair back from his face and whipped at the ragged tunic that he had managed to keep intact for several months. He laughed, releasing the neck spike that he had been clutching and threw his arms into the air, completely trusting Frostbite to catch him should he happen to slip and fall. But nothing of the sort happened, and by the time he returned his hands to the spike, a sense of giddy freedom had overcome him.

Although they flew over the lake, they kept close to shore. Jak scanned the ground below, hoping to catch sight of a deer or some other sort of wild animal that had ventured to the water for a drink. For a while, he saw nothing. But as he grew bored, his gaze wandered forward, skimming lazily over the earth. Nothing caught his eye for another few minutes, and when something did, he had to look again, just to confirm that he was not just seeing things.

Something was moving in the water up ahead. It was not a fish; it was much too big to be one. But since Flam was certainly not a very large body of water, he could not imagine what it might be. Frostbite saw it as well, but he, too, was at a loss. Should we investigate? the dragon rumbled.

Jak paused, then nodded and sent an affirmative flick of his mind to Frostbite. Wordlessly, he angled himself downward and descended in a large spiral over the lake. As they moved closer and closer to the ground, Jak strained his eyes to make out the identity of the creature that moved about in the water. It was graceful, far more graceful than any human could possibly be. But that also led Jak to think that it was no beast, either; what natural being could ever move so fluidly, dancing among the waves as if it were a part of them?

When they were no more than fifty feet above the lake, a hauntingly beautiful melody drifted up to Jak's ears. Later, Jak would have found it impossible to describe with words; it was almost as if the water itself had become a song, if that made any sense. It swiftly lulled him into a lethargic trance, and it took several jabs from Frostbite's consciousness to bring him back to reality. It's almost... It's almost like magic, Jak observed in wonder.

In Alagaesia, magic was discussed everywhere. Some believed it to be no more than childish fiction, but it was so prominent in history and recorded documentation of key events that it was almost impossible to deny. Even King Galbatorix was said to have relied upon its arcane powers to rise to the throne. But was it really possible that what they were hearing was magic? If that's magic, then I want to see whatever that thing is, Jak thought resolutely.

ooc; I don't really know how to end this post, so I'll just use numbers: 42! 636! 70674! 69!

[Merril]

After a short while longer, Merril's song began to slow in its coursing, dying down and coming to an end. Her mind was open as she swam back to the shore, searching around her for the spirit of the lake. It teemed with life, as most bodies of water did, but that was not the thing that caught her attention. A dull pulsing sound came to her sharp ears, drawing her eyes upward.

The She-Elf's jaw nearly dropped at what she saw there. Her eyes were significantly better than human eyes, and she could quite easily make out the icy dragon overhead. Many things raced through her mind at once. The first was that she had most likely already been noticed. The second was that she had to put her awe aside. More than once she had seen the dragon riders of the empire coming and going.

Pulling on her long white shirt and a donning a clean set of linens, Merril removed her bow from her pack and strung it, crouching down and making herself as small as possible. Hoping for the best, she nearly held her breath, laying an arrow against the wood of the bow and notching it to the string. Dragons were not easy to hunt, but she would at least have to defend herself if things went poorly.

Her muscles were tense under her skin, still beaded with lake-water. The run-off from her hair threatened to obstruct her vision, so she quickly thrust her arrow into the dirt and pulled her hair back before taking up her weapon again. Blue-green eyes locked onto the underside of the majestic beast and a red heart pounded in Merril's chest. She sank into the underbrush.