Horizons of War - A Dragon Rider Roleplay

[TruthSayer]

The figure's head tilted back just slight, but enough for the light to reveal beneath the hood an inhuman grin. A too wide smile broke the lower half of the being's face, revealing a row of jagged teeth behind lips stained black with blood drank long ago. Slits instead of nostrils flared wide as the echo took a deep breath and laughed, the sound an unnatural rise and fall that made the hairs on Ildrea's arms stand on end.

"This..." the echo whispered, and raised its hands, revealed as bird-like claws as long white sleeves fell away. The air in the room grew suddenly dense with pure power as white shadow appeared before the outstretched palms. "Just this..."

A flash of blinding light, and Undra roared.

Everything went blank. All Rain could see was white, all he could hear was silence. And he knew it was the same for Frost.

When he came to, he was laying on his back. Above him was a clear night sky filled with stars. An entire day had come and gone.

"Frost!" He called out in a panic to his dragon, partner, friend.

[TruthSayer]

Elves were not ones for showy emotion, even ones as young as Ildrea, but tears shone bright in her eyes anyway. "You cannot die, Undra," she whispered, face pressed against the dragon's hard shoulder. "You cannot die."

It hadn't even been a true fight, just the echo, that strange power, and then nothing. Ildrea had felt Undra's pain as if it were her own, crippling and magnified by the magic that had caused it. It ripped through her right leg, throwing her to the ground even as she felt the massive paw of her companion close around her middle. She did not know how they got out, nor what had happened to the echo. All she knew was that Undra lay on the grassy knoll beside her, right leg seeping amber blood.

I'm here, came the comforting words and soothing mental voice. I'm fine, which is more than I can say for the other two. The dragon cast his gaze towards Ildrea and Undra and winced in sympathy.

Just because dragons couldn't die didn't mean that they didn't feel pain, and the Rider, bonded mind and soul to their dragons shared that pain acutely. Rain had heard stories about dragons being tortured horribly to push their riders over the brink of madness in the previous war. Often, even the dragon went insane in the end as well. Sometimes, death was the better option.

Just as Rain sighed in relief of the confirmation of Frost's presence beside him, he immediately felt something wrong. Something slightly... off. There was a longing for... something. Something was missing now though he never noticed before. He made to sit up and within him arose a terrible burning sensation, like someone had shoved hot coals down his throat. It made Rain gasp sharply but it wasn't a mere physical burning, it was deeper, as if it reached into the core of his soul. Grasping at his chest, he noticed for the first time that his armor had been stripped off.

He reached a shaking hand under his shirt and rather than smooth skin, felt something hard and bumpy over his left chest. Pulling his shirt open wider, he saw that a jagged line had been carved into him, just above his heart and healed so clumsily that it left a ragged, still pink scar.

"W-what happened to me?" Rain whispered, voice trembling in terror and panic. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME?!"

[Tammika]

"..But Master! I've not received full title yet. I don't have approval to go on.."

Hush child and get dressed. Don't wear your journeyman sash and here, take this." The Master healer handed her a familiar dark blue robe made of soft lush, yet durable fabric. She touch it, crushed its softness in her hands when he shoved it towards her.

"Master... Hermal. Hermal this is a .."

"I know what it is, Cana, now by the gods put it on and lets go!" He sighed and rubbed his brow. Placing a large hand on her shoulder he looked at her in the dim light. "You've more than earned it. After all of this we will have your ceremony but for now I can only send you. I can only trust you. I know the skills you've been holding back from the head master, the pacts you've made that have taken me years to master. I know."

(later that day)

Toth sat in the barracks and rubbed his jaw for the hundredth time that day. He had found a thief, although it was more accurate to say the whole of market street had, after seeing him hold up a shopkeeper with a spear (A spear for Orons sake), then run off with a bag of silver the size of an apple. Hardly the score of the century, but when he'd caught up with the 'master criminal' the idiot had pulled some brass knuckles, giving the guardsman a nasty smack across the face before Toth had knocked him cold with a cosh (filling a robber with spear holes was considered bad form).

He was now glad the dragon head helmet the guard wore had a cheek guard, but the contact bruise hurt like a bitch. "Oww, big baby, does that hurt? Should I get your mommy to kiss it better." Came a laughing taunt from across the room, a young man with sharp features laughing as he lay on his pallet, "I've told you before T, those working girls can be merciless."

"Oh cram it Skirrn." Toth replied "At least I did't go full tongue with one that turned out to be a man the next day." He retorted, then ducked as a wooden mug flew over his head.
"You swore not to tell anyone about that." Skirrn said seriously as the others in the room laughed Uproariously. Toth just shrugged as he stood "Well, you started it." he smirked "I've got afternoon watch, don't forget to relive me or I'll tell this mob all the gory details." He said, then jumped out the door and pulled it closed as a boot flew through the air to slam against the door.

Laughing to himself he went and grabbed a spear and short sword from the armoury before buckling on his dragon head helm. He winced as the cheek guard hit his bruise, then sighed as he reached the wall top. It was going to be cold as the sun went down, and his gloves were back in the barracks.
"Oron hates me." he grumbled to himself as he pulled a pipe from his pocket and lit a wick off the wall. It was going to be a long afternoon.

[TruthSayer]

Undra groaned, the sound rumbling through the earth like a shiver, and brought his head around to nudge Ildrea, knocking her off her knees.

I am injured, not dead, he said, irritable as his tongue darted out toward his wound, cleaning it. Ow... Where are Frost and Rain?

Ildrea buried her head in her hands and cried, breath catching with each painful dab of Undra's tongue.

We're right here, Frost replied to the other dragon, keeping his tone steady.

Then he turned to his stricken rider who was frozen in shock, Calm down, he said, suppressing his own concern and fear for Rain as the dragon felt the same strangeness that affected his rider within himself as well. We need to get back to the Citadel.

Frost turned towards Undra. Unfortunately, healing was a specialized type of magic, immensely complex and requiring years of specific training and study. Some riders specialized in it, but Rain was not one of them. But first, we'll stop in a nearby town and find a healer.

Rain didn't respond and Ildrea was still sobbing by her dragon's side. Frost looked towards Undra. At least the other dragon still had his wits about him. Agreed? he asked.

OOC: *Cues Tammika's PC* =P

[Tammika]

"You should be well versed in avoiding the head master and slipping out."

"But-"

"There will be a rider there for you that will take you to Brayerton. After that you will know where you need to be. As a healer you can feel it can't you. Concentrate Cana! Can you feel it?"

"Hermel I don't understand I-" The slip of uneasiness whispered to her. A keening of sorts. Pain nudged her soul and she gasped. Understanding lit her eyes a she looked wide eyed at her Master. She was one of the few trainees that could sense pain as well as most of the masters. "...Yes."

"Good. Now go."

Slipping out was not the problem, neither was the silent ride with a stranger to the town. It was the pain. The closer they drew to Brayerton the louder it roared in the healers ears. The more magic used to inflict a wound the louder it spoke to healers. For a moment she doubted her abilities.

"You alright, Healer?" It felt odd to answer to anything other than apprentice, but she nodded and the horseman left. As the Master had told her she instantly knew which direction to walk and headed for a cluster of hills to the east.

'Toth!' came a call from further along the wall. Striding down came Watch Sargent Vak, who's resplendent red beard just showed from beneath his dragon helm. "You're needed." the Sargent said, walking past the guardsman towards the guard tower. Toth fell into step two paces behind, holding in his questions for when the Sargent asked.

"Close the door." Vak said, and Toth did so. The barrack room was empty, but the Sargent looked it over quickly just to be sure as Toth stood to attention, looking to a point just above the Sargent's head.
"We have a situation." Vak Began, "The command has dispatched a healer to Brayerton on a secret mission. They were meant to assign a Guard but by the time one was ready the healer had already gone. Gods know what is going on, but as you're on smuggler detail you are already prepped for a hard ride, am I right."

"Yes Sir." Toth replied curtly. He had his travel bags and personal weaponry on standby in case the guard had to hunt down a fleeing smuggler at short notice.

"Good. Get to the stable, get a Horse, ride like you have harpies on you're arse and find that healer, then protect them. They got over a hour on you, so you need to move fast."

"Yes sir!"

There was a pause "Well, what are you waiting for, get going!" the Sargent roared.

Toth gave a hurried salute (almost braining himself with his spear) and dashed off down the stairs, grabbing his large pack by the door along with several swords of varying length, knives and a repeater crossbow, all strapped to the pack. It weighted a ton, but it paid to be prepared.

He ran into the courtyard shouting to the grooms for a horse, and the standby animal was brought out. Shoving his spear into a thong on the back and strapping on his baggage Toth climbed into the Horse and gave it a kick in the ribs. The Beast leapt forward, trained to respond to a rider as promptly as possible.

In moments he was out of the garrison gate and galloping towards the main road, turning down the track towards Brayerton.

He really wished he'd worn gloves as he rode, the autumnal wind was biting as he sped down the narrow tracks that led to his destination.

He reached Brayerton two hours later, his horse almost dead and his backside feeling like he'd been beaten by a blacksmith. Handing his frothing horse to an innkeeper he paid a few silver slivers to have it taken care of, then asked around. Brayerton was a sleepy town, but one resident in the in said they had spotted a woman in healers robes heading east into the hills only an hour before.

Grabbing his pack (and clipping a stable-boy's ear for trying to steal one of his daggers) he buckled it on and set off after the hearer. He hoped he could find her, or the Sargent would have him on toast.

[TruthSayer]

Undra's vision faded in and out the same way it had three hundred years ago when he had snacked on too much brandy root. The pain in his leg made it unable for him to walk with the dignity due to dragons, forcing him to hop forward on three legs like a lame dog, Ildrea wincing with each jolt though she had finally stopped crying. More than once, the blurriness of his vision caused him to waver from the trail that lead toward the caves around Brayerton, and with each fumbling step forward, his ill temper grew.

Dragons are not made for the ground, he snarled, shaking his body angrily as his wings flared outward, slamming into the wide trunks of trees that shrouded the path, forcing Ildrea to gasp and hold tightly to the pommel of the saddle to keep from flying off.

Rain and Frost, for their part, decided to fly on ahead.

After a while of mutual silence, the dragon spoke up. I don't think its wise to tell anyone about that wound.

"Why? I want to know what that infernal echo did to me."

I've never heard of anything like this happening to any rider. And this feeling of strangeness. We should wait and see. It's not hurting you anymore is it? Though through their link the dragon already knew the answer.

"No, the burning is gone," Rain confirmed. In fact, he felt quite normal now.

Then its agreed. No word of it to anyone. Yet.

They made to land and rejoin the other two as the town came into view underneath them.

[Tammika]

She tighten the robe around her and stopped in her tracks, her head tilted as though listening, but there was no sound. Still she waited. A brown curl fell from its place beneath her hood and she tucked it back. If it weren't for the strong magic within her she would feel like a complete moron standing on the side of a hill just on the outskirts of town.

They were coming. She could feel it. She whispered a chant of protection, unnecessary since she knew the magic by heart but it gave her something to do. Cana stepped in the direction of the approaching dragon... no dragons and their riders just as a sound was heard from behind her. Someone from the town had followed her?

Toth finally burst out of the wooded path, a few twigs still jutting comically out of the ridges of his dragon helm. His thighes were killing him, as he'd not done any hill walking since his patrol rotation 6 months ago.

Toth saw he was now close to the hilltop, and that a rather startled figure in a blue healers robe was looking down at his panting form.

Despite his tiredness he jogged up to the hilltop, straightening out his helm and brushing off the stray twigs as he approached.

"You are a hard person to catch Ma'am." he panted, coming to a stop before her. "Lance-Corporal Toth of the 7th Dragon Guard," He said, saluting fist to chest, "I was supposed to escort you out of the Hold, but lines got crossed. Are you unharmed?" He asked, seeing for the first time how young the Healer was.

[TruthSayer]

(OOC: Because of Legion's inability to post on a regular basis, we've been given the go-ahead to post outside of posting order. Legion will catch up when able.)

IC: Movement along the ground took much longer than movement among the clouds, making a journey that would have taken no longer than an hour on the wing stretch to three on foot. When the ghostly outline of Brayerton came into view in the distance, the sun was high in the sky, its light given no heat to the coolness of the day. Undra breathed open-mouthed, panting from the awkward trek, and Ildrea lay sweating and pale upon his back, slumped in her seat.

Nearly there... Undra said, voice soft and uninspired.

"Brave Undra," Ildrea whispered.

As they rejoined Ildrea and Undra on the ground, Rain spotted two others on the road into the town. One was clad in healer's robes while the other sported a Dragon Guard uniform. Whether their presence was arranged by the higher ups or a fortunate coincidence, Rain didn't know.

Rain and Frost moved to warily approach the two.

[Tammika]

Cana stared at the man suspiciously , taking in his uniform ad quickly determining what he said was true for now. Such situations were beyond someone use to simple academy life. Secret conversations and being rushed off to another town was beyond her.

She raised her chin seeing the look in his eye, being short and a little chubby made her look more like an inn keepers daughter rather than the oldest and one of highest ranking students of her class. "I am unharmed, but they are not." As if on cue dragon and rider circled above and drew close landing nearby.

The amount of perverted magic almost made her stagger, but Cana planted her feet thankful for the protection spell. "What devilry is this?" she murmured, the wound was almost a tangible force as the two drew close and the other pair came around the hill.

As healer she knew only she was susceptible to the magic contagion of this kind of wound, but as a precaution she drew near the guard quickly grabbing his hand and drew a glyph on the back of it. A quick whisper of a spell was heard. Normally it was done on the forehead ...but he was much to tall and such a move would have been awkward. It glowed blue for a brief second then faded into his skin. "You have a small branch stuck n your.." She motioned with her hand above her head.

[TruthSayer]

"I grow suspicious of those clad even in the robes of our home," Ildrea said, putting one hand on Undra's back between the saddle and the dragon's neck, shoving herself upward. The move made her vision swim, echos of phantom blood loss pounding through her veins. Undra showed no such weakness, but Ildrea held far less blood in her than the dragon, and it was well known that should a dragon be injured badly enough in battle, though their lives would not wane, their Rider's would.

As do I. I do not smell ill intentions on them, however, Undra said, taking the last hobbling step that would bring him close enough to the healer and her companion without having to make them run to his side. He gave a deep sigh that blew the branches of a nearby bush wildly with hot breath, then slumped against the trunk of a sturdy tree, nearly breaking it in half as he settled on his belly, grateful for the rest.

You didn't smell ill intentions from the echo, either, Ildrea replied, arms shaking as she struggled to sit up straight and dignified.

Do not remind me.

Toth Had been watching the approaching dragon with interest, and was shocked when the Healer grabbed his hand, but relaxed when he realised she was just warding him. He'd had it done many times before, but never on the hand.

He reached up to brush the errant twig out of his helm, the last thing he needed was to make a bad impression. Then he spotted the rider, who seemed quite badly wounded, and was worried as the dragon slumped over.

Forgetting all protocol he ran up to the dragons side "Ma'am, are you aright!" he called up, hoping to catch her if she fell from her mount.

[Tammika]

"Toth!" Did he have any sense of decorum? Approaching a rider like a common traveler?

Cana ran up beside him nodding her head in formal greeting to the rider, after casting a raised eyebrow at Toth. "Cana of South Hall. I was sent here by my.. by Hermel. he said for me to give you this and it would... 'ease all doubt?' " Her voice was breathy from the sudden sprint but she managed to be heard.

She offered the rider a rolled narrow script with an odd ring slid tight over it. It was plain silver band with a blue stone imbedded in it, but had a strange...feel about it. Even on such a cold day the ring radiated a familiar warmth. She had watched Hermel remove it from his pinky as he spoke to her, and slide it on after writing it.