'sunrise {in*} ilirea--! |open|

[Emma]

The moment all three mortals had staggered outside, Sunglow and Arashi launched themselves like coloured missiles at their Riders, which I allowed them to do. Both managed to glide safely to the ground, despite their rage and desire to seek out and destroy the elves that had attacked- Arashi had been in such a state that he’d even said his first word. Not caring what small, weak creatures such as mortals thought of my superior kind, I was far more graceful in getting off the roof, my snakelike form worming down and onto the snow below me. I approached Ramsey, who was looking around herself with a wary gaze, one hand around the haft of her hammer and the other tightly gripping a sabre she’d liberated from one of the elves. I nudged my head against her belly roughly, gazing up into her ice-green eyes as she laid an arm on my snout.

‘You spoke.’
“I always spoke!”
‘But that was perfect common tongue. Flawless.’
“I was brought up to be a duchess, you putrid ball of carrion,” she snapped, once again in that perfect upper-class accent. “I speak like this naturally.”
‘Then why do you insist on talking like a scullery maid? Your voice is positively angelic, and yet you don’t speak the language so much as chew on it and spit it out.’
She gave me a stare that could freeze steam. I thought perhaps it was because I’d insulted the pirates she was so fond of, or that she never, ever, revealed the sufferings of her past to anyone, but I got the strange sensation that she was somehow disappointed in me.
“Cor. Right then, mates,” she snarled once again in her hard-on-the-ears sailor’s accent. “They’re with their tails ‘tween their legs now, but I reckon they’ll be back, maybe with even more of them blighters. Ain’t bein’ a Rider hell?” She slammed her hammer back into its strap. “Fer now, just follow me.”

And then she was off, leaving me shocked and perplexed. I rarely felt true emotion- at best, I was either melancholy or annoyed. My thoughts were always in a sleepy, grey haze, but now I had been awakened. Two hundred years, and Ramsey had a secret that I’d never known. And yet, her gaze had told me that I should have known. I’d never had any clue that she had that form of vocabulary or intelligence. It was alien, and she expected me to know it. Confusion soon became anger as I struggled to understand what had just happened. There was no logic behind it. The reasons were obviously dependent on Ramsey’s hair-trigger emotions, which I had never been able to wrap my head around. She wasn’t going to speak to me now, either. The thought that nagged at me most was the worry that there could be other things that I didn’t know about her.

A long, low growl emanated from my maw. It soon became a tongue of blue flame that quickly evolved into a fireball, which I spat at the ground before me, scorching the snow and earth. For their weakness and short life spans, mortals were infuriatingly complex creatures- especially the females. But now, there was nothing I could do about it. The main focus was Sunglow and Arashi, not my personal tribulations. I took off after Ramsey as she turned into another street that wasn’t quite an alley, but was almost as private. My tail slithered behind me as I wound my way across the ground, keeping close to her. Though I tried to think on what the hatchlings and their mortals needed to learn, my thoughts inevitably turned back to Ramsey. Once it became clear that I couldn’t control them, I decided to reach a compromise- and infuriate my Rider while at it.

‘It would be beneficial if the fleshlings informed Ramsey and myself of their skills- in combat as well as other areas of expertise.’ I turned my head to gaze at the two mortals. ‘Sharing the past is sometimes necessary.’

Character(s) Used;; Ikehr with Nemo Ramsey
Words;; 675
Muse;; Hmm. Not bad, actually...
Thoughts;; This is my first time writing emotional conflict in a relationship, so I apologize if I totally suck at it.

[Nayeli]

’my {lovely&}
tasia--!
Featuring: sunglow

Well, I could say that I had not expected a fight on the first day of being a rider, in fact, had not expected any of this. As we had left, they were gone by now, probably in their hiding place until another attack could be formed, but they had attacked dragon riders and we would get strong each day as thing happened. Niko’s dragon looked as if he had been in her own brawl, while Sunglow only had a small cut on the end of her tail, since she had known better then to completely struggle. Ihekr had heled them, from what I was gathering from Sunglow’s own minded and I glanced up at Ikehr. ”Thank you… I would not want Sunglow getting killed.”

I had only wanted to touch two minds, but I had a feeling Nemo would hear as well. I had not expected a fight and I would not have wanted Sunglow even in there. I had sent her into my room upstairs… Not through the pub or anything like that. Sunglow looked up at me and I picked her up careful. She did not stick me with her claws and I smiled at that. I looked at Nemo for a moment and then back at Sunglow.

“Cor. Right then, mates,” I looked at Nemo once again, her snarl was different then the beautiful voice before, but I knew when people preferred something else, so I did not push the point that she seemed to have been discussing with her dragon. ”They’re with their tails ‘tween their legs now, but I reckon they’ll be back, maybe with even more of them blighters. Ain’t bein’ a Rider hell?” I had never thought about it before, but she was right. I had known for years of the troubles and the dangers of being a rider, but I was not going to allow that to stop me from being one. ”Now what, Nemo-ebrithil?” I looked to Nemo for a moment and then back at Sunglow. ”Fer now, just follow me.” I felt Sunglow want to go down and she did get down, staying ahead of the mighty dragon as we walked.

She did not mind walking and then I felt a brush of something against my mind and knew it was Ikehr. I glanced back at him and listen as he spoke. ”It would be beneficial if the fleshlings informed Ramsey and myself of their skills- in combat as well as other areas of expertise” I looked at him for a moment and then looked ahead for a moment. ”Sharing the past is sometimes necessary.” I nodded to him and then made sure I got everything write in my words. ”Well, I was raised in a farming town near Ellesmere… After my education by my father and his wife… I learned to shot a bow… My first job was hunting down people and bring them dead or alive… I was part of the war between humans and elves as a Bow master… I can move with skilled silence, like any stealthy animal and run as fast as deer…”[/color] I did not lie, I could probably take off in this city and be out within’ only minutes. ”And farming is something that is natural to me as well.”[/color] I said, hoping my father was doing okay with the village and his wife was not being too troublesome.

But, then my mind went to something else… I needed a home now…

[/blockquote]
’word count--! five. eight. zero
’comments--! ^_^ Blah!
’tagged--! ikehr and nemo ramsey; arashi and niko danta
[/size][/blockquote]
[/color]

[Elloria]

Arashi hmphed as the two-legs known as Nemo spoke. He'd heard her more refined voice through Niko, but felt that this coarse accent suited her better. It was rough and violent and ready to leap into conflict at a moment's notice. She was a fighter and he could appreciate that. But what she said still rankled him. As much as he'd been taught to be wary of Riders and bonded dragons, he still thought it was a huge honor for the two-leggeds to become bonded to his race. Not everyone was worthy, after all. And if those foolish fleshlings, as Ikehr called them, decided to come back and fight...well, Arashi would be ready for them. And he'd make sure Niko was as well.

Niko followed Nemo and Tasia quietly, with Ikehr just behind them. He was just glad that no one had been seriously harmed. If those insolent wretches came back to cause more trouble, he had no problems with that. He was completely on guard now, letting his mental defenses down enough to keep careful track of all the living things around him. He could feel no threat in the immediate vicinity, but that didn't mean it wasn't lurking somewhere. However, he paid particular attention to Ikehr. He twisted around slightly, Arashi swaying slightly on his shoulder. Ikehr was growling, which soon translated into a gout of blue flames scorching the earth. They were far enough away to avoid being scorched as well, but the sight of it left Niko and Arashi deeply disturbed.

Still, the idea Ikehr eventually presented intrigued Arashi. He hadn’t thought to ask what his Rider had been like prior to the bonding. This would be interesting. What had shaped Niko into the restrained individual he was? Because Arashi was certain that this was somehow against Niko’s grain. That was why he’d chosen the elf. He’d lure the adventurer in the scholar out soon enough.

Half-listening to Tasia, Niko wondered where to begin. Hers was fairly concise, so he figured he should try to do the same. That shouldn’t be particularly difficult, right? Unfortunately, Tasia finished before he could even formulate what to say. “Hmm...well, I was raised as a noble in Ellesmera before being sent to Ilirea. I excelled in nearly all my studies, particularly melee and hand-to-hand combat. Top of my class, except in magic. That was my brother’s area of expertise. I’m skilled enough to do minor spells like waíse heill, but not much beyond that. Since graduating, I’ve continued training daily with the Riders in all skill sets. I didn’t participate in the Blue Divide. I was absorbed in the Great Library by that time.” He shrugged slightly, earning an irritated huff from Arashi. “That’s about it. Aside from writing, but I doubt that will seem like a very important skill in the greater scheme of things.”

[Emma]

Danta and Tasia fell silent after that. We all did. The war was not something anyone liked to think of, whether they’d participated in it or not. The scars were too deep and too fresh, and they affected everyone. I gripped my hammer tighter and edged my lips up into a thin line at the memories. I hadn’t done any actual fighting, no Rider had, but I had seen the carnage up close. Ikehr had been tasked with ferrying artists and scribes to record and immortalize the war as it was waged, so Ilirea could get a truly neutral view of the ‘Blue Divide’- and it had cut me deep, standing there, fully capable of doing something to stop the deaths and yet forbidden to do anything. I’d been praised when I got back, of course- for keeping to my oath as a passive observer, for not doing anything that could contaminate the experiment- but I felt a deep pit of shame, and would never forgive myself for doing it, even if I’d been ordered to. Quietly, I promised myself that I would never give orders like that in my life- and that one day, I was going to be in a position where I’d never be forced to take orders like that again, either.

‘Brooding, Ramsey? This is oddly uncharacteristic of you. Do you wish to cry on my shoulder?’
‘Oh, shut up, you overgrown snake.’

Ikehr went quiet after that, too, which surprised me. When I looked back at him, his eyes were downcast, a look that he only got when he was very deep in thought or remembering something of deep importance. I wanted to ask what it was, but was somehow afraid to as well. I blinked and rubbed at my eyes furiously. I was brooding, which was ridiculous. Clearly, I’d been alone with my thoughts for too long. I lengthened my spine and lifted my head, standing up as straight as the hammer on my back would allow me. I had to be vigilant, just in case those morons decided to show up again. I had already decided that we would go to my manor, whether we were followed or not. If the bastards wanted to ambush me in my own house, I could safely obliterate them in the security of my home. Feeling particularly enthralled, I removed my hammer, and, twirling it in my hands, decided to smash Ikehr on the head with it for no actual reason. This one hit didn’t cause him any pain, but it did glance off his horns and make a metallic ringing noise that jarred him in his steps. Then he gave me a death glare.

‘Ramsey, I wish there were words to express my contempt for you.’
“Ikehr, I wish there were words- OI! YOU SCALY SUNUVABITCH!” I roared when hot flame suddenly engulfed the alleyway, evaporating snow, blackening the dead grass beneath, and nearly burning me alive. “TRY AND KILL ME OVER-”
‘Much as I loathe admitting it, Ramsey, that was not me.’

I stopped mid-sentence and did a second take. The flames that now crackled beside me were orange, not blue. I swore and looked up, just seeing a cloak disappear over the top of one of the buildings. We were at a very bad disadvantage. Pouring a constant stream of profanity out of my mouth, I snatched Danta and Tasia’s wrists and pulled them behind Ikehr just as another gout of magical fire landed inches from his exposed side. Ikehr peered down at the flames with disinterest, not taking the danger very seriously. I remained by his belly as two more fireballs were flung, one actually hitting Ikehr but being put out almost immediately by a spell from either Danta or Tasia. Then our attacker seemed to realize that he wasn’t going to get anywhere without a close confrontation, because I heard feet scuffling and saw a miniature landslide of snow fall from one of the roofs, suggesting that he had vanished, for now. I chewed my lip thoughtfully. If whatever-their-names-were had magic to top off their hatred of the Riders, this might be a difficult situation after all. Straightening, I cast my mind out across the alleyway, hunting for any more danger. When the search came up empty, Ikehr shifted in the snow.

‘And now the mortals are in grave danger. Whatever do they plan on doing next?’

Characters Used;; Nemo Ramsey with Ikehr
Words;; 735
Muse;; Good at the beginning, seriously bailed by the middle.
Thoughts;; Guys, I don't want to sound prissy or anything, but only having your characters just follow Nemo and Ikehr and leaving me to decide absolutely everything that happens in the next post... that's kind of a pain in the ass to write, and resulted in this shite post. This is EXACTLY what made me hate the MP so much. Please actually move the thread forward in your next posts and don't leave me to lead the thread. I really just pulled this out of my ass and don't know what to do next, although I do want a sort of scenario soon where the dragons have to assume mortal forms, although yours doesn't have to if you don't want to. That's all I've got.

[Nayeli]

’my {lovely&}
tasia--!
Featuring: sunglow

I looked at Arashi got a moment… He was quiet, compared to me, which was weird, but then again… Ikehr found that my talking was a surprise. I could not help it, I had not completely gone unconscious in my chambers, I had listened to everything coming around me. I remembered all the words my parents spoke, how they taught me so much in the egg. I then turned my head to Nemo, who I had heard speaking in a very pretty voice. I liked that voice and I felt Tasia tapping my mine. I looked over at her and she gave me a look before speaking to me. ”Don’t… She likes talking the other way, I can tell.”

I looked down for a moment, slightly wondering why. I then turned my eyes back to everyone else and soon started following Tasia, keeping at her feet as I moved with her.

I looked back at Ikehr a few times, wondering what he was thinking, but not asking. Already, I had a great respect for the large dragon, but I did not know why. Maybe it was because he was just so big, but then again, everyone else was bigger then me and I didn’t have near the respect for them as I had for him. Maybe it was because I wanted to learn from him. I just looked ahead and shook my thoughts. I then heard Niko start speaking right after Tasia. ”Hmm...well, I was raised as a noble in Ellesmera before being sent to Ilirea. I excelled in nearly all my studies, particularly melee and hand-to-hand combat. Top of my class, except in magic. That was my brother’s area of expertise. I’m skilled enough to do minor spells like waíse heill, but not much beyond that. Since graduating, I’ve continued training daily with the Riders in all skill sets. I didn’t participate in the Blue Divide. I was absorbed in the Great Library by that time.” I heard his dragon huff and I looked at him. it was not very nice to interrupt someone, but I didn’t say anything. I looked at Tasia, wondering what she was thinking.

She had been in the war, I could see the images coming to her mind as she thought about it. I could see her holding the same bow she had then, sending arrows towards the humans and the feeling of guilt for killing something. ”That’s about it. Aside from writing, but I doubt that will seem like a very important skill in the greater scheme of things.” I looked at him for a moment and then back at Tasia. She listened and in her mind, she thought it was a good skill, to be able to write. I did not know, but she smiled down at me for a moment. I looked at Nemo has we walked, seeing that she was walking faster. I was wondering why, I did not understand why she had lengthened her steps, but soon, it kind of slowed down some, but very little.

”I was born the cream of society. One of them blue-blood bastards. Province in Saxony, ain’t expectin’ either o’ you cloistered landlubbers to have heard of it. But I got out, and grew up on a ship.” I wondered why anyone would want to grow up on ships? I had heard of them as a young eggling, but my parents had only see them when they were flying over the big water. I wanted to see those water, but I didn’t want ”Real cracking. I was bloody Queen of the Seas.” I looked up to see Tasia smiling slightly. ”A pirate. Get to the point, Ramsey.’ I looked at Ikehr again as he spoke and then back to Nemo. “So I was. Learned how to sail, fight okay with a blade, but mainly…” I jumped, moving backward to keep from being hit. As I looked at Ikehr, I moved in time to get behind him slightly, away from the flame. Tasia had managed the same, though I was not sure about Niko and Arashi.

”Don’t play with fire unless you want to get burned, Back-From-the-Dead-Red.’ I looked to Nemo for a moment. I stepped back forward slightly with Tasia and looked at her for amoment. ”Don’t mean to brag, but I got meself a stonking bounty. Forty thousand crowns! Wish those days coulda lasted forever.” I was confused, I had never heard if a bounty, but Tasia quickly explained it to me, which did not take very long at all. ”But you buggers know how it is. Ain’t nothin’ good can ever last.” Tasia shrugged slightly. I guess she understood and with a quick look, I noticed that I was right.

”She was not introduced to magic at a young age as the elves of Du Weldenvarden are, which severely impedes her magical abilities, and she cannot write anything besides her own name. Raised among humans, which certainly explains her philistinism.” I looked at Nemo for a moment and then Tasia, who was not saying anything, just sitting on a small crate, which had been blacken by the flame. ”Muzzle it! Now…” Tasia smiled slightly at Nemo, before looking at Ikehr.

”You wanna learn anything from Ikehr and meself, just ask. But first, I gotta know.” I looked at her for a moment, Tasia was even looking at her now. ”Whaddaya feel about the Blue Divide?” I felt guilt spreading through Tasia and looked at her for a moment longer then normal. What was wrong with her. ”Go on, spill it. Say anything ya want. The Riders were blinkered prats, or you want the humans wiped off the map, innit? Jus’ be honest.” It was silent, but I heard it broken by my rider.

”It was worthless… No reason for such blood shed… I think the riders took the right and stayed away, knowing that they would not have helped since it would seem to the humans that they were giving the elves a great hand and the elves would have seen them as traitors more then they do now.”[/color] I wondered why she felt that way, but then again, I did not understand any of it.
[/blockquote]
’word count--! one. zero. three. four.
’comments--! ^_^ Blah!
’tagged--! ikehr and nemo ramsey; arashi and niko danta
[/size][/blockquote]
[/color]

[Elloria]

Niko and Arashi listened to Nemo with intense interest. So this was part of the story behind the fiery Rider. They both felt it was a fitting beginning for her. And when she slammed her warhammer on to Ikehr's head, neither was particularly surprised. It even drew a chuckle from the pair. Ikehr's reaction, however, killed their amusement as Niko leapt back to avoid the fire. Arashi pushed off from Niko’s shoulder, his wings snapping open to let him drift gently down beside his Rider. The elf’s shoulder was becoming a dangerous place to be perched. ‘Don’t play with fire unless you want to get burned, Back-From-the-Dead-Red.’ Though Ramsey gave her dragon a vicious death glare, the rest of her stance did not fall in line with the apparent threat. The name seemed to please her as she continued her story proudly, “Don’t mean to brag, but I got meself a stonking bounty. Forty thousand crowns! Wish those days coulda lasted forever. But you buggers know how it is. Ain’t nothin’ good can ever last.” Niko dropped his eyes to the earth. A large part of him understood that philosophy very well. The two greatest things in his life - his close relationship with Josk, his friendship with Mchumba - had not lasted as long as he would have liked. Josk had changed greatly and time had taken Mchumba from him. “Yes...I know too well,” he murmured almost inaudibly, eyes dark and troubled.

Arashi looked up at his Rider with concern. He didn't think many people knew about Niko's brooding side. Though the elf was more open than others - or so the hatchling had gathered - there were still things the people he interacted with knew nothing about. He nudged Niko's leg gently, mindful of the spikes upon his face. He didn't want his Rider slipping down into that train of thought. It would take hours to pull him out of it. His mind slipped easily into Niko's and he sought to soothe the troubled thoughts tumbling in the elf's mind. Not all good things had to end. Their bond would last forever. They would become stronger and would never fade. Arashi would never leave his wingless brother nor let Niko leave.

Niko shook his head slightly and smiled down at Arashi. The hatchling's concern and eagerness was comforting, as always. He lifted his gaze once more. He had missed Ikehr's explanation about Nemo's magical abilities, but from the way she had eyed her hands he felt safe in assuming she wasn't terribly skilled at magic. He and Arashi followed the group down the side street Nemo seemed interested in. Once far enough in, Nemo stopped and turned to face them. “You wanna learn anything from Ikehr and meself, just ask. But first, I gotta know.” Niko met her gaze steadily. “Whaddaya feel about the Blue Divide?” There was a pause. He glanced at Tasia. She had been in the Blue Divide. But did that mean she held a grudge against humanity shared by many elves in DuWeldenvarden? She seemed too...free for that. She was an oddity in Ellesmera, so perhaps she felt something besides hatred for humans. His gaze flicked back to Nemo as she said, “Go on, spill it. Say anything ya want. The Riders were blinkered prats, or you want the humans wiped off the map, innit? Jus’ be honest.”

Silence fell on the group as Nemo finished. Niko sighed quietly and looked up at the strip of sky above them. He thought it had been clear when he'd said he was absorbed with the Library. He was basically indifferent to the Blue Divide. Arashi followed Niko's gaze, letting himself drift through his Rider's thoughts. Aside from the place-of-many-thin-animal-skins-with-wet-powder-on-them, the foremost thought was the two-legs called Mchumba. Niko thought of her often, but Arashi knew that she was neither his mate nor alive. Nor was she like Niko. She was what the two-legs called human. It was obvious, though, that Niko didn't care about that - he simply cared about her.

The impressions drifting between the two were interrupted when Tasia spoke. ”It was worthless… No reason for such blood shed… I think the Riders took the right and stayed away, knowing that they would not have helped since it would seem to the humans that they were giving the elves a great hand and the elves would have seen them as traitors more then they do now.” Niko remained silent for a moment after that, still fixated on the sky. His eyes had grown darker still - but with sorrow and regret rather than anger. Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and sighed. With eyes still closed and head upturned, his voice floated downward. The emotions that had dimmed the light of his eyes had traveled to his voice, making it deeper and more resonant - a voice that could strike at the heart and make it ache with the pain of it, if one allowed it. “I have seen the great good humanity is capable of. I have also seen its evils. But they are no worse than we elves. Then, as now, I saw no point to the Blue Divide. It was simply pride blowing minor things out of proportion. Pride that led to such pain. Such bloodshed. I did not and do not approve of the war.” His eyes opened slowly, clear and placid. “But I’m self-centered enough to be largely indifferent about it and the Riders’ lack of involvement. All sides did what they felt was right. For me, it’s ultimately neither here nor there. I have other things to consume my attention than reflecting deeply on mistakes I did not commit.” He dropped his head to look down at the group gathered near him. After a moment, he moved forward and took Nemo's hands gently in his. Before she could pull away, he murmured, “Waíse heill.” As the magic flowed down to heal her singed hands, he spoke once more. “I do wish that we could heal the wounds of that war as simply as this. But that is just an idle wish.” When the spell had finished, he moved back beside Arashi and squatted beside him. He gently stroked the hatchling's neck, earning a pleased hum Arashi.

[Emma]

“It was worthless,” sighed the female flesh creature. “No reason for such bloodshed… I think the Riders took the right and stayed away, knowing that they would not have helped since it would seem to the humans that they were giving the elves a great hand and the elves would have seen them as traitors more than they do now.”
“I have seen the great good humanity is capable of,” began the male. “I have also seen its evils. But they are no worse than we elves. Then, as now, I saw no point to the Blue Divide. It was simply pride blowing minor things out of proportion. Pride that led to such pain. Such bloodshed. I did not and do not approve of the war. But I’m self-centered enough to be largely indifferent about it and the Riders’ lack of involvement. All sides did what they felt was right. For me, it’s ultimately neither here nor there. I have other things to consume my attention than reflecting deeply on mistakes I did not commit.”

As soon as she asked the question, Ramsey’s face became rarely serious, her green eyes flashing icily. The Blue Divide, though her efforts had successfully kept it from spilling into Ilirea, had had a very palpable effect on the entire city. Trade had come to an unceremonious and very immediate halt, forcing the mortals to ration their food and other supplies. Very few were allowed outside the walls, and nobody was permitted within, not even refugees- I’d personally witnessed many an elf or human banging on the gates, screeching pleasantries such as, ‘We’re dying, assholes!’ The Riders themselves had plunged into annoying bickering about whether to take part in the war or not, and who to support. Their age-old allies, the savage and faithless elves, or the upstart war-mongers, the young and innocent race of the humans?

And that had only been within Ilirea, and had largely started my and Ramsey’s official detail of preventing violence from breaking out during assemblies. We’d been one of the few allowed outside, sent to scout the northern Plains, where most of the battles had taken place. Our usual duty was ferrying scribes and artists to capture and depict the reality of war, and record its happenings firsthand. I supposed there was some morbid fascination in watching the slow devolution of bustling towns into shattered buildings, and then crumbling ruins, until finally, there was simply nothing left. In Du Weldenvarden, it was the same- Osilon was pillaged and torn apart, and Kirtan was stripped down to a tiny frontier outpost.

Though I cared nothing for the fleshlings and their constant wars, it had had a jarring effect on Ramsey. The faces haunted her especially, those of the humans when they witnessed our passing. Screaming children clinging to the bloody bodies of their parents, entire piles of corpses where civilians had been cornered and slaughtered in a matter of seconds, and graves- thousands upon thousands of mass burials, while those still alive, injured and exhausted, clung to their weapons and patrolled their streets. Ramsey had never tasted war. Sea battles, yes, where she was slashing and throttling and drowning what she described as ‘low-life scum’, but not massacres such as the Blue Divide. Those thirty years were probably one of the darkest chapters of her life- surrounded by death and injustice, and unable to do a thing about it.

From the look in her eyes, that was clearly what was going through her mind as of this moment. Ramsey was truly a strange creature, a very firm believer in this thing called ‘morality’. She had explained to me on countless occasions the principles of discerning right from wrong, how difficult it could be to understand the various shades of grey- all of which I had failed to understand the point of. I didn’t see the necessity of this ‘right and wrong’- it just contaminated things, made them difficult. But Ramsey contained a well of compassion for those such as herself- those who had no means to defend themselves, or grew up in poverty. The ‘little people’, she called them. Those who spoke with hideous peasant accents, and-

I blinked. That was it. Despite being educated otherwise, despite it being her natural way of speaking, Ramsey insisted on talking like a scullery maid even after living in the world’s centre of culture for two hundred years simply to prove that the lower classes could be just as important as any blue-blooded aristocrat. Perhaps it was even why she’d come to accept her unwanted position with the Riders. It was so obvious; I didn’t know why I hadn’t figured it out in the first place. As for her anger, then it was disappointment, that I didn’t know or hadn’t paid attention to the principle she so strongly believed in. I let out a puff of smoke, more a snicker than anything else. Mortals and their emotions. Pathetic. Still, more out of amusement than anything else, I affectionately coiled my neck around Ramsey’s body, much to her surprise.

‘You lookin’ to borrow money, or something?’
‘No, Ramsey. It merely amuses me how very transparent you are.’
‘What? What are you on about n-’ “OI! Those are my hands, you-”
“Waíse heill.” A dumbfounded Ramsey stared down as the mortal healed the burn wounds on her hands. I was just as confused as she was. “I do wish that we could heal the wounds of that war as simply as this. But that is just an idle wish.”

Ramsey flexed her healed hands, spreading them wide, clearly deep in thought. Now that she had finally let me into her mind, I observed what was going through her head. She had pushed those memories out of the way, focussing on the here and now. Neither Danta nor Georgios had any inner turmoil regarding the war, no grudges against the humans or the Riders for what had transpired there. Danta had been too isolated to be affected, and Georgios, for whatever reasons, had pushed itself past blaming and hating others, which said much about its inner strength. This was a relief to Ramsey- she wouldn’t have to beat any prejudices out of them.

“Thank you,” she muttered to Danta. Raising her head, she spoke clearly to the two of them. “I’m real pleased that neither of you got any bad blood t’wards the humans or the Riders, but it ain’t like that anywhere else. You gotta put up with suspicion, hostility…” She hesitated, unused to speaking of the subject so freely. “Bein’ a Rider ain’t a free pass to do whatever the hell we want. If anything, we’re dogs. We’re on a bloody leash, and we-”
She went utterly silent. Stabbing the sword she’d purloined into the snow, she reached behind her and grasped her hammer, staring down into the darkness of the alley. I saw and heard nothing, but snorted, raising my head and following her wary gaze.
“Let’s get a move on,” she growled.

Character(s) Used;; Ikehr with Nemo Ramsey
Words;; 1170
Muse;; Meh.
Thoughts;; More... emotional conflict... ow.

[Nayeli]

’my {lovely&}
tasia--!
Featuring: sunglow

Niko and his young dragon were listening with great interest to Nemo, as I had been doing. After the story and the warhammer to the head, everyone had gotten out of the way as the fire was thrown. Sunglow was between my feet slightly and Niko and his dragon could be heard chuckling slightly. It was rather amusing to see the pair fight, I had never known dragon and rider could fight so badly. It seemed that they fought a lot and they were both older with the dragon, though I could tell I was older in age then Nemo was, I would still respect her. She had been a rider longer and that meant learning from her.

I glanced at Niko for a moment, seeing something on his face, but I could not tell what it was at all. Maybe it was just me and my own concerns, but I just ignored it. I could ask him later if something was bothering him, but right now, I had to get somewhere safe. I was a new rider and in one day, I had already gotten into a bar fight and my dragon, though young, was already on high alert. As it came to the thoughts on the Blue Divide, I told the truth, but I had still fought in it. I had been a archer, hidden among the trees to help my fellow Nation in at least protecting out borders. Sure, it had not been easy to do it, but I had done it, and I had reconnected with my sister only just before it was over. Which made me wonder how her and her lover were doing in the Southern Forest. "Okay, quit day dreaming."

I smiled down at Sunglow for a moment. It was something she was use to doing, but now, she had a dragon and she needed to stop it. I noted that while I spoke, Niko was not paying attention right before, but once again, I pushed it away from my own thoughts.

It was silent for a moment and I glanced around slightly. Sunglow looked over at Nemo and then at Niko. She wondered what they were thinking, and I smiled at her. "There is a reason you can only hear my thoughts."[/color] She smiled a dragon smile at him and then I heard Niko speak. "I have seen the great good humanity is capable of. I have also seen its evils. But they are no worse than we elves. Then, as now, I saw no point to the Blue Divide. It was simply pride blowing minor things out of proportion. Pride that led to such pain. Such bloodshed. I did not and do not approve of the war.” I was good he felt the same, but I had figured he felt that way anyway. There was something about him that told me that. I had not spend nearly as much time with him since arriving, but now, I would be. "But I’m self-centered enough to be largely indifferent about it and the Riders’ lack of involvement. All sides did what they felt was right. For me, it’s ultimately neither here nor there. I have other things to consume my attention than reflecting deeply on mistakes I did not commit.” I smiled slightly at the words. He was a good guy, but he was always in his book and it was funny. I could be sitting there doing nothing and still learn from him. He was younger then me, I was sure, but he was still fun.

Soon after, he went up to Nemo and grabbed her hand. “OI! Those are my hands, you-” I chuckled slightly at the sight. He had to do something to help her, her hands were burning he was sure. "Waíse heill.” I had learned her had not been good in magic, but at least he could do that, which was good enough. "I do wish that we could heal the wounds of that war as simply as this. But that is just an idle wish.” I glanced down slightly and let out sigh. "Such hope is not useless, but it is hard to see anything like that happen."[/color] She could remember all the rubbles and as she thought about it, her eyes brightened slightly. She started knocking on Niko's mental doors. "What if we could rebuild the cities between Du Weldenvarden and the Kingdom?"[/color][/b] It was a thought that they could both share.

I looked at Nemo who was flexing her now healed hands. She was thinking about something. I figured I could speaking. "I did fight to protect my home, but holding grudges against people who were doing mostly the same thing, it is useless..."[/color] I said, my own thoughts back on it. I knew that the King had ordered the war or something, but the people, they just wanted to protect their home and their families and yet, those cities on the plains... They were long gone... The children who were now grown had memories of seeing their families dead or watching as their mother's were raped.

“Thank you,” Nemo mutters could be heard slightly. "I’m real pleased that neither of you got any bad blood t’wards the humans or the Riders, but it ain’t like that anywhere else. You gotta put up with suspicion, hostility…” I nodded... I knew... I had seen it a long time ago as I traveled around the land. How people would talk about each race and such and speak cruelly of them. "Bein’ a Rider ain’t a free pass to do whatever the hell we want. If anything, we’re dogs. We’re on a bloody leash, and we-” She stopped suddenly and my body went into defense mode and even pulled a arrow and notched it. "Let’s get a move on,” I nodded and we moved.
[/blockquote]
’word count--! NOT COUNTING
’comments--! ^_^ Blah!
’tagged--! ikehr and nemo ramsey; arashi and niko danta
[/size][/blockquote]
[/color]

[Elloria]

Niko’s head twitched slightly as he felt Tasia brush against his mental defenses. Rebuilding cities between DuWeldenvarden and Broddring? It was an interesting prospect. He knew humans were definitely expanding their numbers again - they bred as easily as rabbits, it seemed. And eventually, they would need more cities to house their numbers. ‘Intriguing notion. The logistics of it are a bit daunting, though,’ he replied distantly. He nodded distractedly at Nemo’s thanks while addressing Tasia mentally. “It was nothing,” he murmured, rising from his crouch.

Arashi pulled slightly away with an irritable huff. He’d been quite enjoying the attention and desired more of it. But Niko had disappeared into his own little world and there would be no talking with him for a while. His head tilted as Nemo’s voice sounded somewhat worried. He had not noticed anything nearby, but she seemed to have. He wondered how her sense could be more heightened than a dragon’s. It just didn’t seem possible. They began following the other four, Arashi intensely curious about what would happen next.

[Emma]

Danta and Tasia fell silent after that. We all did. The war was not something anyone liked to think of, whether they’d participated in it or not. The scars were too deep and too fresh, and they affected everyone. I gripped my hammer tighter and edged my lips up into a thin line at the memories. I hadn’t done any actual fighting, no Rider had, but I had seen the carnage up close. Ikehr had been tasked with ferrying artists and scribes to record and immortalize the war as it was waged, so Ilirea could get a truly neutral view of the ‘Blue Divide’- and it had cut me deep, standing there, fully capable of doing something to stop the deaths and yet forbidden to do anything. I’d been praised when I got back, of course- for keeping to my oath as a passive observer, for not doing anything that could contaminate the experiment- but I felt a deep pit of shame, and would never forgive myself for doing it, even if I’d been ordered to. Quietly, I promised myself that I would never give orders like that in my life- and that one day, I was going to be in a position where I’d never be forced to take orders like that again, either.

‘Brooding, Ramsey? This is oddly uncharacteristic of you. Do you wish to cry on my shoulder?’
‘Oh, shut up, you overgrown snake.’

Ikehr went quiet after that, too, which surprised me. When I looked back at him, his eyes were downcast, a look that he only got when he was very deep in thought or remembering something of deep importance. I wanted to ask what it was, but was somehow afraid to as well. I blinked and rubbed at my eyes furiously. I was brooding, which was ridiculous. Clearly, I’d been alone with my thoughts for too long. I lengthened my spine and lifted my head, standing up as straight as the hammer on my back would allow me. I had to be vigilant, just in case those morons decided to show up again. I had already decided that we would go to my manor, whether we were followed or not. If the bastards wanted to ambush me in my own house, I could safely obliterate them in the security of my home. Feeling particularly enthralled, I removed my hammer, and, twirling it in my hands, decided to smash Ikehr on the head with it for no actual reason. This one hit didn’t cause him any pain, but it did glance off his horns and make a metallic ringing noise that jarred him in his steps. Then he gave me a death glare.

‘Ramsey, I wish there were words to express my contempt for you.’
“Ikehr, I wish there were words- OI! YOU SCALY SUNUVABITCH!” I roared when hot flame suddenly engulfed the alleyway, evaporating snow, blackening the dead grass beneath, and nearly burning me alive. “TRY AND KILL ME OVER-”
‘Much as I loathe admitting it, Ramsey, that was not me.’

I stopped mid-sentence and did a second take. The flames that now crackled beside me were orange, not blue. I swore and looked up, just seeing a cloak disappear over the top of one of the buildings. We were at a very bad disadvantage. Pouring a constant stream of profanity out of my mouth, I snatched Danta and Tasia’s wrists and pulled them behind Ikehr just as another gout of magical fire landed inches from his exposed side. Ikehr peered down at the flames with disinterest, not taking the danger very seriously. I remained by his belly as two more fireballs were flung, one actually hitting Ikehr but being put out almost immediately by a spell from either Danta or Tasia. Then our attacker seemed to realize that he wasn’t going to get anywhere without a close confrontation, because I heard feet scuffling and saw a miniature landslide of snow fall from one of the roofs, suggesting that he had vanished, for now. I chewed my lip thoughtfully. If whatever-their-names-were had magic to top off their hatred of the Riders, this might be a difficult situation after all. Straightening, I cast my mind out across the alleyway, hunting for any more danger. When the search came up empty, Ikehr shifted in the snow.

‘And now the mortals are in grave danger. Whatever do they plan on doing next?’

Characters Used;; Nemo Ramsey with Ikehr
Words;; 735
Muse;; Good at the beginning, seriously bailed by the middle.
Thoughts;; Guys, I don't want to sound prissy or anything, but only having your characters just follow Nemo and Ikehr and leaving me to decide absolutely everything that happens in the next post... that's kind of a pain in the ass to write, and resulted in this shite post. This is EXACTLY what made me hate the MP so much. Please actually move the thread forward in your next posts and don't leave me to lead the thread. I really just pulled this out of my ass and don't know what to do next, although I do want a sort of scenario soon where the dragons have to assume mortal forms, although yours doesn't have to if you don't want to. That's all I've got.

[Nayeli]

’introducing
{tasia anna georgios*}
featuring--! --! ---! ---!
I don't know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I've been afraid
That I might drift away
I've been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I've come from
That's the reason why I seem
So far away today

I looked around for a moment, mauling over my own thoughts about the war. I had been protecting my home, as the humans had been doing the same things and the soldiers had been taking orders like those the elves were doing. I looked down at Sunglow, who moved with me without a problem, her head looked up at me as I looked at her for a moment and then I smiled. ”I want to know more of this war, Tasia.”

[/color] She said silently to me, I nodded to her quickly and leaned down, picking her up and letting her rest on my shoulders. I knew it would be nice to have her beside me and I knew that I could not do this for very long. She smiled at me, letting her tongue touch my own cheek as she moved to get relaxed on her back. I glanced at Niko for a moment and followed closely.

Something was close by, I could feel it… ”I can feel it too, Tasia.”[/color] I looked at her for a moment and nodded to her. I looked around for a moment and glanced at Nemo and Ikehr. I let out a sigh for a moment, something was bothering her, maybe she was not telling us, but I could feel it in the air, along with other stuff. I heard something, something between them, but I ignored it for a moment. I watched as I followed for a moment, I could feel Sunglow tensing slightly as time went on, but I was not sure why that was happening. She was looking up a lot, I kept seeing things through her thoughts and my eyes also would venture up… What was coming?

I looked in time to see Nemo hit Ikehr with her own hammer and I smiled… They cared for each other, even if they did not want to admit it, I could tell. ”Whatever you think.”[/color] As we walked, I watched as things played out. ”Ramsey, I wish there were words to express my contempt for you.” I smiled slightly at him for a moment. ”Ikehr, I wish there were words- OI! YOU SCALY SUNUVABITCH!” I jumped back myself as orange flame hit the alley way. After first, my thoughts were at Ikehr trying to kill Nemo again, but something was off, something was really off… I thought about it for a moment and then looked at Nemo. ”TRY AND KILL ME OVER-” I heard Ikehr come quickly. ”Much as I loathe admitting it, Ramsey, that was not me.” I looked at him, confused.

I looked at the flames for a moment and remembered that his were blue. I looked at Sunglow who looked up just in time to see more flames coming towards us. I felt myself being pulled back and then claws being dug in and then gone. I watched as Sunglow crawled on the wall of the building and then she moved quickly. I watched as more flames were sent down and I lifted my hand towards the snow, speaking in the ancient language as I did so. ”Snow! Change to water and follow my motion towards those on the roof!” It was smooth and came quickly. The snow turned to water and as I moved my hand towards the roof, it did just that. I felt Sunglow moving quickly, her hissing was strong. ”Sunglow! Where are you?”[/color] I tried focusing my attention on where she was and I saw her going down the roof from her eyes. ”And now the mortals are in grave danger. Whatever do they plan on doing next?” I looked at Ikehr and then I took off down the alley, following Sunglow.

I was quick, jumping up on some boxes and onto the edge of the roof, seeing Sunglow running after someone else on the street. I lengthened my own strides, jumping over the roof tops, I was not going to stop. I jumped from the roof, landing on the ground, rolling slightly and picking up speed. ”Get out of my way!”[/color] I yelled as I followed the person running, who turned to look back for a moment and continued running. I was not giving up, this person had tried to hurt us and I wanted answers. He turned down a alley and I followed, seeing Sunglow not far behind and soon, grabbing his back with her claws. She growled, but then… She fell limp… ”Sunglow!”[/color] But I felt no pain, I felt nothing. I pulled the sword I had gotten from the bar fight and pointed it at the man who was on the ground. ”Get up!”[/color] He was slow and then, he turned to look at me.

”He was not going to speak willingly… Something told me to do this.”[/color] I was confused, but the man picked up Sunglow’s body with ease and I took her with out a problem, looking at her softly. ”I took over his body to get information from him.”[/color] I looked back at the man and smiled slightly, could not help but start to laugh slightly.
[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Now I have moved and I've kept on moving
Proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends that I needed losing
Found others on the way
I have kissed the fellas and left them crying
Stolen dreams, yes, there's no denying
I have traveled hard, sometimes with conscience flying
Somewhere with the wind

’word count eight. four. six.
’tagged mnemosyne megara ramsey & ikehr; niko danta & arashi
’song Caledonia--! Celtic Woman
’post status done
’template creator nayeli

[/size]