Friendship To Last -[Rrah]-

[Amur]

For the past several days the silence that usually hung over the clearing had been more apparent to Ace than it usually was. Baldur had departed from the clearing almost a week ago in order to make a brief trip back to Nemesis Morona, which, of course had raised many questions. And, in a manner that was very typical of Ace’s older brother he had kept all discussions about leaving Ace in the clearing alone between himself and Mentor Josk.

Now, Ace was still very aware of the fact that Baldur still did not fully trust Mentor Josk, but, clearly the two of them had reached some kind of agreement, since, not a moment after Baldur had departed Mentor Josk had approached Ace and had given him a long speech on how he would be punished if he “did anything stupid” –not that Ace was ever sure what that meant, Mentor Josk’s views on what “stupid” were changed almost daily- and while he didn’t understand all of what Mentor Josk had, had to say Ace quickly got the idea.

There had been one part of Mentor Josk’s lecture that Ace was sure he had gotten wrong, and that had been the mention of what the trees would do to him if he misbehaved... Ace had spent a long moment making sure he had translated what Mentor Josk had said properly and once he had confirmed to himself that the translation had been right he asked Mentor Josk what he had meant. Instead of answering, Mentor Josk simply looked at Ace and gave him a small smile before departing for the day.

Although Ace was still confused, he had no doubt that Mentor Josk would punish him if he did something that his Mentor deemed to be “stupid”. So, Ace had taken the smart option and had opted to do as little as possible while he was by himself, he had even somehow managed to restrain himself whenever he felt the urge to start juggling fire. It had been a difficult task for Ace, but one that he felt proud for accomplishing... However, that sense of pride was soon replaced by a sense of boredom when he remembered that he was by himself. With nothing better to do with his time Ace had hoisted himself onto the lowest branch of a nearby tree, sat, slumped with his back against the trunk and had started taking frequent naps.

... Or, at least he had been trying to take frequent naps. But, what Mentor Josk had said was still running through his mind enough to make trying to sleep a near impossibility for the young Pyromancer.

Now, Ace was sat on his usual branch with his eyes closed, once more trying to take even a small nap. He had recently decided that, whatever Mentor Josk meant covered any action that Ace might make and that the best decision he could make to avoid angering his Mentor would be to simply keep quiet and do either nothing or very little.

Since making that decision Ace found himself thinking much less and that sleep was gradually beginning to become easier and easier. He yawned widely and lowered himself into a more lying-down-kind-of-slump on the branch he was on as he gradually became dead to the world around him as he began to gently doze off into a light sleep.

[Mali]

Taured had received the first messenger hawk from Josk weeks ago. It had been as detailed as he had expected. Josk had informed him of the properties that he had found out about already and reported the length of time it took for certain side effects to kick in and how long they lasted, but that was all the information Taured had received from the elf. He assumed it was because Josk had only had the venom for a short period and the process of making an antidote took much longer than he had thought.

Since the first meeting with the elf and his companions, he knew that Josk would decide to figure everything out on his own. How did he know this? The glare. When Baldur had offered to tell Josk everything about the venom, a death-like glare was sent his way. The process of making an antidote might take Josk a year to finish, in which time Solomon may inflict more damage upon the citizens of Alagaesia. Even though they were seeking Solomon’s capture, they didn’t deserve to die so painfully and torturously.

Taured had to wonder, had Baldur told Josk everything about the venom, would making an antidote become a faster process?

However, Taured and Varden hadn’t received any notice or update for a few weeks now and were curious as to how things were going. At least, Varden pretended that was what he was curious about. He wanted to go see the fire child again. He had taken an interest in the boy and wanted to see him again. He knew that his brother, Josk and Taured, had interrupted their first meeting. He wanted to see the boy again and learn about what it was that he could do. Why was he able to do it? How was he able to do it? He didn’t just mimic the fire’s actions he changed and controlled it. This interested Varden very much.

“Why are we heading back to see Josk? Couldn’t we just wait for another messenger hawk with more details?” Taured asked aloud for his dragon to hear. They were currently flying toward Ellesméra and were about to reach their destination.

“Because, it’s better to check up with him in person and see how his progress is going. He might have found something interesting and we won’t find out about it until the next hawk comes...” Varden replied mentally. It was a valid excuse, although it wasn’t his purpose for heading this way.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so interested in our work before Varden,” Taured smiled down to his dragon who remained quiet. He didn’t even think mentally that that wasn’t it at all, since, Taured would have been able to hear it. They had been bonded for such a long time that even when he tried to put up barriers for certain thoughts, Taured always found a way to get past it. He just knew his dragon too much.

~~~

Taured and Varden currently stood outside of Josk’s residence, Taured’s arms were crossed and Varden was looking off toward the direction of the clearing.

“What do we do now?” Varden had hoped that something like this would happen. Upon landing and approaching the manor, another being called Tathar approached and told them that Josk was not to be disturbed. He had stated that no one was to bother Josk while he was doing work right now. So the rider pair had been turned away. ’What a waste of time coming here,’ Taured thought to himself.

Varden held in the smile as Taured thought that it was a waste to come. “Well, since we’re here, we could always go and see if that human and his brother are here, just for a friendly chat or something...” Varden said mentally. Taured turned to glare at his dragon.

“That was your intention this entire time! Wasn’t it?” Varden turned on his heel and started trotting off toward the clearing, whistling as he went. Taured could have sworn that he saw Varden skip as he went. As long as they were here, he might as well question this Baldur about Empire Nirvana.

As soon as they entered the clearing, there was no one to be seen. Looking around, Varden spotted the human, Ace, sitting in a tree. He appeared to be sleeping. Surely, if he woke him, he wouldn’t mind too much. Taured looked around and was disappointed to see that Baldur wasn’t in the clearing.

Sneaking up behind the tree, Varden wiggled his butt like a cat ready to pounce before jumping in the air, landing beside the tree with a loud thump and shouting, “Ace!” into the boy’s mind. He stood waiting, a broad smile on his lips as he waited for Ace to turn and show some form of enthusiasm for his being there. Hopefully, he would be as enthusiastic as Varden was.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Ace was stood in a burning forest, his entire form enveloped in flames –which he had perfect control over- laughing playfully as he reduced charging soldiers to ash with little more than a flick of his wrist. He was Ace Vauxx and he was unstoppable! He had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his older brother and had shown the armies of Warlord Kaathe that he was a force to be reckoned with. Now was the time to send Warlord Kaathe a message, a message telling the abominable creature that no matter how many troops he threw at Ace not a single one of them would survive his awesome wrath.

And he would be coming for War-

Ace was suddenly jolted from his sleep as he felt his body physically leave the branch he had been slumped on. His head then struck something, hard, causing his sight to flash white with pain before he landed back on the branch he had been on previously, hurting his back and legs in the process.

He moved a hand up to his head, his eyes already stinging from the pain-

“Ace!”
His eyes snapped open and he sat up immediately, once more a flash of white obscured his sight as his head struck the branch above him. This time he moved both his hands to his head as his eyes started watering.

“... Ow...”
He whined, the pain causing him to absently roll to his side and off of the branch.

Luckily he hadn’t been too high from the ground, but he still hit the ground hard enough to cause further physical pain... Now he wasn’t sure where he hurt most, his head or his body. Now he just rolled around on the ground clutching at both his head and at the area of his torso that pained him the most.

“... Ow... Wh-why wewd yew dew that?”
Ace slurred as he rolled around on the floor. Sure, the beatings he received from Mentor Josk usually inflicted more pain than he was currently feeling, but this experience still hurt a lot... Why would He do that?

“Ow... It hurts.”
He whined. Not stopping in his movements, if he stopped, it just made him feel worse. If he kept himself moving at least it would keep his mind off of the pain he was feeling right now. And that was what he was most concerned with.

[Mali]

Varden watched as Ace flew into the air. He probably shouldn’t have jumped... Varden moved forward, his front arms held out as he rested his body on his back legs , waiting to catch Ace should he fall from the tree completely. However, he landed on the branch and then proceeded to hit his head. It seems that he had not only caused Ace pain, but he’d shocked the boy as well; he watched as Ace fell from the tree to the ground, right past Varden’s outstretched hands. Oops.

He had to admit that Ace looked funny rolling back and forth on the ground. But it shouldn’t be funny, since he was in pain. Now Varden felt bad for what he’d done. Putting his front arms down on the ground, he tilted his head to the side and gave Ace an apologetic wince.

“Sorry Ace, I didn’t mean to scare and hurt you...”

[/b] At this, Taured could only shake his head. Varden should know better than to sneak up on people. He wasn’t good at it anymore. He was able to sneak up on people amazingly, when he was a hatchling, but since he got bigger, he just wasn’t good at it anymore. It wasn’t really sneaking when you were visible the moment you tried to sneak.

“With the power I hold, change the physical feelings from one to the other, from human to dragon,”[/i][/b] Taured said this quickly with a wave of his hand before Varden was able to say anything. In a quick moment, Ace and Varden glowed just the faintest and then Varden was feeling Ace’s pain while Ace felt fine. It was then that Varden placed his front arms on the top of his head and started to roll back and forth on the ground, growling lightly.

“Ow, ow, owie! Taured!” Varden whimpered mentally as Taured couldn’t help but laugh.

“Serves you right, we’ve been over this, you’re not good at sneaking anymore,” Taured spoke in the common tongue so that Ace would be able to understand. He didn’t want to leave the poor boy out of the conversation.

The pain soon subsided and Varden rolled over so he lay on his stomach before standing up. He coughed aloud, trying to make it seem as if it were nothing but failed. Taured knew that Varden had felt the pain; he could sense the pain his dragon had felt and knew it was nothing. He gave his dragon a smirking look to say, ‘as if’ before crossing his arms over his chest.

“So... Ace, where is everyone?”[/b] Varden was of course referring to his brother and Josk. He knew that Josk was at his manor and didn’t want to be disturbed, but maybe Ace knew what he was doing.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Through the slowly dulling pain Ace was distantly able to recognise Varden’s voice as he apologised to Ace for startling him and then causing him to hurt himself. Ace couldn’t quite understand why Varden had felt the need to sneak up on him in the first place, even Ace knew better than to make a big commotion here, if he was discovered then his life was in danger.

For the moment Ace didn’t reply, he was too busy trying to work his way through the pain without doing anything “stupid”, he would not directly disobey what Mentor Josk had told him to do. Especially not now, he had already felt enough pain to last him several days, he didn’t want to feel any more, not when Mentor Josk didn’t just make threats about punishment.

And then, just as suddenly as the pain had been inflicted, it ceased. Ace pushed himself very slowly into a sitting position –just to make sure the pain wouldn’t suddenly come back- before looking at the scene before him.

He couldn’t help himself; he chuckled at what he saw. To see a creature as large as Varden rolling around on the floor, growling looked just about ridiculous enough to the young Pyromancer to be funny.

As Varden managed to stand up Ace sat in silence, wondering what to say, surely if he just sat and talked to him then he wouldn’t end up doing anything “stupid” and Mentor Josk would have no reason to punish him... It was unfair to expect Ace to simply just live with the boredom that Baldur and Mentor Josk had left him with right now and expect him to turn away people that were willing to talk to him, wasn’t it?

However, that left Ace conflicted, he still didn’t have a very good grasp of the language they spoke here, and –to top that off- he was still unsure how he should speak to people like this... It was as Varden asked him where everyone else –Mentor Josk and Baldur- was that Ace perked up slightly; this would mean that there would be no lectures from either His Brother or from Mentor Josk... So, as far as talking went, Ace could say whatever he wanted.

“Mentor Josk iz home (I thiinnk), an’ Baldur went back to see Nemmy Morona.”
Ace replied, at least he thought what he had said was right... But now, he didn’t know what else to say. Partly because of his bad grasp of this new language, and partly because he was still quite uncomfortable and uncertain around Varden, and, since Varden had been the first person whom had bothered to come back and actually talk to Ace EVER he wanted to try and make an effort to strike up conversation.

But how?

He fidgeted awkwardly as only a single idea came to him, and, eager to keep talking, he didn’t bother thinking the idea over to determine whether or not it was a good one.

“Raaaaaaaaaawrrrr...”
He fell silent and became flustered and embarrassed as the stupidity of his “idea” suddenly hit him.

“Uhm... Eh-ain’t tha’, how ye-ya’ kind say ‘hell-oh’?”
He asked sheepishly, trying to make what he had just said seem as a good natured joke as opposed to the “good idea” he had thought he had, had.

[Mali]

So Ace didn’t know what Josk was up to. They already knew that he was at home, but no matter. They way his eyes had lit up and joy seemed to fill his body when they mentioned the new venom led them to believe that he would spend every waking moment of free time he had working on it. They knew that that handing their venom sample over to Josk would prove fruitful. And Baldur was visiting Nemesis Morona, that was good to know.

Taured felt saddened to hear that Baldur wasn’t here. Now he would have to listen to these two talk instead of being able to engage in some real conversation. Taured shuddered just thinking of what Varden and Ace would talk about. The thought sent shivers up his spine.

There was a moment of silence between them, as Varden realised that Ace had paused awkwardly. Did he want to say something? Varden decided that he would wait to hear what he had to say, since he was fidgeting and looked like he anxiously wanted to say something. However, what he did say surprised the rider pair.

Varden stared at Ace with a blank face for a brief moment before Taured broke out laughing behind the dragon and human. “Oh, wow,” Taured continued to laugh, grabbing hold of his sides as his body folded inward at his waist. His right hand searched for the ground as he slowly sat himself down, still laughing.

Varden still stared at Ace before shaking his head. “Ace, I’m a being of superior intelligence and magical enhancement...”

[/b] he paused, letting this sink in before he grinned to the boy. “Rawr,”[/b][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Amur]

The first thing that Ace heard after his “joke” was Taured’s laughter, and at once Ace felt himself go red-faced as his sense of embarrassment worsened. Was this what Mentor Josk had meant when he had told Ace not to do anything “stupid”? Ace couldn’t be sure, he highly doubted that Mentor Josk had expected Varden to come and visit him.

As Varden spoke Ace didn’t think it was possible to feel any more embarrassed than he already felt, and was about to try and defend his “joke” when Varden played along and mimicked Ace’s previous vocalisation. Even though he still felt embarrassed, he managed a sheepish grin at the response and was largely able to dismiss any care he may have had for what Taured thought.

And again, Ace was stuck. He still didn’t know what he should talk about, his lack of contact with people in general back in Empire Nirvana had made knowing how to act around crowds difficult, and, his time spent among his Pyromancer-Brethren –many of which had been largely reclusive- had only served to further increase his sense of awkwardness around other people. Never mind the fact that his first encounter with a Dragon-creature hadn’t gone very well and had left Ace generally scared of them.

And then there was the threat from Mentor Josk, which meant, without a doubt, that Ace wouldn’t be able to use his Pyromancy at all.

“I... Am sor-reh... I still Duh-Dun-no how te-to speek to yew.”
He muttered meekly, the feeling of embarrassment worsening again. He couldn’t help it, after all, and he didn’t blame Baldur for it. He had, had no choice, they had been almost constantly on the run and once they had taken refuge in the monastery they didn’t have much time together, so Baldur couldn’t have taught him much more.

“At home... We uhh, stayed away from... Uhh... Big places te-to... Lews the armee of Krie-”
He paused as he tried to remember to foreign translation for the word, he had heard Baldur use it a lot during their first meeting with Mentor Josk.

“Uhh... War... Lord... Kaathe. Uhh, so I have naht talked te-to many people...”
Ace had to stop himself from doing something to celebrate, it had been the first real attempt at conversation he had really had with someone whom wasn’t Baldur or Mentor Josk, and it hadn’t been a bad string of words in this foreign language. He was sure that it had been at least easy to understand. So, he managed another, small smile.

[Mali]

Taured finished laughing and settled down in time to see Ace grin sheepishly to Varden. He had to wonder what appeal Varden had that attracted the human boy. As Baldur had began to say something during their first encounter, Ace had abruptly interrupted him in his native tongue. If Baldur had gotten what he’d intended to say out in the open, would Varden had chosen to come visit the boy so casually? Probably not.

Varden shook his head. “It’s alright Ace, your speech is pretty good,”

[/b] Varden assumed that Ace was referring to his broken Common. He would have never guessed that the boy was talking about not knowing what to say to the dragon. He shook his head again as Ace explained what he meant.

Varden couldn’t imagine a life where he would have to go into hiding and stay away from people. Seeing as he was so large, it would be hard for him to go into hiding in the first place, but he was a very social being and couldn’t stand being alone for such a long period of time. At least Ace had his brother to talk to.

“That’s not a problem Ace. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about. I am fine with your broken speech and chosen topics,”[/b] Varden smiled down to Ace before settling himself down so he was lying on his stomach on the ground.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Ace allowed himself another smile as Varden told him that his speech was “pretty good”, he wasn’t exactly sure how much he believed that, but the encouragement did make him feel better. It was something that he didn’t get very much of. He already knew that both Baldur and Mentor Josk made it a point to avoid praising him, since Ace liked to celebrate praise, and they didn’t like that. However, simply offering encouragement was not the same as praising him, was it? Varden spoke again, telling Ace that he was fine talking to him about whatever he wanted to talk about, and even told Ace that he was fine with the fact he had yet to master this tongue.

Varden smiled at him and Ace couldn’t help but smile back.

But, it still didn’t solve his dilemma on what he should talk about; should he talk about himself some more, or should he ask Varden about himself? He still didn’t know; there was just so much that he could say and ask that he didn’t know where to start.

He thought for a moment, and ultimately decided to start with why he still couldn’t speak this language properly.

“I we-wood bee able te-to speek this to-tongue better, but I got sick when we were still tr-”
He paused, his brow once more furrowing in frustration as the translation for the word he wanted to say eluded him.

“On our way he’eer... So, I spent al-lot of time sleeping.”
He explained, opting to take the slightly longer explanation as the translation for the word he wanted to use continued to elude him. And he fell silent again, was it considered rude to ask people about their history here? Ace still felt awkward around Varden, perhaps learning some more about him would help Ace feel more at ease... But, his question still remained.

“I we-wood, like to learn about you...”
He said slowly, fidgeting awkwardly as he spoke.

“But... I dun-no if it es... Iz rude te- ... To ask people ‘bout their history he’eer...”
He mumbled meekly, making every available effort not to start using his Pyromancy to make himself feel more comfortable. He still had that threat to think about, after all.

[Mali]

Varden listened to what Ace had to say. He found the boy adorable when he spoke. For some reason it made Varden feel protective of the boy. Even though he was human and in Du Weldenvarden , Varden should feel that his being there was wrong based on the history of the area. In fact, he believed that Ace being here was wrong, but not for such reasons. It was bad for his safety for him to be in Du Weldenvarden. But Josk was his mentor and resided here so there was little that could be done about it.

It was then that Taured decided to take a nap against a tree. With just Varden and Ace in the clearing, it was highly unlikely that he would be getting any decent conversation any time soon so he might as well get some rest. Besides, if someone were to happen upon the area, Varden would be able to handle them perfectly fine. If a magic wielding elf were to show up, Varden would be able to hold his own against him. He may not be able to control the magic he possessed but he was large enough for anyone to consider their assault on him again.

“How did you get here? You couldn’t have flown...”

[/b] Varden didn’t know of any other creatures that would be able to get them to Alagaesia. But then again, Morona and many with him were advanced with magic and could have propelled boats all the way here, but they would need a great deal of power and strength to do so for such a long trip.

Frowning, Varden was confused about what Ace was asking. Why would it be rude to ask about their history? The rider pair knew that it was deeply important in Empire Nirvana to keep personal history to oneself but here things were different. Didn’t Ace know that? Then again, Josk didn’t seem like the type to tell too much about his past or about himself, so it would make sense why Ace would wonder if they held the same values.

“We don’t value history as much as you do, what would you like to know?”[/b] He looked down at the boy before he smiled again. Yes, he did feel protective of the boy, but he also felt a kinship with him. He liked Ace, he was a smart boy and would do great things once he grew up a little bit more.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Ace wasn’t sure how to explain the creature that had brought him, his brother, and all the other Nirvanians to this land. All he knew was that its name was Ascalon, other than that, though, he had no idea what to say about it other than “ask Baldur”, but, he didn’t want to have to tell Varden to ask Baldur when he was talking to Ace... So, he simply shrugged gently in response, he didn’t want to send Varden away when the dragon was making an effort to talk to him.

He found himself, once more smiling back at the dragon as he assured Ace that the people here were not as protective of their history as the people back home were... He liked Varden, the dragon didn’t treat him like an idiot, and he also understood the difficulty that Ace was having adapting to this foreign land, but, now he wasn’t sure what to ask first. Varden was such a big creature; he had to be quite old to have gotten so big... So, what did he ask first?

Ace sat in thoughtful silence for a long while, Varden hadn’t told Ace that there were certain things he wasn’t allowed to ask about. Which gave him more to consider when he asked his questions, should he ask about what Varden did? Or should he ask a more general question, perhaps ask Varden about his past? Or should he ask something that might have been easier to answer, like what exactly had brought him to this clearing in the first place?

... Ace immediately dismissed the idea of asking that last question, he didn’t want to be reminded of the way he had reacted to first seeing that Taured-guy and Varden when they had first met.

He paused in his thoughts as he remembered that, that Taured-guy was still here... He wondered briefly what Varden’s relationship with that Taured-guy was. Was it the same kind of thing that Niko had with the dragon-creature-thing? In fact, Ace still didn’t know very much about these Dragon Riders. Mentor Josk and Niko hadn’t really explained it very well to him, and the most he ever got out of Baldur upon asking was that he was “studying them”...

Shifting his position slightly, Ace nodded gently to himself. He wanted to know more about Varden so he could know how to talk to him, so, asking him exactly what it was to be a Dragon Rider and a Dragon made sense to him.

“I still dun’ un’nerstahnd whut ye- ... Ya’ an’ that Taured-guy are tew each oth’eerr. Wh-whaat iz the meenin’ ov the ree... Ree-late-on-ship thaat ye- uh... Ya’ have with that Taured-guy?”
He asked slowly, trying his best to pronounce the words of his question as accurately as possible. He was confident that he had at least done a good job of asking in his question and making it easy to understand, he smiled warmly and crossed his legs as he waited for Varden to answer his question.

[Mali]

Varden wondered what kind of creature would be large enough to bring so many people over from Empire Nirvana. That was assuming that a creature had done it in the first place. He could have been right about Morona and his people using magic to get here but he doubted it. Even though Morona and many of his people were highly skilled in magic, there was absolutely no way they’d be able to get themselves that far with just magic alone. As Ace shrugged to him, it only caused Varden to think about it more. Why didn’t Ace know? But then again, he did say that he had been sleeping most of the journey, so it would make sense that he wouldn’t remember most of it.

Ace seemed to pause for a long while, as if thinking of a proper and dignified question to ask. Varden waited patiently for the boy to think of a question. There was a lot that Varden wanted to ask of Ace but knowing the value that he probably also placed on personal history, there was no point in asking. The chances of him getting an answer that was acceptable was slim.

As soon as Ace asked his question, Varden couldn’t help but glance over at Taured who was asleep against a tree trunk. How could he explain this to Ace in a simplified version?

“Do you understand the form of Union that Morona has?”

[/b] it was best to start with an example. If Ace understood what Morona’s union was like, then it would be easier for Varden to explain what his form of bonding was. However, he didn’t wait for an answer before continuing with his explanation.

“It is similar in the sense that Taured and I are bonded. Our souls, our minds, our emotions and feelings, are attached to each other. If I were to stub my toe, Taured would be able to sense my pain. Whatever we think, the other can hear,”[/b] He paused, letting this sink in. How should he explain how it happened?

“To start from the beginning, I was a mere egg, waiting for someone to come along. We have this deal with the elves and dragons for dragon riders. When a potential rider comes along, they touch the egg and the dragon inside can see everything about the person. If they like what they see in the person, then the dragon will hatch.”[/b] He paused again, this time waiting to see if Ace had any questions thus far.

“The dragon in this deal cannot hatch until they select the right person for them. It was a long time before I found someone I thought was worthy of me. The day I hatched for Taured was the day we bonded together.”[/b] it was then that Varden sighed. He remembered the day well as it was one of his fond memories.

“However, there is one way for us to no longer be bonded together, and that is if one of us dies. But if that were to happen, the one still alive is driven insane as the other half of them has died. When I hatched, I was immediately bonded to Taured’s soul, the only way for us to separate is death, but he is my other half, so if he died, part of me dies too.”[/b] he paused. That sounded like a detailed, in depth, explanation that should satisfy Ace’s question.

“Do you understand?”[/b] He wanted to make sure that the boy understood what he had said. If there was anything he had to explain again though, it wouldn’t bother him. It just meant that Ace was paying attention to what he was saying and was interested in the conversation.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Ace tilted his head to the side ever so slightly as Varden asked him if he understood what Nemesis Morona was, of course, Ace simply understood that Nemesis Morona wasn’t human, but, other than that, the man confused him.

“Nemmy Morona? He confoozes me...”
Ace admitted. He fell silent after his admission to allow Varden to answer his question. He listened intently, placing his elbows on his thighs and resting his chin in his palms. He was grateful for the pauses, as it gave him time to translate what he was being told so that he could understand it to a greater degree.

He had some difficulty grasping the scope of what Varden was telling him, but, ultimately, the dragon managed to answer Ace’s question in a way that he would understand. He nodded gently as Varden eventually asked him if he had understood what he had just been told; he kind of understood what had been said, however, the scope of it all just seemed to be so incomprehensible to him that he had some difficulty taking in everything he had heard.

“So... W-won of ye-ya’ could naht live with-out th’other?”
Ace asked slowly, it was an oversimplification of what he had just heard, and even he knew it. However, it was the simplest way of repeating what he had just heard and saved him the frustration of trying to say what he wanted to say in this confusing, foreign tongue. He smiled gently, knowing that while it clearly was not the same thing, that he felt the same way about Baldur. Despite knowing that his brother was going to come back he still felt somewhat saddened that his brother was not here with him.

He sat in silence for a moment, thinking over everything he had just heard... When Varden had said that he had, had to wait for Taured before he could hatch, did that mean that he had been stuck in an egg? Ace could hardly imagine what that would have been like, but, the idea made him curious... Just how long did he have to wait for Taured?

Having such a question answered would definitely make Ace feel just that little bit more comfortable talking to Varden; if only because it would confirm to The Young Pyromancer that this large creature had once been smaller and more fragile than he was now.

“Ye-ya’ said that y-ya’ had tew wait for th-Taured... Be-be-fore ya’ could ha-tch?”
He asked slowly, once more trying his best to pronounce each word to the best of his ability.

“H-how... Long were y-ya’ wait-in’, an’, how did ya’ know that Taured wahss the right Rider for y-ya’?”
He finished his question slowly and smiled –this time more to himself than to Varden- as he finished speaking. It was difficult to speak in, but, slowly Ace was getting the hang of this language, maybe it wouldn’t take as long to master as he had first thought it would.

[Mali]

Varden couldn’t help but chuckle as Ace said that Nemesis Morona confused him. It was understandable why that was so. At first, Varden had been confused, until it was explained to him. However, he wouldn’t explain Nemesis Morona to Ace as that wasn’t the question he had asked. He wanted to know about why Taured and Varden were paired together and what their deal was.

“Correct,”

[/b] It was highly simplified but it was correct. There was more to it than just not being able to live without the other. They could live without each other, as in they were separated for long periods of time, but they couldn’t live if the other died. However, Varden didn’t think that he would be able to stand being apart from Taured for long periods either. He wouldn’t be driven insane from it, but he would be rather lonely.

Nodding his head, he waited for Ace to continue with his question. How long had he waited? He wasn’t quite sure of that himself. He knew that it was a long time, but he couldn’t remember the exact number of years he had been inside his egg. “I’m not sure the number, but it was a long time. I didn’t hatch for so long that the elves stopped putting my egg out when potential riders came along.”[/b] he chuckled to himself, it was a fond memory. He had laughed as the elves considered his egg a ‘dud’.

“How I knew Taured would be my rider is hard to explain. When someone touches your egg, you can see everything about them. Their future, their past, what they’re like and stuff like that.”[/b] Again, he paused, letting it sink in before continuing. He knew that Ace would need time to translate everything that he was saying into a way that was easier for him to understand.

“Everyone who touched my egg was looking for something. Glory, to be a rider, to do this and that, and I didn’t want to hatch for someone to have glory. I wanted to do more with my time in this world,”[/b] He smiled down to Ace before looking over at Taured who was still sleeping.

“As the elves put my egg in the back, I thought that I might never hatch, but then Taured came in and he touched my egg. And Taured is a complicated guy. He didn’t even want to be a rider, which I considered. He wanted to spread peace across the land and believed in equality among the races. I knew then that he was a good person,”[/b] he paused again, smiling over to Taured. He knew that he would be his rider for that alone. He had never met anyone like Taured before. He was an odd elf, believing in equality and fairness among the races. He didn’t hold grudges and was a calm person.

“It was because of his views on equality for everyone that I chose him.”[/b] Varden smiled down to Ace. What else would Ace want to know? And would Varden be able to ask things about Ace? He knew that Nirvanians considered personal history to be very important, but would Ace give him answers if he were to ask questions?[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Ace once more found himself listening to everything Varden was telling him in complete silence. He wasn’t sure that he understood exactly what Varden meant with some of the things he was saying, but, from what Ace was able to gather, the fact that he hadn’t hatched for a long time was his own choosing. The idea was actually somewhat disheartening to Ace; did that mean that some of Varden’s kind didn’t hatch if they didn’t find someone that they didn’t like? What if they never found someone they liked?

Ace fell into a thoughtful silence, so, if the dragon could see everything about a person the moment their egg was touched, did that mean the person in question was being judged before the egg even hatched? The whole idea just seemed so incomprehensible to him, but, if there had ever been a need for it the first place, the reasoning must have been good, mustn’t it?

He sat in thoughtful silence a moment longer, not entirely understanding why someone who didn’t want to be a Rider would even approach the eggs... Then again, there was much about this land that Ace simply found confusing... Heck, there was a lot about his homeland that he didn’t fully understand...

Nevertheless, he understood Varden’s reasoning for choosing Taured by the end of his explanation. He nodded gently and yet again, found himself smiling back at Varden.

“I... f-Think I un’nerstahnd... It ma-akes sense... Be-cuss y-ya’ are s-so nice. M-y first t-ime m-meetin’ won of ya’ kind did naht g-go so well.”
He said slowly, averting his gaze to look into the distance for a brief moment. He didn’t allow himself to get distracted for too long, he wanted to keep talking, to get his mind away from that subject matter. He was still embarrassed about what had happened.

“S-so... As a Drahgun an’ a Rider, whut dew y-ya’ dew?”
He asked, eager to keep the discussion going.

[Mali]

Talking with Ace was easier than he thought it would be. Even though it reminded him of speaking to a hatchling, he didn’t really mind all that much. He found the boy to be cute at times when he spoke, partly because of his broken accent and partly because of his innocent questions. He was curious, like Varden and wanted to know more about the dragon. Varden had been very curious as a hatchling, which Ace was as well. They shared more similarities than just curiosity though.

“One of my kind? May I ask what happened?”

[/b] Would Ace answer the question? He knew it might be considered personal history so there was a chance that Ace wouldn’t answer the question but he had to ask. His curiosity spiked when Ace said that he had met another dragon before. The fact that it hadn’t gone so well left Varden desirous for answers. He knew that some of his brethren could be short tempered or even terrifying at times, but he didn’t expect that they would give bad first impressions.

As Ace asked his next question, Varden thought that he would have some fun with him, it wasn’t everyday he got to speak to a human for such a long time. Not just any human either, but a gullible and innocent one. It could be considered wrong of Varden to play around with Ace, but he had to have his fun too sometimes.

“We’re arms dealing assassins.”[/b] Varden nodded his head and then grinned over to Ace. He let it hang in the air for a moment before he couldn’t help but snort before laughing aloud. “Sorry, I can’t tell such a bold-faced lie. We’re not arms dealing assassins.”[/b] Varden finished laughing before clearing his throat. Now that he had had his fun, he should tell Ace the proper answer.

“We are like lapdogs for the Rider’s Council. We travel all over Alagaesia gathering information, searching for magical humans, such as yourself, as well as keeping peaceful tabs on the events that go on in this land.”[/b] That wasn’t as exciting as the lie he told though. It would possibly sound boring to Ace, travelling around, being told what to do and what to search for. However, even though it sounded boring, it was rather fun.

“We were crucial during the war. We’re not the fighting type, so instead we took a position on the council as the leaders of the council of resources. So that’s what we do, we search for human resources, we keep tabs on the species around the land and we ultimately spread peace and equality whenever we meet someone.”[/b] it was a detailed explanation for Ace, but it was what they did.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Ace suddenly felt very awkward when Varden asked him what had happened during his first meeting with a dragon. He was unsure on whether or not he should answer the question. He shifted awkwardly, already knowing that if he told Varden exactly what had happened then Mentor Josk would definitely not be pleased. Wringing his hands together, Ace knew that he had said too much already, since now it was far too late to pass of his comment as a mistake in translation... So, what should he say?

Perhaps, he could just say what happened without mentioning any names other than his and Baldur’s... It was worth a try, that way he was unlikely to get anyone into trouble, and Mentor Josk never had to find out.

“T-tried te-to ah‘ttack me, an’ Baldur.”
He mumbled meekly. Trying his best not to think too much about what had happened that day. He shook his head, attempting to clear away the lingering thoughts and simply smile gently. He was confident that he wouldn’t need to say anymore about the subject.

“S’ok, th-oe.”
He finished off lightly.

His smile did not last long, however, as Varden answered Ace’s question regarding what he and Taured did as a Dragon and Rider. His expression went blank and he visibly recoiled –even if it was only slightly- Arms dealing assassins? Ace wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that... The idea just seemed so-

He didn’t manage to finish his thought as he heard Varden snort before emitting a sound that took Ace a moment to recognise. And that was the odd sound of laughter –odd, since it was from a creature unable to speak vocally- he blinked as Varden apologised... Had that been a joke? Ace made jokes with Baldur, of course he did, but, his lack of contact with other people made it difficult for him to tell when someone else was joking.

Nevertheless he managed a small, sheepish smile in response to Varden’s joke... Even if he didn’t fully understand why he had said it in the first place...

He let Varden answer his question before he thought on what he had just been told. So, they travelled a lot? And they met a lot of different people? It almost reminded Ace of himself and Baldur... The biggest difference being that they had, had to avoid almost everyone in order to survive... He shook his head gently.

“Sownds l-like f-un.”
He answered happily.

“Me an’ Baldur used te-to trah-vaahl a lot... But, it wahss naht f-or f-fun...”
He said, pausing for a brief moment... He didn’t know where to take the discussion after that, what else did he say? Baldur had taught him not to hide his history like Nirvanians did, and he did want to talk about himself a little bit more, now... But, what did he say?

[Mali]

Varden was suddenly angered by what Ace said. Standing up, he trotted in place, flustered with thoughts before he turned to stare Ace down. “I can’t believe one of my own kind would be so ignorant. Did you provoke them? It’s not okay Ace, the pride of my species was at stake there.”

[/b] He was pacing back and forth now as he growled quietly. He was furious, to think that one of his own kind could be so stupid. If they had succeeded and injured or even killed Ace and his brother, could they imagine the circumstances that would come from such an act? Why, there could be another war between the riders and the humans of this land. He was about spreading peace across the land and one of his own kind was being idiotic.

Looking back at Ace, Varden realised that this wouldn’t be helping at all and lay back down, sighing. “I’m sorry if I might have scared you Ace, I was just a little angry. If they had killed you, that could have started another war, which is something we cannot afford.”[/b] Varden wondered if Ace would be able to tell that Varden was concerned for him by his tone of voice. Yes, war was bad and he would like to avoid it as much as possible, but for one of his kind to attack a helpless human; Varden shook his head. Well, Ace wasn’t helpless, but against a dragon, he was outwitted and outnumbered.

Varden soon calmed down though and even heard Taured stir from his sleep before quieting down. He didn’t know what had come over him. He felt protective of the boy and was outraged that one of his own had been so imbecilic, but he knew better than to let himself fly off the handle like that. He knew that he had to control his emotions, as did Taured. They stood on the mutual line and couldn’t afford to lose tempers or choose sides.

He soon forgot his anger as he joked with Ace. It appeared as if the boy didn’t quite understand that it was a joke with the sheepish smile he gave back. Then again, he may be feeling sheepish due to the way Varden had reacted, but he hoped that wasn’t the case.

“As I can see, Baldur still does a lot of travelling, does he leave often?”[/b] Varden was curious as to how often Ace was left alone in this clearing. He knew that Josk was usually here with him for his training, but there were times, like today, that Varden assumed Ace was alone. If it were frequent, then Varden would make note to come more often. Couldn’t leave Ace alone, not in this neck of the woods.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Amur]

Ace immediately began wringing his hands together anxiously again as Varden reacted to learning that both Ace and Baldur had, had an attempted attack against them within minutes of first actually meeting a Rider. He remained silent for a long moment, rapidly trying to translate the word “provoke” before he answered.

He shook his head gently.

“N-nein... Did naht d-dew anyfin’... J-jus’ spoke in my native lang-goo-age.”
Ace answered slowly, still wringing his hands together. It had taken a long while for Ace to become convinced that he had not been at fault for what had happened that day, and now he tried his best not to think about it too much. It was the way that Baldur had taught him, to remember the past, but not to dwell too much on it. In Ace’s mind, simply trying not to think about such events was the best way to accomplish that.

He continued fidgeting even as Varden apologised and explained why he had reacted the way he had done. He understood the reasoning, after all, Baldur had told him multiple times that if there was a way he could have kept Ace alive without it causing damage to his father’s reputation then he would have taken it... But, there was also something else there with Varden’s words. However, he couldn’t place it, but, he didn’t allow himself to forget it either.

He allowed himself a moment to calm down and let his anxiety dissipate; however, he continued wringing his hands together even after both himself and Varden had calmed down enough to continue their more light-hearted exchange.

“F-first time he left... I thenk he is still gunna’ trah-vuul a lot, later-on, though.”
He answered honestly, as far as he was aware, Baldur had plans to travel fairly frequently. Ace didn’t much like the idea of having to leave his brother alone for such long periods of time, but, he was able to accept it. As slowly as it was going, Ace had a Mentor now, and given enough time he would progress and become better.

“The lone-leeness is naht te-too bad. I know he will come bahk... An’ Mentor Josk iz here most of the time... An’ ye-ya’ came here to talk to me today as well.”
He continued with a small smile, finally managed to keep his hands still as he spoke.

“Ye-ya’ are the f-first won I have ever talked tew. N-naht met many peepol, even bahk in Empire Nirvana... I’m like-ing thes. ”
He said warmly.

[Mali]

Varden was shocked to hear that the only thing he did that could have provoked the dragon rider was speak. Of course, if they thought that Ace were mocking them? But he said the only thing he did was speak. Varden was sure that if Ace were taunting them before hand, then he would have mentioned it to him. Besides, he was only able to speak broken common and any taunts he would make wouldn’t be taken seriously with his accent and broken words. So what could have triggered the dragon riders to react?

Unless they knew someone else from Empire Nirvana... It was Niko and Arashi? He didn’t think that their rivalry with Solomon to be that deep that if anyone spoke in the same tongue as Solomon, that they would fly off the handle like that. It didn’t make sense why they would attack someone just for speaking Nirvanian. But then again, neither Taured nor Varden were able to figure out why Solomon bothered Niko and Arashi so much. But it had to be them. Varden noted how Ace seemed anxious and didn’t mention any names, so he wouldn’t mention that he already knew who it was that had attacked them.

Varden was a little worried as Ace calmed down but continued to wring his hands together. Had he scared the boy? He was about to ask if he was alright when he answered his question about Baldur travelling. Ace then continued to state that his loneliness wasn’t that bad as he did have other people to talk to. Well, Josk didn’t seem like the talking type, more like the silent, ‘you do something wrong he beats you’ type.

Smiling, he had to admit that he liked this as well. “I’m enjoying our conversation as well Ace,”

[/b] But what would they talk about now? He had so many questions he wanted to ask the boy, but knew that most of his questions wouldn’t receive an answer because of his heritage. He had yet to meet a Nirvanian that didn’t place value on personal history. So the chances that Ace would be the first were slim.

“Ace, where did you learn to do your pyromancy? If I may ask.”[/b] that should be a question that Ace was willing to answer. It wasn’t really personal history but more of a fact. He wasn’t asking how or why, he was asking where. He was curious about this magic fire that Ace was able to conjure.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]