Disturbed Peace (OPEN)

[banditfly]

Beautiful! It was a beautiful day today. The sun was shinning with only a cloud or two in sight, too thin to promise any chance of rain tonight. The night before, however, it had rained pretty hard. Now the ground was cool and every single blade of grass in the field was covered with dew, making the hills sparkle magically. All kinds of bugs were out today and every flower in the field was reaching out and rejoicing under the sun. It was a perfect day for bug watching and flower sampling.

Milkwort whipped out his sketchbook and journal and seated himself atop a smooth, flat rock that was just the right elevation for him to see all the bugs that crossed his way. He loved coming out here in the fields. Very few people came out here and it was just the place where he could enjoy himself in peace and solitude. At the moment, a colorful beetle was trying out a flower just a few feet in front of him. He smiled, identified it in his journal, and made a quick outline of its figures in his sketchbook. When the beetle had left its perch, the boy slid off the rock and gently plucked a petal from the flower. “The noble chafer likes hogweed... Okay!”

With a victorious tap of his pencil on his journal, Milkwort flipped it closed and turned around to return to his seat. A tiny chirp made him freeze just as he was crawling back up and he looked down at the silver smooth surface of the rock. A big smile spread across his face when he found his guest. “Ah! A rosalia longicorn!” He squealed as though he were a child who had just found his favorite kind of candy. He crouched down beside the thin blue and black splotched bug until his chin was nearly touching the rock. The beetle didn’t move, convinced its camouflage was working. Milkwort slowly took out his sketchbook, careful as to not scare it away. “You’re awfully far from home, little guy,” he said as he started sketching as though he expected it to talk back.

With a dull thud, the entire rock vibrated numbly and the beetle flew off. Milkwort watched it go dejectedly, then sharply looked over his shoulder with an annoyed glare. His very unwelcomed companion who he had specifically instructed to keep still and quiet was doing just the opposite. The Hideous Zippleback was the last thing Milkwort wanted to think about right now. This day had been going along great until he remembered that the darn beast existed. At this very moment, the tall, green creature was stomping among the field, trampling every poor defenseless flower and bug that happened to be unlucky enough to find itself underneath its feet. Milkwort groaned. Dragons were such destructive creatures. How nature had survived with them for this long, he had no idea.

“Hey! I told you to be quiet!” Milkwort snapped. The two-headed dragon looked up at him quickly, then they both glared in unison. Milkwort stiffened. He knew what that look meant. J-B suddenly started running toward him and Milkwort made a desperate scramble over the rock. He hadn’t made it to the other side before Jerk, the left head, had grasped the back of his tunic in his mouth and lifted him in the air. “Stop!” Milkwort struggled wildly, vainly trying to reach out for something to grab onto. Jerk carried the boy over to the other head, Bully, who proceeded to emit a gaseous fume in his face. Milkwort coughed, trying to hold his breath. They left him like that for a moment longer before Jerk pulled him away and dropped him on his bum from five feet in the air.

“Ow...” Milkwort whimpered, rubbing his sore lower back. J-B then began a shrill and terrifying shrieking that by now Milkwort new was laughter. Grumbling to himself, Milkwort crawled to his feet and limped away, defeated. He sat himself down at the top of the hill where his dragon, which had suddenly started bickering with itself for some reason he couldn’t be bother knowing, was just a murmur in the distance. There, he proceeded to try and enjoy himself with his flowers and bugs and ignore his sore behind.

[aya]

«« tell me i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
«« can't tell the reasons i did it for you »»

a y a m a y r  &  d a e v r a

  “Oo, a knapweed,” Ayamayr murmured to herself, spotting the pink-lavender flower along the not-so-beaten path she was venturing down. She stopped; knelt down to inspect the small thicket of the fuchsia heads. Behind her, Aya heard an audible huff of, seemingly exaggerated, boredom. After this, a thud! sounded and she felt the resulting dull rumble in the earth below her feet.
  Daevra was ultimately tired of hindering their trek through the untamed forest, and was growing close to possibly throwing a childish fit of the matter. He wanted to explore the area, find new fauna to meet. But every time Aya’s sight caught even the slightest prick of color—especially purple—in the grass below, she immediately halted where she was to check the newfound interest. Often times, it was a docile insect, remaining still to keep itself from the clutches of predators. When this was the case, Aya cringed at the mere bug and instantly squashed it with her iron boot. But when Aya was lucky enough to chance at the appearance of flora that appealed to her, she could have spent the entirety of the day to marvel at them—that is, if Daevra’s constant whiney attitude didn’t manifest soon off.
  Bluebells, at least five different species of orchids, useful herbs, and countless others Daevra couldn’t remember or didn’t bother to do so. And now, knapweed could be added to the list.
  Darn flowers, Daevra begrudgingly thought to himself. The purple flowers exceeded the borders of the opposite trail side and populated even that of the other. Noticing these, he pinpointed a currently loathsome purple blossom, then, with a swift flick of his tongue, it flew into his mouth. Once tasting the foul, bitter skin of the plant, Daevra spat the knapweed from his teeth, shaking his head as to vainly rid him of the lingering tang.
  “Alright, alright,” rang Aya’s voice behind him.“Don’t act like such a baby.” Hearing his companion’s playful, though inconspicuously belittling, comment, Daevra leapt to his feet and lightly ran in place in his desire to move.
  Aya sighed at her friend’s impatience. But nonetheless, she spun on her heel to face the awaiting trail and beckoned the intolerant dragon with a wave of her hand.

  The two came upon a hill and a vast field.
  The latter came first.
  First in Daevra’s sights was the apparently alone Zippleback, but the heads and their actions seemed to ring familiar to Aya. Whilst pondering the identity of the new dragon, Daevra immediately rushed out into the field to greet the two-headed beast. Playfully releasing spurts of amethyst fire as to attract the other’s attention. A determined though mischievous visage was irrevocably plastered to Daevra’s face. Undoubtedly, ready to spar or to merely play a simple game. Either seemed to be fine for him.
  “Dae!” was Ayamayr’s initial reaction to her dragon’s sudden objective to not only pester her, but another dragon as well. She began to amble to the location of the dragons, minding to veer far enough to allow them room. It’s an incredible folly to stray too close to two, or more for that matter, dragons. Whether they’re simply playing or engaging in a ferocious battle.
  And just when she was about to write off the dragon as unretained, she spotted a recognizable face atop the hill. Milkwort, Aya inwardly noted, then it came to her. Jerk and Bully! Of course! Now she remembered the training in the former fighting arena. Jerk and Bully’s ploy to thoroughly piss off Milkwort was obvious, and it’s highly probable that such attitude resumes even outside the arena. Aya never got much of an impression as to how Jerk and Bully respond to other dragons. Nor could she make an accurate enough guess.
  She only hoped it wasn’t as brutal as they show to their master.

«« when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you »»
«« you say that i'm frozen but what can i do? »»

[banditfly]

J-B’s spat with himself was cut short abruptly at the notice of a new arrival. Both heads looked across the field in unison to see the silver Timberjack come racing toward them. They turned around quickly, getting their heads tangled in the process and causing another potential round of bickering to arise. However, they immediately averted their attention to Daevra again as he got closer. Freeing their necks from one another, the dragon put on a demeanor that was initially cautious. Their short legs stiffened and the heads lowered with a low growl. Only when the Hideous Zippleback suddenly made the connection of this dragon as the same one they’d seen at training did the tense disposition withdraw. Both heads started to swing back and forth smoothly and their body shifted in a fashion that could easily be interpreted as playful.

Milkwort was grateful for the silence for only a minute. Then he began to wonder what his dragon was up to so quietly. As much as he loved it whenever his dragon was finally silent, it was usually a bad sign. Many times the spiteful creature would sneak up on him deviously and torment him without warning. Stiffly the boy glanced over his shoulder. He sighed lightly when he saw no two-headed dragon slithering flat on his belly behind him staring at him with those four mischievous eyes. Perhaps J-B was genuinely relaxing right now. Maybe he was enjoying the scenery as Milkwort found it so easy to do.

What he did not find easy was imagining that this was actually true. A dragon being peaceful and admiring nature rather than destroying it? This he had to see. Milkwort stood from his spot on the hill and scanned the area. When he finally spotted his dragon in the distance, he had to admit that he wasn’t all that surprised. J-B was not enjoying the flowers and bugs but instead still trampling over them aimlessly and making such unnecessary noises that only succeeded in causing all the insects within a mile’s radius to fly away. Just what was he looking at, anyway?

The answer to that question did surprise Milkwort, however, as he spotted the other dragon racing toward J-B. Oh man. This is bad![/b] Was all he could bring himself to think. Milkwort didn’t like his dragon. He would care not if J-B ran away tonight and never came back. But as long as that dragon was legitimately his property, he felt an obliged responsibility for everything he did. If J-B harassed a townsperson, Milkwort would apologize. If J-B tore down someone’s market, Milkwort would pay the damages. If J-B started a fight with another dragon, Milkwort would do everything within his power to stop it.

So the boy started racing at breakneck speed down the hill toward the two dragons. He could see that the silver dragon—he was much too flustered to identify its species—was just about the same height as J-B standing up. If a serious fight was started, it would be brutal and both dragons would walk away badly damaged—saying they both walked away at all. At this very moment, J-B was just staring at Daevra in anticipation, eager to do a little play scuffling or chasing around. The sound of his owner’s frantic voice denying this from happening was the last thing he wanted to hear.

“Stop! J-B!” Milkwort called as he ran. When he reached the bottom of the hill, breathless and fretful, he ran right to his dragon and grabbed him by the tail. “Leave that dragon alone, J-B,” he ordered firmly, yet somehow it came off rather hysterical in his winded voice. J-B barely gave the boy a glance, both heads showing an equal amount of irritation in their eyes at his arrival. The tail Milkwort was holding began to rise, taking him with it. Then, in one swift movement, the tail whipped to the side and flung the boy off. He slid on the grass when he landed, which only slightly softened the hard fall. As futile as he knew it was, Milkwort still stood up again and confronted his dragon. This time, he ran right in front of the two-headed creature, who was desperately trying to ignore his existence. The boy barely paid any mind to the large silver dragon behind him, let alone Ayamayr, as he continued to try and dissuade his dragon from starting a fight that wasn’t going to happen.

[aya]

«« tell me i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
«« can't tell the reasons i did it for you »»

a y a m a y r  &  d a e v r a

  Once seeing a positive response from Jerk and Bully, Daevra released a burst of purple sparks, displaying his gratitude to the Hideous Zippleback. The Timperjack arced his long neck low, viewing the other dragon at an angle, and reared his tail in the air, his hind claws securing in the flourishing ground. This should be fun, he mused, having prepared his stance.
  I know he’s just playing and all, was Ayamayr’s chain of thought as she observed the two dragons, but Dae really goes out of his way just to make it a problem for someone else, she added after spotting a fretting Milkwort sprint down the hill. But Milkwort’s troubled mien hinted that the fellow dragon rider didn’t quite understand the situation. Aya herself wasn’t going to attempt to hinder Daevra’s time of play—otherwise she’d never hear the end of it.
  Surely he can tell…?

  Heh, finally.
  What the…? Daevra was, needless to say, astonished by the young human’s intervention. He was prepared to pounce, having decided to play tag with Jerk and Bully. It had been a tough decision among the games he had lined up to choose from—ended up being a tie between tag and, of all things, hide-and-seek, the two happened to be his favorite.
  Having heard the boy’s demands to Jerk and Bully, Daevra’s neck coiled around to peer at the male. The human’s adversity was true, though conspicuously misplaced—much to Daevra’s intentions.
  Seemingly defeated, the large dragon withdrew his head, which appeared to adorn a pouty expression. Not without a strong rumble beneath his feet, he dropped to the ground, physically presenting and dramatizing his depressed thoughts. But the one thing he didn’t want to hear was the muffled, though clearly audible for Daevra, amused chuckling of Ayamayr, who seemed to find his predicament funny. With this known, Daevra, abashed, shot a small puff of smoke at Aya.
  “That’s what you get, Dae,” she teasingly joked, waving the muggy, hot, air from her.

«« when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you »»
«« you say that i'm frozen but what can i do? »»

[banditfly]

Milkwort looked over his shoulder sharply at the rumbling noises behind him and almost tripped as he tried to back away when the silver dragon dropped to the ground. He stared at it in bewilderment, completely uncomprehending of the bizarre behavior. J-B, however, understood it entirely and the two heads gave an united equally disappointed though much more aggravated snort. The two-headed dragon turned around and started stomping off across the field, though not without giving Milkwort's back one last quick punishing swat with his split tail.

Milkwort was watching his dragon leave with a sour look when he heard the giggling. He looked back toward the dragon he previously hadn't recognize. Suddenly it looked a little familiar. He saw the dragon puff at something bitterly and that was when he finally realized that there was a person here, too. He recognized her immediately and with a start also realized who this dragon was.

Ayamayr and Daevra! The thought pleased him suddenly. Not only because he preferred owned dragons over wild ones, but because a classmate of his was here. He had rarely ever talked to Ayamayr--he didn't see her talk to that many other people, either--but she was still a person he would customarily refer to as a "friend." Milkwort started walking toward Ayamayr with a newfound smile on his face. He liked company, even if he didn't seem to show it at training where he was most unhappy and gave off a reserved air.

"Hi, Ayamayr," he greeted tentatively. He was suddenly embarrassed. What a show he had put on just now. Ayamayr must have thought he was some kind of idiot to run up to two dragons like that--regardless of their intentions. Speaking of dragons, J-B was several paces away from the group now and looked back at Daevra thoughtfully. The two heads suddenly bellowed and he started jumping around in place. He then ran off over the hill, whipping his tails behind him in a beckoning fashion.

[aya]

«« tell me i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
«« can't tell the reasons i did it for you »»

a y a m a y r  &  d a e v r a

  Daevra lifted his head from the ground upon seeing Milkwort round on him, as if suddenly fully aware of his presence. He stared at the befuddled human, curious of his actions. But this did not last, since Daevra’s attention diverted to the now leaving Jerk and Bully, who, too, seemed to be dissatisfied from the turn of events. Daevra was tempted to follow the dragon, so as to see if the other was still willing to resume their not yet begun game.
  What really kept him stationed where he stood was Ayamayr and, moreso, the male of her species. Even though he knew his lifelong friend was more than capable of fending for herself, Daevra simply hated leaving Aya in the company of another, since he knew well that the situation itself proved to cause discomfort for her, and in turn trouble Daevra himself with the lingering nag of worrying over her.
  But as Daevra recalled Milkwort’s proceedings from only mere moments ago, he, the human, didn’t seem that he was any better off than Aya—with the vexed demeanor and awkwardness he displayed.
  Reckoning this, the Timperjack was confident that the boy didn’t get out much.
  Not to mention he was meek in physique and in stature.
  The dragon shook his head to clear his thoughts. I don’t even know why I was so worked up, Daevra reflected, he looks like he can barely hold his own… let alone Aya… And just as he mulled his fuss over, he spotted Jerk and Bully atop the hill, apparently trying for Daevra’s interest. Which was fruitful at the least.
  Reinvigorated, the dragon jumped to his feet—again, causing a dull thunder in the earth—and chased after the two-headed dragon. A new lightness in his steps as his slim, though hefty build, bounded up the hill.

  Once noticing Milkwort make his way to her, Ayamayr turned from Daevra to face him. Seeing his friendly grin, she returned the gesture.
   “Hey,” Aya greeted, though somewhat stiffly from her lack of adequate socializing, but she immediately loosened her tone, “how’ve you and J-B been?” Instantly after saying this, she wished she could have come up with something better, more original, at the very least. But she let the matter go, whilst maintaining her friendly outlook throughout, she was confident that the endeavor would turn out better than it seemed at first, as long as she had Daevra’s reassuring attendance.
  That is until he leapt at the first chance for a game with the other dragon.
   Gee, thanks, Dae… she inwardly berated. Normally she had Daevra to boost her buoyancy when it came to interactions with other Vikings, to be present for her to have something else to focus her attention on as she mingled, since eye contact wasn’t something she could endure for too long.
  But Daevra leaving her on her own was… new. He had never done that, not when other members of her village were accounted for.
  Now knowing that she was in over her head, and with no shovel to dig her way out, her muscles flexed taut again, even without her need of moving. Nervously, she glanced around, but then, with an astounding feat of confidence, for Aya, she raised her indigo eyes to meet Milkwort’s, on a friendly note. Occasionally her gaze drifted to Daevra and Jerk and Bully to check up on them.
  At least I’m okay for now…

«« when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you »»
«« you say that i'm frozen but what can i do? »»

[banditfly]

Milkwort couldn't stop himself from watching Daevra as he ran for his Hideous Zippleback. The two-headed dragon gave an excited shriek when he saw that he was being pursued and picked up the pace. He weaved around the hills, disappearing and reappearing from sight sporadically. Milkwort looked away awkwardly. Of course they only wanted to play. It had been stupid of him to think otherwise. But when it came to making assumptions about dragons, his mind always went straight to destruction and mayhem. Even seeing the two dragons playing with each other like toddlers in peace did nothing to ease his nagging suspicion that something would go wrong.

Milkwort looked back to Ayamayr, hoping she didn't think him rude for turning away from her just after saying something. His back was now to the dragons and he tried his best to ignore their bellows that always sounded vicious in his ears. He smiled again as he shifted lightly in place. Any watching bystander would bored out of their minds in seeing these two equally socially inept fellows attempting to engage in conversation. It didn't miss Milkwort's perception that Ayamayr wasn't looking directly at him when she responded. She doesn't want to talk to me, he assumed. He couldn't blame her. There were surely many much more interesting things that she could be doing in this time that spending talking to him. He considered dismissing himself--pretending he had something to do--but he had to answer her question first, for anything else would be nothing short of rude.

"We're all right. I mean--unless you mean how we're getting along together. That's not so great, as you can probably see." Milkwort frowned, recalling how J-B had whipped him away earlier. It was embarrassing how little control he had over his dragon. He felt a little better when Ayamayr finally made eye contact with him, though, and suddenly he wanted to talk more. "We're working on it, though... How about you? You and Daevra look like you get along well." He remembered the little puff the silver dragon had given its owner, but also the strong bond they seemed to have during training. Milkwort stood in a much lower part of the class than Ayamayr because he still didn't get along with his dragon. However, that wasn't the only reason he never improved in training and he knew it.

The sound of beaten wind rose up from behind a hill and suddenly the sun was blocked up for just in instance. Milkwort flinched visibly as a long shadow ran over them. J-B had taken to the sky. His legs were short and not put out for running for a long time. Plus, he'd grown bored of this simple game of run and tackle. His wings still probably didn't light a candle to Daevra's, but he was sure it would still make this game much more interesting as he made circles waiting for the Timberjack to follow.

[aya]

«« tell me i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
«« can't tell the reasons i did it for you »»

a y a m a y r  &  d a e v r a

  After a few moments of pursuing Jerk and Bully—and the situation being turned to him—Daevra watched as the Hideous Zippleback to the sky. Now the simple game of chase was revamped, and needless to say, all suited to the Timperjack’s advantages. Daevra straightened his long neck, then, looking up to the sky, released a resounding shriek. Daevra’s back claws dung into the earth, but only for an instant as he propelled himself into the air a sharp twenty feet with one powerful swoop of his wings, then launched himself exponentially with a serious of analogous bats of his membrane limbs.
  The immediate atmosphere was his home—aside from his shelter with Ayamayr—and Daevra was always happy to return to it whenever he could. Many dragons are borne of the sky, though Daevra, a Timperjack, and several other species akin to him are especially at ease with the area.
  Immediately he felt the rush of the wind. The cool air washed over him and relieved him of all displeasures he may have had, and instantly excited to be rid of the restraining confinements of the ground. Moving freely was the guarantee of the domain above the Earth, and Daevra, once soaring among the clouds above, was never completely sure why he remained on the ground for the majority of the day anyway.
  Once Daevra reached the same altitude as Jerk and Bully, he relaxed the beat of his wings. Though his momentum further launched him higher, above the Hideous Zippleback.

   “Well, it takes some time, I suppose,” was Ayamayr’s attempt to help Milkwort’s unfavorable situation. She was surprising herself she could even maintain steady eye contact up to this moment. Though the lack of eye movement immediately sent the uncomfortable feeling straight to her feet and hands. She kept shifting her weight from one foot to the other and sliding her palms up her forearms was definitely became replacements. When she caught herself in the act, she stopped instantaneously, believing the action gave off the notion that she was cold—which was an odd concept, since the air was, in all actuality, pleasant and the sun easily bathed her flesh in soothing warmth.
   “Oh, well,” Aya softly stammered for a moment, thinking of what to say, though wishing she hadn’t blundered in her words. “Dae and I are fine, I guess. Though especially once we’re in the air,” she paused to cast a glance to the sky, briefly marveling in its beauty. “But he’s rather… childish, from time to time. Hence the eagerness to play…”
  Then as to possibly act as any consolidation, she continued, “I found Daevra when he was practically a hatchling.” Her eyes wandered to the sky as it was blotted out momentarily as Milkwort’s dragon took to the sky. “I was ten at the time, so bonding was inevitable.” She gave a small smile in confirmation and as well as to nicely say, “I don’t know about your case, on the other hand..,” though she could never pluck up to courage to actually say the sort, it was somewhat rude at the best, in any tone of voice.
  Ayamayr’s head pivoted instantly to Daevra’s direction, over Milkwort’s shoulder, as she heard his booming cry. Recalling Jerk and Bully’s act of taking to the sky, she realized what caused Daevra to screech in such a manner.
  He’s about to fly, she concluded.
  And her confident presumption was absolutely true as Daevra's form, too, hid the sun for a moment, and even during so, dull rays were visible as the star's strong beams partially shone through the Timperjack's translucent wings.

«« when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you »»
«« you say that i'm frozen but what can i do? »»

Sorry I didn't post sooner... T~T Had a lottof' crap to do... -____-;;;;

[banditfly]

(OOC: Oh, that's fine. But I see yesterday was your birthday. Happy yesterday-was-your-Birthday Day!)

Milkwort was staring unhappily at the sky as J-B swooped under the clouds. Despite his small wings and awkward body shape, the green dragon was a rather smooth flier. But no amount of certainty in the Hideous Zippleback's skill in flying would comfort the boy whenever it took flight. Simply watching the dragon flying around now and so much as imagining himself ever being on its back while doing so made him feel weak in the knees. He couldn't begin to understand how other people managed to do it and deliberately avoided looked at Ayamayr as she remarked how she and her dragon worked well in the sky. He did, however, expel a light chuckle at the next thing she said.

"Yeah. Mine, too. Though I have a hard time telling whether he's trying to play or just doing... typical dragon stuff." He glanced back to his dragon with a frown. In Milkwort's frame of mind, "typical dragon stuff" meant wreaking havoc, destruction, and burning everything needlessly. Thinking about it now, that would probably be considered "play" to them--a thought of which only further firmed the boy's believe that all dragons are monsters. A detestable look shadowed his face for a moment as he watched his dragon and disappeared quickly when he looked back at Ayamayr to respond. The ground shaking bellow behind him drowned out the first few words.

Milkwort took a few steps in an aimless direction as the other dragon took to the air. Watching Daevera take off was even worse. That dragon's wingspan was huge! He couldn't bring himself to look directly up at the Timperjack as it flew overhead. As the two dragons flew further away and the sounds of their shrieking and beating wings died down, Milkwort forced himself to calm down and refocus on what they had been talking about. He certainly hoped Ayamayr hadn't noticed his reactions to the dragons in the sky, but he couldn't hide how much flying utterly terrified him.

"Uh... I... Oh. My dad caught J-B... a few months ago... as a Birthday present..." His voice grew quieter as he spoke and looked away at nothing. He didn't know if it was a good idea to be too honest with Ayamayr. He really didn't know her, but no one else ever stuck around long enough to listen. "I don't want him. I'm trying to find a replacement," he admitted reluctantly. In all honesty, he could care less what happened to the two-headed monster after it was gone, but saying it out loud to someone who actually did get along with her dragon made him feel guilty about it for the first time. The last thing he wanted to do was make Ayamayr think he was a jerk.

Up in the sky, J-B echoed Daevra's shriek with two of his own, though even the twin heads calling out together didn't make nearly the same impact at the silver dragon. Still making circles, J-B spotted Daevra jumping into the sky and made a sharp turn. At least, he tried to, but the two heads pulled in two different directions and made him clumsily lose his balance and do an airborne flip. Jerk and Bully started bickering for a moment, but then noticed the Timperjack advancing on them.

Finally managing to agree on a single direction, J-B turned his back on Daevra and flew off. Speed was not an advantage of the Hideous Zippleback but he was able to make sharp turns, doing so whenever Daevra got too close. But then the heads disagreed again, causing them to crash into a hill. Recovering from the fall, Jerk and Bully began snapping and shrieking at each other, momentarily forgetting all about Daevra and the game they had been playing.

[aya]

«« tell me i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
«« can't tell the reasons i did it for you »»

a y a m a y r  &  d a e v r a

  Seeing Daevra take to the sky had left a lingering nag at the back of Ayamayr’s mind, though she couldn’t quite place it at the time. But, her eyes following her dragon companion dive in and out of view, she finally realized it.
  To fly.
  Daevra was enjoying his time spent within the tryst between him and the vast heavens above—one Ayamayr wished she could share, too. Even if she could, it’s best for her well-being to not. Daevra wasn’t equipped with his saddle nor did she have the accompanying harness for herself. Riding on the Timperjack’s rigid, multispiked neck—and not to mention the risk of abrasion from his razor-like wings—were reasons enough to completely throw out the idea of straddling him. Still, she couldn’t discard the desire. It had been a few days since she herself soar the sky with Daevra, though the feeling was sooner for her dragon, given that he flies whenever possible.
  Ayamayr settled her attention on Milkwort again, and candidly listened to his troubles. At least she could feel more at ease around this particular Viking—well, Viking-in-Training. Though she couldn’t say the same for her other classmates. She knew if she tried socializing, then they wouldn’t be all that bad, but the task never seemed… worth it. Like she possibly might actually regret opening up to people, for fear that they may not like her true self. Their personality she didn’t fuss over, she knew she could find the best in someone and forgive whatever cons they may carry. But hers added to the equation… she simply couldn’t predict. Ayamayr believed she had many faults of her own, ones that far outweighed any pros she has, and in fact repeatedly reminded herself such whenever she saw an opportunity to include her voice to a conversation. She normally couldn’t even force herself to speak up in a time when the need of help arose, which pained her the most since she more often than not could have been able to pitch in.
  But Milkwort really possessed a genuine problem. A Viking with no dragon, or, worse off, no bond whatsoever with the one he or she owns. Though, funny enough, such a concept would be completely absurd in Hiccup’s time before he met Toothless. A crime she couldn’t even fathom would happen to the culprit… History aside, Ayamayr gave Milkwort a fleeting, reassuring smile. “Nah, c’mon, you can’t expect a dragon to behave if you yourself aren’t authoritive—though still nice about it,” she began, though purposely with a calm, friendly tone so as to not sound like a lecture. “Give respect and you’ll get it back,” she added, “I promise.” With that she gave a small grin, verging on toothy.
  Good, Ayamayr inwardly praised her efforts, and even her act of actually having the guts to give advice, short and sweet, err… never mind…

  The sky was especially pleasurable today. And, for that, Daevra wished he could somehow display the sensation to Ayamayr, who was ultimately grounded for the time being. He knew of her love for the wind rushing by her, to dangerously look down, and have no fear of falling since Daevra was with her. Watching over Ayamayr had become second nature, even though, technically, she was older and possibly more mature than him, but he couldn’t help it. This coursing through his mind, Daevra chanced a glance down to her and the other human. He couldn’t exactly make out what they were conversing about, but the Timperjack could sense his life-long friend’s seemly at ease mood, and that seemed to be enough for the dragon’s worry-wrought mind to become settled and refocused on his game of chase.
  Once he looked forward, he scrambled in the air for something to act as a brake, finding no purchase; he reared and brought his wings from mid-thrust and, with a heave forward, efficiently slowed his acceleration. Jerk and Bully seemed to be arguing again, having halted in the air and sudden began to bicker back and forth.
   Not again.., Daevra thought bitterly, then made a mental note to try to avoid playing with Hideous Zipplebacks in the future.
  His whim of the moment swapping from “play” to merely “fly”, Daevra craned his neck to stare upwards to the deeper blue above. With another potent boost from his wings, he launched himself higher, to where he can easily overlook Jerk and Bully and, when narrowing his vision, Ayamayr and Milkwort. This was an appropriate altitude for him, but of course the Timperjack longed to push himself higher, though that was in due time. Catching another glimpse of Ayamayr, he almost felt jealous that her attention wasn’t on him. It was a feeling he didn’t have before, and it was rather unsettling for the dragon. His childish, mischievous mind set in motion, Daevra climbed the sky and eventually was level with the clouds.
   This seems high enough, he absently mused. Heh, “Crater” time.
  Abruptly, Daevra began to plummet to the earth, having ceased all actions to steady himself in mid-air. With no actions to do so, his body shifted to dive head first, then continued to free-fall. He could feel the tremendous force against his haphazard wings, regardless of their ability to easily pierce the air. Immediately his wings drew near to his body, and swiftly wrapped around him, whilst fighting against the turbulence. Then the strength of the rushing air seemed to vanish, and his drop from the sky accelerated, and he could see the ground coming closer…
  And closer…
  Only about two hundred feet…
  Fifty feet…
  Five feet…
  And he stopped, at the last second, by expelling his wings from his body, giving one powerful blow from the draft of merely drawing his wings. And, once stabilizing himself just off the ground, and happily hovered there, grinning—however a dragon could—at Ayamayr, who was only about ten feet away. But even at that distance, she could still receive the full brunt of the draft.

  ”Dae!!" Ayamayr exclaimed as she was buffeted by the strong wind. She had noticed his maneuver almost the moment he initiated it, but she had expected him to pull out of it much, much earlier. It’s a show, she had thought when he was about hundred feet from the ground. I swear, he can’t stand to be bored… Ayamayr concluded once the draft passed her.

«« when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you »»
«« you say that i'm frozen but what can i do? »»

[[ Danke schön!! >w< Wow, that’s a lot of ‘day’s in one sentence, lol. ^w^ ]]

[banditfly]

Milkwort was relieved and rather surprised at Ayamayr's lack of a disapproving or even spiteful response to his confession. The best reaction he had ever gotten out of admitting that he was looking to be rid of his dragon was a sad shake of the head. The worse was a long and loud verbal scolding--which was always what he got from his father if he so much as hinted that things weren't going well with training. His father had traveled far and wide over treacherous terrain and suffered many injuries and malnutrition just to get him that dragon. Such a quest was insignificant for a former elite viking and Milkwort could hardly allow himself to feel guilt toward his father for wishing he had never done it. He never pretended he liked the dragon but didn't make a habit of telling the world how much he hated the thing, either. The reactions of the people who knew put his father's legacy to shame and made Milkwort feel like a failure.

However, now, he was receiving a different kind of reaction to this great shame of his. He was being given advise. Never had anyone offered assistance to his plight. Of course, she was still discouraging his initial intentions, but she didn't shake her head and turn a cold shoulder one him for it like so many others did. Milkwort couldn't help but give her a slightly quizzical expression for it. Did she actually mean to help, or was she just saying that to hide how very ashamed she was of him? But then she smiled, which surprised Milkwort even more. He had never made a habit of watching Ayamayr during training, but he couldn't recall her smiling all that much at other people--especially a teeth revealing smile. It seemed like a special thing she shared with her dragon and receiving one from her himself made him feel regarded.

He smiled back, happy. "You really think so?" He glanced across the hills, but his two-headed dragon was currently out of sight. He wasn't sure whether it was because of Ayamayr's words or just because J-B couldn't be seen, but he suddenly felt inspired to give the Hideous Zippleback another chance. "Okay... I'll try. If you really think it'll work." He looked at her again gratefully. "Thanks. People usually only get mad when I tell them that. No one's ever given me advise before."

Milkwort was in a good mood again until he remember the other dragon that was still around. He saw Daevra in the corner of his eyes as the Timperjack flew high up almost completely hidden by the clouds. He tried to ignore it, as seeing anything so high up set off his anxiety of even thinking about flying. But then the dragon started to descend; faster and faster until he seemed like a silver blur. Such a sight sent Milkwort's mind to one assumption.

It's falling.

A dragon falling? Such a thing didn't seem possible. Weren't they supposed to be masters of the sky? How could a dragon fall?! The boy couldn't keep his eyes off the plummeting dragon, though he terribly wanted to. Seeing it falling so helplessly only made him think of how helpless and doomed he would be if he ever fell from that height. At dragon might live, albeit rather beat up, but a human would die for sure.

Milkwort winced before the gust of wind hit him as Daevra was just a millisecond from shattering on the ground. The wind was what made him look back again quickly and stare in shock as the Timperjack hovered gracefully completely unharmed. It took a moment for him to comprehend what had just happened. A game... of course. Just a game... His heart was pounding and he felt like he was going to faint.

Even from the bottom of a hill J-B saw Daevra's performance perfectly. The gust of wind successfully ceased the two heads' bickering and they looked directly at the other dragon. Jerk and Bully glared in unison, both jumping to the conclusion that Daevra had done that to show the Zippleback up. Well! He could make up games to play by himself, too!

The green dragon spun around and made a beeline for their weak-kneed master. Milkwort could hardly prepare himself for what was coming before Jerk snatched him up by the back of the shirt and carried him off. They stopped after a few paces and glanced back at Daevra as Bully made a shriek to catch his attention. Milkwort was fruitlessly trying to pry his shirt out of the dragon's mouth, but he was suddenly thrown up into the air. His outcry was cut short when he landed on J-B's back. Jerk and Bully both grinned at each other before spreading out their wings.

A cold tremor passed through Milkwort as he realized what they were about to do. "Oh no. Anything but that--Please!" Deaf to his words, the Zippleback made a running start and took off. Milkwort clenched his eyes closed tightly and held on for dear life to one of J-B's necks. Despite that fact that the dragon was actually flying rather leisurely, he couldn't stop himself from crying out in terror. The two heads gave a shrieking chuckle and looked down at Daevra to see if he was impressed.

(OOC: Sorry if it sounds like I'm sort of godmodding on Aya with the smile thing. I'm just assuming)

[aya]

«« tell me i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
«« can't tell the reasons i did it for you »»

a y a m a y r  &  d a e v r a

  When Ayamayr heard Milkwort’s plea of mercy to his dragon, she immediately know it would be something terrible when considering the Hideous Zippleback’s usual performance. But this… it took her off guard. Flying…?

she thought doubtfully. And rather sluggish, at that… The whole event threw her for a loop, and she wondered why so. Why would he want another dragon if he… doesn’t want to fly,

[/color] she reflected, remembering his adversity to the dragon and desire for another. But upon pondering the idea as she continued to watch, without the least bit of humour, Milkwort howl in fright of the situation, Ayamayr realized what must be the limiting factor at work, though attempted to shake its possibility. Though now she began to consider that merely aquring a new dragon would solve his problems sooner than trying to befriend the snooty Zippleback. But she instantly sided with her initial decision, since at least attempting to come to an agreement with a dragon leaves the fact that one tried than simply giving up. Height, surely, must be the problem,[/color] she hesitantly concluded, still unable to believe that flying seemed to be the most relevant solution to Milkwort’s horror-driven shouts. Flying was her favorite pastime, a way to free herself of any troubles or throbbing headaches. She merely couldn’t comprehend it. The fact that someone actually didn’t enjoy the experience nowadays was… weird. As soon as the thought came, Ayamayr shook it from her mind, conscious of how stereotypical she was being. But… how…?[/color] she began to consider once more, though this too was extinguished almost before it stretched through her chain of thought again.
  Regardless of what the actual dilemma was, Ayamayr sprinted over to Daevra, who had finally grounded once Jerk and Bully happily took to the sky again—albeit with a shaken passenger. Once standing before him, she jumped and reached for the small jut of scale on the end of his snout, bringing his head down to face her. With only a glance, Daevra knew what she wanted him to do.

  Once Ayamayr was standing a few feet away, with a raised arm to shield her face, Daevra dug and leaped from the ground again and began his steady beat to reach the other dragon’s altitude, then increased to catch up to Jerk and Bully. Once siding Jerk and Bully, Daevra flew a bit lower and continued his fast beat. Once an appropriate distance ahead, the Timperjack resumed his height of before—though, purposely, in the following dragon’s flight path. Confident the Zippleback will halt in time, Daevra emitted a slight growl preceding a defiant shake of his head, easily displaying his disapproval of the dragon’s actions to his master.
[/blockquote]

«« when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you »»
«« you say that i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
[/color][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[[ Well, it’s his thoughts of the matter, so it isn’t any type of godmodding I’m aware of, lol. ]]

[/blockquote]

[banditfly]

(OOC: LOL I love Aya's reaction. It's like:
Milk: AGHGHOMGIMGONNADIE!!1!
Aya: wat.
XDD)

J-B took Daevra's taking to the air as another game. The Timperjack must want to play tag with the Zippleback again. Perhaps they could play toss with the puny human on his back. The loser would be the one who dropped him first. The idea sounded quite pleasant, as Milkwort's desperate clinging to Bully's neck was starting to bother him. Jerk was just about to turn his head back to pluck their terrified owner off before Daevra flew in front of them. With a frantic flap of their short wings, they hit on the brakes and became vertical with the ground as things came to a standstill. Milkwort hardly knew it, his eyes still closed and his arms still wrapped around the neck as tightly as possible. He wasn't screaming anymore, stunned with fear.

J-B stared long and hard at Daevra as the other dragon gave every possible sign to show that he was discouraging the Zippleback's behavior. The two heads responded with a frustrated screech. Oh, sure! The Timperjack could have all the fun in the world freefalling from hundreds of feet in the air, but they couldn't play their own games, too? It crossed the Zippleback's mind for only a moment if the problem was possibly related to the pathetic human on their back, but the inability to comprehend why any dragon would care about the feelings of a human brushed it away immediately. J-B had lived his entire life on a cliff far from this village where humans never tread. Any who dared would be attacked savagely. That was the nature of the dragons who lived where this Hideous Zippleback had been raised. To care about a human was unheard of and would have been laughed at.

J-B wanted to laugh right now, but the frustration building inside of him was starting to turn into rage. Why was Daevra defending these humans? It didn't make any sense. Humans were created specifically for dragons to chase around and play with. Yet here they were--prisoners of humans! J-B would have tossed Milkwort off a cliff and returned home long ago if it weren't for the threats of the large man who had caught him and brought him here in the first place. Why did the dragons here allow themselves to be enslaved by humans? Surely if they joined together, they could defeat all the large men who had captured them and return to the wild where humans were toys.

J-B eyes then narrowed in on Ayamayr below them. Whether Daevra was being threatened by a large man or possessed by these humans, he would surely benefit if the small girl controlling him was out of the picture. The Zippleback swooped down under Daevra, flying toward Ayamayr about 10 feet above the ground. Bully opened his mouth first, emitting a thick and green gaseous fume that trailed behind him as they flew in circles around Aya, aiming to imprison her not unlike the Zippleback was so convinced that humans imprisoned dragons. Then Jerk opened his mouth, clacking an electric charge between his teeth and preparing to light the entire mass of smoke aflame.

[aya]

«« tell me i'm frozen but what can i do? »»
«« can't tell the reasons i did it for you »»

a y a m a y r  &  d a e v r a

  Daevra held his obstinate demeanor through the Zippleback’s scrutiny, hopeful his steadfast attitude will discourage the other dragon’s act of torturing Milkwort. He gave a fleeting glance to the meek human unwillingly planted on Bully’s neck. His petrified mien further strengthened Daevra’s desire to rescue the young human. His blue gaze diverted to the opposing dragon as he produced an aggravated shriek. After studying the Zippleback’s actions, Daevra realized that this particular dragon wasn’t going to play nice anymore.
  Especially with Milkwort helplessly entangled in the matter.
  It was going too far. Since, by the way the human was screaming earlier, the boy’s possible sanity at stake—not to mention his very life if Jerk and Bully decided to rid themselves of the nuisance. For that reason alone, Daevra was tempted to lung and grapple with the defiant Zippleback right then and there, but he knew such would only shorten the life span of the unfortunate human clinging to Bully’s long throat. Why would this dragon crave entertainment so badly he’d be willing to… harm his owner? Friend? Doesn’t the boy bear anything to J-B?

Daevra couldn’t keep the question from his thoughts, and the fact that he couldn’t even fathom the obvious answer only sent his confused mind whirling and his lingering goal of pinning the dragon or even—if extremities came into play—possibly beat the answer from the insolence before him.
  The situation merely added more troubles to his wracked mind. He couldn’t even imagine forcing Ayamayr into doing anything she feared. This though caused him to remember when the two were resting at a lake shore once, he had been only playing around when he nudged Ayamayr further in the water—as she had only been in knee-deep. Though he didn’t see it in her expression, she had been staring out into the foreboding blue depths, and the last thing she needed in her moment of becoming fright was a shove, however friendly. She had stumbled seemingly over her own feet and went head first in the water’s nadir. After a few seconds that seemed to stretch a minute to the then remorseful Timperjack, Ayamayr’s head surfaced, gasping for air. The floor must have dropped off drastically where she was, this he assumed as her arms vainly beat at the standing body’s surface. When her head bobbed underwater once more, Daevra had pounced into the shallow end and extended his neck, his large head hovering above her. He dipped into the water and Ayamayr was still waving the water for something to grab, finding the dragon’s snout, who in turn effortlessly hauled the human from the lake and onto dry land. For the duration of about an hour, Ayamayr was visibly shaken by the event, though Daevra knew that for the rest of the day, her mind lingered on the lake and when she had been submerged, helpless. She wasn’t mad at him; she was too terrified to be so. But he didn’t need her anger, for he was fuming with rage at himself because of it. Needless to say, Daevra never nudged Ayamayr when around water again, and he was going good since it had been about three years since that day he witnessed one of her deepest fears.
  He’s kept it to himself, and never let Ayamayr relive the experience.
  But the Zippleback’s next maneuver almost caused Daevra to flip over himself, since the other ducked under him and caught him slightly off-guard, having not expected such. With a slithering move that resembled a serpent, Daevra’s body followed the other in mid-air, still remaining rendered in the sky, though facing what was to his back. Though what was now Jerk and Bully’s new target caused the Timperjack to lose a few feet of altitude. With anewed vigor, Daevra shot like a bullet after the dragon as to stop his flight for Ayamayr.

   “What the…?” Ayamayr uttered to herself she watched the Zippleback round on her. She continued to stare, confused, as the dragon drew closer to her. Why? she wondered, unsettled. What’s with this dragon? She had assured herself that Jerk and Bully acted the way they did because, like Daevra, they wanted to play all the time—though obviously the Hideous Zippleback’s version was more relentless. But this was ridiculous. He didn’t even look like he was trying to have fun anymore. Unless this was a new side to a dragon’s “playtime” that was unbeknownst to her.
  She looked up into Bully’s eyes as he released the signature olive-coloured fume, and she knew now that the dragon opposite her was far from playing something as innocent as tag. Her eyes darkened as she scowled up to the dragon’s heads, her purple orbs jumping from one to other as they fluidly danced about whilst enclosing her within the thick, green vapor. Her intense glare settled on Jerk, watching the sparks taunt her as they held her impending fate. It only took a spark, this she knew, and she would be history. She could already imagine the explosion enveloping her—consuming her entirely. She could feel the ghostly heat scorch her skin and she almost raised her hands to rubs arms as to rid her of the feeling. But she remained stationary, not displaying any sign of being intimidated. Bluffing was one of the few ways to best a dragon, to send it to a false assumption of the opponent, even though the dragon could easily end the prey’s life without even breaking a sweat. Though this tactic, Ayamayr assumed, would only work on dragons that were more brawn than brain, despite the fact that many dragons were well balanced in both. But the former truth was her reasoning behind her poker face, believing that Jerk and Bully were near perfect examples of such. Since dropping what one was doing to bicker between each other weren’t the best signs of superior planning and execution.

  Daevra brushed dangerously close Jerk and Bully as he streaked past them, as he was enticed to tackle them from the air and be done with it. He spun around in mid-flight to face his opponent, expelling his large wings and sending the foul fume from Ayamayr. He adorned a seething glower as he looked up to the pair. Daevra couldn’t remember when he had been this outraged, since no one had ever tried at Ayamayr’s safety like the Hideous Zippleback was. But whilst in Daevra’s wake, no harm will befall Ayamayr. This he would guarantee.
  He let loose a hysteric shriek at the dragon affronting him, vigorously shaking his head. When the opportunity arose, Daevra would be sure to take on the dragon at first chance. That way, his reputation would be forever obliterated, and he would never touch another human, let alone Ayamayr.

  Staggering back a few feet from the draft of Daevra’s appearance, Ayamayr quickly cast her gaze forward, though seeing the sunless gray scales of her dragon. Not wanting to be around when Jerk and Bully recover and go all out on the two, she ran and jumped on Daevra’s back, hoisting herself on one of his neck spikes. She grimaced as she felt the spike dig into her fingers, but she ignored the pain. Ayamayr stationed her feet to rest comfortably—for her and Daevra—between his shoulders, in clearance of his wings.
   “Dae, go!” she exclaimed when she was as secure as she possibly could be without a harness. She heard a slight grunt, then she held tight to a spike with both hands, waiting for the take off.
  Barely a second later, she felt the ever present downward rush of the air as Daevra bat his wings to climb high than the Hideous Zippleback. She could feel her fingers slipping, but she quickly repositioned each hand on different spikes, having more hold.

«« when lies turn into truth i sacrificed for you »»
«« you say that i'm frozen but what can i do? »»

[/color][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[[ XDD Yea, and now Milk seems he will be clinging for dear life indefinitely. xD Wheee~ ^w^
Heh, wow. Daevra’s a pacifist when it comes to humans and J-B… isn’t… xDD ]]

[/blockquote]

[wolfheart]

Nai speaking Dragonese
Wolf speaking

Wolf studied the grass, annoyed. She wanted to go fishing but Nayrol had dragged her off to the field before she could complain. Just because she had an incredibly dangerous dragon she had to follow it constantly to make sure it didn't eat anyone. "Buzzer dere!" Nai hissed, scraping his claws on the floor. He seemed tetchy. "Yes, I can see there's a bee there, Nai," She sighed, wishing he would be quiet for two seconds. Maybe he realized, for he sat down and curled his shining silver tail around himself, silent.
Wolf strained her ears and heard talking. She flattened herself against a rock, cursing herself for talking so loudly. What if these people were evil? What if they thought she was an intruder? What if they took one look at her Monstrous Nightmare and killed it?
A terrified shriek brought Wolf back to her senses. A Hideous Zippleback flew above her, carrying its master- Milkwort, she had seen him in the town before- as though this was a fun game. Why was Milk so afraid? Wolf watched as another dragon flew above. A Timberjack! Wolf had never seen one before. It was... beautiful. She watched longingly as Aya flew on her dragon's back. The two dragons looked as if they were dancing, each trying to fly higher than the other. She reached out her hand and traced their movements with her finger.
Nayrol looked up and saw the two dragons with their masters flying into the clouds. He tensed. Why couldn't he be up there with them? The Zippleback looked rater menacing. "Remember, you cannot attack anyone" Wolf's words echoed in his head. He wouldn't' attack. He would just play. They were having fun, he guessed. Well, he could join in their game too.
With one swift movement, he slid his silver head under Wolf, spread out his wings and leaped. He soared upwards, feeling the wind rush through his scales. Wolf yelled in shock but quickly adjusted herself so she was comfortable. They flew towards the two dragons, looking forward to this game. Wolf wished they were flying alone, but it couldn't be helped.