Mathias ⟡
✦ ⟡ Viper Lead ⟡ partner: Nova ⟡ Illusions ⟡ location/tags: training fields / Faelara, Gion, Eleanorr, & everyone around Firo and Ikarus (mentioned)
Mathias, having been in a hurry, had not heard Eleanorr’s call for him with all of the commotion surrounding the new riders. Even while the other dragons spoke only with their riders, the team lead could feel the mental hum of telepathic traffic as the beasts gossiped, not to mention the commentary and everyday talk of the trainers around them. Only when she appeared next to him and Faelara did he catch her eye and greeted her with a small grin.”Eleanorr, hey. Are your Eagles doing well?” He inquired, trying to recall what the team’s part had been during the hostage situation. The brunet didn't think he had seen them in Gateway City, so perhaps they were sent to the countryside at the time. Which would be good, he thought, since there hadn’t been too much of a fight there. “You need me for something?” He tilted his head curiously, perching one hand on his waist as he stood. Although Eleanorr was the second of a different team, Mathias figured his experience could help in cases where another leader wasn’t present. He hadn’t seen Nelaine that day yet after all, although he had been awfully preoccupied himself to be fair.
The man raised once more his eyes to the ever-growing crowd of dragons again, but appeared noticeably fine with letting his attention stray from it, even as his own winged partner arrived to the scene. The “welcoming committee” of curious riders and dragons would be good enough company for them for now. Looking back down to Faelara, he felt a comfortable smile return to his lips. Mathias didn’t usually register their height difference very much until he caught Faye trying to stand at a peculiar position next to him on sunny days— although seeing her crane her neck now made him subconsciously step back so she could stand more naturally. “Sure, or maybe you don’t want to intimidate the new rider with your aerial prowess. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” He responded with a confident wink to the other’s explanation. Despite the slight silliness, his expression turned serious once his friend lowered her voice. “That’s good.” He murmured with a nod and a quiet exhale of relief. “Both of them were certainly weighing on everyone’s minds this week. And it went as well as it could, I suppose. Got some information and some orders not to share it around though.” He admitted, frowning and letting his eyebrows crease. Rorik had told him that he couldn’t inform even those that he trusted, and while Mathias was going to comply, he could at least explain the situation a little bit. That would be the most natural thing to do anyway, as to not arouse suspicion from anyone. Plus, he really didn’t think that Faelara would betray the team like that.
“Starting today though, I’d like to meet with everyone on their own. Make sure they’re doing all right, in a more private setting so no one needs to put up a front. That goes for you too.” He added the inclusion of Viper’s second in particular for that last part, knowing that she took her responsibility seriously and tended to keep things to herself. Mathias probably wouldn’t need quite the security for most of their teammates as he did for the discussion he had been ordered to have with Iris, though. “Rorik is doing what he can, but he told me to check in with everyone on our team and maybe see if any of the others need to too. If you don’t mind, would you be able to talk to Calix?” Mathias’ dark eyelashes lowered over his eyes a little as he glanced to the ground and contemplated his moves. He certainly didn’t want to lie to anyone close to him, so this little half-truth may just have to do. He had intended to check on everyone one-on-one before he meeting with the commander anyways, and with his current schedule he wasn’t sure if he could find and speak to everyone he needed to before the festival. As far as people to trust as well, Calix was their best shot at someone innocent. Rorik trusted him and, admittedly, Calix was far too focused on impressing Ace to take part in any fade-related extracurriculars.
Green-hazel eyes fluttered back up to focus on Faelara now, remembering another concern he had forgotten to mention. “Ah. Right. I also feel a little uneasy about the upcoming event.” He raised his voice a little more so Faye, Eleanorr, and the approaching Gion (who Mathias nodded a greeting towards) could hear his words. “Since we are all in positions to take responsibility to our teams, I think we should take some precautions in case the Fades have anything planned for the crowd. It might be good to have some dragons on standby just in case, although I do genuinely wish that everything will go smoothly.” He murmured with a sigh. This seemed the best time to tell them his thoughts on the matter, as everyone else was distracted by Firo and Ikarus. With less people aware of his concerns and backup, maybe they’d be able to get the jump on their enemy when they
did try something.
Now that Gion had joined the little group, the corners of Mathias’ mouth lifted a little and he gave a bittersweet snort. “Sure is, unfortunately. Luckily there weren’t any fatalities, but we’re going against ancient magic now. At the moment, just make sure you and your team are alert and report anything suspicious.” Mathias relayed, letting himself stand casually while absentmindedly running his hand through his hair. This action didn't seem to go as planned, however, when his fingers got caught on a tangle. “Ugh. And best to rest up a bit, I guess.” He added. The olive-skinned man had tried to force the knot apart a few times but quickly gave up and let his arm drop back to his side. Mathias was starting to act more like his off-duty self, which was… not great in front of three team seconds. He’d need to take a rest of his own sometime soon, but that could wait.
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Nova ⟡
✦ ⟡ Nightmare Clan ⟡ partner: Mathias ⟡ Illusions ⟡ location/tags: hunting → training fields / Eärendil & Endolynn, → everyone around Firo & Ikarus
The great, black dragon narrowed her eyes a little in satisfaction as both of her companions considered her advice, the two of them deciding to take a horn. It was a cool souvenir, even she had to admit. At Endolynn’s comment about the feathers resembling themselves, Nova gave a small nod and lifted her chin proudly.
’Indeed, these birds have quite the color variations, for our purposes. Thank you again for catching them, Eärendil.’ She closed her eyes and gave a quick dip of her head in thanks to the wind-commanding dragon. As she opened them again, however, the reptile caught the amused look in Eärendil’s eyes and quickly glanced away in embarrassment. It wasn’t so strange to have some amount of sentimentality in one’s hoard, after all. Even if wasn’t exactly her style.
Nova didn’t let the feeling overtake her for long, giving a content grumble upon seeing the two horns fall from the bisons’ heads.
’See? Not much to it.’ The dragon paced around in a small circle, listening to both of the others speak of their leftover prey as they finished eating. Once she was sure that they had all taken their last bites, Nova leaned forward to secure a good grip on the one she had gifted and lifted into the air to clear space for Ren and Endolynn take off. The gusts of wind from her wings made the branches of the nearby trees bend and sway, and she began to glide in a slow circle while waiting for her friends.
This didn’t last too long, as Nova didn’t notice anything wrong and began to fly back to Blackpeak, following the increasing volume of dragon-chatter to approach and drop the partially-eaten bison near an unfamiliar dragon and other, slightly more familiar dragons. “A gift.” She rumbled in a rare show of spoken tongue, narrowing her eyes at those below before returning her attention to her path. The impact made a few of the other riders and dragons step back in surprise, annoyance, or disgust, not that Nova really cared about their opinions, and she looked back to the direction of her company from before.
’What do you think you will do with the bison horns?’ She asked somewhat lazily, her curiosity poking through the instinct to settle down for a nap after eating. Nova did wake a little bit more when she, still airborne, noticed the three of their riders convening together in a quiet conversation.
’Hm. Seems our riders were on our wavelength. Nova silently landed a short distance away from the four, turning her head to once more look towards the forest she came from.
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Artemis ⟡
✦ ⟡ Eagle Rider ⟡ partner: Soliel ⟡ Fire ⟡ location/tags: Training Fields / Everyone in the training fields
Artemis wore a friendly grin as he nodded at Firo’s comment about the dragons getting to know each other, glancing up to watch Soliel enthusiastically interacting with the others that were now approaching. He didn’t even need to tap into their bond to know that the mammalian creature was doing introductions. “Heh, well Soliel warmed up pretty quickly. Considering this all started with him growling.” The edges of his eyes crinkled in amusement.
The blond glanced warily in a circle around them, seeing a few closer and a few further off people that still glanced their way, despite keeping their distance. Although he recognized a few as those in team leadership positions, Artemis just about let out a growl himself at the thought that others might be gossiping or making assumptions about Firo and Ikarus. It was an unconventional time, sure, but Artemis didn’t form close enough connections with most of the others to not think that they were judging them. These thoughts flooded his mind until he looked over to see a somewhat uncomfortable Firo stepping back from all the dragons. “A-ah yeah, they’re all pretty powerful, but you’ll get used to them.” He assured the other, stepping closer to brush shoulders with the redhead. For some reason, going nearer made Artemis feel warm, so he looked away despite their close proximity. “This is probably the most you’ll catch all of their attention at once. Curiosity makes you pretty popular, huh?” Artemis prodded Firo very gently with his elbow, a toothy grin rising to his face.
The sudden voice of Escha made the young man hop away from the newcomer’s side out of embarrassment. He scratched the back of his neck shyly, letting the other rider speak her welcome. He supposed it only made sense, what with their flighted company on the way back home. “H-hi Escha. Your dragon helped Sol and I bring them back here. If you can, I’d like to offer her our thanks.” Artemis spoke up while regaining his composure. This was then that he noticed Firo’s wave to someone else in the distance, smiling sweetly in a way that made the Eagle’s stomach churn. What-or who- had deserved such a look? His irises shifted over to the object of the other’s attention and noticed Mathias, among with a few others looking over towards them. Artemis’ small smile flitted briefly into a bitter pout at the darker-haired man, and his eyes sharpened into a glare, rolling them before his expression softened once again. Hopefully no one had noticed his quick loss of composure, even if Artemis was pretty sure he already came off as lazy. At the very least he didn’t want Firo thinking any lesser of him for it. He stiffened for a moment when he felt a hand on his arm and looked wide-eyed at the new dragon rider, quickly slumping his shoulders a little when he felt his blood rush to his ears.
“Uh… hm.” He hummed a little in frustration at his rosy face. Crossing his arms across his chest so he could prop a hand up to cover his cheek only helped a little, but maybe it would save him from the attention of the other approaching riders. “S-sure… no problem. I might need to go back to my dorm first though, if you don’t mind.” He admitted. Artemis wasn’t sure why he was acting so tensely now, and needed to splash some water on his face or something so he could stop manually breathing. Maybe he had some allergies from something in the area, or caught some kind of illness. These thoughts were a bit forgotten though when Firo mentioned having a sister there. “Wh… what, really?” The golden-haired boy asked, the arm covering his cheek falling back down to his chest. “What’s her name? Or her team, maybe? I can think of a few people that kind of look like you.” Artemis commented, biting back words about how he hadn’t spared most of them all the glances the bookstore owner had earned behind his counter. “There are a few of the team leadership members over there, actually.” He gestured with his head over to the small group that was forming not too far off. “Eleanorr is the second of the Eagles, the team I’m on, Gion is the leader of the Wolves, and Mathias and Faelara are the leader and second of the Vipers.” He introduced seriously, not feeling the need to clarify who was who in between the two Viper members. That team was full anyways, so it’s not like Firo would interact with them too much. That thought, for some reason, made the corners of his mouth lift a little.
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Soliel ⟡
✦ ⟡ Elemental Clan ⟡ partner: Artemis ⟡ Fire & Earth ⟡ location/tags: Training Fields / Everyone in the training fields
Soliel beamed as much as a dragon could at Ikarus’ pondering about the creation of a hoard, the feathered dragon agreeing quite fervently.
’Yes, yes, it is quite fun having something to collect! Especially if that something takes some work to maintain or find— there is some satisfaction making things look a particular way.’ As if his own thoughts had reminded him of something, Soliel turned his head to his back and began to preen his feathers for a moment. They often got a little windblown while flying, so he may as well take care of it now before he made a total fool of himself.
Hearing Ikarus’ purrs, the golden dragon looked back towards him and slowly narrowed his eyes, dipping his chin slightly.
’I’m a little afraid they would call me greedy, but my plants are more important than a decent sleep anyways. Besides, I’m sure I could find a comfortable patch of grass to lay on outside.’ He thought with a glint in his eye and a wolf-like grin.
’and of course, so long as you try not to step on any. It’s a bit difficult accounting for each of their specific needs inside a den.’ Soliel added, feeling proud of the work he had done.
’Worry not, I’m sure there’s more that we could find, and I have a friend from the Dawn clan who may be able to help you out if we ask nicely. She’s quite pleasant company too and-‘ Soliel was about to prattle on once again, having already greeted Aros as he stepped forward, when a shadow suddenly fell over them and a fresh- albeit, partially gnawed on- bison fell fairly close to them. The feathers on Soliel’s neck bristled and he gave a disgusted snarl towards the sky, the dragon above long gone. It did, however, seem very on brand for what they were talking about, and while Sol didn’t like that the bison seemed to have been at its prime, carefully pawed it towards the fox-like creature.
’S’pose our conversation had an eavesdropper.’ He wrinkled his nose for only a moment, a few sniffs smelling surprisingly tasty, although he was full. Vibrant eyes moved to look at who has dropped it, finding Nova entirely ignoring them and just now noticing Azazel watching with gears turning in his head. The soft-scaled dragon felt a shiver down his back, but slowly turned to pay attention to the other dragon that approached them. It was just Soliel’s luck that it had been the one he had looked around for.
’Verally! I am sorry for my abrupt leave before. I didn’t expect to find another dragon though.’ Soliel’s tail swept the ground, giving away his excitement at seeing him although he now lowered his head in apology. He already knew that the other would understand, but the elemental dragon thought that those kinds of dragons were the ones who deserved an apology the most. At his teasing comment, however, Soliel splayed a wing to brush against the white dragon’s flank.
’ahahaha… fear not, we have cleared up that misunderstanding, and everyone is all right. Mostly. This is Ikarus!’ The glowing dragon introduced, lifting a clawed paw to dramatically gesture towards the newcomer in an almost human-like way.
’Look at his face! Isn’t he foxy?’ He added with an open-mouth smile, slitted pupils moving in between Ikarus’ Fox-like features and Verally. This was when Soliel noticed where the reddish golden dragon was looking, and glanced once more to Azazel before hurriedly averting his gaze.
’Ah, now that one is a little unfriendly…’ Soliel said more quietly than the excited hum from before. His ears also lowered a little, but stayed perked in case the nightmare dragon decided to approach. Verally had experience dealing with him, Soliel recalled, although he himself was a little intimidated. The next thing his hearing picked up on though was actually the chime in of a new voice.
Soliel tucked his wings close as he fully turned around, tilting his head at the other feathered dragon.
’Blazing celosia! Brilliant phoenix! Valerys! Welcome!’ Soliel telepathically crowed, entirely earnest in his compliments as he lifted his chin in the sky and bowed with it touching the ground. Just as when he had introduced himself to Ikarus, he tucked one wing close and elegantly extended the other behind his back. This lasted just a moment before he once more straightened up and waved the extended wing towards the other flame clan dragon.
’This is Ikarus! Verally said there would be a feast for a human-related event, but we can pretend it is to welcome him.’ Soliel introduced, aware of Valerys’ ferocity sometimes and hoping his greeting would not bring any offense.
