Dragon Rider Play

Pat looked up and glanced between them. "Thank you," she said quietly with a little smile. "You know, it's funny."
"Funny?" Tithenor repeated. "A joke?"
"No, I mean intriguing. In what world would you three ever agree on something outside of this one?"

Blade looked between Mark and Blue. "What? I get along with you three better than most any other humanoid I've ever met."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Everyone must hate you then Blade."

"Not far from the truth actually." Blade quipped back. It was one of those things that listening to it, one couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.

"Being hated just frees you up from the need to keep up appearances, or at least those ones, or the reputation of a family," Tithenor said calmly.

Pat glanced at him quizzically.

Blade looked at Tithenor like he was missing a few screws. "What the hell is a family?" He asked. He sounded pretty serious too.

"That depends upon your definition," Tithenor replied. "The standard definition is a group of people related by blood. Sometimes, it is not so obvious. Sometimes, a group of unlikely people join together and form a band they refer to as a family."

"Like us," Pat said softly.

"Huh." Blade replied. He finished his plate of food.

Pat gulped down her food and cleaned up her place before returning and fidgeting in her seat. Nearly everyone was done with breakfast. Where was the teacher?

After a few more minutes, Alterrion (right?) comes in. He doesn't say a word as he walks through the aisles between tables, his piercing blue gaze analyzing each and every rider there. His gaze rests on Pat a little longer than the rest. After that, he returns to the front of the room. "Look at the people sitting around at your table. Those will be the other members of your select training groups. I will adjust them based on personal skills, but unless I or Headmaster Grumbledorf says otherwise, they will be unchanged. I hope you like who you sat with today. Gather whatever supplies you need or think you will need in a fight and meet me at the arena in ten minutes. If you are late, you will be staying after class and making it up painfully." The asmar then turned sharply and left the building to wait for his next batch of trainees.

Pat squirmed under the piercing look. What could he see? Did he have some sort of see-through vision?That would be bad. And id he used it a lot, she'd be forced to smack him. The instant he was gone, Pat ran for the barn. She only needed one thing in a fight. Or thought she'd need her.

Tithenor did not flinch under the gaze. In fact, something about the asmar reminded him of his father. "Should we fetch our dragons?" he asked Blade and Mark in a mild tone.

Blade shrugged. "I don't see why not. I mean, if we are to become fearsome riders, don't we need to fight with our dragons?"

Pat's dragon lifted her head as she heard the barn door open.

"Indeed," Tithenor agreed, standing. He led the way out of the mess hall, heading for the barn. How would his timid little dragon feel about the training ring?

Pat went to the cage, pausing when she noticed it was open. "You opened your cage but stayed?" she asked her dragon.

Blade stretched and followed Blue. Maybe his little dragon's klepto behavior will come in handy in a fight.

Pat's dragon looked up at her. Of course she stayed. That's what Pat told her to do. She unlocked it to show Pat she could trust the little dragon.

Pat's smile almost took her ears as she took her dragon from her cage and hugged her. "Good girl!" she praised, kissing feathery head. "Thank you."

Tithenor entered in time to see the mini celebration and raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

Pat's dragon affectionately nuzzled and licked her cheek. She was overjoyed she made her rider happy.

Mellon sensed Tithenor and tried to roar a greeting, but it wasn't very loud or threatening sounding.

Blade walked over to the Blade Dragon's cage and peered in, seeing if his dragon was awake.

Pat kissed her head again and told her, "We are going to training class now where they are going to teach us to fight. Be respectful to the teacher, okay?" She stood, cradling her dragon in her arms and looked around. Other than Tithenor, Blade, and Mark, no one had come for their dragons. Odd.

"/Good late morning,/" Tithenor greeted his dragon, opening the cage. "/Are you ready to come out?/"

Mark's dragon had been napping, but the instant Mark got close, he woke and started bouncing off the walls, chirping excitedly. Rider! Rider! Rider!

The Blade dragon slowly turned and poked her head out of the hut, blinking slepily. Yes?

Pat's dragon sighed but decided to do as her rider said.

Mellon crawled out and climbed up to Tithenor's shoulder. He seemed ready to go.

Mark smiled and opened his dragon's cage, and picked him up. "Hello again! I thought of a potential name for you. Do you want to hear it?"

Blade grinned. "Wanna come with me to some fighting training? It'll be fun."

Pat smiled and carried her to the doorway. "Mystery?" she whispered to the dragon. "How's that for a name?"

Tithenor scratched his head and went to stand near Pat while waiting for Mark and Blade.

Mark's dragon chirped curiously. What's that? He licked Mark's hands affectionately.

The Blade considered then chirped in agreement. She crawled out of the hut, her spines scratching on the wood. She went to the door and stood waiting for him to open the door.

Pat's dragon thought. She liked it better than dream, but no. She shook her head.

Mellon licked Tithenor's ear while he wasn't paying too much attention.

Mark smiled. "How would you like being called 'Fenrir?'" He said. He scratched under his dragon's chin.

Blade unlocked the cage and offered to carry his little dragon.

"You're a picky little lady," Pat chuckled. "I'll keep thinking. Blue, how did you figure out a name for Mellon?"

Tithenor was about to answer when Mellon licked his ear. He gave an undignified squawk and hopped to one side. "Mellon! Not the ear!" he yelped, rubbing the spot roughly.

Pat giggled as she watched the pair.

Fenrir? The little dragon chirped disapprovingly. It didn't sound Big and Bold enough! He was a mighty dragon! Not a fluffy dog.

The Blade Dragon accepted, stepping into his hands daintily and sniffing them. He smelled tasty!

Mellon croon and affectionately rubbed his head against his rider's head. It was such a funny sound! He liked it and found it funny. He thought his rider seemed more himself in those moments almost.

Mark smiled. "Okay. How about Draconium, or Draco for short? It's the fancy way of saying 'dragon.'"

Blade smiled. "No eating my hands. I had my breakfast, and you have had yours already."

"Tease," Tithenor mumbled, scratching Mellon under the chin.

The dragon gave him a look. He already knew he was a dragon, why did he need to get reminded of it every time Mark called him? Not to mention, he'd be calling to every dragon on the island.

Mmm, fair point, the little Blade dragon agreed and climbed up to his shoulder. This wasn't bad. It was a good view. Now, where were they going?

Mellon crooned and leaned into it happily.

Mark sighed. "I'll keep thinking then. Here. Brought you a little treat..." He gave his dragon the piece of biscuit he saved for him.

Blade looked at everyone else. "Let's go before we're late. I really don't want to find out what Professor Angelo has in store if we are..."

The little Frillback crooned excitedly, accepting the treat and licking at the crumbs before trying to swallow the biscuit piece whole. Yummy treat! Yummy!

"That would be a good idea," Tithenor agreed, turning to lead the way. "I believe the training ring is on the next island."

Mark carried his little Frillback with him to the training island. Blade followed in the back. He made sure his dragon didn't fall off of his shoulder.

Alterrion had waited patiently for his students to arrive. There was only a couple of minutes left until he started class, and he was still missing four.

Tithenor crossed the bridge but waited for the other three. Blade's dragon shifted from his shoulders as they crossed the bridge. She didn't like it up there. Instead, she hooked her razor like claws in the back of his shirt and hung there like a backpack, her wings draped over his shoulders and her nose pressed against his neck under his ear.

Pat froze at the bridge. Swallowing, she forced herself to take a step. Then two. She couldn't do it!