Dragon Rider Play

Erika answered with a yawn and curled her body around the knife, falling asleep with it clutched in her bitty talons.

Tithenor froze the meat for Mellon then sat near Mark, watching his dragon eat.

Melloraumo curled up next to Tithenor as he ate. Once he was done, the little dragon let out a mighty yawn.

Mark smiled and waved a quiet greeting to Tithenor. He carefully picked up his sleeping dragon and set him in the cage. "I am going to check on Pat." He murmured to Tithenor. "Wanna come too?"

Blade jogged over to the forgery. He walked into the main area and looked around for the half-dwarf Krudd.

Tithenor glanced at Mark, his hand on Mellon's back.  "No, but thank you for inviting me."  He wanted to be alone for a time.

The Frillback yawned and curled up happily.

Krud was singing in Dwarven as he pounded some red hot metal."

Mark nodded and walked to the medical wing. "May I please see Pat? I want to make sure he's doing all right."

Melloraumo curled up next to Tithenor's belly to fall asleep. He liked the warmth while he slept.

Blade quietly sat on an anvil and just listened. He wasn't sure why, but he always enjoyed hearing other people sing.

53 looked up from the broken leg he was attending to and smiled.  "Of course.  Pat is doing quite well and will be rejoining you tomorrow, but I am sure a visitor will be welcome."

Tithenor sighed as he stroked the little dragon.  "/I am glad to have found one friend, at least./"

Krudd sang cheerfully, not noticing Blade until he turned and dunked what he was working on in the water.  "Hello, Blade.  Whatcha need, boy?"

Mark nodded a thanks and went back to see his friend.

Melloraumo crooned sleepily. It was good his rider was happy...

Blade lifted his pockmarked shirt up enough Krudd could see the angry, red, slightly bleeding marks from Erika's spikes. "Sir, we found a health hazard for me liking to cuddle my Blade Dragon. Blue suggested I talk to you about maybe some leather armor to protect myself?"

Pat was busy trying out names on her dragon, reading them from a book 53 had lent her.  "You aren't really a flower name girl, are you?" she asked.

"/Sleep, little one,/' Tithenor smiled.

Krudd eyed him and stroked his beard.  "Hmm.... I may have just the thing.  Follow me."  He gestured for Blade to follow him into the back.

Pat's dragon lightly nosed a page. That was a pretty flower. What was that one?

(It's a nightshade flower XD pretty, but also very poisonous)

Mark smiled and stood where he was a short ways away. He didn't want to interrupt anything.

Melloraumo soon enough drifted off to sleep, snoring just a little in his rider's lap.

Blade put his shirt down and nodded. He slid off the anvil and followed the forgemaster back.

Pat moved the book enough to read it.  "Nightshade, Belladonna, Devil's Cherries, Naughty Man's Cherries, Divale, Black Cherry, Devil's Herb, Great Morel, Dwayberry..."  She glanced at her dragon.  Dwayberry?  That's a weird word.  I kind of like Belladonna."


Tithenor stayed where he was, stroking Melloraumo.  He let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling.


Krud went to the back wall where a giant chest sat.  He opened it and started sorting through the items.  "Small, medium, or large?"

Pat's dragon wrinkled her nose at the word Dwayberry. She liked Nightshade, Belladonna, and Divale though.

A few boys filtered in and out, but none really disturbed the elf.
(Debates on if some try to mug Tithenor or not....)

"Um, probably a small or medium?" Blade said. "I'm not exactly a big guy..."

"Yeah, I don't like it either," Pat said, shaking her head.  "Divale... No, sounds more like a boy's name.  Nightshade or Belladonna."  She looked at her dragon.  "Hmm...."

Tithenor didn't appear to notice them though he followed their movements.  

"Okay, then you won't want this.  Or this.  This is right size, too many straps. Here, try those one on.  Then this one."  Krudd hardly even glanced at him as he tossed a couple styles of leather vests.  The leather was surprisingly light and supple.

The feathered black dragon tilted her head at her rider. She liked both.

A couple of them stopped outside of the stall and hissed to each other in low tones. One threw a fist sized rock at Tithenor's head.

Blade grabbed them and tried them on. He didn't turn his back to the professor, since he didn't want anyone else to really see that and ask questions. "This one feels good." He said after he tried on a couple.

"Both," Pat decided.  "Belladonna Nightshade, just Nightshade unless you're in trouble."  She laughed, nuzzling her little dragon.

Tithenor barely moved, tipping his head just enough for the rock to miss.  He didn't even look up, still stroking Mellaraumo.  Humans.  Such silly creatures.

Krudd looked him over.  "Good choice.  Stylish, but not too flashy.  It's sturdy enough to take all but the most serious sword swing, but not as flexible as some.  You sure?"

The newly named Belladonna Nightshade purred and licked her rider's cheek. She was very happy now!

Mark smiled a little and lightly rapped on a bedframe to announce himself. "Hey Pat. How're you feeling?"

Blade nodded. "Yes please. Thank you very much, sir."

The guys grumbled and entered the stall. One grabbed and held Melloraumo so he couldn't interfere. The little dragon peeped sleepily in confusion as the remaining guys overpowered and pinned Tithenor to the back wall. A couple more prevented any way to escape.

Pat jumped then looked up at Mark with a happy grin.  "Mark!  I found her name!  Or rather she found her name.  Belladonna Nightshade!  Maybe shortened for ease of saying it.  What do you think?"

Krudd nodded.  "Welcome.  Now will ye be paying that off in work or coinage?"  He appeared to be completely serious.

Tithenor was on his feet the instant they grabbed Mellon but wasn't fast enough to escape their grip.  Even pinned to the wall, his expression never wavered.  "You would do well to put him down."

Mark smiled, happy for his friend even though he was reminded again that his own dragon was still nameless. "I think that's awesome! It's elegant and deadly, just like the breed."

"Probably work." Blade responded. "I've never had much in the way of money."

The boys scowled and snickered. They mocked him for acting so much better and indifferent. One walked up and sucker punched the elf in the gut. Melloraumo cried out and struggled and squirmed to get free and help his rider.

"Just like her!" Pat said, hugging Nightshade and showering her with affection.  "How are things going in class?"

Krudd chuckled and shook his head.  "Then work hard in class and I'll consider it well earned, my boy!"

Tithenor folded just as the punch landed, absorbing less of an impact than was intended.  He hung dead weight from his attacker's arms, letting them support him.  Let's see how long that lasted.

Nightshade was sure to give as much affection back at Pat. She loved her rider, and wanted her to be as happy as she made the dragon.

Blade nodded graciously. "I will do my best." He promised. "Is there anything you need of me while I'm here?" He offered.

These guys clearly had expected to hold up the elf's weight, and merely stayed firm and restricting Tithenor's movements. Another guy picked up the rock he threw and brought it down on the back of Blue's head. Melloraumo started to cry, but the guy holding him held the little dragon's muzzle shut.

Krudd shook his head.  "Not really.  Thanks for asking."

Blue reeled in pain, his world shifting.  He heard voices.  Voices of people that should not have been here.  Shouting.  Scolding.  He shook his head, barely able to fucus.  His hands came up, gripping the boys' forearms and using them as he scissored his legs around swiping their feet out from under them.  He rolled as he landed and straightened, his eyes cold.  "I said it would be well of you to put him down."  Without looking, he brought his heel down hard on one of the boy's hands before he could get to his feet.  The crunching of little bones was most satisfying.

Erika and Mark's Frillback woke along with a couple other dragons.  Erika hiss and started chattering, anger building inside.  What were they doing to her clanmate?  The Frillback squawked, fighting to roar like a big dragon, smoke curling from his nostrils.  Other hatchlings woke, the warning cry spreading.  Danger!  Attacker!  Danger!

Blade nodded and left then. As he started to walk back, he wondered what his ffriends were doing and if he should bother them.

The guy with the freshly broken hand cried out in pain. The ones not holding Melloraumo all tied to attack and overwhelm Blue all at once. One of them even drew a sword given to him earlier in the day.

(Wonders if Alterrion goes to make sure the hatchlings are okay...)

(Nah to Alterrion, but Blade and Mark should feel their dragons' distress.  And Mark didn't answer Pat's question.  Just pointing things out.)

Tithenor fought back hard.  He was no stranger to fights, despite his cultured appearance, and he knew how to take one.  The point wasn't so much to win a fight as it was to show the other that they had to be willing to take a beating to give one.

(Sorry. That was my bad there.)

Mark smiled. "They're going well. Dragon Training is just games we play with our dragons." He was about to tell Pat about the game they did that day when he faltered, and his face got pale. Mark bolted out of the Medical Wing to where the dragons were kept.

Blade's head snapped in the direction of the Rookery and he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Something was wrong. He got two wicked knives ready.

The guys took the hits and continued to beat Tithenor more, and attempted to pin the elf again. Melloraumo tried to struggle more, but the grip on the little dragon only tightened to a hurtful amount.

(All good!)

Pat sat up, staring after Mark.  "Mark!  What's wrong?"  She looked to her dragon.  "Go help, please?  Something's wrong.  Just be very careful."

Tithenor managed to slam an elbow into one boy's ribs and he heard a crack.  Another got a heal of a hand to the nose hard enough to break it.  The elf couldn't understand it.  He was breaking bones but they still kept coming!  He was too close to the fight.  He couldn't do this!  He managed to keep himself away from the wall, but his head rang.  He couldn't last much longer.

The dragons were going ballistic by now, filling the rookery with screams of dragons.  Danger!  Danger!  Other boys felt their dragon's distress, but they were much slower on the mark than Blade or Mark and were far behind the other two.

Mark didn't answer Pat. He and Blade got there very shortly after the guys attacking Tithenor decided to retreat, and threw Melloraumo down cruelly in the process. Thankfully, the little dragon was unhurt. Sore, but unhurt.

Titheno sat in a corner of a stall, catching his breath.  He stirred, trying to go to Melloraumo, but his legs failed him.  He couldn't stand.  Couldn't even properly crawl.  Now that he was down, he was down.

Erika stood her cage door, chittering and screaming.  The Frillback was attempting to headbutt his door open, crooning and calling down to Mellon.