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Running is Always Uphill {DragonSong!}

Started by Celegwen, February 26, 2018, 06:27:18 PM

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Celegwen

Ash smiled genuinely, nodding to her silent complaint. He snapped his fingers once, and Galidor stood up, shaking his head with slight aggravation. "This isn't my job."

"Then you'll do it because you're a nice person."

"Fuck off." The wyvern approached Kyoko and Se'zeh. "Spread your arms and legs wider," he told the dragoness. "It helps gain your footing again."

DragonSong

Se'zeh growled at the other dragon, shrinking back into an automatically defensive stance as he approached. Kyoko laid a hand on her leg and whispered soothingly to her. She wasn't exactly feeling all that trustful herself, but she knew these people were their best chance.

Slowly, Se'zeh seemed to regain her footing somewhat, and she snorted softly, curving her head down to nudge her rider's shoulder. "Someone said something about caverns?"

Oh, right. "How far is it to these caverns of yours?"

Celegwen

"I try to help, and she growls at me," Galidor groaned, glaring at Ash over his shoulder. "I don't get women."

"You're a wyvern," Ash said, sneering at the drake. "You don't need to understand women!" The man sighed, shaking his head and switching his attention to Kyoko. "The Citadel Caverns are behind my base. They're pretty basic for guests and visitors, but Squadron members customize the caverns for their partners."

They started walking at a slower pace, making sure Se'zeh would be able to comfortably keep up.

DragonSong

"I am not a woman," Se'zeh retorted. "I am a dragoness."

Kyoko rolled her eyes and slapped the dragon's foreleg lightly. "Come on, let's get you some place to rest," she murmured, frowning slightly.

Se rolled her eyes. "You worry too much, little sister."

"With you involved, I worry exactly the right amount," her rider shot back. She seemed to be relaxing, just a bit, but she stayed as close to Se'zeh's side as she could manage, and her eyes still flickered around warily.

Celegwen

Ash brought them to the caverns, leading them to an empty one. It wasn't the biggest or most comfortable, but it was nothing permanent.

"Se'zeh will be safe here, Kyoko," Ash said. "You have my word. This place is completely fortified with every defense you can imagine."

He pressed his fingers to the corners of his lips and released a long whistle. A red figure with a skull-like pattern on her face came zipping around the mountainside. Galidor rolled his eyes and shook his head, as the red wyvern landed next to Ash. She bowed her head to the man and to the two newcomers.

"This is Sicarrius," he said with a smile. "She's much friendlier than Galidor and would be willing to stay with Se'zeh if it made you feel better."

DragonSong

"Wait." Kyoko looked from the new dragon to her bond mate to Ash and back. "I- I'm staying with her. I'm not leaving her."

Se'zeh started to growl, sinking low next to her rider and dropping her head to hover beside her shoulder.

Celegwen

He was admittedly a little shocked at the girl's reaction. It was understandable that she would be hesitant in leaving the dragon, but would she really rather sleep in a cavern than the base?

"I, uh..." Ash shrugged slightly, raising a brow at the girl. "I mean if that's what you want, no one will force anything else. We do have rooms available for use, though."

DragonSong

She shook her head fervently, wrapping one arm around Se's neck. The dragon's growling softened to a croon and she nuzzled the woman's hip.

"I stay with Se," she said firmly, eyes flinty, daring him to challenge her. "We'll be just fine out here. Thank you."

Celegwen

Despite his own pride and wishes, Ash decided that it was better for the girl and the dragoness to let them do whatever it was that made them most comfortable.

"As you wish," Ash said, bowing to Kyoko. He snapped his fingers twice, telling Sicarrius to leave. The red wyvern extended her wings and took flight. Ash climbed onto Galidor's saddle, taking flight immediately after Sicarrius.

"Someone likes the new girl," Galidor teased Ash.

Ash kicked Galidor, to which the drake chuckled. "Shut it," the man said. "I'm doing what I would for anyone else. I'll make my rounds, then go back tonight."

DragonSong

Kyoko relaxed slightly when he didn't seem to be putting up a fight about that, and she offered a tiny, incredibly brief smile. "Thanks." She nodded sharply and slipped back toward Se'zeh so she could inspect her wing herself.

The sound of the wyvern taking off from the cave brought her attention back around for a moment, and she watched them fly away. "Hm..."

Se'zeh snorted, shaking her head. "What do you make of them?"

Kyoko shook her head in turn, lips pursed and brow furrowed. "I- I really don't know."

Celegwen

The day continued on with nothing really out of the ordinary taking place. Basic training ensued, as did some typical sparring between friends.

As nighttime approached, Ash let Galidor retire to the caverns for the night. The man started making his way to the caverns also, only to be stopped by a red wyvern with a white head. Sicarrius smirked at her rider, knowing what he was doing. "I'm coming along," she said to him telepathically.

He nodded, and they walked together the rest of the way. The duo made sure not to wake anyone up, only waving to the circling dragon teams who were flying above.

Sicarrius curled herself in a tight ball, while Ash sat atop the cavern where Kyoko and Se'zeh were settled. He hadn't checked if they were awake, but he just rested there to make sure they were okay. It wasn't so much Se'zeh that he was concerned about, but rather Kyoko because people didn't usually sleep in the caverns. It could get pretty cold after all.

DragonSong

Kyoko has always been a light sleeper, and nerves made her even more so. The third or fourth time she woke with a start, she sighed and tugged her travel cloak a little tighter around her body.

Quietly, she got to her feet, gave the sleeping Se'zeh a kiss on her brow, and picked her way toward the entrance of cavern. She sat and let her feet dangle out over the lip of the opening, staring up at the distant stars.

Celegwen

"Couldn't sleep?" Ash said quietly. He was lounging further back against Sicarrius' side with his legs crossed at the ankles, so he assumed the girl hadn't seen him when she climbed to the edge of the cavern. A smirk rested on his lips, though he wasn't sure she would see it in the darkness. It was a new moon, so there was hardly any light, aside from the stars.

DragonSong

The young woman stiffened, but she managed to repress the urge to whirl around with a dagger in hand. She turned slowly toward the voice, craning her neck back to look up at Ash.

"You could say that." She cocked a hip and folded her arms over her chest. "And what exactly are you doing here? Don't trust me?" She wasn't exactly surprised to be sleeping under guard, but it certainly wasn't ideal.

Celegwen

"Not at all," Ash said calmly. "Actually making sure you're safe. Some of the people here get suspicious when a guest or visitor refuses to stay in a room, regardless of reasoning. Just staying here to make sure no one bothers you."

DragonSong

"Mm." Kyoko wrapped her arms around herself, settling down to perch on the lip of the cavern. "Well. Thanks," she muttered, frowning slightly.

Why was he being so nice? What did he want?

"What do you get out of this?" she asked abruptly, eyeing him sidelong.

Celegwen

A small shrug was the only real reply Kyoko was getting out of Ash to that question. There really wasn't an answer, after all. He was doing it as a gracious host.

"I don't get anything out of it," he said. "Just thought you'd be more comfortable with me here than someone you've never met."

DragonSong

"No." She shook her head. "I mean all of this. Helping Se, not turning us in- why? What do you get out of it?"

Celegwen

Once again, Ash shrugged. "Why would I turn you in?" He asked. "If I turned you in, I should turn in seventy-five percent of my teams. This squadron is built upon people who want to do right, but were unable to do so for various reasons. There's a reason why we're so secluded here. Nobody knows where we are, otherwise we wouldn't exist."

He gave her a genuine smile, though smaller than most. "Plus, I get to help an injured dragon and a pretty girl, so I see no downside."

DragonSong

Kyoko gave him a slightly startled look, almost like a frightened doe.

She wasn't often called pretty, if ever.

"Ah...well, thanks then, I guess," she mumbled rubbing absently at her upper arm as she glanced away. She still didn't entirely buy it, but...he seemed genuine.

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