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 Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 8:39 pm
"Then we will not fly," she lied. Once he was mounted, he would not have much choice except to hold on. "Close your eyes and I will help you on." Still standing over him, she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Yes, I think that I can lift you."
The white dragon waiting on him rolled her eyes in a gesture that she had picked up from the humans. Are you sure that he has dragon blood? He is too old to act like a sniveling boy.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 8:45 pm
Jhovam looked at Sherel, then the white dragon, then Sherel again. He wanted to believe her, but he had observed too many mistresses to fully trust a woman complying to a slave's wish. He was about to protest, but the white dragon spoke.
Jhovam's face dropped down. His expression was shrouded by the shadows, but one could guess that Jhovam's body language said that he felt sorrow, guilt, or shame for what the female dragon observed. He felt submissive.
He did not say anything, but he allowed himself to be helped onto the dragon. He did not care about flight, or walking, or anything. The dragon was right - he wasn't anything like a dragon.
When he was in a somewhat comfortable position, Jhovam whispered to the dragon.
"You are right, Alabaster one. I shouldn't have any sort of dragon bond."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 8:50 pm
She snorted this time, responding privately as she gracefully lifted her body off of the ground by stretching her legs. That's not what I said. How old are you in human years?
Sherel was just happy that the boy had climbed unto the dragon, and so focused on her own mount. She was ready to go as soon as she sat on the dragon's back.
The white dragon seemed to be leading the group, and started them off at a slow walk. She would be nice to Jhovam for a few minutes, but planned to take off soon.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 9:09 pm
"I am seventeen and a few moons, Alabaster." Jhovam whispered. "Not yet a man." He bobbed with the rhythm of the stepping of the white dragon. He felt exhausted, and the rhythm was soothing to him.
". . . Not yet a man." Jhovam pondered his words. He wasn't a man. He never bed with a mistress, he never fought and won in a battle, and he never grew a beard. He was shy, meek, and small. In his life, it was perfect for him - he never attracted unwanted attention. But in a world of dragons and power, he just might not fit in it.
Little did Jhovam know that Ygrashmak truly inserted part of himself in the slaveboy's psyche during the premature switch. He implanted a sort of mental backbone. It was crude and poorly done, but it was definitely performing the desired effect. Jhovam began questioning his upbringing and his future.
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 8:35 am
The two dragons tilted their heads towards each other and looked between themselves and Sherel, probably conferring without the humans. Judging the character of a person you have just met is difficult, especially if you do not even share the same species. And in this case, judging age was frustrating even with a solid numeric answer to go off of.
Well, the white one spoke to the boy as if coming to a conclusion, you will be a man once you learn to ride a dragon.
How many of your men have had such a magnificent honor? the other dragon agreed with gruff pride. The opal that Sherel rode began flapping its wings first, lifting only a few feet off of the ground to begin with.
Hold on tight! the Alabaster instructed gleefully as she began to do the same.
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:39 pm
Jhovam nervously held on tightly. Very tightly. He lowered his body down to the scaly, warm surface below him as they gradually gained altitude. He felt the wind push him back, so he got as low to the dragon as he could. He still could see left and right, which he rejoiced at.
He watched the grass and rocks speed up below him, then he did something greatly unexpected: he smiled. His body naturally swayed in rhythm with the dragon's beating of her wings. The feeling of the accelerating wind through his flapping hair was more splendid than massaging mistresses' sore feet! He leaned up a bit and shouted in the wind to the Alabaster.
"We can go faster, right?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:27 am
She laughed, ringing inside his head; Faster, it is! she agreed with strong down-beat of her wings. My name, by the way, is Amilatchaeus, but you can call me Amil. That was what Sherel called her because she had trouble remembering and pronouncing the rest of it.
Although they climbed higher, they by no means reached an impressive height. The idea was not to announce to the whole world that flying lizards were back in business, but to go faster than running on the ground while still being able to pounce on any thing that they found down there. The dragons that they were looking for were younger and therefor could not fly for as long, but as Amil informed Jhovam, they had a considerable head-start. Cedric and Sherel had been busy lately, and forgotten that most of the dragons in their care were not just the noble beast in their mind's eye, but children and early adolescents.
But the young ones had caught on that something important was happening across the mountains. While bonded humans from Feretris might be fascinated by this place where dragons were coming back into the world, the dragons found that fairly mundane by now, and were more interested in seeing Feretris. They were also excited to get out from under the eyes of any supervisors, of course. Luckily, they weren't very knowledgeable about how to cover their tracks. Amil pointed out some of the signs of their passing to Jhovam as they went along.
How did they know the straightest passage through? Sherel's dragon complained as dusk was falling. Although they had rested once briefly while Jhovam and Sherel ate, they were exhausted by then and had to stop.
Tomorrow, Amil grumbled as they curled up under an overhanging rock that shielded them from snow and wind, we'll catch up to the little brats.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:17 am
Jhovam was gradually getting use to the dragons. He didn't know why - a handful of years ago, Jhovam would have been scared stiff. Little to his knowledge, the mental breakdown he had made him very impressionable. And for the first time in his life, Jhovam was under a positive influence.
He hated heights, though. When they left a few feet over the air and made it a few yards, Jhovam had to look strait in front. When he did glance down, he buried his face in his robe while holding onto the dragon even tighter. It was hard for him to face a fear so constantly, but he persevered. Maybe it was some of the courage the dragons seem to have, or his dazed demeanor, but Jhovam was not panicking.
During the resting period, Jhovam curled under a cloak and fur blanket near Alabaster Amil. Once the shock of the dragons wore off, he realized how truly beautiful they were. He grew especially fond of Alabaster Amil, and when he grew chilled, he moved closer to her for warmth and comfort.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:55 am
Amil awoke to his stirring. Little human, she asked sleepily, how fares your other half? Will he be joining us again soon? We will be on the other side of the mountains and perhaps could meet up with him.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:05 am
Jhovam looked downward sheepishly. Honestly, he didn't know. The bond was still misty and incoherent. He only felt a mind far away, but he could not hear it, see it, or sense anything more.
"I - I am not sure. He started to ignore me, but . . . I just can not reach him. I am not sure if I want to."
Jhovam didn't know why he said it, but he knew it was true. He could have tried to reinitiate the intimacy of the bond, but he did not want to. In fact, he was enjoying his time without Ygrashmak in his mind. Jhovam still felt a grudge to what his dragon did to him, and he had yet to forgive.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:27 am
Child, you cannot rip out your lungs and expect to breathe. You must try to talk to him again. What if he is in trouble? Isn't he in Feretris? I have heard of many evils across the mountains. And in the mountains, but magic beings was more along the lines of dragon business. Your knowledge of the place could help him in a time of trouble, just as his magic could help you.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:34 am
Jhovam curled up into a tighter ball. "He forced me here, Alabaster Amil. I did not want to come, but I did. It hurt."
Jhovam looked away. He knew she was right - he did need to reinitiate the bond. Ygrashmak did a cruel thing, but Jhovam was in a bad situation. Tenderly, he reached out to the distant mind and brushed it. He felt a connection, but he also felt tension and stress. Something was happening, and Ygrashmak could be in danger!
Jhovam's eyes opened wide and he bolted out of the fur blanket. Standing alert, he looked around. "He is in trouble."
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:22 am
Amil raised her head and snorted. Shhh, she warned, not wanting to wake up Sherel before the situation had been assessed. How strong is your bond right now? It can be difficult when we are first learning, I know.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:24 am
Jhovam was still looking around. He felt like he should be searching, but he didn't know where. "We can t-trade spots. And w-we can talk. A-and we can be in each other's d-d-dreams."
Jhovam hated his stutter, but he had more pressing matters.
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:26 am
Amil was glad that the human likely could not read her face in the dark. Then...talk. she suggested as she bowed her head over him, breathing on his shoulder as if she meant to hear what transpired.
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