Welcome!

[CloakAndDagger]

Tap.
Tap. Tap.
The sound was soft at first, like pebbles hitting a sidewalk.
But it grew louder and it grew quicker until it came in jolting, resounding booms through the empty dorm halls. Aflame blown out, it stopped abruptly. And there was silence for a fleeting moment before the sound began again. The second time around, it was louder than the first.

Someone was nailing something to the barracks doors.

Either in sleeplessness or curiosity, tired eyes started to steal glances through the bare sun and shadows as Magus forced open the wooden entrance. Light flooded through in gold and roses and the growing intensity of the change nearly swallowed the silhouette of the rosemary as he stood by the threshold. His eyes, wise and keen, lit kindly to the weary young ones peering through the morning. And he spoke gently to entice them forward. “Young ones.” Siren muse, his graceful voice called to them. “Young ones, awaken. It’s your last lesson before graduation.” Smile quietly growing in anticipation, the pale rosemary waited. “And this one may be the most important of all. I promise, I shall make it worth your while.” A paw forward, he looked around to the slowly appearing wyrmlings. “Come. Awaken.” The words were as soft silk, but held a sort of subtle energy. Kinetic. Waiting to be released.

Upon the doors that he passed as he led the gathering throng of half sleeping dreamers were the names of their very own, but, set into two sheets and divided. “This will be your last full lesson from me. Hopefully, the next time we meet, it will be moments before your well earned graduation.” His bright eyes passed from face to face. “But, before then, I must ask one last challenge of you. And, in many cases, what passes today will either confirm or deny your acceptance into true adulthood. It is the most important, and most dangerous, and most challenging of all that I have asked you to contend with so far.” Wise, but serious, there was still an optimism lining his lips, if only for show. “There will be three parts to this test and each must be accomplished before you can begin the next. It will be a show of your abilities as well as your teamwork.”

Magus, his eyes growing lighthearted, gestured to the two pages upon the door. “These are your two teams, your temporary wings. Gather and name yourselves. If you do not know your peers now, you will by the end of this gauntlet.”

“Now, quickly, there is not much time.” His head rose upon his neck like a crane looking into the horizon. “Listen closely. To the west of here, in the forests of the fields, there are a series of caverns set into the soft of the rock. At the entrances, there will be two riddles. The first wing will take the first and the second will take the other. You must enter into the right cavern, else you will lose precious time. Once in the cavern, you will find traps, pits, and anything that can bar your way to the end. But, if you manage to navigate through, the exit will contain a key.”

The things grew more exciting. The rosemary nearly stood on his toes, he was so curious as to how they would do. “And the key will lead to a prize.”

But then things got more challenging. “But, only the wing with both the keys can receive the prize.”

The tension from the students was nearly palpable. “Be wary. Be keen. Watch your surroundings. The obstacles you encounter may not always be straightforward.” The sage, feathers prickled, leaned in.


“Now, Go! And succeed!” And the gates were opened.

Team One
Ammit
Lichen
Psamanthe
Tonare
Fathom
Glaucier
Antimony
Quark
Galileo

Team Two
Anemone
Opiat
Buccinal
Mire
Dichroic
Tachyon
Perkele
Le Nie Faleau
Pulse
Proxy

Wyrmlings Are 10 Months
Alixandra and Earth Ammit (69-99 ft)
Arcyanis and Water Mire (84 ft)
Ekrika and Water Fathom (84 ft)
Ouray and Fire Proxy (54-75 ft)
Nirvana and Glass Dichroic (12-60 ft)
Skad and Karma Galileo (42-54 ft)
Aldor and Crystal Antimony (42-48 ft)
Claude and Gravity Tachyon (36-48 ft)
Dalien and Ice Glaucier (30-48 ft)
Asmeain and Lightning Perkele (30-36 ft)
Lyserg and Lightning Quark (30-36 ft)
L'louche and Air Le Nie Faleau (21-42 ft)
Lyre and Sonic Pulse (24-33 ft)
Kairen and Sonic Tonare (24-33 ft)
Mykhail and Sonic Buccinal (24-33 ft)
Halifax and Forest Psamanthe (18-33 ft)
Neron and Forest Anemone (18-33 ft)
Faria and Rosemary Opiat (8.4-10.8 ft)
Larka and Rosemary Lichen (8.4-10.8 ft)

(((OCC)))
YAY! Last full lesson!
I apologize if this seems so long and tedious, but, I will make every effort to speedily guide you and your characters through this nonsense. I encourage you to post short quick responses (though, at least a paragraph). I will also create a lounge topic so that, if someone isn’t in the c-box to chat to, you can leave them a note there. I encourage you to work together!

In this first post, I want you all to gather, then divide and name your little wings. Then, run off to the cavern! There, I will bring you the description of the situation, and the riddle.

Then, make your choice, and I will respond with what you find. …And how you find it.


Ekekeke! Please be excited! I am. ;u;
And you seriously do get an IC prize!

Feel free to ask questions or PM me!

[Nherva]

Tap. Buccinal's ear twitched at the sudden sound. Tap. Another twitch. Tap. Both ears twitched and swiveled about and the Sonic grumbled and lifted his head. He'd heard the tapping, but not the shuffling around as Mykhail dressed himself for the day. As usual he'd already been up long before the others including his dragon.

"Oh good you're up," he said, noticing Buc's head rise from where he was resting. "Lesson today.

"Spoilsport," the Sonic chimed, then stretched his body like a great cat, yawning to display his maw full of horrendously sharp teeth. As usual he'd wanted to sleep in. He liked his sleep, especially considering that once he woke, he was at something all day until it was time to sleep again. There wasn't too much time for resting as a practicing wyrmling. Even when they didn't have lessons, it was always practice practice practice. Mykhail claimed it was so that once on the battlefield, they had less of a chance of dying, though no practice could prepare them for what experience was needed for.

The Sonic stood, disturbing the obsidian creature curled into an immobile ball in his nest. Ciar looked like a shiny rock until he moved, unfurling from his sleeping position and shaking out his mane—which didn't need much shaking considering it was and immobile design adhered to his form.

"At least we don’t have to go camping again," the wyrmling's rider stated with a smirk. That had been an interesting experience, but certainly not one he wished to repeat any time soon with nothing to his name but a pocket-knife. Just because one could survive with nothing didn't mean they should be forced to anyway.

The pair left their quarters and headed to the gathering place where Magus awaited them. Once more of the class had arrived and he started to explain things, the more unsavory this lesson sounded. Teamwork wasn't something Buccinal was good at, and it showed in his lack of friends and companions. He'd promised his rider that he'd try after a rather long and drawn out argument earlier that week, but there were no guarantees when it came to Buc. It really all depended on his mood for the day.

Magus released them to their teams, and Buccinal remained where he was, just…watching the others. Mykhail could tell that he didn't want to do this particular exercise. He wanted no part of it. In fact, going back to bed seemed like the best idea at the moment. Mykhail sighed and gently pushed against Buccinal's thick neck to get his attention. "The faster we get over there and do it the faster we'll be done," he said, feeling some pity for his Sonic at least. The others would be chattering away like there was no tomorrow and all he'd be able to do was sit there and listen. He took too much time to form and produce a sentence, it was embarrassing, and Mykhail knew how it made him feel.

Buccinal hrumphed and reluctantly followed Mykhail as he approached the diverse group of young dragons and their riders. But his head was held high. Ashamed he might be, but there was no reason for him to carry the posture of one less capable. After all, he knew there were at least a few in his class he could either out-fly, out-fight or out-element if he had to. He had his strengths.

"Hi guys," Mykhail said, trying to sound friendly as he approached the group he'd been assigned to. "Any body got any ideas?" he wondered. He knew Buccinal wasn't going to contribute to naming their little wing, and he wasn't exactly the most creative man on earth, so he hoped some of the others had at least some kind of idea.

((I know they are both oh-so-helpful -.-))

[Zinc]

The irritating pattern of taps that crescendoed into something all-together terrible to hear in the morning, startled Larka into wakefulness, quickly followed by her throwing her pillow over her head and mumbling. Lichen who was just as unhappy with their latest creative wake-up call, mumbled something and went to feed Faren as Larka got up and got dressed. Apparently it was time for another Wyrmling-lesson. She sighed and rubbed her eyes and face tiredly, still not too chipper. She was spending far too much time awake at night reading. It was like she was trying to cram altogether too much information into her head. They had begun to help in the Infirmary more again, as with the plans to move forth against Nidhogg brewing again, soon wounded would come fleeting back to the Academy from the front-lines.

Lichen and Larka left Faren to his breakfast, the cat apparently no worse for the wear from the odd wake-up call. The two trailed after their comrades to see what the ruckus had been. Both looked to their lesson-master as they were told that this was to be their last full lesson. Both tipped their heads, looking at each other in a wistful sort of manner. Bright side: No more odd wake up calls, dark side? Well...in a way perhaps they would miss being about with their hatch-mates so frequently. But all things had their time, and it happened that this one was drawing to its finish sooner than the duo had expected. It had already been so long they had been together. Larka almost chuckled, but held it in as they listened quietly to what their wyrmling-master's instructions held for this day.

A three-part challenge that ended with a prize. They were to fly to the forests and to find what lay in wait for them in the caverns there. A riddle...Lichen tilted his head as Larka went to read over the list for the teams they had been assembled in. He surveyed the forests and frowned. He was capable of holding his rider in the air for short periods of time, and he could, no-doubt, make this race of his with her upon his back, but not with the speed that was necessary in this race to function as a wing. He looked about his comrades and finally worked up the courage. Not wishing to be a burden to any of his classmates, he instead, looked to Alix and Ammit as Larka returned from behind him.

The gates had been opened, and it seemed that rather than take off in a mad flurry, teams were assembling and trying to make sure they knew who was to be where before they began their dash to hopeful success. "Excuse me, Lady Earth?" Lichen called to Ammit. "I wonder if it would trouble you and your rider to take my rider with you? This is a game of speed I think...and I do not yet have the endurance nor strength to keep up..." he felt guilty for asking for help. His brother probably required none of that, but Lichen still had some growing to do yet, and muscles to strengthen. He would get there soon enough, but that day was not today.

[Alix]

Having been awoken by a combination of an annoying tapping and the movements of her roommate Alix awoke to another early morning. Her limbs felt heavy as she moved from the bed and towards her chest that held all of her belongings and clothes. After shuffling through the chest for a few moments the Earth wyrmling finally found something presentable for the lesson. After a quick change of clothes she walked over to her companion's couch to rouse her fully. Ammit had also been aware of the annoying sound outside of their room and didn't like the fact that she had been awakened using such a rude method. She knew that it was time for another lesson and that she needed to get up, but a haze of grogginess still rested over her being.

Shifting she reluctantly rose to her full height and stature and stretched. After rubbing her face with a paw to get rid of the rest of her sleepy haze she looked towards her rider. She nudged her rider as the girl approached her with a brush for her mane. "What's wrong?" She asked as she sat back down to be tended too. She felt an overall feeling of weariness and figured that it was coming from her rider. Quickly running over the flaxen fur with the brush, Alix shook her head. "I'm alright Ammit. Just a bit tired that's all." Moving to the other side she brushed the rest until the mane was soft and untangled. Crooning softly she said, "Do not worry. I am sure that the day will go by fast and before you know it we'll have time to ourselves. Come now, we have to see what this lesson is about", she growled lightly. Setting the brush down Alix headed back over to companions couch and grabbed the saddle that rested on pegs in the wall.

Following Ammit out of their room the earth wyrmling noticed a few of her other classmates had gathered near the barrack doors. She heard the voice of Magus, their master calling them to gather. Joining the group Alix leaned back against Ammit who didn't mind supporting her tired rider. The three test didn't sound too daunting to Alix as she stood there thinking. It would give them another chance to work as a Wing before they were officially assigned to one, and it would give Ammit a chance to take major advantage of her elemental abilities. Alix regretted the fact that they hadn't touched upon that more during their free time together. Most of that time had been devoted to broadening her knowledge of everything dragonriding, or gaining some experience with various weapons. At the mention of a prize for the winning 'wing' Alix raised an eyebrow. As with most people the thought of a prize at the end of the tunnel peaked her interest. What would it be? Money? A masterfully crafted weapon? "We have to win before we can start thinking of prizes. I can tell that this test will need all of our focus." Ammit commented as she began to walk over towards her 'wingmates'. Teamwork didn't really bother her per say but if she had the option she would rather be put in a smaller unit of about 4.

The Earth pair mused and talked among themselves about their task for the day and what may lie ahead. "We will be the best. If not by group then personally. I will surly see to th-" She stopped her proclamation mid sentence at the sound of a voice behind her. With a slight curiosity as to who it was the dragoness turned to see one of her own kind. "Yes?" She was surprised to see one of the Rosemary twins- Lichen if memory served- standing there before her. She certainly hadn't expected him to ask her to carry his rider with her. Not that would be much of a problem, it was just that they hadn't really interacted as wyrmlings and it was a kind of 'out of the blue' request. The female pondered the question for a moment before giving a response. "I will carry your rider with mine Lichen. Do you object Alix?" The girl shook her head as she stepped up to Ammit's side. "It's alright with me. Were a team anyway, we have to help each other out." Ammit then gave Lichen a small nod of approval. He seemed like a nice dragon and she was bigger than him- and everyone else for that matter- so the extra weight wouldn't hinder her in the slightest. Tapping her partners shoulder and gesturing towards the saddle in her hands. Obeying Ammit leaned down and allowed her rider to put on the saddle that she detested so much. "Will you stop fussing? This is our last full lesson and I'll get you a new one when we graduate." Thumping the dragon's leg the young girl smiled softly.

[Carni]

Ouray + Proxy - Team 2

Ouray had always been an early riser and his time as new rider together with Proxy had done little to change that. It had its advantages and one of them certainly was that both he and Proxy had time for a meal before class, time for a bath or in Proxys case time to doze off a few more moments in the sun that barely crept over the horizon. And it also meant they didn't get caught unawares or worse show up late for a class. Magus had been one of the most forgiving teachers Ouray had met in his short life but that didn't mean the young rider liked being late to anything. Or missing his morning meal. Or make Proxy miss her morning meal which usually served to make her grumpy for the entire day to come. Or merely sluggish when her growing body did not get the fuel it needed to sustain both movement and growth at the same time. Either way... Ouray enjoyed being up early and it usually resulted in him being among the first to arrive for class, sitting around idly while the rest came, often still sleepy and rubbing their eyes. Today was much the same with Ouray sitting atop Proxy's head as he sharpened a blade with a wetstone, watching their teacher pin some sort of list to the door, basking in what little sun they could catch before their next lesson had them running off to only god knew where. Or rather their teacher knew where... which in reflection was pretty much the same.

Ouray frowned as he tested the blade with his thumb, a tiny blob of crimson appearing as he touched the edge just as it should be. Statisfied with his work he put both sword and wetstone away with deliberate care, his movements slow but determined. He looked up in time to hear their teacher speak to the class, resting one hand just above Proxy's eye on the ridge that formed her eyebrow. It felt warm, oddly soft and welcoming despite the tough scales underneath his fingers. He smiled gently leaning forward as he listened. Their last true lesson. Not much longer and they would be able to join a wing. To go forth and do their part to secure this world for the generations to come. His smile deepened at the thought and his hand caressed Proxy's eyeridge, a low rumble of pleasure rising from the huge beast beneath him. It meant that someday... she would be done growing. Her mind was still young, still forming, but maybe she would settle a little once the growth begun to slow down, once her body stopped throwing her off balance every day anew. Soon. Soon they would be dragon and rider for real. One last test and they would be done. Obviously... it would be a challenging one.

After Magus was done speaking, Proxy rose to inspect the list more closely, shaking herself to rid herself of the last bits of sleepyness. Ouray still on her head. He had sensed her movement before she actually rose, shifting his weight further back on her scaly back, towards the saddle he had already strapped onto her. He wasn't quite fast enough and yelped when the ground below him suddenly twisted and shook, almost dislodging him from her head. He managed to grab hold on one of the ivory horns protruding from her head and clung to it with both arms, wrapping them tight around it and pressing his side into the sturdy horn. His feet slipped once but the muscles in his arms were strong enough to hold him despite her rough shaking and when it finally ceased, he muttered a curse into her ear and clambered hastily into the saddle. He strapped himself tightly into the seat and growled at her as Proxy calmly strode to the lists, her amusement flaring through their shared link. Bloody hell, she'd done that on purpose to see if he was awake and able to cling on!

She paused a moment to press one eye close enough to the list so she could actually read the names - or work out the patterns she knew represented her classmates before snorting and settling down once more. Ouray himself got a good, long look at the list from where he sat at the base of her skull and patted her head idly, watching the others. He wasn't really creative, truth be told, Proxy was the thinker of the pair and naming a group was the least favorite task he had heard of today. Proxy was quiet for a moment, watching as one of her classmates strode over, his rider... Mykhail was it? asked if anyone had any ideas. A split second later, she opened her mouth, her voice rolling from her throat, deep and full at it always were, resonating even through Ouray in his seat:

"We name us First Wing. Because we will be first. And a wing is what we are, even if only a small one.", she stated, matter of factly. Ouray found it odd to name their second group 'first' when there was a first to be had but found no grounds to disagree with her. Proxy wasn't quite the most patient dragon in fact so Ouray wasn't supprised to feel her get to her feet only a moment later and hear her say: "That being done... Let's get moving. Grab your saddles and mount up. I won't be loosing to them." she flipped her head towards where the other team was gathering, indicating that she wasn't willing to loose to the other Wyrmlings of their class just because they wasted time on naming their wing.

Ouray frowned, remaining quiet for a moment. Proxy could be quite bossy, he assumed and it probably was his fault for not putting her into her place... ...but where was her place exactly? With Ammit on the other team, Proxy was probably the heaviest and largest of this group, altough he believed she would neither be the swiftest, nor smartest or even most powerful. But since nobody else had really spoken up... ...hopefully they wouldn't start complaining and begin a leadership debate now. Proxy wasn't their leader. She just wanted to get things done. Preferrably swiftly and now. He paused a moment longer, then leaned down to look for the Rosemary of their group.

"Opiat!", he called out, looking for the flashing red and white of their classmate: "If you tire carrying yours during the flight...", he waved a hand towards Proxys back, indicating the empty spot between her shoulderblades where thanks to his unusual seat no saddle was in the way. He said no more but hoped that the Rosemary would understand his offer of a resting spot should he need one during their trip to the forest. He would only slow them down if they all had to land and wait for him to catch his breath. Proxy wouldn't be flying fast but his additional weight meant little for her all things considered. Tachyon was in their group aswell... ...and as usual Ouray wasn't sure if she could even fly. Or if asking her to hop on would be an insult... ...and if Proxy was able to sustain flight with the much heavier dragon loaded ontop her. Given that Tachyon didn't use her elemental abilities. He couldn't remember seeing her fly... but he had probably just been too busy with Proxy to look out for it. He'd just... ...stay quiet and wait for her and her rider to speak up if they needed assistance...

[Incognito]

Perkele and Asmeain - Team 2

Asmeain could only smile crookedly as he heard the tap tap on the doors and the unmistakable velvet voice of the Rosemary Magus. The white lizard had attended too many of his Wrymling lessons to be truly surprised anymore but these so called 'wake-up' calls. If anything it served as a sort of amusement since unlike most of the others Asmeain had gotten into the habit of raising before dawn. That way he'd have time to himself before the commotion of the day started. In this practice Perkele had joined in as well, preferring not to be ' so rudely awoken' as she put it through whatever eccentric way their Lessonmasters choose to run with on whatever particular day there was to be a lesson, which was rather unpredictable in any case.

As usual the pair readied themselves in silence, preparing and wondering about the lesson ahead. This one was to be the last before graduation. There was no telling what was to pass this day and a mutual anxious spirit melded between dragon and rider. So far things had been rather lighthearted considering the grimness of what they were being trained for. Perhaps the victories in the West were the reason for this, that the army thought it didn't need to be so hard on those in-training for a cause that was surly coming to a close.

Asmeain swallowed a growl as he fixed the strip-ups on Perkele's saddle. To think that everything up to this point was a waste of time...it didn't bear thinking about. Finishing the adjustments the desert boy leapt nimbly into the Lightnings saddle, shifting himself to test the saddles hold. It'd do no good for it to be loose and slip in flight. He'd already gotten himself chewed over that once and it'd been unpleasant enough. No need for a second helping.

" Comfortable, Perkele?" asked Asmeain. The Lightning turned her head to better look at her bonded, her pale gold eyes squinted in thought. "Yes, as a harness will warrant. The fur padding in a large improvement however from the last design, but I'm not sure if it will divert the worst of my static charge from you, just the opposite actually." Asmeain shrugged. There was never a design Perkele couldn't find a fault with, though Asmeain believe it was mostly her distaste for closeness that fed her criticism. " A little shock here and there doesn't scare me." Perkele remained doubtful as she turned for the door, following the other wrymlings down the hallway. " We shall see mine, we shall see."

Gathering in the meeting grounds both rider and dragon listened intently to the white Rosemary and all the news he had to bare. At the mention of a prize Asmeain raised an eyebrow, curiosity perked but suspicious all the same. Three trails filled with traps and pitfalls to test their knowledge, elemental prowess and ability to work as a team, the outcome of which would decide their fate as Wingmembers. It was a one chance Pass-or-fail. Asmeain silently cursed the white lizard in his head for this assignment. From the shade of his hood, after reading the list, the desert born sent a doubtful stare at his new "Wing". Though he hardly knew his fellow wrymlings well, he knew enough that the pick was not favorable. Asmeain's mood darkened considerably. Perkele herself was uncertain. " Can they truly deny us our right to graduate? We were raised for this outcome, how can we be denied it?" whispered the lightning to her bonded as they made to gather with their newly assigned Wing.

" I don't know Perkele, but I don't intend to find out." The desert-born whispered quietly back, tension snipping his words. They reached their huddle in time to hear some exchange of words between some of the Wrymlings, namely the Fire Proxy, on the subject of the wing name and about the rosemary should he tire. Knowing the gates were open Asmeain wanted to make way for it right away, but he couldn't not yet and it irked him more then it should. Impatience grew on him like a fattening leech, however it seemed he wasn't the only one with these thoughts. After hearing Proxy the desert-born decided he liked the Fire's way of thinking and quickly added his two bits. " There, it's decided. We are now the First Wing, but if that does not please you then we are the Firststorm. I'm not wasting time on this now, come on! Want to be last?"

With that Perkele began to turn after Proxy, somewhat aghast at her riders actions but understood his haste as it was in part her own. If it was only going to be a select few who made it to true service in the Sekkain Army, she wanted to be part it as much as anyone else. " Yes, hurry," she echoed after her rider as she dragon dashed across the fields to the caverns beyond.

[Balu]

The first few sounds of gentle tapping were enough to wake Psamanthe. Her long, leafy ears twitched with mild irritation as she sought to ignore the rising volume which had disturbed her sleep like it had every other morning for the past 11 months, but before it progressed to full-on hammering she was already irrevocably awake. Still she attempted to blot out the sound by pressing her ears tightly against the back of her skull, no reason to rattle her brain with that horrible racket even if she did have to give up hope of returning to slumber. Carefully she untwined from the tight ball of coils which she slept in, relishing the brittle sounds her neck made as she stretched it to its full extent and twisted out the krinks which had set in since she curled up to sleep. In no time at all the hammering had reached a thunderous crescendo, and this combined with his scaley bed suddenly coming to life, was enough to rouse even dauntless Halifax.

At least partially. Sighing heavily the Assarian lad mirrored Psamanthe's stretches in a doze, extending his long, dark limbs rigidly until they shook with small tremors of effort. He pulled the wirey muscles (much improved by the strenuous training they had undergone) beneath his skin pleasantly taut for a minute or two before relaxing again and dissolving into a contended puddle of ooze draped over his dragon's boney shoulders. Happy mewling noises issued from beneath his curling moustache, and Psamanthe felt her usual morning irritability diffuse slightly. With an ungainly lurch she levered her stilt-like forelimbs upright and rose into a standing position, taking tender care to insure her rider didn't spill off his perch like a boneless fish. Her classmates were all beginning to gather in their usual way, some more bedraggled that others, but all shepherded by the soft-spoken Rosemary who was their patient tutor.

The early morning was about the only time she felt sufficiently empty-headed enough just to let Magus talk in peace without any of the million questions bubbling behind her teeth escaping. Quickly gather, not much time. Time for what? What kind of time frame were they expected to work within? Caverns and fields and hidden traps. Variables within variables and all spurred on by the temptation of a mysterious prize. She couldn't help feeling a twist of curiousity at what this hidden treasure could be, even if she couldn't be described as an 'adventurous' type. As Magus spoke she moved to join up with the makeshift team she'd been assigned to, gravitating towards the largest member of their wing. Ammit and her rider, Alixandra, had already made arrangements with the smallest member of their team to carry Lichen's rider so that he could fly unhindered. As quick as she could Psamanthe shambled over in her odd way, Halifax awake and alert by this point. Under her vigorous tutelage his english had improved in vast leaps and bounds, and he'd been equally tantalised by the mention of a prize at the end of this game.

"Good morning, felicitations. If you've both agreed on suitable arrangements for the duration of this training exercise, shall we discuss what the title of our temporary Wing is to be? It would be best if we came to a decision in a timely fashion, if we are to optimize the time we've been given to complete this task. If I may make a suggestion of my own, to speed the proceedings, I offer the name "Fortis Wing". For courageous we will need to be in order to face this present challenge, and future challenges should we all graduate successfully. "

[SemperMemor]

Quark/Lyserg; Team One

With a slight heaving breath, Lyserg pulled himself up onto the grey Lightning's shoulders and began to ritualistically strap himself into the weathered leather saddle. He yawned as Quark hummed with excited vibrations, the taking flight a moment later and making their way back to the wyrmling barracks. They had gone out to get the dragon his morning meal and came back to see the pale golden-white Rosemary finish the last few lines of his morning speech.

Nodding wearily to himself, Lyserg slid back off the saddle and instinctively reached down to touch his pocket for his crystal. He froze as the tips of his fingers brushed nothing but the material of his pants. No objects were in his right pocket. It was as smooth as if he hadn't put anything in there. He checked his other pocket. No crystal. Nothing. The bottom of his jaw twitched and his eyes went wide as he realized the implications. He jabbed his dragon in the forearm with his elbow, squeaking out a sharp, "Quark."

"Yes?" the Lightning said, head waving back and forth as he hummed, padding along toward the door.

"Did you happen to see me grab my crystal on the way here?"

He roved a great green eyeball back toward the young man with scrutiny. "Yes, but is it not on you? You put it in your right pocket as we left, I'm fairly sure."

"It was, I made sure. I could have sworn that I had it with us when we went to get food, but its not here. I haven't actually looked at it since we ran into Ophelya on our way to the Fields."

Quark snaked his heavy neck to the level of his Chosen and lowered his voice. "We'll look for it in a little bit," he whispered as best as a thirty foot dragon could manage. "Okay? We'll cause a scene if we make a deal of it right now. I'm sure its safe. No one would actually steal a crystal within the Academy, would they?"

"...No."

"Alright then, let's see who we're going to have fun with todaaaaaaay!" The dragon's voice increased to its normal bubbly volume and he shoved his scrawny body through the gathering crowd to have a look at the sheet. He squinted, grey muzzle scrunching up in concentration. "We are team one, Lyserg," he stated matter-of-factly, pulling back and shuffling his wings with excitement.

Increasingly pale and terrified out of his wits, he followed Quark to the patch of grass where his team had begun to assemble. He stopped beside the enormous earth wyrmling, Ammit, managed a brief greeting, and began to think of all of the horrible things that could have become of his most precious possession. What if it had fallen into the forest? What if it were in the grass, about to be eaten by a hungry cow? What if a tainted had snatched it from the earth? What if it were miss----

"Foooortissssssssss!" Quark squealed with elation. He bobbed his head toward Psamanthe and her rider. A couple of rogue sparks stung Lyserg's arm, making the human twitch violently. "I like it."

The young rider's head spun with the sheer volume, his train of thought completely derailed. A feeling of dread swirled in his belly like a bad case of the intestinal flu, weighted down with lead, but he...couldn't recall whatever he had just been thinking. He shrugged it off, the color slowly coming back to his face, and looked back toward the rest of the assembled team members. "I agree, Fortis sounds suitable."

[CloakAndDagger]

Lyre and Pulse Get Up and Go - The Wing

The boy, song upon his heart and lips, turned his bright eyes from the shadow of the doorway as he leaned upon the threshold to pull tight his final boot. As Magus swept his white gold form from the slowly brightening overture of the hall, Lyre glimpsed back to the inward breadth of the dorm room and pressed down his quickly buttoned clothing. He’d been up early, and, even before Aulos had a chance to holler and squawk about the racket, the sonic rider was dressed, brushed, washed, and ready. The bird barely had time to fluff himself in surprise by the time Lyre’s shadow fell across the frame. Quickly, like a brush of tundra, the avian creature pooled over in a chilly gust and fluttered upon the untaken shoulder like snowflakes. Aulos began to preen himself, as if he’d always been on such a perfect spot. Pulse, though, was slower to hop to his feet. However, his little wagging tail gave little indication that it was out of boredom. The room they’d spent so much time in was now becoming somewhat cramped as the dragon had grown. What was once an easy, simple fit, had become a bit of a sticky situation. The hatchling had grown from his comparatively miniscule canid size to something almost three times the height of his rider. At 27 ft long, Pulse towered over Lyre with every inch of his 13 and a half foot vertical rise, which was not a problem for either of the two in consideration, but it was becoming harder to sleep in an ever shrinking bed. Soon, however, all things may change.

Quiet and serene as a lazy pond, the hippopotamid sonic pulled himself free from the comforts of his clinging bed to swim through the rivers of billowing light from the window as his little rider gently called him over with eager encouragement. In response, the strange winged creature snuffed and rubbed his massive forehead against the boy’s. Inadvertaintly, he almost knocked the poor kid over before they both had a smile and laughed. Lyre, taking just another moment to smooth his hair back, gestured to come and follow as he backed up and inched toward the filling end of the hall. Pulse, curious and jovial, just smiled and plodded quietly forward.

Outside, as Magus’s instructions fell on perked ears, Lyre couldn’t help but feel a spark of something electric run through him. He wasn’t sure if it was anxiety or excitement, but, he’d pretend it was the latter. With small eyes following the rosemary, Pulse just quietly listened and made no movement one way or another as to fear or otherwise. And, when it came time to break away and start, the boy, the bird, and the beast were quick to gather. Really, They didn’t know any of their classmates very well. They’d met his roommate. They’d met Tonare and her rider. They’d seen each and every one of them at the hatching, but, never done more than given a few words to any of them. It seemed to strange to think that they’d lived together for so many months and Lyre could barely remember their names. But this, this would give him a great chance to make up for that. Win or not, the point was to work as a wing, right?

Proxy, the fire, was first to suggest at Mykhail’s insistence. In a flurry of a rush, she snipped out a clipping of words in a sort of inconsequential tone and then, perhaps as the last member heard, she was off with her rider into the thick of things. No time for anything but the race. Lyre was a little taken aback and, hesitated for a moment as he sat situated on his bonded. The next, Asmaein, hurried his own words in before following, but it all seemed rather …
“Well… that was kind of presumptuous, but I guess they have the right idea.” Lyre bit the soft of his lip, but, swiftly crouched down and, with that, Pulse began to arch forward and shear through the distance between them and the others. Neither of them really had much care as to what they were named, but they’d hoped for something a little more… cool. Oh well. All in the opinion, right?


Game Start

The great, galloping herds of wyrmlings edged towards the first checkpoint, their ferocious fervor evident for the most part. The plainsland soon gave way to shrubs and trees and the trees soon gave way to rocky set ground. And, there, at the very edges of the densest of the forest, a stony fortress rose up like the back of a half-buried spine. Worn, smoothed crags peered through sheets of moss and litchen. The trees hung over like curious observers as the first of the caverns were brought to light.

There were six caverns all together, three set to the right, and three set to the left of the central boulder that protruded into the boughs of the greenery beyond. (None of them seemed to be able to accommodate anything beyond the size of a lightning as their ceilings hovered barily over 22 ft.) At the first set of three, above the polished surface of the middle entranceway, a keen hand had carved a message into the stone: Speak in Tongues, but only your own.
The second set of doors, bearing its message upon the stones before its own middle door, was no less evasive in meaning: Show me what you’re Made Of.


(((OCC)))

Solve the riddle and pick your door. The wrong door will lead in a dead end and lose you time.
I’ll respond after you’ve all made your choices. There will be tricks. 83

[DrBusey]

Rushing with immense exasperation, Aldor spurred Antimony to make fleet his four feet as they headed for the lesson they had so desperately neglected to recognize. The crystal coolly responded by slowing his pace; he cared not for the lessons or Aldor’s insistence on their punctuality. The dragon had allowed Aldor to oversleep the initial call; his fevered mind had kept him in bed several hours, besieged by nightmares. Although Aldor wished more than anything to remain in the good graces of their instructors, Antimony felt or more necessary to tell them to shove off; they had hardly provided anything of worth yet. Once diffident, Antimony embraced his name’s prefix, preferring to show opposition to most anything he felt disdainful toward. Trials remained beneath him. Aldor may have thought otherwise, but Antimony knew that he’d find stronger intellectual stimulation from fighting goats for the right to suck lichen. And goats loved lichen; it got them immensely high. The more you know, and knowledge is power.

Rider did not share mount’s mindset, terrified of the need to impress his superiors. His needy disposition crippled his ability to effectively impress anyone, perhaps the reason Antimony developed the way he had. Why strive to impress an uncaring couple of fools while there were others with lower standards and better world views. Aldor conjured the best apologies to his mind, wondering which would deter the maximum amount of blame and chagrin from his person. His dreams were no proper reason, and knowing the instructors, they were more likely to sound mock him for his deathly prophetic visions. He dismissed the thoughts. Fear was fear and that was it. Today he had to focus on the lesson at hand, the very lesson the pair was just now catching up to. Silently, Antimony prowled his way into the group, hoping (more for Aldor’s sake than anything) that they would be allowed to join in unnoticed.

Luckily for the Crystal pair, the gathered wyrmlings appeared far more distracted by the caverns before them. Aldor silently dismounted and inspected the cryptic messages scrabbled atop two of the caves. Antimony joined his partner and read each twice in the same time that the human read the words once. Aldor folded his arms and frowned, attempting to decipher the hidden meaning. Learning toward Antimony, he spoke gently, “What do you think they mean?”

Antimony leaned into Aldor, bumping him aggressively with his head before offering an answer in a mockingly similar tone, “I think it’s gibberish. You’ll divine more meaning from the bat-guano inside. They’re mocking us.”

“Antimony, this means something, how else are we to proceed if we cannot decipher the meaning from these strange glyphs?”

“How are we to proceed in life if you put so much weight in the knowledge of others? I’m telling you, it has no meaning and whoever wrote it did so to insult us.”

Ignoring Aldor’s attempt at a rebuttal, Antimony sauntered off in the direction of the cavern second from the right, the middle of the right set. Aldor threw his hands up and swore under his breath. No attempt was even made to figure out the hints. Swearing quietly so that none would hear, Aldor slumped and followed his bonded into the caves, certain they were doomed. His dreams rose to the surface once more, plaguing him with a fear of the future.

[Seiss]

OOC [Vlitzcrig looking for Perkele <3]

Coming out from their wing before the sun emerged had always been routine, part of a soldier’s life. Now dismissed from service, they roused early for different reasons. An escape under the star faded skies from nightmares looming at the edges of darkness. The vast open fields gave the Lightning pair a wide berth of comfort, banishing the imaginary walls clotted in grime and blood that encased them for unnumbered days. The Lightning lay lax on her belly, swanning neck tucked comfortably in the juncture where sun bleached wings sprouted on her back. Fiery eyes closed in a light doze, her right wings spread loosely over the cooling grass while the other folded at an angle that imitates resting the back of palm on the ground, elbow out. The membrane formed a makeshift tent where her rider rested.

The sound of heavy feet pounding with vigour set tremors travelling across the earth, jarred the pair from their light sleep. Esoriel poked her head out from her dragon’s elbow, drowsy eyes peering out into the newly lit horizon in search of the source. Yet to catch up on the night’s sleep, bruising smudges were becoming visible beneath her eyes. Vlitzcrig snorted, unhinging her jaws to let loose a huge yawn as she untangled herself. Muscles jerked slightly when the drumming of numerous feet sounded closer. An innate trigger activated, though a false alarm, when a herd of wrymlings cam galloping through. A streak of familiar gold, violet and electric blue drew her eyes and inevitably, her interest.

Little Perkele wasn’t so small anymore. Esoriel seemed to have read her dragon’s mind. The rider clambered up the Lightning’s bare shoulder and sat between her shoulders. “Is that Perkele, I saw?” she asked, though not expecting an answer. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go see them.” The enthusiasm and the lack of apprehension was an unusual change given how averse Esoriel had become towards company.

Twisting her neck around, the Lightning raised a brow at her human. “I’m the mother, Mine,” amusement coloured her voice.” But she rose, obliging and followed the trail the wrymlings left. They led the pair to some sort of ruin fashioned for the wrymlings’ lesson. Vlitzcrig kept a good respectable distance from the group, not wanting to interrupt their tutoring. She craned her neck, burnt orange eyes sweeping over crowned heads to catch her daughter’s golden prongs.

[Kialish]

Galileo and Skad

The first few, quiet bangs against the doors of the other wyrmlings were thoroughly ignored by Skad. He was exhausted, small form wrapped tightly in his light sheets. Galileo, however was completely awake, purple eyes focused on his rider. Skad had not been sleeping well lately, and he hadn't been divulging the reasons for his lack of sleep to the Karma. It irritated and worried Galileo, who had no way to break into Skads mind, thus having no way to help his rider. When the hammer slammed into their door, Skad thrashed and sat up bolt right.

Realizing his surroundings, Skad flopped back into his bed with a groan, dragging the blanket back over his head. Galileo chuckled and padded over to the bed. Nosing the boy under the covers, his beak clasped on the blanket gently. Through the sheet he said “Mine, you must wake. It is time for our lesson.”

“Ugh... Can't we just miss... one?” Skad asked, feeling the sheet vanish from his naked body. He sat up and shivered, glaring at Galileo. Gali stared back and shook his head.

“No, I've a feeling this will be important.” Skad waved off the dragon, standing and stretching. Throwing clothes on, he peered out the door, spying the list nailed to the wood. Opening the door further, Galileo looked out as well, spying the awoken wyrmlings as Skad looked over the list.

They were being divided into teams? Magus explained, Skad nodding but still wanting to retreat to bed. The challenge sounded interesting enough, but he was so tired. Galileo sensed his weariness, rubbing his hard beak in his blonde hair before padding towards those who were a part of their temporary wings for this challenge of riddles and prizes. He stood among them as Psammy had spoken, head bobbing in agreement at her offer for a wing name.

Galileo chuckled at Quarks enthusiasm, adding his own “yes, I do find it a suitable name. Thank you for your input, Psamanthe.”

Skad shuffled over to the others, quiet as he climbed on Galileos back. Galileo opened his wings loosely, ready to take flight towards their destination to the west. “Are we all ready to go?” He asked his wing, eager to take off and discover the prize to this challenge.

[Carni]

((I kinda didn't write them taking off as everyone after my post wrote... but as it makes perfect sense to bring this thread along, I'll gladly go with it ^^))

Ouray and Proxy

Proxy pushed off the ground with force, her hindlegs catapulting her into the air for the first desperately needed wingstroke that came heartbeats later with force, kicking up dirt and small debris below them. She fought gravity for another grueling heartbeat before she begun to gain in altitude, her wingbeats never wavering, never faltering. Ouray clung to his lofty perch helpless as always. Flying was nothing he could assist with and she had explained to him that the liftoff was the most straining part of it all. Her body had only grown heavier over the last weeks and unlike those darn airs that could literally fly circles around her she had a hard time getting airborn. He enormous wings served well to keep her soaring but hauling them through the air at the speed needed to raise from low ground where the winds were none too forgiving cost a lot of strength and effort... ...nonetheless they made it and once more Ouray could release the tight grip on his saddle, relax the muscles in his jaw, lessen the pressure on his gritted teeth. The helplessness was the worst of it. Should her strength falter, should she fail to pull through the first crucial seconds, there was nothing he could do to help her. No amount of warm words and endless love could lift her from the ground like a feather. Because she clearly wasn't a feather. But her slender body packed quite the punch and she defied gravity once again with a roar of triumph, her wings cutting through the air with growing ease as their speed grew along with their altitude. He could barely see them without turning his head, a flash of darkness in the corners of his eyes as she pulled them forward, huge membranes unfurling as she pushed them down and back ouf of his sight. But he could feel their power up here.

Her head moved gently, bobbing up and down as her wings did their work but when he turned he could see her muscles too, rippling and moving under the glossy surface of her scales. The scales up on her back seemed pitch black from where he sat but he knew they were in fact not. His gaze passed along those scales down her long back and tail, pausing with a brief smile at her odd tailtip and then onwards where the training ground grew more and more distant with every passing wingbeat. He turned back around to see their destination approaching rapidly already, shrubs and trees rising below them to grow into a forest as they flew on. Ouray spotted their target easily enough and nudged Proxy to get her attention... ...well... nudging her was probably the wrong word. The correct description by all means would more be around... he grabbed the sides of his seat and ground his heel down against her thick head with a loud 'thud!' before calling out: "Proxy! A little left!" he felt her reaction immediately as her wings tipped slightly to one side, sending her into a long, graceful arch around the stoney fortress, allowing her to circle around it with hardly any wingbeat at all. She came in low and lost a lot of her speed in the process, settling almost gently in front of the fortress. As much strength it had cost her to lift off, as easy it seemed to land now. Long gone were the bonebreaking drops from heights too large to call their landing anything but a crash, forgotten the agonizing yerks and bumps from beneath when she had stumbled over her own feet instead of running down their remaining speed on the ground. Once she had lost balance entirely, keeling over and rolling forward. Back then Ouray had still been sitting between her shoulderblades and only her twisting to the side had saved him from being crushed beneath her.

He shuddered at the sighly unsettling thought and looked around them, somehow expecting their wingmates to step forward to pick up the slack... but Proxy was always the eager kind and spoke before giving anyone else the chance. She flipped her nose towards one entrance, choosing what seemed to be the largest entrance by default and causing Ouray some amount of discomfort with her gestures. "That one." she said, indicating the center most of the set below the carving that said Show me what you’re Made Of. Ouray frowned but he knew she'd pick what she wanted anyways and telling a dragon no that could swat you away like a fly was really not helpful. She paused for a moment, thoughtful, then crouched in front of it her maw falling open. Ouray had a second of startled confusion before he yelped and yerked back from the sudden heat that rose with a roar from beneath him. He grabbed a leather sling and yerked up a construction that usually rested folded down against her skull like an iron diadem to cover himself from the backlash. Ever since she had started to spew fire on anything that annoyed her he had struggled with coughing fits and burned skin. Until finally they came up with an solution. Actually, it was Proxys idea. A simple metal screen he could pull up in front and above him. A hemisphere that was open towards the back to let cooler air in but allowed to wash the heat and smoke to wash over him without harming him. Of course the metal could heat up over time too but that's what the leather grip was for and he could even lock it in place if she sustained a flame for a longer time or if an enemy tried to strike him from above. It was a crafty thing. And really great to have while Proxy bathed the entrance to their chosen cave in fire. Her flames guttered out for too long and he knew she wouldn't heat the stone enough to make them uncomfortable to walk on but somehow he didn't envy any of their classmates that had stood too close to the entrance. The air was thick with smoke and heat that swiftly begun to fade away.

"You know..." he muttered quietly so only she could hear "...despite everything you think you are... We are not made of flames and ash. You are made from flesh and bone, darling." he said, shaking his head slightly. At least, if there had been any traps that weren't soley made of iron but included anything resembling wood or leather, they were gone now. "Pretty sure you won't fit in there though..." he continued, unbuckling his straps and settling the iron screen down against her skull before tapping her head with one heel again, a lot gentler this time. She lowered her head with a low grunt so he could slip down easily and stride towards the cave, still shaking his head as she picked his way through what might once have been a low bush that clung to the rockface. The charred remains at least looked as if it might have... The center door of these three it was then... oh well, perhaps Proxy had even interpreted the carving correctly. Probably not though. Burning things didn't always work. Only most of the time.

[Zinc]

Larka joined Lichen at his side, and had been unaware of just what the Rosemary had planned when he had gone over to speak with the large Earth and her mistress rider until the large dragoness gave permission to Lichen to carry Larka with her instead of upon him. That explained why he was looking at her so guiltily. Lichen didn't need to explain however, the filtering of uncertainty and fear of a reprimand that flashed into her mind noted to her that he wasn't doing this out of spite. He hadn't wanted it any more than she was looking forwards to riding upon an unfamiliar dragon.

She reached over and patted his shoulder with a fond shake of her head, showing she didn't like it any more than he did, but was willing to go along with it. His risen crest dropped in clear relief against his skull and he offered her a slight smile. The brown Rosemary looked back up at Ammit and gave a slight bow of his long neck, dropping his head into a dip and looked back up, gratitude shining in his gaze. "Thank you very much madam." he said, clearly thankful. "Agreed," Larka's soft voice added. "My thanks to you Ammit, and your rider Alix." While Lichen may have been uncertain about the names of some of his hatchmates, Larka paid just a bit more attention, though his lack of knowledge wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Both Rosemary and rider looked over at the Forest pair of Psamanthe and her rider Halifax greeted them. Lichen shuffled his wings and dropped his head and mumbled a tentative greeting in return to the dragoness and scuttled just a tad bit closer to his rider, who glanced at him with a raised brow, but received nothing but an averted gaze and a lowered crest in response. Uncertainty bloomed over their bond, accompanied by an embarrassment that she couldn't quite understand the source of.

Larka looked up at the mention of the proffered name given forth by the Forest dragon. "Fortis? That is a lovely name. I'm good with it." she said with a nod. It seemed, as the Lightning dragon wandered over to join them, his large rack having grown more impressive, enjoyed the name as well. "As are our companions." she said with a soft laugh. As dragons began to take flight around them, Larka found her own way with some assistance, onto the broad back of Ammit while Lichen took wing, his wing-strokes and feathers confident and shining in the morning sun.

As the Fortis Wing regrouped at the entrance of the caverns, Lichen and Larka inspected the riddle that was set before them. The two sets of caverns in sets of three all came with two different riddles, no doubt the ones that Magus had spoken of. "Show me what you're Made Of." Larka murmured, before she glanced at the other one, squinting to make out what it read, "Speak in Tongues, but not your own." She tilted her head. "Words are capitalized here, but why are they like that? Made, Of, Speak, Tongues." she crossed her arms. She was never good with word games. She turned to look at Lichen and the rest of their young Flight. "Any ideas?" she asked meekly.

[Nherva]

Mykhail and Buccinal

Buc didn't care what the name of their wing was. He made that clear with his refusal to even try to come up with one. First Wing was good enough for him. Mykhail didn't think it wise to argue over a wing name when they could be out there getting something done, so he mounted up and nodded his own agreement as the rest of their little group seemed to do the same and take off after Proxy. Buccinal was quick into the air, his powerful wings propelling him up and forward behind the dark Fire, the rest of their partners quick to join them. At least there seemed to be some enthusiasm in the Sonic's haste. Mykhail could feel it, which was strange because he'd—secretly—misplaced his crystal several days ago. He was stressed beyond belief at how he could have been so incredibly irresponsible. To lose the one thing that was the most important possession he had…the bond to his dragon.

But what he'd found, despite the loss, was that he hadn't lost the bond with Buccinal. The only bad side-effect he seemed able to note was that it was a little more difficult to understand the beast when he spoke. It was like looking at someone speaking of happiness with a blank look on their face. He heard the words, but he had to work harder to make out the sounds Buccinal emitted to finish his sentences, something made easier by the fact that he could just feel what the Sonic was trying to get across. But it also made Buccinal work harder to make himself understood. The sounds from his body that made the extra words his mouth couldn't utter were becoming more precise and fine-tuned, actually sounding more like words than just sounds.

When they stopped before the entrances to the caves, the Sonic landed with a wumph not entirely made by his wings. As Proxy spoke, the Sonic glanced back at his rider as though seeking his opinion or input on the matter—something that surprised Mykhail so much that he was speechless.

"Middle," Buc said in agreement as he looked from his rider to Proxy. He must have sensed her intentions before she acted, because he was on the wing again, his much smaller form hovering above the Fire even as she sent a stream of bright-hot flame at the door. Buc must have taken the riddle as literally as she, because Mykhail had to hold on tighter and embarrassingly pay attention to the control he had on his bowels when the Sonic's chest expanded and he released a wave of low, deeply vibrating sound at the door. It didn't take much of an assault from young dragons for the door to give way.

The bright blue Sonic landed again next to Proxy and looked back at the rest of the dragons on their team. Without a word he turned back around and started forward. "You think you can fit in there?" Mykhail asked and Buccinal scoffed, making him feel the stupidity of his question.

"Not big," the Sonic answered and folded his unique wings tightly against his sides as he followed closely behind Proxy's rider, his spined tail swinging casually behind him. He did lower his head just in case, and moved quickly so that the others that were going to follow would do so. The Sonic, Mykhail felt, had as little clue as to their accuracy of the decision as he, but rather than sit around thinking for too long, Buc preferred to act. If they were wrong they were wrong. It was just a lesson in the Sonic's mind. He'd rarely taken their lessons all too seriously, much to his rider's annoyance.

"Find key," Buccinal's guttural words hissed at the end as he forced them from his throat.

"Yeah find key, but let's be careful shall we? Last thing we need is a broken leg or worse from a trap," Mykhail said quietly, his voice echoing back off the cave walls. Buc didn't seem to think they could be harmed by anything as he strode forward. Though interestingly enough, he kept himself near enough to Proxy's rider as though ready to be a shield if he had to be for the human whose dragon couldn't quite fit in the cave. Odd.