Inquisitive Minds

[Tigeress]

It was an off day, a quiet day. The one day of the week in which most busy establishments could close due to slim volume of customers. It was what brought the woman out, so early into the afternoon, having escaped from her previous obligations.

The woman hid in a large black cloak, one that shimmered with gold, two tell-tale colors for those who she actually would hide from. She had a reputation, a large one, and it may have caused controversy for her to be here. She was the owner of The Harpy's Hall, the rumored belle with a temper to rival her heritage.

She walked the perimeter of Drahonkal, pillars lining the walkways about her impressively. Her head was held high, for if one thing was certain about the woman- it was that by birth she had a right to indulge in her curiosity. She was pure fire. Though her job was one that came with heavy judgment, usually it was more reserved for her girls than herself. Sala was selective, elusive, a businesswoman by all rights.

If the palace acknowledged her and welcomed her, then the scholars of Drahonkal couldn't fare any worse. It would reflect poorly on their nation, which should be no stranger to the primal qualities of their own race. Was it such a sin to create a business from the needs of others? Needs were made to be met. Her confidence fit her as well as the gypsy-dancer inspired clothes she wore under her sweeping cloak.

Now inside, the hood had been left to fall, gathering the first bout of attention from those in the immediate area. Piercing sky blue eyes seemed to levitate like twin jewels between a sea of unbound fire. Her steps hesitated as she walked deeper into the academy's inner walls. The woman didn't want to seem lost or out of place, but this was her first time visiting, and for something so specific. Or perhaps more accurately- someone. Where would he have been holed up anyway?...

[Talia]

Draeth landed in the courtyard of Drahonkal with a resounding bellow, announcing his presence to anyone who may have been in the immediate area. Kolir scrambled off of the silver beast's neck, still clutching his skull and the ornate looking sack. Draeth nudged his bonded gently, concern coloring their mental connection. He knew that the voices had been particularly cruel as of late, and Kolir had not experienced such intensity for years. He wished that he was capable of taking part of the burden on himself, but Kolir's gift was also his curse. Hopefully with the testing, the pain would lessen...

Kolir shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of a particularly painful parasite. When he regained his footing, he released his hand from the bony, protruding spikes of Draeth's jaw and took a couple experimental steps. When he was certain that he was capable of walking without support, he cast about for Shifra, Lissa, and Pann. The group had been forced to follow on foot due to Shifra's wing, but Draeth had proved himself to be a capable guide, and Shifra was particularly swift, even on land. Even now, the dragoness had begun to test out her healing wing, which was now capable of gliding, if necessary. With a few more days at Drahonkal, she would heal up quite nicely.

As he scanned the courtyard, he caught sight of an unfamiliar cloaked figure entering the halls. If his memory served him well, none of the scholars resembled this particular person... Frowning slightly, he glanced up at Draeth, questioningly. The dragon tilted his head curiously and scented the air.

It smells familiar... he said, still slightly unsure. We will have to investigate later, once we know that the hatchling and the others have arrived.

No doubt they will have noticed our arrival, added Kolir with a smile. You were particularly loud, after all.

[Draekath]

Pann swung off of Shifra's back while she was still moving, reaching up and snatching Lissa off after him. He seemed relieved to be back on land, though there was no sign of discomfort of reservation in regards to the dragoness herself.

Looking around, he let his brow furrow and automatically slid his arm around Lissa's waist, looking to Shifra as if she would hold some sort of an answer for him.

Pann cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, his expression settling into one of amused determination. This was just another adventure for his scrolls. The muscles under his tunic rippled slightly as he stepped forward, a sure sign of nerves as he was silently testing the physical reactions of his body. Whatever it was that was going on here, he would find out soon, he was sure of that.

[StarShine]

Lissa blinked up at him, finding it somehow refreshing for him to be so grabby with her. He was raw, a challenge, and she enjoyed him. But his body was tense against hers as they stepped towards where Kolir was struggling with some sort of problem, a give away about his nerves as his every movement had been deliciously fluid up until this point.

"You've never entered one of your wandering travels before without at least some idea of what to expect."

It wasn't a question. She found it amusing, that this would rattle him, though she was still protective of the man. Part of her wondered, for the first time, who would wind up leaving their home - living with each other, accepting each other as a mate, would turn both of their worlds upside down.

Still, that was a matter to be considered later. For now they were enduring the test - the introduction of Pann to Drahonkal. And to the dragons. Shifra was as much a part of her as her own arm - it was an important test, one that would decide their fate together.

One he could only take once.

She found her own nerves tingling at the prospect, only for the soothing hum to slide through her head as Shifra glanced back at them. They had to catch up to Kolir, and quickly, judging by the way he cringed and held his head. Something was about to happen - the test would start soon.

[Tigeress]

Just as she'd rounded the corner and started towards a corridor leading into an open courtyard, she saw something all too familiar. Draeth... Her heart skipped to see the dragon for some reason, and she quickly swept her petite form behind a pillar, peering out now and again to catch sight of the dragon and, particularly, his rider. When the sound met her ears, her heart raced faster, there was an air of excitement about the great beasts that she felt shiver through every inch of her body.

She wondered if Kolir still felt it, too. She wondered a lot about him these days.

Fingers lightly traced the ribbed marble, going over the contours to pass the moments between spying on the dragon and his bonded. But why was she hiding like some kind of criminal? A mage down the hall was eying her warily and she straightened herself, pretending to lean more casually against the massive beam.

He'd probably already sensed her presence, from what she could remember he was very... ah... sensitive. She smirked to herself and stepped out more into the open. She spotted another of the exclusive beasts and wondered if he was escorting the princess of fire to Drahonkal for some reason. From what she knew, the girl wasn't much to take orders or to do anything that would seem dependent on anyone, especially not a man.

There was a twinge of worry, until she saw that it was not the heiress, but the younger of the two sisters. Her thoughts turned to ones more of curiosity, especially when she saw... was that an elf? He wasn't of pure blood, he wasn't even an elemental! What was Kolir thinking?! Worry replaced all other thoughts, wondering how the dragon lord had been coaxed into this one.

Unafraid of any judgement for being where she was, and not where she was most expected to be, she moved swiftly forward towards the group. Her eyes were wary for any signs of trouble from Draeth, her confusion over the situation and respect for the dragon making her a bit paranoid in her approach. Though when she was close enough that Kolir could have seen her expression, she pulled her famous hair of living fire out of her cloak and smiled gently.

"Kolir... I thought I might find you here." She was uncertain how to greet the two others, so she left the introduction at that for the time being.

[Talia]

He could see her, as if through a thick haze. Luminous flame-coloured tresses, crystalline clear eyes framed by expressive, exotic lashes... Surely she wasn’t here? His mind was foggy, he was imagining things. He must be. But her voice... he could have sworn that he had heard this phantom speak...

Sala...

The pain was overwhelming. He felt as if his head was splitting in two, and he couldn’t explain it. He had felt it before with himself, with Iskassa, and with Vulcanus. But never to this extent. Never. He could hear their voices inside his head, shrieking, demanding. They riffled through his insides, poking and prodding with hot pokers. He grimaced, unable to hide the pain, a thin sheen of sweat coating his forehead. Suddenly he swayed, his legs buckling from the strain as he fell to the ground, the bag rolling from his shoulders.

As his bonded fell, Draeth roared in alarm, instinctively curling his bulk around his bonded, irrationally protecting his prone form from the surrounding individuals. His thrashing tail narrowly avoided Sala, who had spoke to Kolir just moments before his fall. Draeth could see Shifra and the others approaching; rationally, he should have let them through, Sala included, to care for Kolir; however, now that his bonded had been overcome, he was being saddled with the additional mental pain and it was making him particularly... feral.

He hissed threateningly at the approaching elementals, offering an experimental snap in the general direction of Shifra, warning the young dragoness that to approach now was to court injury. Smoke trailed from his nostrils as fire rumbled in the beast’s belly. His claws gouged the exposed earth leaving deep grooves, blemishes on the carefully tended courtyard.

His reaction was hardly of his own volition, but he was unable to form cohesive thought, unable to explain his actions. Words were far too complicated, and without his bonded to break through his mental barriers, to interrupt the flurry of blackened thoughts and simplistic animal rage, he was powerless to stop himself.

A snarl gathered in the back of his throat as he gnashed his teeth together, his massive form crouched and prepared to spring...

[Tigeress]

Somehow she had sensed it coming, had felt a certain line of invisible tension that had just compounded in mere moments. One second Kolir was looking at her in a daze, and the next... She watched the whites of his eyes appear and sprang forward even as he began to fall.

"KOLIR!!" The sound came without thought, her eyes wide and focussed on only one thing as she rushed forward. But even in her panic to get to him, she felt something else. Her attention turned to Draeth a moment before she would have found herself on the wrong end of his thickly muscled tail. Ducking to the side, it swept just over her head, the dragon lord disappearing almost entirely behind a wall of scale.

As Draeth turned aggressive, she could feel a small pounding in the side of her head. Wincing through the pressure, she skirted along the perimeter of the dragon's personal bubble. Was he feeling this, too? His head loomed just in front of her, turned to issue a warning at the other dragon and the two she'd yet to meet.

She wanted to call out to the dragon, but getting his attention right now would be a bad thing. She knew more than enough about their kind, and could tell that the beast was summoning up something even a fire elemental like herself wouldn't want to face. And yet...

She ran forward suddenly, aiming to slide on her knees in the light grass so that she would be stopped only by the bottom of Draeth's curving neck. She could feel it getting warmer to the touch, and pressed her forehead against it, though heat did nothing to stop the pain in her temple.

I feel you, Draeth... She put all the empathy she felt inwardly into thoughts that she tried to project onto him. This was Kolir's dragon, she would protect him just as she wanted to protect the fallen man, and this meant protecting him even from himself in this aggressive state. He could do things, things he'd regret later.

I won't let go. She was positioned under him just so that if he wanted to barbeque her, he'd have to hit himself and possibly even his bonded depending on how powerful the dragon was. She was willing to bet that even in this state, it would be enough to deter him. It didn't stop the cold sweat down her spine though. But even in her fear, she trusted him enough to do something this insane.

Why? She had no idea, only when Kolir fell, she felt everything within her calling out to be at his side to catch him. And now she felt the need to be the one to try and calm Draeth in his place, even if she lacked so much of their connection and had no idea if he could even hear her desperate thoughts.

[StarShine]

Shifra crouched as well, baring her fangs in a rather feline gesture - if she had had ears they would have been laid back as her tail whipped in agitation. A false front, no invitation for a fight, yet it was still clear that if he attacked he would receive wounds of his own.

Enough, Draeth.

Shifra's voice was surprisingly firm as she spoke to the dragon, wincing slightly as a barrage of noise and pain slammed against her when their minds touched. She sounded almost commanding - and understanding.

You can't protect him, and you can't fight off what's driving you both to your knees. Swallow your instincts and help him! He needs you, don't just stand over him and snarl as he suffers. Help him!

Lissa looked up at Shifra curiously, resting a hand on her bonded's shoulder. Shifra merely shook her head - there was nothing either of them could do, though they got as close as they dared.

Lissa looked at Pann, a frown creasing her brow. There was no urgent passion in regards to Kolir falling, but there was concern, a great deal of it. There had to be something..

"Have you heard of this happening, with the keeper of dragons, before? You read and travel, live the tales you keep records of. There has to be something...?"

But she didn't wait for an answer. Shaking her head, she jumped on her bonded's elbow and launched herself in the air, rolling in next to the strange woman that was attempting to calm him with touch. She barely managed to get close without being torn in two, and that was sheer luck - it was impossible for her to be faster than the great dragon. She didn't cuddle him like the other but placed on hand on his leg and another on Kolir's brow, acting as a physical link. Draeth had to remember what stemmed these instincts - to focus on Kolir.

At the same instant Shifra started humming, mentally and physically, and with a spark of inspiration Lissa added her own voice to the note. It was less a sound and more an emotion, a soft, soothing balm.

Help him

[Draekath]

Pann's brows shot up as Lissa dove towards the raging dragon, a grin spreading over his face an instant later. She was insane! And he couldn't help but watch the way her muscles rippled as she leaped.

He paused a moment, staring at all the noise with an expression that said this was far out of his league. Angry dragons were nothing for a single humanoid to mess with. And then the grin again as inspiration struck, his hair whirling as he spun around and ran towards the building. It wasn't hard to find someone - he had barely stepped through the door and he saw a rather studious looking fellow.

"A cold rag would be needed, and possibly a strong shot of whatever whiskey is kept around here. Could you give me directions?"

He was a strange sight, to say the least, standing in the doorway with his tunic billowing in the breeze from the open door, his eyes sharp and serious. The others could help fix the great dragon up, but Pann had other plans, by all appearances.

The fellow he had found himself facing didn't seem to know how to respond at first - he stood there, mouth agape, his face working with explicit animation as he considered.

"It's to help Kolir. Come on, throw me a bone."

A grunt and a quick motion - it seemed to be all the other dared - and Pann was running down the hall, quickly digging through doors as he reached a massive, intricate looking kitchen.

Within seconds he was back outside, bottle in hand and a rag full of ice sticking between his fingers. He moved quickly, yet decisively. There wasn't much sign of alarm on his face, though his eyes were narrowed as he skid to a stop as close to Draeth as he could get, without being ripped apart. He didn't look as if he dared to try his luck in the same way the women had.

With another grin flashing over his face, he took a swig from the bottle himself and waited, eying the adventure before him - the one that came from mating Lissa and facing an enraged, wild dragon.

[Talia]

((OOC: LOL. I’m enjoying this far too much. XD))

Draeth was seeing red. The blood of his clutch-mates was pounding in his ears, enraging him to the point where the silver was practically murderous. The screams and shrieks of ire from the unbonded and the unborn were enough to addle his thoughts. Added to that was his bonded’s current state, which only served to increase the frenzy in his mind. If he had been thinking logically, if the unbonded hadn’t poured their indignation on the pair, then Draeth may have been a bit more concerned about his surroundings, and would have been able to see that his bonded, however unconscious, was not injured in the slightest.

However, that was not the case.

Sala’s move was so sudden that the dragon had little time to react. As she pressed up against his neck, he craned his head downwards but found that his jaws drew up just short of the woman. The position at the base of his neck was so awkward that he was not even able to shuffle backwards to snap at the woman; he was acutely aware of the fact that Kolir was positioned at the base of his feet, and moving would potentially crush him. Irately, he gnashed his fangs together- fangs that were easily the length of a man’s arm- and flared his wings, pumping them mightily. If he couldn’t chew on those that were trying to reach Kolir, he’d at least make things difficult for them!

He bellowed his anger to the skies, but the sound came out strangled at the last as two very separate thoughts invaded his consciousness. Those thoughts, however weaker in comparison to the unbonded, were distinctly different. They distracted him from that ever-prevailing pain, long enough at least for him to pause in his attack.

The first was tentative almost at first- a new voice, one that he had not heard in his head before but sounded familiar none-the-less. He latched onto it curiously, attracted to the empathy like a moth to the flame. His anger dissipated as he explored this new connection, curious as to why this creature had any interest in his bonded. His mind could not wrap itself around anything more complex at that moment, aside from the apparent interest in Kolir. But the touch felt deep, as if he, this woman, and Kolir were connected on a deeper, more intimate level...

The second voice snapped like a whip in his head, making him recoil slightly and bare his fangs. He was unused to commanding. He commanded. He did. He was the king of the skies! There was, however, an undercurrent of something else though that drew him back to reality... slightly. He was still rattled, and the pain was still there, but he was aware of the fact that this second voice was attempting to help. Somehow.

The pain...

It was back in an instant, storming through his mind as he hissed in protest.

ENOUGH!

Another touch was added- he could feel another person, another hand, on his scaled hide. His mind started to creep back into awareness as he paired voices with creatures and people. The second voice belonged to a dragon, a female... one he knew. And that hum...

Shifra... his mind offered, allowing him a brief respite from the pain.

Yes, Shifra. Her bonded is Lissa. Lissa is beneath me.

He suddenly became distinctly aware of the Princess, and her presence below him. He could not feel any connection to Kolir- mentally, his mind had shut down when he had lapsed into unconsciousness, but the attempt to connect him to his bonded in some manner was appreciated.

The dragon breathed heavily, his chest heaving, as his mind still strove to identify the first voice. He was still too befuddled to actually think to peer downwards, else he would have discovered rather quickly who the voice in his head belonged to. Rarely though did he ever have another invade his thoughts- few could, aside from his brethren. The fact that this voice- distinctly of the human variety- could, made him wonder. Mental communication could exist between human and bonded if they were the bonded and...

What if... if... but that was impossible!

Puzzled and frustrated, a low growl bubbled from the dragon’s throat. This was too complex, too much. He knew who the voice belonged to, but why? Why her? Kolir wouldn’t know, and neither would she. Not yet. And he was not sure that he would tell them.

Coming back to himself, he breathed, slowly, ingesting the heat that had threatened to billow forth in a plume of fire and ash. He rumbled softly, still discontent, but slightly more aware. He could cope now. The onslaught of the voices had been unexpected earlier, and had thrown him off guard. He knew the pain was there now, and he could force it into submission long enough to watch over Kolir.

Quietly, he let his thoughts seep through to touch the first, hesitantly exploring this new connection.

I... am here now, he stated simply.

It was then that he noticed the elf standing nearby, ready and willing to administer to Kolir. He tucked his wings against his back, and broadcast his thoughts to the others. He kept his sentences brief and to the point- he was still holding the others at bay, and could offer little eloquence of speech at this particular point in time.

Take care of him. He is uninjured, just unconscious.

Quietly, privately, he addressed the woman, Sala, who, like the others, had so bravely dodged wing and fang to protect him and his bonded.

He will need you.

With that he uncoiled from Kolir as best he could, allowing the nearby individuals access to his bonded. There was little that he could do at this point in time to draw Kolir back to himself- simple “human” methods would be the only solution.