The first day on the quest was quiet and uneventful. It was an early fall day, with blue skies and a cool breeze from the north. The party of Trainees and their faithful dragons set out with little provisions, because they didn't want to carry to much weight and tire the dragons. After a few hours of flying over the vast grass fields surrounding Del, the party landed to rest and eat. The younger dragons were having a little bit of difficulty – they weren't used to flying for so many hours. By time they had recovered enough to move on, the light of day was dwindling. The adventurers carried on for about two more hours before making camp for the night.

So far, day two has not been nearly as pleasant. The group awoke in the early hours of morning to a torrential rain storm. With the dragons now wet and grounded, the party trekked through the fields on foot..............

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”Man, I hate storms!” Riley Walker's voice was high-pitched with annoyance. He raked his wet hair out of his face, his expression pure misery. The young boy crossed his arms over his chest, hiding his shivering from the other riders. He wasn't about to be the first one to say that it was freezing cold out. He looked over at his older brother, Keith, and grumbled. “I don't know why, but somehow this is all your fault.”

Dynasis snorted a puff of smoke in amusement. His pure white scales glittered from a layer of raindrops. Faint wisps of steam rose up from his body, his inner fire keeping him warm.
Riley glared at him, his green eyes fierce. “What's so funny?”

Dynasis lips curled back, in a dragon's attempt at an innocent smile. “What, me? Oh, I was only thinking about how wimpy humans are.”

The dragon had a youthful voice, and the low tones echoed in Riley's head. If Riley could puff smoke in anger, he would have. “I'm not a wimp! It's not my fault I'm not made of fire!”

“I'm not 'made of fire'.” Dyamis retorted, “I just breathe it.”

Riley paused a moment before he spoke. When someone had a valid argument, his response was usually, “......shut up.”

The boy looked around at the group. As far as he could tell, he was the youngest. Everyone else looked like they had gone through more then he and Dynamis. Some looked like they might even have seen the actual war. Riley loved to talk, so it was driving him crazy that they were so quiet.

Llusia looked up at the boy and his dragon and went to her pack "If you're cold, ask him to keep his wings above you, it is much like a shelter. HIs body heat will also keep you warm" she did her best to help out the boy, seeing he seemed to be youngest. She never realized how deep and raspy her voice was, until she compared it to the boys, almost laughing to herself. She looked out of her one good eye and it seemed she was one of the oldest in the group form what she could tell, as well as Soverath. Soverath seemed to be on the bigger size ranging out of the other dragons, with her black scars and multiple tails and wings it made her seem bigger as well. She looked between them all and considered herself to look a lot more of someone who had gone through a battle and turned out on the bad side of a blade. Her scar on her stomach didn't help much and she looked down at it "Llusia, are you mad still about that, I said i was sor-" the dragon looked worriedly at her, almost in the same deep raspy voice. Llusia gave her a fierce look and Soverath lowered her head "Just drop it okay, not in front of these guys..." the dragon nodded and rubbed her snout on Llusia back and she patted her snout.

How is rain my fault Riley? Keith thought angrily.
Now now, don't snap a your brother Keith. Kersa replied telepathically. He's only cold.
How did you know he was cold Keith replied, puzzled.
I'm an ice Dragon, its a gift . Kersa spoke sarcasticly.
"Hey, Riley, how're you doin? Maybe we should find shelter for now?" Keith asked.

Riley smiled at Llusia thankfully. "Hey, g-good idea. Thanks."

He looked at his dragon hopefully, but Dynamis snorted. "What do I look like, shrimp? A tent?" Despite his unsympathetic reply, the white dragon slightly extended a wing. Riley moved under the shelter, his shoulder rubbing the dragon's warm, scaly side. It helped a little, but the boy was already cold and soaked to the bone. He trudged on, boots squelching in the mud.

When he heard Keith ask how he was doing, his response wasn't nearly as pleasant as it was for Llusia. He glared at him with a determined expression. His teeth chattered a little as he spoke. “I'm g-good.” He lied unconvincingly. “I'm not a w-wimp like you.”

Beside him, Dynamis' belly rumbled with laughter. “Oh, your not, huh?”

Riley elbowed him. “Shut up!”

Soverath looked at Dynamis and shook her head "You really shouldn't talk to your partner like that, I know sometimes they're weak but they are your partners and should be treated as equal..." She nuzzled Llusia and Llusia made a small smile before looking back at them "What is the plan, we cant stay here forever and by the amount of shivering you're doing, you're going to get a cold" she crossed her arms and felt the rain running down her armor onto her bareskin.

Dynamis blinked. "Yeah, I guess. Don't get me wrong, it's just tough love."

"W-well," Riley responded. He pressed closer to Dynamis as he walked, trying to get closer to that heat. "There's s'posed to be a s-small section of woods to our s-south. I don't t-think its to far. Maybe we can get out-t of the rain there?"

Riley hid from the wind behind Dynamis' bulk. "I g-guess it is a little cold."

"Let's make haste my armor is starting to give me a rub-rash." Replied Keith. He looked over at his little brother, who was walking awkwardly pressed against his dragon. Sure, Keith was pretty cold and wet, but Riley looked flat out pathetic. Even if they bickered constantly, Keith really did care for the little guy, and he didn't like seeing him so miserable.
Kersa nudged her rider and said reassuringly, 'Don't worry, we'll get him somewhere warm.'

Llusia patted Soverath one more time before getting on her and waiting for the others "I think riding would be faster then walking on our own feet, you two lead the way, but we need to get out of here before we get soaked even more" she looked up and saw lightning and was a bit worried. Soverath snorted a bit and black purple smoke came out "yes yes, let's get a move on, dont think I would like to get struck by lightning anytime soon" truth be told they both had a fear for lightning and thunder but they wanted to keep it a secret. Llusia put up her hood and waited for them to get a move on, looking at the group in a bit of a agitated look from how slow they were moving.

"Yeah, you're r-right." Riley replied. Dynamis lowered his head and allowed Riley to climb into his spot at the base of his neck. The dragon provided a nice warm seat, but now Riley was in the open again and completely subject to the wind and rain. He huddle close, wrapping his arms around Dynamis' neck. His cheek rested against the dragon's smooth scales. They waited a moment for the other to mount, before setting off again at a much better pace.

They were now south bound, following the dragons' sense of direction. "Why can't we fly? You're going to get sick." Dynamis asked impatiently.

"To r-risky in this storm. I don't want you to get h-hurt." Riley responded, patting Dynamis' neck affectionately. "I'll b-be fine."

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(Whoever posts next, please write about them arriving at the small woods. I don't have the time or creativity tonight.)

The as of yet silent figure trailing behind the group seemed to respond to their audible communications, assenting inwardly to the plan of shelter beneath the sprawling trees of the nearby forest. It would be nice to get out of the rain, even though it affected him very little. The figure in question had been smart enough to pack a cloth cloak lined with a leather outer layer and as the raindrops danced against the resistant material their livelihood lasted only seconds before breaking and draining against the cloak.

The dragonic partner of this as-of-yet unspoken man seemed almost amused at the predicament the others found themselves in. "A drowning man knows not the vastness of the ocean, only its depths. . ." The man, Caim, only nodded before turning to mount his noble steed.

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The group's flight through the rainstorm was quick, but tumultuous. Thunder resounded throughout the darkened sky, their surroundings lit up only by the occasional divine spark sent flying mercilessly from the heavens above. When they landed in the forest grove, it was to the relief of everyone involved, both riders and dragons. It had become apparent during their time in the sky that the storm was, even now, only rising. Within the cacophonous sounds of natures delirium this storm arose and the conditions for travel would only become worse as time progressed. Best to wait such things out; build a camp and focus on keeping their supplies dry. Besides, as of now they knew nothing on one another, perhaps this could be a good chance to remedy such circumstances, after all they were about to join each other in mortal battle, weren't they?

Llusia jumped off and shook her hair "Good job Sovi, sorry to make you fly in the rain i know you dont like lighting" she put her forehead on her snout and Soverath nudged her "Dont worry about it, we should start drying the supplies, what about you guys you okay?" she looked at her dragon kin and let Llusia get her supplies off before going over to the others and checking on them "Sovi, just leave it, let them talk. It is not your duty to look after them..." she began putting up her stuff and she looked over at the man who had yet to say anything "You okay? I know it's none of my business if you talk or not, but at least say or thing or two, as we'll be in battle soon" Soverath looked over to Llusia and sighed, before looking back at the two and walking back, circling before sitting laying down and looking at the forest around them.

The woods were a dream come true. The trees were tall, leafy oaks. They were conveniently spaced far enough apart to let the dragons move comfortably while still providing shelter from the storm.
Wind ripped through the branches, making them creak and groan in protest, as the storm slowly picked up. Although the amount of rain was reduced under the cover, the travelers were still splattered with cold droplets that rolled off the dense layer of leaves overhead.

Riley looked around at his fellow adventurers. His eyes lingered on Llusia and her dragon, Soverath, for a moment. He wasn't sure why, but something about the woman seemed familiar somehow. And Soverath – she was so big! Riley was convinced she could probably eat Dynamis in three bites. She seemed pretty friendly around the other dragons, but her sheer size still would make Riley afraid to be alone with her.

Dynamis' voice broke into his thoughts. “Riley? Are you okay?” He sounded worried, and his tone was soft and gentle, which was unusual for him.

“Hmm? Oh, just thinking. I'm fine.” Riley responded telepathically. It was convenient, being able to communicate without speaking.

He slid off of the dragon's back and onto the ground. It was covered in a thick coat of damp leaves, making it feel springy and comfortable underfoot. He took note of one of the other riders. What was his name? He new he recognized him from around the academy. The guy hadn't spoken at all, at least not that Riley noticed, which was kinda weird and creepy.

He told Dynamis to stay put. Despite the dragon's protests, Riley went over to his brother, who was now dismounting Kersa. She was such a pretty dragon. Sometimes, Riley envied the dragon's calm laid back personality. Compared to her, Dynamis was a ball of pure hateful, sarcastic energy with no outlet other then to abuse his rider.

“Hey, Keith. How long do you think the storm is gonna hold out? This place seems almost a little to good to be t-true.” As he spoke, Riley rocked back and forth on his feet. The boy had a hard time keeping still for any length of time. It didn't help that he was so cold. He was aware his brother probably didn't know any more then he did, but Riley needed to speak to someone. Everyone around him was being so dark and gloomy; it was starting to make him uncomfortable. It felt like they knew something he didn't, and by the looks on their faces, it wasn't pleasant.

"You okay? I know it's none of my business if you talk or not, but at least say or thing or two, as we'll be in battle soon." The man didn't respond for a moment, eyes turned off towards the rising mountains. That was their destination; the resting place of those accursed cyclops. When they finally did get into battle with the monstrous creatures would they even stand a chance? Dragons were powerful, but this was an enemy as of yet unknown and beyond that they had such little experience. Snapping back from his revere, the male's piercing blue eyes shot a somewhat backhanded glance, the rise of his chin denoting the measure of his distrust in their little group. "What words need be said? We're all going to be dead before the month's out." His tone held neither fear nor melancholy, simply grim acceptance of a fact that he had convinced himself was true.

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Caim was both quick and efficient in setting up his section of camp. Back home, in the old days before the cyclops invasion he used to go hunting with his father and brothers, excursions that could last for weeks on end, naturally he had picked up a couple of tricks. Once the camp was set up he set about procuring a bit of fresh water. At first it seemed the idle wanderings of the rather quiet male were just that, wanderings, but no, he was looking for something specific and it took some time for him to find it. However, upon the recognition of a nearby birch tree Caim couldn't help but allow for the smallest grin. Withdrawing a knife from his boot, the tip of the item was placed lightly against the tree's bark as the rider prepared, a half second later the thickness of the steel blade found itself buried a couple inches deep in the bark of the tree. Withdrawing the tool, Caim sheathed it, cupping his hands below the incision as a mixture of water and sap flowed into his hands and although he drank heartily of this elixir he deigned to alert the other of his momentary brilliance; surely they'd be able to find water other way.

Llusia shook her head and laughed "Speak for yourself, I will not die by something that kill her mother and my savior. Granted you may think that, but I beg to differ" she moved away from the negative man and began fixing Soveraths saddle "you seem to be in a bad mood, everything okay kiddo?" Llusia shrugged and stood for a moment stretching "Yes im fine, let's have a ride for a moment?" she jumped on and looked to the others "I'll be right back, just want to get some air" Soverath jumped into the air and Llusia opened her arms wide.

She looked down at the forest and breathed in the cold air "sometimes I wish I could fly on my own, but this is just as good" Soverath made a laughing and dove towards the ground making her scream with excitement. After another couple of minutes, Soverath started heading back to the clearing. She landed with gentle landing and Llusia slid off laughing "Ah I needed that, anyways how long are we staying here" she looked at the two brothers waiting for a response.

(I'm combining a post with Mr_Potato to make life easier.)

Keith had been tending his dragon when Riley approached. “Hey, Keith. How long do you think the storm is gonna hold out? This place seems almost a little to good to be t-true.” Riley kept squirming about and glancing around like he was nervous. Keith also noticed his lips were a little blue from the cold.
"I don't know." Keith replied, "But I don't think we're in any dange-okay, will you please stop fidgeting? You're starting to make me twitch."
To prove his point, Riley began hopping up and down, a childish grin momentarily lighting his face. Keith rolled his eyes, pushing his little brother away as Llusia walked up.

"How long are we staying here?" She asked.

"He doesn't know anything, why do people keep asking him stuff?" Riley grumbled, crossing his arms. He hated when people asked his brother things, like he was in charge. "Plus he smells."

"Okay, don't you have something to do? I think Dynamis is trying to set that tree on fire." Keith glared at his brother, pointing at the dragon in question.

Riley laughed sarcastically, "Yeah right, he wouldn't do something like t- oh my gosh, Dynamis! What's wrong with you, you overgrown lizard!" The boy dashed off to stop his dragon, who evidently was really trying to set a tree on fire.

Keith sighed and turned back to Llusia. "Sorry about that. Anyway, I don't think we should stay more then a few hours. I don't like delaying us any more then need be. But the storm is pretty rough, so we should let the bulk pass before we try anything." As he spoke, the trees creaked and groaned as the storm tore at their branches. "Unless you guys have suggestions?" He looked at the group in question.

There was an earth-shaking thud as a dragon far larger than the other ones landed near them. He was a massive creature, easily three times the size of most of the dragons there. The dragons and their riders would recognize him as Kalamadea, one of the few dragons there with a truly draconic name, as he was not named by Men. As was normal for him, his physical voice rang out in speech, and it was directed towards Dynamis. "Now, there's no need for such drastic measures, Dynamis. There are other ways to warm everyone." He lay down and lifted a claw, flame erupted over it as he deposited the fireball on the ground. It lifted a few inches above the ground and remained there, despite the fact that there was no wood for it to burn. The rain hissed as it fell into the flame, but the fire didn't go out. "Now would be a good time to get some rest. We won't get much farther with this storm raging, anyway. It's getting too severe for us to fly."

'Ah, storms. Don't you love this kind of weather Cyth?' Mina asked her dragon as she rode her through the woods leisurely. Her dragon's wings were held upwards, sheltering her from most of the winds, giving Mina an unspoiled view of the lightning, cracking through the clouds. Mina had a love for lightning and storms and though her body was cold, she could enjoy this kind of weather immensely, certainly if she could view it with Cythraul.
"I think you are a weird human for wanting to walk through the woods to see the storm, instead of flying over it and seeing it even clearer." Cythraul replied with a snort. She had a raging hatred for walking on the ground, even though she was fast on land as well, she simply didn't like it.
Mina grinned a bit. 'You wouldn't torment your rider with this cold, would you Cyth? We had to catch some food for ourselves and the other riders, otherwise this cold is going to weaken us too much.' she said.
Cythraul snorted once more, not replying to Mina as she jumped into a steady pace to catch up with where the other dragons had landed.

They reached the clearing quite soon, spotting the massive Kalamadea, a humongous dragon. Cythraul moved closer to the group before lowering her back to allow Mina to slide off. 'Hey, I got us some food.' Mina stated, pulling her coat around her tightly now that Cythraul's protection was gone. She held up a string with some rabbits and a ferret on it, which they could cook up for a nice meal.
'I also spotted a flock of sheep on a hill nearby while flying on Cyth, it seems they're wild so our partners can eat if they want to, once we're able to fly again of course.' she added.

(Hope this is good ^^" Couldn't think of another intro)

Dynamis' assault of the tree halted when Kalamadea spoke. Even though he was as wild, stubborn, and unpredictable as a rhinoceros on steroids, he highly respected the enormous dragon. The young dragon lowered his head and adverted his eyes. "I'm sorry." He spoke apologetically, "I was trying to get my Rider's attention." He shot Riley a look, as if to say this is your fault. The rain continued to rise in wisps of steam from the fire, the cold wind making it dance in the light of the flame, adding an eerie effect to the scene.

Riley looked very small next to Kalamadea. The giant red beast had always awed him. The first time Riley heard him speak, back just a few months ago at the Academy, the boy had almost jumped out of his boots. He never knew it was possible for a dragon to have a physical voice.

In his ADHD fashion, Riley heard the word 'food' and his attention was completely ripped away from his dragon once again. Abandoning Dynamis, he turned on his heal and practically skipped over to Mina and her black-and-white dragon. "Did you say food?" He asked, eyeing the rabbits.

Riley looked at the young woman, a little shyly, which was unlike him. She intrigued him. The boy had a kind of hard time reading her - she seemed distant and quiet, though her affection for her dragon was obvious. Sometimes, the boy wished he got along with his own dragon that well.

The first one to greet Mina was Riley, a dynamic male that was always hyper and jumping around. His dragon seemed to be grumpy most of the time and though they liked each other, there was an obvious lack of a strong bond. Mina didn't feel strongly for the male, though this was the same for any other member of this group. They were paired up, that was something she couldn't change, but she wasn't about to get friendly with everybody just because of that. She didn't even trust any of them.

She gave Riley a faint nod and handed him the rabbits. 'Be sure to share. We all need our strength.' she stated, before walking off towards a tree. Cythraul walked along, curling around the girl as she leaned against the tree. The dragon placed her tail below Mina so she could sit down without getting wet and basically snuggled around her, using her wings as cover from the rain. "You didn't need to be so distant, you know?" Cythraul stated softly as she nudged her rider.
Mina shrugged a bit. "I don't care for him Cyth, neither should you. They would all most likely do nothing if something happened to either of us. You're the only one I can truly trust." she brushed her hand over Cythraul's soft scales as the dragon let out a rumbling sigh.
'Maybe now, but you'll have to learn to trust them someday." she said.
Mina shrugged again. "Someday is not today. I'll take my chances with you by my side." she stated. Cythraul simply nudged her again and closed her eyes to get some sleep.