When Merrick had come into the Kitchen Yennefer was already there, she had awoken about half an hour before the light. Methuzar was a very heavy sleeper compared to her and she had decided to quietly leave him to rest before the sun came up. The night before she and he had lain awake a little while, testing their bond's flexibility and stretch. Methuzar himself was very methodical and stalwart of mind, he found it difficult to change and shift his connection with her. However Yennefer herself had always maintained great control over her mind and after a half hour's practice she had figured it out to some extent. Therefore she was able to seperate her own experiences from Methuzar enough so that his sleep would not be disturbed by her own wakefulness, which he greatly appreciated. She spent a great amount of time perusing the anatomy book she had, finding it both useful and frustrating. The author had been of a cunning mind but certainly not a doctor, his languages and names sometimes difficult to transcribe into her own understanding of the body. However eventually she went to sleep, her dreams full of tall mountain peaks and windswept cliffs that made her heart beat in thrill. In the morning she had slipped quietly from their stall, tiptoeing past her dragon and into the kitchen where she began finding her way around and making some breakfast, greeting Merrik jovially and respectfully when he arrived.
"Good Morning to you Mentor, I trust you slept well?" She offered him a glass of the fruit she had been juicing, trying to find a balanced breakfast to make and always concious of the exceeding benefits of fruit. Her wild red hair was contained in a ponytail and she wore the redesigned jodhpurs and a moveable yet tight-fitting shirt. All in all she looked the most practical and ready person around, especially for so early in the morning. You wouldnt be able to tell she had only had five hours sleep, she had certainly survived on less. The anatomy book, she had taken to carrying around with her, was open on a clean and out-of-the-way table, a blue ribbon bookmark inbetween the pages.
Merrik was surprised and entertained to find the fiery red head Yennefer in the kitchen when he entered at the early hour. He was used to being the only human in these halls and most the dragons preferred to sleep in. The bright smile of another and the kind offer of freshly juiced fruits warmed his heart as he remembered his childhood: a more social time of his life.
He accepted the drink with a grateful nod and moved to the far corner of the room where a hatch on the floor opened up to a cellar which he used as a cool storage room for the perishables. As he collected various items he spoke "I slept quite well, Thankyou." As he dug about in the cellar he spoke louder to accommodate for the muffling distance, "I speak the truth when I say I didn't expect to find anyone awake at this hour, especially not after the exhausting event of yesterday, though your company is greatly welcomed. How are you at cooking, Yennefer? Would you care to assist me?"
Yennefer dipped her head a little as he took the glass, before sipping her own concoction and watching with interest as he went about the kitchen with obvious practice. He opened the hatch and she gave a little exclamation of understanding. "Ah! Thats where they were." She nodded quickly to his askance of help, jumping down to aid in the retrieval of various ingredients such as baskets of eggs and hashes of bacon before laying them out neatly on the table.
"Yes well, a sick body tends to survive the night, however everything always falls apart some few hours before dawn. Therefore my own sleeping pattern has morphed accordingly, I can never sleep past an hour before dawn. In all honesty I am also very glad to meet you here, usually it is hours before I see anyone. Even Methuzar is nowhere near consciousness!"
She grinned at him in a friendly manner and gleefully rolled up her sleeves before putting her hands firmly on her hips and looking hard at the work surfaces covered with ingredients, as a swordsman would look at a challenging opponent. She answered his second question. "Boiling and mixing remedies has an added skill benefit when it comes to the kitchen. I'll gladly help, its what I was endeavouring to do before but alas I did not find the food in time." She set to work in a slightly strangely methodical manner, measuring things in more scientific amounts and units. Still it certainly worked as a cooking style and she felt most comfortable this way.
"Wonderful, my thanks m'lady." Once they had gathered all the ingredients they set to work on cooking omelets, oatmeals, preparing bacon from the elk meat Merrik received the day before. He watched as she worked, using an unusually precise method, leading him to believe she had taken her trade as a doctor and applied it to cooking. Whatever worked; she was doing a wonderful job and in no time at all, the meals were cooking and the table was set. As he absentmindedly flipped the bacon and scrambled the eggs they carried on small talk about her past. He had know she was a doctor, but he wanted to know if she could be a healer.
"How confident are you in your understanding of the human body? It's anatomy, it's processes, and so on?"
Yennefer had to bite her tongue slightly before saying something that might be construed as awful immodesty. Instead she finished frying her final egg before wiping her hands down with a cloth and answering him. She looked up towards the ceiling briefly, trying to figure out a way to explain it properly so that he might understand the depth of her understanding.
"Without trying to sound overtly prideful..." She rubbed the back of her neck once before holding her hand out in front of her.
"Most men know they have bones and muscle and blood in their hands, they know it will hurt when cut and unconsciously know how to maneuver it into whatever position they wish." She flexed her hand in front of her and pointed quickly to a particularly visible blood vessel on her palm. "I know that this blood is about to return to my heart, I can feel the pulse, I can count the second exactly to when it will arrive at my Pulman- I am sorry I mean my Lung blood vessel." She tapped her chest and closed her eyes. "If I try I can become very in tune with my own inner workings, theory becomes experience in my mind and this ability has in fact lead me to change earlier incorrect assumptions about the body." She opened her eyes and shook her head a little, smiling in a slightly self conscious manner. "There was a time when I forgot how to walk for a while because I was so conscious of exactly what I was doing."
She turned back to her eggs, cracking some more into a pan before pointing to the anatomy book on the table. "I have a few questions about that actually, but firstly why do you ask, if you dont mind saying?" She gave him a curious, wide-eyed look that would have been childish if her eyes werent so obviously knowledgeable and she didnt look so dependable.
Merrik put down the rag he had been using to wipe down the cooking surfaces, "I ask because an army needs many components to become successful. We need rogues, trained to sneak and steal into the most impregnable fortresses, we need warriors, finely tuned soldiers with no fear of a vast army, and we certainly need healers, doctors of both herbs and of magic. But the healing magicks are a dangerous and complex area, even the simplest of spells can land a man with blood as thick as batter and bones woven to muscle and flesh. Few in our time know enough about anatomy to understand how these complex spells must be execute. Those that have the knowledge needed have mostly taken to the monasteries in the great mountain ranges. I see in you, a great level of precaution in all that you do; I see an eagerness to learn and understand things that few would think to notice."
He looked her in her eyes, truly impressed by the small traits he had seen in her; her careful nature, her precise actions, her method of procedure and her helping heart, all of which were important qualities in a magical healer.
Yennefer nodded with a pensive expression, she definately understood Merrik's meaning even though the idea of magic that could be used to heal was very exciting. She wrestled her wild thrill and excitement down before she barraged Merrik with a thousand questions. Finally she finished her eggs and laid them out on the table with the other mass of food and drinks and good things. It made her smile to look at it, all of the Tamers would be getting a well balanced diet if it killed her. She felt a certain sense of protectiveness and familial feel to all of her peers even though she had only known them but a day. Looking back to Merrik she nodded again with a very knowing expression, though blushing slightly from his praise of her character.
"I thank you for your words Mentor... When I was young I tended towards recklessness and because I came from a simple farmer's family I thought myself much cleverer than my tutors. Luckily I grew out of that before I killed anyone but I understand your meaning. If there is such a magic to manipulate the body, one would have to be so very careful for every body is different. I admit the idea exhilarates me and I have been thinking of it ever since you recruited me but... I will definately not approach the skill before you have recommended it to me."
She sighed, going thoughtful again, considering all the possibilities just the barest magical manipulation of a body could give. How many people she could save just by stopping someone bleeding for five second or less. Her eyes glanced over the book open on the counter and she lit up again, picking it up and showing it to Merrik.
"Before I forget, Methuzar can only tell me so much of his own physiology, he calls these 'fire sacks'? Or something similar, but he controls the release of chemicals out though not in. I suspect they are more ducts? But they have muscles surrounding them that contract to release their contents. Where are these chemicals created? Is it a production of his digestion? Or is it a cellular biproduct... Or-!"
Suddenly she realised she had been bombarding again and she smiled apologetically. "Ah, I'll let you speak and pause for breath." She chuckled at herself.
Merrik chuckled at her honesty about her childhood weaknesses and faults, then the chuckle turned into a laugh as she had to cut herself off just to let him speak. "Miss Yennefer, you're a lovely character. I respect your ability to locate your faults and work to change them despite your pride. It is a task few can face and fewer can complete. Now, as for the "fire sacks"; fire sack is a casual term for the organ once called the Calor Custos, or heat keeper.
You're in exactly the right direction by means of fuel production. The dragons' digestive fluids create an unusually high amount of methane and other trace gases, it is believed that primitive methanogens evolved and merged into the cells that would one day become the fire drakes, though little is known about the exact chain of evolution. The pouch containing the pool of methane is controlled by muscles very similar to the stomach and esophagus, though slightly different in terms of direction. In the back of each dragon's throats there is a hard plate which, when struck by an unusual tooth like formation far back on their tongue, will create a spark to ignite his methane supply. It is important for the dragons to clear this passage daily to prevent blockage which could prove to have detrimental effects."
He felt like a text book, although at this point in time he wasn't far from it. He had spent countless hours studying the knowledge bank provided to him by the tamers of old; a priceless collection of facts and methods.
Yennefer blushed slightly harder at Merrik's mirth and compliments, she wasn't used to such treatment or respect from men to be brutally honest. In her field she usually had to be fought to be counted or heard which was probably why her advancements in biology and science were not widely known. It frustrated her to no end. But this man seemed to have no such prejudices which gave her great hope for her future development. A respectful teacher - student relationship often produced the best results. It made her excited to start learning, knowing that this man was a trustworthy Mentor.
As he continued speaking er eyes grew wider and wider, his explanations slowly slotting into her own theories and understandings, filling the gaps in her knowledge until the puzzle was complete. She could cry she was so happy, not only did Merrik seem like a respectful and honourable man, he seemed to have a greatly advanced knowledge of scientific language and chemical reactions, a way of speaking that she was thrillingly familiar with. She sighed in happiness and satisfaction once he had finished his explanation, the feeling of a question answered one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. It did spring forth a thousand more questions and ideas in her mind but she could consider them on her own, now she had the answers she needed.
"Ahh, thank you so much Mentor, it was keeping me awake. I dont think I have received such a clear explanation since my apprenticeship. Though my Master was a very different person to yourself." She chuckled a little to remember him and make the comparison.
"Methuzar was telling me about his spark plate.... that would need maintenance as well, it sounds like a constantly growing protrusion so it would be important to wear it down so that it doesnt become to thick and protrude over airways or make eating difficult... ah but yes, I can read about that. Thank you again-" Suddenly her eyes took on a slightly distant look and a slow warm smile curved up her lips. A trail of slightly cloudy yet affectionate thoughts slithered into her head and she snorted in amusement at his morning head. She did realise she had cut herself off mid sentence.
"Apologies, Methuzar just woke up, he is not a Morning dragon apparently. As I was saying, thank you, I am suddenly very excited to start my training. I look forward greatly to learning more from you Mentor."
She smiled warmly at him and dipped her head in respect before giving a final check over the spread of breakfast, ensuring they hadnt forgotten anything and that they had enough for everyone no matter their taste preferences. She also was muttering quietly to herself about the various nutrient values of all the ingredients and dishes in front of her, Methuzar's slowly awakening thoughts sluggishly catching up with her conversations.
"Good Morning to you Mentor, I trust you slept well?" She offered him a glass of the fruit she had been juicing, trying to find a balanced breakfast to make and always concious of the exceeding benefits of fruit. Her wild red hair was contained in a ponytail and she wore the redesigned jodhpurs and a moveable yet tight-fitting shirt. All in all she looked the most practical and ready person around, especially for so early in the morning. You wouldnt be able to tell she had only had five hours sleep, she had certainly survived on less. The anatomy book, she had taken to carrying around with her, was open on a clean and out-of-the-way table, a blue ribbon bookmark inbetween the pages.
Merrik was surprised and entertained to find the fiery red head Yennefer in the kitchen when he entered at the early hour. He was used to being the only human in these halls and most the dragons preferred to sleep in. The bright smile of another and the kind offer of freshly juiced fruits warmed his heart as he remembered his childhood: a more social time of his life.
He accepted the drink with a grateful nod and moved to the far corner of the room where a hatch on the floor opened up to a cellar which he used as a cool storage room for the perishables. As he collected various items he spoke "I slept quite well, Thankyou." As he dug about in the cellar he spoke louder to accommodate for the muffling distance, "I speak the truth when I say I didn't expect to find anyone awake at this hour, especially not after the exhausting event of yesterday, though your company is greatly welcomed. How are you at cooking, Yennefer? Would you care to assist me?"
Yennefer dipped her head a little as he took the glass, before sipping her own concoction and watching with interest as he went about the kitchen with obvious practice. He opened the hatch and she gave a little exclamation of understanding. "Ah! Thats where they were." She nodded quickly to his askance of help, jumping down to aid in the retrieval of various ingredients such as baskets of eggs and hashes of bacon before laying them out neatly on the table.
"Yes well, a sick body tends to survive the night, however everything always falls apart some few hours before dawn. Therefore my own sleeping pattern has morphed accordingly, I can never sleep past an hour before dawn. In all honesty I am also very glad to meet you here, usually it is hours before I see anyone. Even Methuzar is nowhere near consciousness!"
She grinned at him in a friendly manner and gleefully rolled up her sleeves before putting her hands firmly on her hips and looking hard at the work surfaces covered with ingredients, as a swordsman would look at a challenging opponent. She answered his second question. "Boiling and mixing remedies has an added skill benefit when it comes to the kitchen. I'll gladly help, its what I was endeavouring to do before but alas I did not find the food in time." She set to work in a slightly strangely methodical manner, measuring things in more scientific amounts and units. Still it certainly worked as a cooking style and she felt most comfortable this way.
"Wonderful, my thanks m'lady." Once they had gathered all the ingredients they set to work on cooking omelets, oatmeals, preparing bacon from the elk meat Merrik received the day before. He watched as she worked, using an unusually precise method, leading him to believe she had taken her trade as a doctor and applied it to cooking. Whatever worked; she was doing a wonderful job and in no time at all, the meals were cooking and the table was set. As he absentmindedly flipped the bacon and scrambled the eggs they carried on small talk about her past. He had know she was a doctor, but he wanted to know if she could be a healer.
"How confident are you in your understanding of the human body? It's anatomy, it's processes, and so on?"
Yennefer had to bite her tongue slightly before saying something that might be construed as awful immodesty. Instead she finished frying her final egg before wiping her hands down with a cloth and answering him. She looked up towards the ceiling briefly, trying to figure out a way to explain it properly so that he might understand the depth of her understanding.
"Without trying to sound overtly prideful..." She rubbed the back of her neck once before holding her hand out in front of her.
"Most men know they have bones and muscle and blood in their hands, they know it will hurt when cut and unconsciously know how to maneuver it into whatever position they wish." She flexed her hand in front of her and pointed quickly to a particularly visible blood vessel on her palm. "I know that this blood is about to return to my heart, I can feel the pulse, I can count the second exactly to when it will arrive at my Pulman- I am sorry I mean my Lung blood vessel." She tapped her chest and closed her eyes. "If I try I can become very in tune with my own inner workings, theory becomes experience in my mind and this ability has in fact lead me to change earlier incorrect assumptions about the body." She opened her eyes and shook her head a little, smiling in a slightly self conscious manner. "There was a time when I forgot how to walk for a while because I was so conscious of exactly what I was doing."
She turned back to her eggs, cracking some more into a pan before pointing to the anatomy book on the table. "I have a few questions about that actually, but firstly why do you ask, if you dont mind saying?" She gave him a curious, wide-eyed look that would have been childish if her eyes werent so obviously knowledgeable and she didnt look so dependable.
Merrik put down the rag he had been using to wipe down the cooking surfaces, "I ask because an army needs many components to become successful. We need rogues, trained to sneak and steal into the most impregnable fortresses, we need warriors, finely tuned soldiers with no fear of a vast army, and we certainly need healers, doctors of both herbs and of magic. But the healing magicks are a dangerous and complex area, even the simplest of spells can land a man with blood as thick as batter and bones woven to muscle and flesh. Few in our time know enough about anatomy to understand how these complex spells must be execute. Those that have the knowledge needed have mostly taken to the monasteries in the great mountain ranges. I see in you, a great level of precaution in all that you do; I see an eagerness to learn and understand things that few would think to notice."
He looked her in her eyes, truly impressed by the small traits he had seen in her; her careful nature, her precise actions, her method of procedure and her helping heart, all of which were important qualities in a magical healer.
Yennefer nodded with a pensive expression, she definately understood Merrik's meaning even though the idea of magic that could be used to heal was very exciting. She wrestled her wild thrill and excitement down before she barraged Merrik with a thousand questions. Finally she finished her eggs and laid them out on the table with the other mass of food and drinks and good things. It made her smile to look at it, all of the Tamers would be getting a well balanced diet if it killed her. She felt a certain sense of protectiveness and familial feel to all of her peers even though she had only known them but a day. Looking back to Merrik she nodded again with a very knowing expression, though blushing slightly from his praise of her character.
"I thank you for your words Mentor... When I was young I tended towards recklessness and because I came from a simple farmer's family I thought myself much cleverer than my tutors. Luckily I grew out of that before I killed anyone but I understand your meaning. If there is such a magic to manipulate the body, one would have to be so very careful for every body is different. I admit the idea exhilarates me and I have been thinking of it ever since you recruited me but... I will definately not approach the skill before you have recommended it to me."
She sighed, going thoughtful again, considering all the possibilities just the barest magical manipulation of a body could give. How many people she could save just by stopping someone bleeding for five second or less. Her eyes glanced over the book open on the counter and she lit up again, picking it up and showing it to Merrik.
"Before I forget, Methuzar can only tell me so much of his own physiology, he calls these 'fire sacks'? Or something similar, but he controls the release of chemicals out though not in. I suspect they are more ducts? But they have muscles surrounding them that contract to release their contents. Where are these chemicals created? Is it a production of his digestion? Or is it a cellular biproduct... Or-!"
Suddenly she realised she had been bombarding again and she smiled apologetically. "Ah, I'll let you speak and pause for breath." She chuckled at herself.
Merrik chuckled at her honesty about her childhood weaknesses and faults, then the chuckle turned into a laugh as she had to cut herself off just to let him speak. "Miss Yennefer, you're a lovely character. I respect your ability to locate your faults and work to change them despite your pride. It is a task few can face and fewer can complete. Now, as for the "fire sacks"; fire sack is a casual term for the organ once called the Calor Custos, or heat keeper.
You're in exactly the right direction by means of fuel production. The dragons' digestive fluids create an unusually high amount of methane and other trace gases, it is believed that primitive methanogens evolved and merged into the cells that would one day become the fire drakes, though little is known about the exact chain of evolution. The pouch containing the pool of methane is controlled by muscles very similar to the stomach and esophagus, though slightly different in terms of direction. In the back of each dragon's throats there is a hard plate which, when struck by an unusual tooth like formation far back on their tongue, will create a spark to ignite his methane supply. It is important for the dragons to clear this passage daily to prevent blockage which could prove to have detrimental effects."
He felt like a text book, although at this point in time he wasn't far from it. He had spent countless hours studying the knowledge bank provided to him by the tamers of old; a priceless collection of facts and methods.
Yennefer blushed slightly harder at Merrik's mirth and compliments, she wasn't used to such treatment or respect from men to be brutally honest. In her field she usually had to be fought to be counted or heard which was probably why her advancements in biology and science were not widely known. It frustrated her to no end. But this man seemed to have no such prejudices which gave her great hope for her future development. A respectful teacher - student relationship often produced the best results. It made her excited to start learning, knowing that this man was a trustworthy Mentor.
As he continued speaking er eyes grew wider and wider, his explanations slowly slotting into her own theories and understandings, filling the gaps in her knowledge until the puzzle was complete. She could cry she was so happy, not only did Merrik seem like a respectful and honourable man, he seemed to have a greatly advanced knowledge of scientific language and chemical reactions, a way of speaking that she was thrillingly familiar with. She sighed in happiness and satisfaction once he had finished his explanation, the feeling of a question answered one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. It did spring forth a thousand more questions and ideas in her mind but she could consider them on her own, now she had the answers she needed.
"Ahh, thank you so much Mentor, it was keeping me awake. I dont think I have received such a clear explanation since my apprenticeship. Though my Master was a very different person to yourself." She chuckled a little to remember him and make the comparison.
"Methuzar was telling me about his spark plate.... that would need maintenance as well, it sounds like a constantly growing protrusion so it would be important to wear it down so that it doesnt become to thick and protrude over airways or make eating difficult... ah but yes, I can read about that. Thank you again-" Suddenly her eyes took on a slightly distant look and a slow warm smile curved up her lips. A trail of slightly cloudy yet affectionate thoughts slithered into her head and she snorted in amusement at his morning head. She did realise she had cut herself off mid sentence.
"Apologies, Methuzar just woke up, he is not a Morning dragon apparently. As I was saying, thank you, I am suddenly very excited to start my training. I look forward greatly to learning more from you Mentor."
She smiled warmly at him and dipped her head in respect before giving a final check over the spread of breakfast, ensuring they hadnt forgotten anything and that they had enough for everyone no matter their taste preferences. She also was muttering quietly to herself about the various nutrient values of all the ingredients and dishes in front of her, Methuzar's slowly awakening thoughts sluggishly catching up with her conversations.
Warm-ups didnt sound too daunting, Yennefer could do warm-ups, she had had to stretch after surgery plenty of times. Methuzar had joined her and watched with intrigue as her small body stretched and bent quite easily. You are quite supple then? Why does your heart beat so fast? Yennefer laughed humourlessly was she touched her toes. "Its not the stretches that worry me, but I am a little anxious at what comes afterwards." Methuzar did not try to disagree or refute her anxiety, instead simply comforting her with soothing thoughts and feelings which indeed did slow her heart rate and make her feel more positive about what was to come. Running beside Methuzar was interesting, Yennefer had to learn to jump when his weight thudded against the ground or else risk being bounced off balance. However she was surprised to find her body very light to maneuver, she felt exceedingly strong which she was puzzled about until Methuzar answered her silent pondery. My strength has passed onto you I believe, it is more than just physical ability, the power of the earth flows through you. Yennefer had blinked curiously at this and quickly bet to pick up a pebble before tossing it a few times, trying to feel its weight in her hand. Then she threw it as hard as she could at another, larger rock, careful not to hit anyone else. It shot through the air faster than an arrow from a bow and broke apart on the rock so violently that Methuzar had to use his wings to quickly shield her from ricocheting fragments. Yennefer stared at her hands in wonder for a while both shaking off her amazement and continuing with her lap.
Their footsteps fluttered across the track, Cairene easily keeping up with her dragon's gait, and marvelling at the gleam rippling along her active muscles. She was a lean dragon, tapered perfectly at the front and back, streamlined, capable of running at the woman's side without disturbing her rhythm or risking injury. The same could not be said for their neighbours, however; jolting the ground at every footfall. Cairene focused on the duo just ahead, noting the way the great Methuzar galloped, looking very much like a mountain in motion. Asmara's delay cost them a whole minute, and even though it was merely a recreational exercise, the pair caught up to their comrades in little time. Before they were in sight, they could literally feel the presence of the Titan and his Lady. When they neared them, Cairene immediately felt the magnitude of the Brown's power, rumbling beneath and rocketing up her legs, making them stall for a moment. Asmara skid a few paces and gave a panicked growl, stopping to stoop over her Tamer with hot breaths gushing through the soft curls that swung, if they weren't clinging to her neck. The woman reassured her by bringing memories of the surprise to Asmara's eye, explaining that it was simply a loss of balance, very normal for bipedal lifeforms. She looked ahead and saw bright red on the horizon seconds after dust rising from a boulder further in the distance. Clearly, it was struck with a considerate amount force.
"Do you think it was one of the dragons?" asked Cairene, bobbing on the balls of feet in preparation for a relaunch.
Asmara didn't answer, her eyes were narrowed with interest, though, prompting Cairene to search her mind. That was when she heard it: their voices, loud and clear as if they were standing a few metres closer, within arms reach. Her brows lowered, almost touching the eyelashes raised upon her widened eyes.
"Oh my..." her voice trailed. Asmara didn't move or make a sound, but she was impressed at how quickly Cairene put two and two together. "You little eavesdropper! Is this why you went silent those times?"
["Let's go over if you're going to be so invasive."]
"Oh, we'll discuss this, young lady!" her head swerved at the Amethyst's eye-rolling gesture as she spoke. "But yes, let's."
Yennefer was stationary when the pair started, but that soon changed, and Cairene was increasing her pace to a brisk jog until their bodies levelled on the horizon.
"New super power, huh?" she chirped.
Their footsteps fluttered across the track, Cairene easily keeping up with her dragon's gait, and marvelling at the gleam rippling along her active muscles. She was a lean dragon, tapered perfectly at the front and back, streamlined, capable of running at the woman's side without disturbing her rhythm or risking injury. The same could not be said for their neighbours, however; jolting the ground at every footfall. Cairene focused on the duo just ahead, noting the way the great Methuzar galloped, looking very much like a mountain in motion. Asmara's delay cost them a whole minute, and even though it was merely a recreational exercise, the pair caught up to their comrades in little time. Before they were in sight, they could literally feel the presence of the Titan and his Lady. When they neared them, Cairene immediately felt the magnitude of the Brown's power, rumbling beneath and rocketing up her legs, making them stall for a moment. Asmara skid a few paces and gave a panicked growl, stopping to stoop over her Tamer with hot breaths gushing through the soft curls that swung, if they weren't clinging to her neck. The woman reassured her by bringing memories of the surprise to Asmara's eye, explaining that it was simply a loss of balance, very normal for bipedal lifeforms. She looked ahead and saw bright red on the horizon seconds after dust rising from a boulder further in the distance. Clearly, it was struck with a considerate amount force.
"Do you think it was one of the dragons?" asked Cairene, bobbing on the balls of feet in preparation for a relaunch.
Asmara didn't answer, her eyes were narrowed with interest, though, prompting Cairene to search her mind. That was when she heard it: their voices, loud and clear as if they were standing a few metres closer, within arms reach. Her brows lowered, almost touching the eyelashes raised upon her widened eyes.
"Oh my..." her voice trailed. Asmara didn't move or make a sound, but she was impressed at how quickly Cairene put two and two together. "You little eavesdropper! Is this why you went silent those times?"
["Let's go over if you're going to be so invasive."]
"Oh, we'll discuss this, young lady!" her head swerved at the Amethyst's eye-rolling gesture as she spoke. "But yes, let's."
Yennefer was stationary when the pair started, but that soon changed, and Cairene was increasing her pace to a brisk jog until their bodies levelled on the horizon.
"New super power, huh?" she chirped.
Methuzar was like a giant platform, his body was so large and sturdy that Yennefer felt almost guilty about how easy it was. She tried to make it harder for herself, standing at weird angles or on one leg or on more awkward parts of his body. But in any case she had always been steady on her feet, even when Methuzar took a quick circle stroll that turned into a little gallop she still remained sufficiently secure on his back. Looking around she noted how others were not faring very well and felt a stab of need to help them, especially the Red Tamer who was obviously not adjusting to this change in her life very well at all. However she resisted, knowing there was little she could do to help them.
*Insert collab here*
Again Methuzar seemed not to be looking forward to this section of the day however Yennefer was grateful for the rest. She settled snugly back into her little alcove between his shoulder blades and they took to the sky, remembering their forms and stances to make the take off as smoothe as possible. Methuzar soon found that flying with his Tamer was much more enjoyable than alone. Her opinions and experiences of the flight filtered into his own mind and effected the way he viewed the whole thing. The pair took the chance to try and thread more of their minds together, absorb eachother until they were one living, breathing organism with two minds that worked as one. Yennefer could feel and understand the intricate and methodical beat of his wings and knew every single muscle twitch that allowed them to stay aloft. Methuzar felt his rider's tiny beating heart and knew how it felt to really sit atop him. They experimented in moving eachother's bodies, Yennefer tentatively manipulating his tail so that they banked slightly left while Methuzar leant Yennefer's torso sideways to keep her balance. After their excursion they quickly snapped back into their own minds with a gasp and a tingling thrill, knowing just how truly connected they were to eachother. It was a very peaceful time for them both.
*POST COLLAB HERE*
When it came to combat practice Yennefer again felt the slight twinge of concern. Her comrades were quickly picking up weapons and falling into pairs, practicing and sparring with ease, most knowing at least the basics. Yennefer herself stood slightly to the side, she didnt want to impose on anyone else or embarrass Methuzar with her own incompetance. All the other dragons seemed very excited to watched their own Tamer's battle. She sensed Methuzar's derisive snort of disapproval at her thought process, she had far greater talents than the other Tamers in his mind. She watched through his eyes as he rose into the air and the Dragons all began their own battle training. She noted his general tactic was more tactile and in close rather than using quick attacks or ranged fireballs, though she knew he was quite adept at that too.
She tried looking over the various weapons and found a Bow and Quiver amongst them which she picked up and practiced with for a while. However she knew she would need more than just Archery in the long run and awkwardly she picked up a Sword, confused by how little it weighed in her hands as she tried to swing it tentatively. She nearly threw it a few times and dropped it alot but persisted without frustration, she had started learning something from scratch before now, she knew the learning curve very well.
She tried looking over the various weapons and found a Bow and Quiver amongst them which she picked up and practiced with for a while. However she knew she would need more than just Archery in the long run and awkwardly she picked up a Sword, confused by how little it weighed in her hands as she tried to swing it tentatively. She nearly threw it a few times and dropped it alot but persisted without frustration, she had started learning something from scratch before now, she knew the learning curve very well.
Yennefer listened with rapt attention to Merrik's detailed description, not wanting to miss one thing and carefully commiting each sentence to memory. She etched the sight of his flame into her mind, trying to understand its movements and intricacies and predict its next movements. However she could only get so far, it was when Methuzar got her to relinquish her control over the experience that she truly understood it, guiding her along a flames path with his own unique comprehension of it. She felt the fire, she saw its soul through his eyes, knew it like her own skin. It was such an intense experience that she shuddered and gasped once it was over, feeling as though she herself was on fire.
Then, ever so respectfully and carefully, she began threading her presence into Methuzar’s heart, seeking gently for the source, the well of energy that she could feel pulsing through his whole body. She touched it and felt his whole body shiver but he reassured her before she could pull away. Softly, she coaxed a small stream of energy through their bond, suffusing her small body with power and then just waiting for a moment, acclimatising to the feeling that she could do anything, not wanting to be pushed into recklessness. Eventually she focused the circles of forces into her hands and pictured the world in darkness around her, making her heart long for light. She felt the wind in her hair and simply struck her spark, a quick and flickering motion of thought that suddenly set the air cupped in her hands ablaze. She felt the warmth before opening her eyes to the flame and smiling, an action which briefly broke her concentration and almost let the fire die away. However she quickly rectified the situation, maintaining her hold over the powers at her disposal and fuelling her little candle happily.
Once she was confident in supporting her fire she began manipulating it, at first letting Methuzar guide her in control before finally letting herself take full control. She span the flames up above her head, judging the limits to its moveability and pushing the boundaries every now and then, exceedingly careful not to draw anymore energy from Methuzar than was necessary to sustain the flame. She tried then changing the heat of the fire, first cooling it to its lowest possible temperature, the sluggish crimson flames lazily licking at her fingers, before raising the temperature until the fire turned the brightest white and roared in her palm. She continued in this vein a while until there was a noticeable decrease in Methuzar’s mana pool, whereupon she ceased the flow and watched the small fire flash out of existence. This was definitely something she could get good at, it applied all her talents and was a genuine challenge for her mind. It gave her a small thrill, thinking of all the possibilities, most notably how simple cauterising would become. How many lives she could save with just that alone made her heart warm and her emotions made Methuzar rumble in gladness.
Yennefer had noticed throughout the day that many of the Tamers were having problems with various things themselves. Most of the difficulties they were experiencing she was either having herself or could not help with, but with studying she could definately be useful. She had politely gone around her peers, asking them if they would join her or if they wished for help with anything in particular. She specifically sought Cedric out, knowing he had left early and reserving her judgement while trying to ensure he didnt miss important knowledge about his dragon or his own abilities. She had used a quite stern voice and manner to slightly drag him into her little study group, using Methuzar's own presence to enhance the weight of her words. Who'd say no to someone with a giant Dragon backing them up?
But with everyone else she was more easy, she knew they were all adults and could try to learn as they wished. In the end the fiery woman Sparks, Cedric and the Silver Dragon's Tamer Irin agreed to join her. She already had a large amount of books picked out, Methuzar asking to carry them and not taking no for an answer.
"Where would people prefer to study?" She asked to her group.
But with everyone else she was more easy, she knew they were all adults and could try to learn as they wished. In the end the fiery woman Sparks, Cedric and the Silver Dragon's Tamer Irin agreed to join her. She already had a large amount of books picked out, Methuzar asking to carry them and not taking no for an answer.
"Where would people prefer to study?" She asked to her group.
