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.