The dragon riders of the past
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: GoldenChild on 27-11-2006, 16:47:16</h2>
		<dl id="posts">
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>27-11-2006, 16:47:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<span class="bbc_u">Characters:</span><br>Liam - Main character, farm boy who wishes to become one of the glorious Dragon Riders.<br>Xenor - Main character, our young dragoness<br><br><span class="bbc_u">Backstory</span><br>Somewhere either far away, long time ago or something as simple as just in your imagination a country called Yndar exits.<br>Yndar is an old nation, with a history that is to long for anyone to remember it all. It stretches from the Large Waters in the east to the mountains in the west, the Large Ice Wall in the north to the desert in the south. It is governed since the Joining by several Counts that all are members of the Dragon Riders. A Dragon Rider is a knight that has joined forces with a dragon and together with him or her fights against the injustice of the world. At least… that is the theory… and the past of the Order. Today most Dragon Riders has long abandoned their glorious fight against evil and only protects themselves and the power they hold.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>27-11-2006, 17:06:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xenor opened her bejewelled eyes as the morning sun touched her thick leathered skin. <br>She lifted her huge snout and sniffed the air, she could smell the wind beginning to pull various scents from their places and carry them back to her, it would be a fine day, perfect for a hunt to fill her belly.<br><br>She pushed out her head, stretching her neck a rumbled noise of satisfaction deep within her chest as the rest of her body followed and she stretched almost cat like in her lair.<br>Sniffing once more, Xenor stood and made her way to her cave's mouth, she stood on the cliff's edge, extending her wings to test the wind's currents, raising her eyes to the sky as the early morning sun glinted off her scales, reflecting a mirriad of colours from each facet.<br><br>She was young, fit and healthy, just reaching full maturity and at this moment, very very hungry.<br>Her wings spread wide she waited for the right current to hit them, then launched herself off the ledge. Plunging for a moment, with the joy of freefall, before moving her wings in long strong sweeps to climb high over the land below.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>27-11-2006, 21:25:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Liam!" The older woman shouted as he just managed to duck behind the wooden fence outside her garden. Under his arm a bundle of cookies and other goodies lay and he had no intentions of letting go of his catch. Some would say that Liam was too old to pull these kinds of pranks, but to him there were no such thing as being <em>to old</em>.<br>Slowly, as he noticed that the shouting had stopped he looked through the fence and then as he saw the coast was clear he bolted towards the edge of the tree line not far away.<br><br>Liam was a rather large boy, standing well over 6 feet tall and the year that had passed since his test for adultness had earned him a good set of muscles. Many of the elders in the village had wanted to take him in as an apprentice but so far he hadn't been much interested in anything they had to teach him. At first this had been accepted mostly with the comment; "<em>He will change his mind.</em>" but as time progressed he didn't seem too. Instead the only thing he was studying was the old books of history about the old battles and during the time Yndar was in revolt and upheaval. The time when the Dragon Riders where born and in the end brought peace to the whole country, and <em>that</em> interest wasn't too accepted by the elders.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>27-11-2006, 21:42:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xanor climbed high into the sky, well above the clouds, the where the air was cold and crisp, as well as out of sight.<br>There were a few rogues of her kind within a hundred miles of her home and she had no intention of being caught by them, yes...she was almost in season to be mated, but it was she who would choose the mate not others.<br><br>Even at this hight she heard the lowing of a large herd of cattle below, she didn't like drawing attention to her, but pickings were no longer rich in her hunting grounds and she was......very hungry....a fat cow or two would make a reasonable meal for her and surely the humans wouldn't begrudge one as serene and beautiful as her a couple of their beasts?<br><br>Claosing her wings she began to dive, flying like an arrow shooting through the clouds. She adjusted her projection as she saw the herds below and picked out two of the most likely with her keen eyesight, moving her back legs downwards ready to pick them off.<br>&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>28-11-2006, 09:19:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam ran through the small forest and out on the other side, quickly sliding under the fence of the meadow where the village held their herd of cows. It was a rather large stock, that has grown the past years mostly because of the good crops they where having. It were a kind lot, not aggressive in any way, or at least towards Liam anyway so he took refuge among them sat down and began unfolding his catch.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>28-11-2006, 09:56:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was swift and efficient, Xenor picked her targets in silence and swooped in.<br>Two of the larger cows were grabbed and dispatched, their spines snapped by her powerful grip, before their heards mates even realised they had gone.<br>It was only the powerful draft of her beating wings that stirred them into action as she dragged herself and her catch back into the sky, but even with the strength she had it took her the length of the meadow to gain enough hight to clear the surrounding trees.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>28-11-2006, 10:37:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam never knew what happened, one moment he was dividing his price, the next he was thrown of his feet by a strong draft. Two of the cows standing not more then a few meters away suddenly roamed in panic before they where impaled by enormous claws and lifted up in the air. It was then he saw it… the dragon. It was large, majestic and just… in lack of a better word, perfect. He sat there on the ground in awe and looked after it as it carried the two cows away. Never has he even dreamt about seeing a live dragon upfront, even less a live free dragon. What he knew and had read all dragons were born in captivity within the confines of the Dragon Riders, this one proved that notion to be false.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>28-11-2006, 10:50:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She roared her triumph as she climbed into the sky, the two beasts hanging limply from her claws, throwing her head back and trumpetting a challenge to all that would hear.<br>Under normal circumstances, she would have flown away and found a more secluded place to eat, but her stomach growled almost louder than her throat and she sank back down to the ground and into another meadow just beyond the trees.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>29-11-2006, 14:55:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam saw the dragon fly away, and as it did his heart sank, he didn’t want it to go just yet. He wanted to touch it, learn how its scales felt against his hand, learn how it smelled, learn if it could talk (the stories said they could but who knew). <br>He was just about to return to the village to spill the news that two cows had been taken by a dragon (no chance anyone would believe him on that one) when he noticed that it seemed to fly towards the Grynnar’s meadow not far away. Without really thinking he bolted in its direction hoping to get a closer look before it took off again.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>29-11-2006, 15:04:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was tearing into the first of the beasts almost before she had landed, her powerful jaws clamping onto it's body and rending it into two before she lifted her head and extended her neck to swallow it in one large chunk.<br>The rest of that carcass entered her empty stomach the same way and with her intial hunger sated, she took a more leasurely pace with the second.<br>Laying like a dog chewing a bone, Xenor took almost dainty bites from the tender juicy cow, even chewing a little before swallowing, her wings outstretched to catch the early sun as her tail flicked lazily from side to side.<br>&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>01-12-2006, 14:50:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam ran as fast as he could still heading in the direction he had seen the dragon vanished over the trees. His heart was beating hard but he was a good runner and kept a pace he knew he would manage; it would do no good if he ran out of breath before reaching the other meadow.<br>As he closed in on it he slowed down and fought to regain the control of his breathing. It was hard, he could hear his heart beating in his chest hard and it gave the illusion that everyone close to him would be able to hear the same. Slowly he approached the meadow and just as the forest ended he laid down on the ground and crept the last few meters.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>01-12-2006, 15:09:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The last piece of beast was thrown up into the air for her to catch and gulp down in one, almost as a man would throw a nut to catch it in his mouth.<br>Xenor grumbled her content at a reasonable meal, she would be hungry again and quite soon, but for the moment she was content.<br>Sitting for a while, grooming herself, she finally stretched and shook her wings before settling down to rest, allowing her food to digest before she headed back to her lair. The meadow was a perfect sun trap, smaller than the one she had taken the cattle from and well sheltered by trees, just right for a short nap.<br>Thrusting her long neck out onto the cool grass, she lay her jaw on the ground and closed her eyes, her ears swivelling now and then as she listened to the sounds around her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>01-12-2006, 15:20:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Slowly he creped on and the view of the meadow cleared before him and the sight almost made him gasp; there it laid… a live dragon which seemed to sleep, or resting at least. There were no signs of the two cows it had taken but he expected that it had devoured them more or less whole. Not that he really cared about cows in a moment as this; he was standing beside a dragon. Suddenly a desire of touching it filled him, at first his logical part of him won and he stayed hidden, but the longer he just stayed and watched, the more the urge of just touching its scales grew until it couldn’t hold himself any longer. He took one step forward… then another… then another… slowly he left his hidden place among the vegetation and began sneaking towards the large beast.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>01-12-2006, 15:30:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xenor smiled, well as best as a dragon could, she had been listening to him aproach since before he had even made it through the thicket of trees that divided the two fields, could even taste his smell as he aproached.<br>She judged him to be an older youth, just under twenty of their human years and yes....he was human, no other race smelled like them, or were as clumsy and judging by his breathing, he was extremely excited at being near her.<br>Twitching her nostrils, she sniffed the air, his smell confirmed it, excited and hessitant and eagre. Keeping her eyes closed, still feining sleep, she allowed him to aproach, infact he was amusing her,&nbsp; she was even betting with herself as to whether he would have the courage to actually to touch, or would he end up slinking away too afraid to do so....&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>02-12-2006, 17:01:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The dragon seemed to be deeply asleep, and Liam trusted his ability to move silently... <em>this shouldn't be any problem </em> he thought. Slowly he closed in the distance between himself and the "sleeping" dragon, taking each step as carefully has he can. The first thing he did noticed was the size of it... sure he had been told about the size of dragons but never in his wildest dreams he would have been able to imagine one... and this one was HUGE. It must be an older one, he decided for himself... especially since its size. As he came just beside it, he hesitated for a moment... then slowly he reached out his hand and slowly strokes its flank.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>02-12-2006, 17:15:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Hmmmmm..........very nice Human.......but if you insist upon touching me.....at least have the good manners to scratch the itch just above my left nostril."</em><br><br>There was no sound to the words, they crawled lazily into his head, like syrup from a spoon, more like images that formed themselves into a meaning than how he would speak with his voice.<br><br>Xenor still did not move, though the grumble in her chest sounded very much like an amused chuckle. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>04-12-2006, 16:23:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam almost fell backwards when he heard the… sound, and as he scrambled on his feet again he did notice that the dragon still didn’t move, there were no doubt that the sound itself came from… it.<br><br><em>It talked to me in my head!</em> The insight almost made him giggle, the whole situation was very strange.<br>“Eeh… Hello Mr Dragon, I’m sorry that I disturbed you in your sleep.” He said a bit hesitant, Liam had no idea how you were to address one so hoped the polite way did work… It hadn’t tried to eat him just yet.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>04-12-2006, 17:06:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Of course I spoke in your head human, how else would I communicate?"</em><br>That strange feeling of sound through image once more, creeping through his mind.<br><em>"Pray, tell me what does this 'MISTER' word mean, I am unfamilier with it."</em><br><br>Stretching her neck, she turned her head towards him, fixing one bejewelled eye upon his form.<br><em>"And are you foing to scratch this itch or not?" </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 08:51:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Prey? Lord, she is going to eat me!</em> Even if it just was a misunderstanding it turned his knees into jelly.<br><br>“I-it’s a title y-you put on those of higher standard than yourself that y-you meet. Mister i-is for males and lady is for females.” Liam tried desperately to keep his voice steady but his inner fear broke though. But as she asked his assistance, he took a step closer to her mouth, then another.<br><br><em>I’m really being led to slaughter.</em> He thought as he imagined how sharp teethes she had to have in the large mouth of hers.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 13:56:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She snorted, her breath hot and heavy against his skin.<br><em>"Then you should call me ......lady......"</em><br><br>Her voice had the hint of one highly ammused at his words and his actions, she turned her head further towards him so that her snout was only a hairs breath away from him.<br><em>"Just scratch the damned itch, I am too full to want to eat something as small and scrawny as you......." </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 14:14:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>He is a… she…</em> The insight was a bit revolutionizing as he had never even thought of the possibility of the existence of female dragons. Her warm breath blew against him and he took an unwilling step backwards not at all conscious that he had.<br>The head was enormous.. at least from his point of view, and as she told him to scratch her he had somewhat problem to really grasp where, so he guessed. His first attempt was a lousy one, to weak and not at all closes enough to the spot needed scratching. Her skin was… different, he had imagined it to be hard as steel or something… instead it was smooth as the best pelt available… smooth and warm to the touch. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 14:22:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"To the left a little......no too far....yes..up....there....."</em><br>Xenor directed him until he had the right spot, a grumble of pleasure deap in her chest as he found the spot as her eyes whirled with pleasure, casting a myriad of colours through them.<br><em>"But you cannot brake me......if you could scratch much harder it may releive me of that troublesome itch?"</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 14:34:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Scratching her gave him a mental picture of him scratching one of the cats back home... as she seemed to like it he smiled and scratched harder, not hard enough though but as hard as he could. Seeing her eyes almost made he forget what he was doing, those eyes where really... beautiful. Almost as viewing the rising or decent of the sun. But her complaining of the itch that still was there awoke him from his dreaming.<br><br>"I can always try..." He looked around himself, found a rough stone that fitted in his palm and resumed with what he was doing rubbing with it as hard as his muscles could manage.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 14:56:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A rumble of pleasure deap in her chest told him that he had made the right choice, that itch had been annoying her for days and she had not been able to rid herself from it no matter how much she tried.<br><em>"Hmmmmmm.......perfect........" </em> <br>Xenor closed her eyes allowing the pleasure relax her even more, but her ears began to pick up the sounds of other humans nearbye. Not near enough to be a threat, but certainly near enough to see her when she took to the sky.<br>She raised her head away from him, her ears twitching to locate the distance and direction they were coming from.<br><em>"I must leave......I have dallied to long in this place....."</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 15:05:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam was scratching a dragon... a live dragon... in truth he couldn't grasp that he did and didn’t notice that she seemed to listen on something else. Not before she moved her head, at that time it became impossible to miss.<br>“You must?” The reason was rather obvious, no-one would welcome her in their village more then you welcomed the wolves during the winter, even if the dragons were the servants of good they were still extremely large predators and Liam doubted that others would see her as he did. But he didn’t want to let go of her, somehow he felt connected to her and he knew that he would miss hearing her voice inside of him as soon as she left.<br>“I take it I will never see you again…” If he had had a tail it would have drooped at this time, his eyes almost looked hurt by the reality of she leaving.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 15:11:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She stood, stretching her body full length easing the elasticity back into her muscles as she spread her wings to test the strength of the wind, then turned her eyes back to him.<br><em>"If you saw me again I may be hungry little human and then you will be my dinner, is that your wish?"</em><br><br>She turned her head up to the sky, the clouds were moving faster up there, at least the wind was stronger above the tree line, she would have to give a very powerful spring into the air to launch herself from this meadow.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 19:09:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He stood there and watch her fly away clearly warned by her last words. He would be in danger if they met again he knew but at the same time he also knew that he would miss her, despite that he had just been in her presence nor more then a few minutes.<br>Just as she took of the mob from his village came running through the woods and out on the meadow. As they saw her rise to the sky they all stopped dead just gaping, one or two actually fainted just by the sight.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>05-12-2006, 19:21:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her wings beat powerfully as she climbed into the sky, driving her up into the stronger wind currents above until she could ease off a little and glide.<br>She'd heard the commotion below her and curious as to whether it had been aimed at her or the boy they other humans had seen her with, she turned to glide past the meadow once more.<br>Xenor saw, even at this distance, upturned faces wtaching her and easily picked out his. Despite the fact that he had obviously thought she was to eat him, he had been brave enough to aproach her and then even satisfy that itch and she admired him for that. Had she been in her lair or near, she would have given him some shiny stone or some toekn in thanks, but what could she give here?<br>Turning her head towards her body, she nimbly plucked a scale from her shoulder, it felt no more painful than a human plucking a hair from their head, then swooped down low enough to drop it at his feet. <br>It lay in the grass, a scale almost as large as a dinner plate, shining and shimmering as it's facets caught the sun.<br><br>She had to beat her wings hard to clear the tree line once more and continued to do so until she once again rose above the clouds, turning to head back to her home.<br>&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>07-12-2006, 15:09:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she made her dive half of the people ran out of there, scattering in all directions and kept running without looking back. They didn’t even notice when she flew off again. <br>The rest stood their grounds more or less. Sure some just fainted on the spot but the only one that didn’t move at all was Liam. He stood there tall and proud facing her in her dive, and became rather surprised that he still lived as she passed overhead. Her large scale landed just before his feet and he stood there staring at it. When he looked up again she was gone.<br><br>Slowly more people rose from their place and looked around. As they noticed that the danger was past they turned to the only one there that in their mind could answer their questions, Liam. But he didn’t say anything. Instead he picked up the shiny scale and placed it against his chest then made way through the crowd and walked home.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>07-12-2006, 15:42:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xenor made her way swiftly to her cave, she didn't care to be out and visible to others and she had often been hunted, in an attempt to capture her.<br><br>The <em>Tame ones </em> didn't like the fact that some were still born and lived free, she had decided a long time ago that they were jealous that they too could not do as they wished and those that rode them were even more so.<br>The dragon riders were arrogant and ignorant, hating the fact that some were not under their control and could not be made to bow to their wishes.<br>From what Xenor had seen of them, they were greedy for wealth and power, using her kind as mere tools to take far more than what they needed.<br><br>She had been told that once, many years ago, they had joined with the humans to fight for the common good, ridding the lands of evil and injustice, but that time had passed, the few from those days that remained were either too old to be of use, or had left the riders after seeing how they too had been tarnished with greed.<br>She infact pittied those left, they had been hatched in captivity and knew no better, very few realising that they were doing wrong.<br><br>Taking the long way back she finally turned and landed upon the ledge she had left scant hours before and settling herself comfortably drifted off to sleep.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>12-12-2006, 16:21:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The villagers didn't leave Liam alone for a second after this. They asked questions constantly; demanded to know things he couldn’t answer. Who was the dragon? Where had it come from? Who was its owner? Would it come back? Why had it given him a piece of its scale to him? <br>Everything escalated and just got worse and worse until the day Liam heard rumors about some of the town folks actually charging him for what had happened to Old Tom’s cows. He was in liege with the dragon they said, and it wouldn’t be long until it returned to lay waste of the whole village… this started really to go downhill from there.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>12-12-2006, 16:46:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xenor too was not having the best of times, she had caused too much of a stir in being seen by so many villagers and the gossip had spread fast.<br>The dragonriders had been angry to say the least, that a young female ready for mating had been allowed to escape their grasp and had made an extra effort to try and trace her, sending out the large males to try and trace her scent. <br>There had been a few close calls, but they were fatter and lazier and she had far more to loose than they would gain, though she had been forced to leave her lair for pastures new.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>14-12-2006, 12:26:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It came to a point where Liam just left, one morning he was just gone without saying anything. Now it happened so that it was fairly lucky that he did because later that day at mid-day three large dragon’s with their riders arrived to town too question the person that had seen the free dragon.<br>By that time, Liam was long gone.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>14-12-2006, 13:09:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It took her some time to find another place, she had to be careful, they seemed to be everywhere. So she did the wisest thing she could, she moved nearer to people so that they would mask her scent.<br>Humans were noisy smelly things and their beasts were almost as bad, but if it suited her purpose then she would suffer it for a while. She reasoned that the riders would not expect her to move closer, hopefully they would extend their search further afield, instead of closer to home.<br><br>Of course Xenor knew it was a risk, more chance of her being spotted, but that time she had been hunting, she had spied a rocky outcrop, small but suitable shelter for her. Of course she would have to be careful, the chances of her being seen had dramatically increased, so she would only hunt at night when most were tucked safely in their beds. <br><br>She kept her head down for the next couple of days, nursing a thigh wound from a close call with one of the males.<br>Nothing life threatening, but painfully niggling all the same, but she was in need of food and she would have to hunt, even if it was turning into a clear moon lit night.<br>There was a lake nearbye, a long much needed drink and a quick clean would put her in a better mood and would give her something to do while she waited for the human's to be sleeping soundly before she hunted.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 12:03:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam never looked back, and since he was rather used to travel on his own in the wild, finding food and snare a few rabbits kept his stomach full. He avoided other people, most because he suspected that the rumor about him would have spread by now. But the main fear he had was that someone among the Dragon Riders would hear about him. What he had done was against the law, letting a dragon escape without reporting it, not that he wouldn’t think that someone in his village had made the report to them one way or the other. But it only made his crime even worse.<br>As the day began to end he came up to a lake which suited his needs for his camp. He quickly arranged it as he wanted and soon he had a good fire going… the darkness fell quickly.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 12:25:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As a true traveller would, especially when they didn't want to be noticed, he had hidden his fire well, even Xenor's keen eyes did not spot it. <br>She had smelled burning wood, but had flown over the charcoal burner's kilns and the wind carried still carried their scent, so she sensed no danger, nor reason for using the lake.<br>Gliding silently down, she landed neatly and precisely at the water's edge on the bank that she knew was strong enough to bare her wieght, startling a deer nearbye.<br>Xenor turned her head to watch it skitter away, it's white tail bobbing as it leapt and ran, but for now she had no interest in it, she was thirsty and wanted to bathe. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 12:49:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As a young dragon Xenor’s flight was almost completely silent, nor did the landing, despite her large body, caused any sound… she just landed as a feather with a large swooping sound.<br>Liam did hear the swooping sound though and he immediately stood up scanning out in the darkness. A deer ran off in another direction and he could hear it run through the undergrowth in full speed which just confirmed that something was out there. Slowly Liam left his camp and moved silently forward crouching beside the lake trying to see anything.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 13:03:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam's camp was now down wind of her and any noise that he made was easily masked by other sounds. <br><br>Xenor's minds eye traced them , the dear still running, was making a lot of noise, scattering other creatures in it's wake, birds squawking and complaining at the disruption, the soft gentle sweep of an owl and the surprised squeek of some rodent as it was snatched from the ground.<br><br>Her ears twitched as she ducked her head into the water, taking long gulping drinks. The water was clean and cool and she began to slowly wade in as she continued to sate her thirst.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 13:07:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He couldn't see anything but there were no doubt, something was out there. He closed his eyes to more easily be able to concentrate on the sound he just could make out and as he did he heard something big enter the water not very far in front of him, something very large. He quickly dismissed the possibility of a moose, bear or any other big animal that lived in the area… this was something larger. Slowly he followed the lake’s bank and sneaked towards the origin of the sound.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 13:18:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The water was glorious.<br>To others it may have been too cold, but to Xenor's thick hide it was cool and refreshing. She waded in until she was belly deap and then lay down using her wings as scoops to wash the water over her back.<br>Her tail showed how much she was enjoying this, by slapping the surface of the water sending splashes and spray into the air, rippling the water into small waves to lap upon the banks of the lake.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 13:23:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was like this Liam found her, playing in the water the same way as one of his dogs had done when they were a puppy. As soon as he saw what it was that had landed so close to his camp he crouched and after a while he noticed that he had forgotten to breathe. He was mortified, had she come to kill him as she had more or less promised? But as time passed that thought became more and more ridicules as it was rather clear that she was just enjoying herself just as anyone would in water. He stopped being afraid and just watched her, taking his time to study the young dragon.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>15-12-2006, 13:57:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The water was delicious, it wasn't often that she has the pleasure of doing this and Xenor made the most of every drop.<br>After her initial romp, she turned her huge head to her flank and made sure that her wound was cleaned thoroughly, nipping at it with her huge teeth to pull away the damaged scales and flaking skin beneath, checking with her tongue that the new scales were growing and were healthy.<br>Satisfied, she turned back to the pleasure of the lake, wading deaper until she almost dissapeared from view then diving under to swim, only to reappear in another place, bursting out of the water before diving back under once more. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>18-12-2006, 16:34:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Seeing the large dragon play in the water like that, at least it looked as playing, made him almost completely forget his surroundings. As Liam sat there watching it came to him that it behaved very much as one of his dogs always had done when it was taking a bath. The thought that this large creature even behaved in a similar fashion almost made him laugh.<br>He never heard the horses that closed in on the lake nor saw them as they came out from the forest and immediately came down to the bank.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>18-12-2006, 16:45:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xenor did, infact it was her actions that gave him the first warning that something was wrong.<br>She stopped mid roll and turned her huge head towards the sound of the horses to bellow her warning.<br>Her head didn't move from where she heard them as she righted herself and stood up grumbling her dissatisfaction at being disturbed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>19-12-2006, 12:15:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The riders weren’t at all prepared to meet a live dragon in the darkness, even less were their horses that reared violently by the sound of the roar that echoed over the small lake. Some of the riders managed to hold on their mounts and still sat on them as they bolted in the other direction, but most of them fell off and could only watch as their animals vanished out in the night.<br>Liam himself even lost his balance in chock of the sound when it hit him and suddenly he felt great fear in his gut without any apparent reason.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>19-12-2006, 12:58:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"WHO ARE YOU TO DISTURB MY PEACE?"</em><br><br>Her unspoken words serged through the minds of all there, her anger obvious in the way the images tore into them.<br>Even Liam, who still remained unnoticed, felt the wave of fury from her as she raised herself to her fullest hight and roared once more.<br><br><em>"NAME YOURSELVES AND SPEAK QUICKLY OR FEEL MY WRATH!"</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>28-12-2006, 08:48:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Instinctively he dodged behind a tree when he felt her anger, the men on the other bank did more than that; they turned and ran away from the lake, some had no choice as they still sat on their horses and had only two options, either they fell or jumped of as the animal fled in wild panic or they just held on and hoped for the best... the others on the ground had a choice to stay but didn't.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>28-12-2006, 11:17:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She sat back on her haunches, opening her wings for balance as she raised her head and bellowed out a roaring laugh as they ran from the lake.<br>Her laughter followed them until they had run or ridden far away from her, still echoing in thier heads long after the sound had subsided.<br><br>Xenor sat for a while after they had left, sniffing the air, trying to recognise the human smell that filled the area. For all the brovado she had shown, she was still concerned that she had been seen and by so many, there seemed to be no place to hide any more, her world was shrinking, closing in on her and she didn't like that feeling on little bit.<br><br>Turning her head slowly as she picked up a familier scent, she stared striaght at the tree Liam hid behind, fixing her red whirling eyes upon it.<br><em>"Sooooooo...........you are here.......you brought those on horseback here to try and trap me?" </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>29-12-2006, 18:21:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Still behind the trunk of the tree Liam didn't dare to move at first but as he felt her voice inside him he <em>felt</em> the danger in her voice. Swallowing he moved, still sitting on the ground and came out on the right side of it.<br><br>"N-no I didn't. I had made a camp here when both you and those riders came here. So it would be more correctly to say that <em>you</em> brought those men to me then the other way around." He could feel her eyes on him and it made his mouth totally dry, no matter how much he tried to swallow, his feet wanted to run but he forced the fear away and instead he stared back at her trying at least to look braver than he was.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>30-12-2006, 12:22:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her voice took on a hint of sarcasm as Xenor answered him.<br><em>"Oh of course........I always bring a retinue of human horsemen with me......The heralds and trumpeters will be along in a moment....."</em><br><br>She tilted her head as he stepped out from behind the tree, scutinising every inch of him, the way he stood, his scent, the beat of his heart, the look in his eyes.<br>She could feel how afraid he was and how much it was taking for him not to turn and flee, but she sensed no hint of a lie......<br>Her voice warmed a little, an edge off the anger that she still felt.<br><em>"You were here when I arrived.....you ARE a clever little human are you not?.......Give me your name Human." </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>03-01-2007, 11:58:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Me clever? I have never thought me as such… not lucky either… at least I don’t think so.” Slowly he rose from the ground and stood tall in front of her, his knees almost visible shaking but he managed to get them to support his weight.<br><br>“l’m Liam Kell’s son. What is yours?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>03-01-2007, 12:21:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She snorted as he asked her name, a puff of hot steam hitting him, reminding him how near he was to being roasted.<br><em>"A dragon's name is more important to them than a human's, we do not give it so easily Liam begat of Kell" </em> <br><br>Leaning forward she fixed her eyes upon his, her snout almost touching his face as she sniffed in his scent.<br><em>"I will not forget you again, nor shall you hide yourself amongst the scent of others ....I...."</em><br><br>Xenor whipped her head up and around, looking up to the sky she reared away from him, her wings spreading themselves ready for flight as she roared in anger.<br><em>"THEY COME......THEY KNOW I AM HERE.....THE RIDERS SEND THEIR KEPT ONES TO KILL OR CAPTURE!"</em><br>&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>04-01-2007, 10:40:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Somehow her words soothed him and made him proud. This was the second time he hadn't been eaten by the dragon and he felt special because of it. As she closed in and smelled him, he stood his ground letting her do what she intended, it wasn't as he would be able to do anything if she decided to do anything to him. She was a dragon and he was unarmed.<br>Then suddenly she whipped about and her anger soared. Liam looked around seeing nothing, hearing nothing.<br><br>"The riders? You mean the Dragon Riders is here?" He saw her getting ready to take off but he couldn't manage to say anything really... in his heart he wanted to come with her. He would be sorry to have her go.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>04-01-2007, 11:11:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She flapped her wings in agitation, her tongue flicking as she sniffed the air, then her great head whipped around once more to look towards the forest that surounded the lake.<br>She snarled, a growl of anger rumbling in her chest.<br><br><em>"Their tame ones are flying......they come on foot to try and ambush...."</em><br><br>She twisted her head sideways, listening to something that was far too quiet and distant for Liam to even attempt to hear and with a confused look upon her face she fixed her eyes once more upon him.<br><em>"They come for you on foot......they send their tame ones in the sky to try to capture or kill me.....but come for you on foot....."</em><br><br>Xenor scouled.<br><em>"Why do they do this Liam begat of Kell?" </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>10-01-2007, 19:10:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				That got his attention.<br><br>"They are coming for <em>me</em>? Why? I'm no-body! A farmer... I can't be to any value for them..." But regardless what he thought and believed the large dragon in front of him had no reason of lying, and if you where to go by the legends they couldn't. Without really being away of it he closed the gap between them almost as if he saught the protection from her.<br><br>"What can I do? You have to get away!" He whispered.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>10-01-2007, 19:18:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"They say you have my attention and they want to use you to capture me"</em><br>She fixed her eyes onto him.<br><em>"They say that we are bonded.....is that what you think son Of Kell?"</em><br><br>Xenor snorted, not even waiting for an answer, how could this human even think such a thing, her hot breath on his face.<br><em>"They are fools, they use their ways to try and understand the free ones, we are not as their tamed ones are...."</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>12-01-2007, 12:11:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Bounded? How? Why?" Her words came to him but he couldn't grasp them, couldn't see what they... she was talking about.<br><br>"But what do we... what do you want me to do?" He was getting scared, not just for his own sake, but for her sake too. In his mind her had never thought of causing her to be captured... or even worse killed. <br><br>"You got to run... flee... hide, whatever you need to do to stay free." He finally said.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>12-01-2007, 12:27:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				In one quick movement Xenor had grasped him in her front paw, wrapping her tallons around his body as a child would a small doll.<br><br>She lifted him off the ground to head hight and looked at him closely.<br><em>"You humans are so ....fragile..... I only need to tighten my grip upon you and your bones will be crushed, your body pulp."</em> <br><br>To demonstrate she tightened her grip upon him for a fraction of a second, then held him once more in a delicately loose but secure hold.<br><em>"So why do you hunt us down and cause us so much trouble?........Perhaps I will never know."</em><br><br>Xenor gave a mental sigh.<br><em>"I will fly you far from here and drop you somewhere safe, not for your sake but for mine....." </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>14-01-2007, 23:14:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xenor's move took him completely by surpise as she moved far faster then he thought it was possible. He felt her large talons tighten around him and he felt the power in her paw, the power to crush him just if she so wished it.<br><br>"Then don't..." He exclaimed, his voice sounding rather strained her hold of him was tighter than she realized, just as he said it her hold tightened and for a split second he truely thought his last moment had come. Suddenly the grip loosened and he could breath again.<br><br>"We? You mean <em>them</em> I hope... You are the first live dragon I have ever seen in my life."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>15-01-2007, 00:55:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was no more talk, she leant back onto her hind legs and pushed herself off with a huge sweep of her powerful wings.<br>Water swept from her body as she launched herself, her wings beating hard and fast to gain hight as she turned sharply to take the best advantage of the wind.<br>Xenor had one advantage over the stronger and faster males, she had no set pattern, she was unpredictable and she took advantage of this fact. They would be expecting her to head for the mountainous regions, she headed for the low lands..... 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>21-01-2007, 07:13:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam could never had prepared him for the feeling when Xenor took of, some might think that dragon would fly rather slow and clumsy but that was far from the truth. Immediatly she was off in a high speed, setting of low just above the tree-tops. So far no sight or sound had come from the other dragons that Xenor had sensed and talked to close by but now as the chase was on they let out a roar that signaling that the hunt began. Their roar almost made Liam panic with fear and if he hadn't been in the secure hold of Xenor's talons he would have tried to run as fast as he could... There were three of them, three dragons with riders that all where older and more experienced in these things then Xenor was, although she had something they lacked, the quickness and agility of the youth... and she wasn't restricted by being bounded. The trees under them passed quickly and soon they left it behind zooming past the open ground.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>21-01-2007, 14:42:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				One moment she was skimming across the pastures, almost touching the ground below them, sending sheep or cattle into a panic, scattering before her, the next she was beating her powerful wings to push her huge body upwards and into the clouds.<br><br>Xenor ducked and dived, making the persueing dragons work hard as they tried to gain on her, one moment in front of them, the next above using whatever cover she could find.<br><br>At one point she twisted and turned back upon herself, dissapearing in a bank of clouds only to reappear within inches of one of the larger dragons, so near as they raced towards each other head on, that had Liam thought of it, he could have reached out and touched him. Though she herself had managed to tear along his shoulder with her back claws before veering away and dissapearing once more, screaming her rage, as the clouds covered their tracks.&nbsp; <br><br>Then silence, not a word nor a thought from her as she gained hight, flying as high as she dared knowing that a human could not withstand the thin air as she could, the only sounds to be heard were the screams of the wind and the swoosh of her wings beating against it.<br>She twisted hard to the right, away and in a different direction to her persuers, her head down and her wings beating furiously she travelled as fast as she could, attempting to put some distance between them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 15:21:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam had never experienced anything like this in his life, no-one had really except a few selected in the world and once the initial fear of the flying, Xenor going right and left, going up and down, as she dodged the perusing dragons he was finding himself beginning to enjoy himself. But that was up to the moment she made a sharp turn strait up… up, up, and even higher. The feeling to climb like that made Liam’s stomach doing a flip inside him and he had to hold himself not to empty his evening’s dinner immediately. A cry behind told him that the dragons had been surprised by the faint but was now in pursuit. Suddenly Xenor stopped climbing and began to play, that was the best word Liam could use with her pursuers and soon she left the clouds just to gain even higher altitude and then began to fly off in a very high speed. The dragons seemed to be nowhere in sight, they were probably still searching the cloud bank far behind them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 15:40:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She eventually slowed, spreading her wings to allow herself to gluide upon the air currents and listen.<br>Xenor nodded her head in satisfaction, there was no scent in the air, no sound of persuit, she felt none of her own kind anywhere.<br><br>She tilted herself to the left and slowly began her descent, she needed to get her barings, see the lay of the land ......and get rid of the human.....<br><br>Blinking, she raised her arm so that he was level with her head and looked at him, she had assumed he was still well and alive.<br>He felt warm, she shrugged inwardly, if he wasn't she'd just have a quick snack to replenish some of her lost energy, there was no point in wasting good meat.<br><br>She turned her head, holding him a little way off, so that she could see him clearly and shook him.<br><em>"Are you still alive human? Did I go to high for you to breath?" </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 15:49:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Reality came crashing in again as suddenly everything began to shake around him. At first he had no idea where he was but as he felt the wind blow against him, and the memory of her flight came back to him; <em>The dragon… if carried me.</em><br><br>Her words came to him and he opened his eyes and blinked, taking in a breath of air before he replied.<br><br>“Yes I’m alive if that is what you mean. Just past out there a moment I think… what happened?” He looked around himself but couldn’t really see anything more than that they still were flying over… some land.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 16:20:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Shame I was feeling rather pekish...."</em><br>She chortled at his reaction.<br><em>"I had to fly high.......the air is too thin up there for you humans, even for the dragon riders and they train against the effects."</em><br><br>Following his gaze downwards she grumbled, the rumble in her chest vibrating every part of her. <br><em>"Forest......nothing but forest.....not a good place for a dragon....."</em><br><br>Xenor looked back up, staring further than his poor eyesight could see, they were in a land that she had never been before and with good reason, it was a vast land of forests....flat....not a good place for a dragon to live or hunt.<br>She grumbled again.<br><em>"You can survive within forest can you not Liam begat of Kell.......I will find a place for you to be and then I must leave...." </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 16:28:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He gaped before he realized that it had to be some kind of draconic joke… a crude one, but a joke nether the less. He forced himself to smile.<br><br>“I don’t taste very good, or at least our neighbors dog didn’t thought that at least.” Her comments about the surrounding area began to sink in and what she was suggesting and he stretched to look around just to find… nothing, just a large forest that seemed to stretch on forever and never to end.<br><br>“You are kidding right?” He said, his voice not at all sounding as he did.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 16:45:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Kidding?.........Why would I behave as a young goat?........."</em><br><br>They were slowly decending, spiraling down on the wind, gliding in a large circle as she looked for somewhere to land or at least drop him safely.<br><br><em>"You will be safe here, they will byepass this place, knowing that I cannot dwell here....." </em> <br><br>Xenor paused, repeating the words, she had just spoken, to herself.<br>No........the riders would not even bother with this place, they would not expect to have her here, nowhere for her to land, or sleep or hide, a difficult place to hunt and no place for a dragon......but......if she were to change?<br><br>Shuddering she shook her great head to get the idea pushed away from her, she knew she could do it and she doubted that the dragon riders would even think of it, but to live like that?<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 16:56:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He looked up at her and even if he tried to hide it she could easily see his anger both on him and in his voice.<br><br>“Now listen… are you expecting me to live here without as much as a weapon to defend myself with, or anything to create fire with? I’m a farmer not some kind of ranger. I would have starved to death within a few weeks if not some kind of predator kills me first.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 17:13:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Perhaps I should just eat you now and save your sorry carcass from the missery?"</em><br>Xenor snarled back at him.<br><em>"I have no time for your petulance......."</em><br><br>She shook him, just enough to remind him that he was speaking angrily to someone who could easily crush him without thought, or much better, (at least for her), open her claws and drop him without a second thought.<br><br><em>"You are the one who put yourself here, I did not ask you to interupt my feeding, I owe you nothing HUMAN........." </em> 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>24-01-2007, 20:11:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam had no chance of avoiding it and was shaken rather badly even if seemed not to be Xenor's initial though and as she released him he fell to the ground landed hard in a bush. He rolled around a few time came out from it and tried to stand, failed and fell down on the ground again. <br><br>"Fine, then go with you... you... overgrown lizard. Who needs you? Why did you save me just for letting me die like this." Again he tried to rise from the ground and this time he succeeded somewhat, turned his back on her and began limping away from her cursing and shouting as he went.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>25-01-2007, 13:12:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"OVERGROWN LIZARD!"</em><br>Xenor twisted in the sky and turned back towards him, gulping in a huge draft of air she belched out a ball of flame.<br>With great precision, it hit the bushes in front of him, only just far enough away from him not to cause direct harm.<br><em>"Now you have fire to keep yourself warm......"</em><br>The words shot through his head like an arrow, her 'voice' cold and mocking.<br><em>"......I will remember your name Liam begat of Kell.....let us hope our paths will not cross again...." </em> <br><br>Hovering for a moment, she looked down at him, her eyes full of anger and hatred, then her wings beating hard and fast, she had once more dissapeared into the bank of clouds high above them in the sky.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>25-01-2007, 13:22:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was no real time for Liam to react when her fire came flying in his direction, if she had aimed for him she would have got him square on. Although Liam didn't even realized it and turned around to through a new assault against her just to find her leaving.<br><br>"Yes and I will never forget you too!" He shouted after her. "What ever your name was again..." He sighed, shouting after an angered dragon maybe wasn't the best option but it was all he could do at the moment. As he was finished, he turned to the blazing bush that had been in the path of Xenor's flames and Liam began try to get something that would be a torch or something, anything that would able him to carry the fire with him.<br><br>Problem was... a fire like that was rather easy to spot... and smell for miles around.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>25-01-2007, 14:46:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Xenor was furious, furious with him and furious at herself.<br>Allowing a snot of a small human boy, to make her so angry that she had potentially given away her position, was almost beyond her comprehension.<br><br>She stretched out her long neck and streamlined her body pushing herself as high as she could up into the air. The bitter cold up there, even for herself at that altitude, cooled her anger and evened her temper.<br>When she had flown as high as she could possible go, she flipped over and began plumetting back down towards the earth, she would have to go back for him, not for his sake of course, but to prevent the kept ones from tracing her......
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>26-01-2007, 11:18:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam never looked back, instead he just walked strait on without caring where he ended up. To tell the truth he knew that regardless in what direction he walked he still would to end up no-where. That much had his glimpse of the surrounding area told him, before Xenor dropped him here and flew away.<br>After have been walking for a few hours he came to a small stream that had a good patch for him to rest in. He carefully placed his burning torch on the ground and got a good fire burning. Then he began to undress and walked out in the water to wash himself.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>26-01-2007, 11:32:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The sky above him turned dark, as if a sudden storm had materialised just at the point where he stood, a cold wind battering against his naked body, whipping up the water around him as he bathed.<br>Xenor had reappeared at the spot where she had left him, the bush she had lit now just a smouldering pile of hot ash, it hadn't taken her long to track him, even in the dense forest.<br>He was carrying flame and the noise he made would wake the dead. She had done right to come looking for him, if the riders worked out where she had gone, then he would be easily found by them. <br><br>Looking down at him Xenor smiled, naked human looked even stranger, but she hid her amusement as she spoke to him.<br><em>"You had better replace your coverings, it will be too cold for you if you fly like that, I doubt those loose bits between your legs will survive" </em>&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>26-01-2007, 21:01:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam was just beginning to enjoy himself when the wind picked up and before he knew it, rain began to fall. Quickly he began to swim back to the shore but ít was too late, the fire went out about the same time as he manage to get there. That did it... and he just sunk down on his knees feeling the world coming crashing down on him. What happened next took him totally by surpise;<br><br>"<em>You had better replace your coverings, it will be too cold for you if you fly like that, I doubt those loose bits between your legs will survive.</em>" Her voice! He looked quickly around then up and it was then he saw her, hovering over his head as an saving angel.<br><br>"I think you will find my race to be more resiliant then that." He said back to her, his voice carried no anger or resentment. Just happiness... she had come back.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>26-01-2007, 23:53:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Very well then...."</em><br>He could 'feel' her shrug as she twisted and dived for him, her clawed paw outstretched to grasp him by the waist.<br><em>"You will not need not waste time putting them on...."</em><br><br>It was a tight squeeze for her to get to his position, even though that area by the river was a little more open.<br>Xenor's wings clipped the surrounding trees, unbalancing her enough for her to have to put one of her back legs down to keep her balance and she grabbed him a little rougher than she had before.<br>Taking advantage of the situation she'd had to place herself in, she used her grounded leg to push back into the air, springing free of the vegetation before spreading her wings.<br><em>"We will have to travel through the cloud banks again and hope that we find a suitable home for you soon.....I begin to tire....."</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>29-01-2007, 13:03:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				One thing amazed him, and still did several years to come afterwards and that was the in which speed and agility a dragon could move. They always looked to be clumsy and slow but as soon as that thought had rooted they proved you wrong, just as Xenor did as she quickly took hold of him, lifted him up and flew off. He never even had time to think before they where well of the ground.<br><br>“Wow!” He exclaimed as he finally managed to speak, cold was already setting in. “You can’t expect me to survive that cold again without any clothes I hope… When I said that we were resilient I didn’t mean to imply that we were immune to cold… we aren’t.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>29-01-2007, 13:26:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER ABOUT YOUR SORRY CARCASS!"</em><br><br>With a swift loop the loop, a turn added at the bottom of her curve, Xenor was heading down towards the river once more.<br>Again, with the trees brushing over her wings, twigs and branches snapping as they were pushed to the side, she swooped low enough to drop him safely back to the ground.<br><br><em>"Get your coverings on Human and be quick about it, this is NOT fun and I am very tired now!" </em> <br>Too exhausted by all that had happened over the day, Xenor could not sustain a hover to waite for him, she was far better off flying away to find an air current to rest upon.<br><em>"I return in a few moments, be ready and stood where I landed you...."</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>31-01-2007, 08:45:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A bit… shocked by her outburst Liam didn’t wait to do as she asked. She had returned for him once, and it wasn’t sure she would do it again if she was pushed far enough. Quickly he put his clothes on, despite that they where wet then moved back to the spot she had meant for him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>31-01-2007, 15:15:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Hunting lodge"</em><br>The thought assaulted him as he was scooped up into the air, with about as much care, as someone picking up a twig for firewood.<br><em>"The air current I followed showed me a place not far, it has not been used for some time, you will stay there and be safe."</em><br><br>Xenor could feel how cold and wet his body was, she tucked him close to her chest, easing her hold upon him a little so that he could share her warmth.<br><em>"You humans are so.....fragile.....do not die now, I will not allow all of my energy to go to waste."</em><br><br>Even though the distance was short, for a dragon at least, their flight took them even deaper into the forested land. She had found a place for the human to hide, but there was little hope for a dragon in this terrain.<br>With every beat of her wings, her aching muscles complained and demanded that she rest them, her stomach growled, adding to her discomfort.&nbsp; <br>She needed food and rest, the evasion of the others had taken it's toll and now that she could do, there was little chance of it.<br><br>Xenor growled her vexation, it would take every last ounce of her strength to do so, but she would have to change. At least for as long as it would take to have a good sleep.....<br>&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>07-02-2007, 12:07:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Again Liam was in the air, held tight by the dragon. Somehow this felt… safe.<br><br>“I don’t plan to die, nor will I allow <em>you</em> to get captured.” As they flew he could hear her effort, that she was tiring but he knew better then to point it out to her. Instead he kept watched, looking out for anything he could see hoping that their destination wasn’t far away.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>07-02-2007, 12:29:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The air current, pushing it's way over the top of the tree line, helped her a little on the way, but she was almost at her limits.<br>She spoke little on the flight, ignoring him for most of the time, concentrating hard on getting the most out of anything the wind could give her.<br>The hunting lodge lay almost unseen deep in the thickest of the forests, whoever had built it liked their solitide.<br>Though she could sense that it had been abandonned for sometime, Xenor's keen sight and smell could see that with only a little work, the place would be suitable for the human.<br>As they aproached she held him out from her and directed his eyeline towards the lodge.<br><em>"Good place for Liam begat of Kell, I have seen many animals to hunt and there is a brook close by..."</em><br>She twisted him once more so that he could fix and ariel view of his new home into his mind, hoping that his sense of direction would be good enough to find the water when he was at ground level. <br><br>Bringing herself to a hovering halt, she looked for a place to put him down.<br>There was certainly no room at all for her to even touch for a moment, so settled for placing him carefully in an easily climbed tree.<br>Her voice thick with tiredness, Xenor kept her hover and spoke as she watched him.<br><em>"Go....find wood so I may make fire for you.....you must be quick, I tire and cannot stay like this for long...."</em>&nbsp; &nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>07-02-2007, 12:46:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the flew he now saw there destination as a small spot far away. He expected that her vision was far supperiour to his but he didn't want her to know <em>how</em> much better it really was.<br><br>"Looks like a good place to stay." He said to her, and somehow it really did. He too had noticed the wealth of the forest from above there wouldn't be too much trouble finding game, as soon as he had solved the hunting problem and lack of equipment... that had to come later.<br><br>Liam nodded as he heard how tired she really was... probably more tired then she wanted him to know. Quickly he climed down the tree and started to gather wood for the fire, he gathered it all in his shirt then made a bundle of it and climed up again to her with the bundle on his back.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>07-02-2007, 13:48:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Lay it on the ground as you would a fire......"</em><br>Xenor didn't even have the energy to berate him for thinking that they could start a fire up a tree and she had caught him just as he had begun to climb, so it didn't take long for Liam to do as asked.<br><br>She was pleased that only a small flame was called for, humans always assumed that it was an easy task for a dragon to flame, but it wasn't at all. It was quite complicated and exhausting.<br>As soon as he had stepped away from the twigs, she let out a small burst, hitting the wood perfectly and with enopugh heat to set a new fire without annialating it.<br><br><em>"I am gone now Liam of Kell, I will return when I am able....." </em><br><br>Xenor had done all she could for him now, when she had rested and fead herself she would come back to see if he had managed to hunt.<br>She tilted her left wing and caught the current once more, now the only task she had was to find somewhere to rest.....&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GoldenChild</strong> on <strong>01-03-2007, 14:42:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Liam stood there, watching her fly away in a very clumsy way, not at all the same gracious style he had seen her earlier. She seemed so tiered, exhausted even. Within himself he hoped she would be alright, he hoped he would too as he arranged all his things, took the fire she had given him and began walking towards the cottage she had shown him.<br><br>To get there wasn’t much of a problem, and the house itself seemed to be in a good shape, despite the fact that he imagined that it had been abandoned for quite some time. As soon as he had secured the fire he began cleaning it up, throwing out what must have been a few larger animals that had used the cottage during the winter.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The dragon riders of the past</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elvi</strong> on <strong>01-03-2007, 15:15:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She had already found the place, a small stream where animals had trampled down the undergrowth by their many visits had made a clearing amongst the trees.<br><br>What the dragon intended to do would be hard, very hard, but Xenor needed to get somewhere quickly and her wings could not carry her, to a place big enough, for her to land in her usual form.<br>One brief circle of the area and the use of the last of her strength to climb high enough for her to make her attempt, she made a quick check before her attempt.<br>The land became a pin prick below her, she looked down and made her final adjustments, blinking the tiredness from her eyes, shaking her huge head to clear the mugginess from her mind, it would take all her concentration, she had to be focussed.<br><br>Folding her wings close to her back and tucking in her legs as tightly to her body, as she could, she extended her neck and tail and turned her body to dive, like an arrow, towards the ground.<br>Xenor turned her mind inwards upon itself, imagining her form changing, seeing in her mind's eye how she looked.<br>Her body becoming shorter, smaller, humanlike in it's form, paws to hands and feet, scales to skin, snout to nose and as she concentrated her body changed into the view she now took of herself. <br>Tail dissapearing, hair growing, flowing in the wind as it whipped past her now smaller well shaped head, catching the sunlight to sparkle silver, wings merging into a muscular and well shaped back.<br>Sensing time was running short, Xenor twisted as she opened her eyes to see the ground rising to meet her at frightening speed, by the time she had reached the tree tops, she was in a human form and now able to land in the small area and had turned so that she could land upright.<br><br>Her feet touched the ground with no more force than someone jumping from the hight of a table, Xenor took two steps forward before her knees buckled and she fell to the floor in an exhausted heap.....<br>&nbsp; 
			</dd>
		</dl>
		<div id="footer" class="smalltext">
			
			<span class="smalltext" style="display: inline; visibility: visible; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?action=credits" title="Simple Machines Forum" target="_blank" class="new_win">SMF 2.0.19</a> |
 <a href="https://www.simplemachines.org/about/smf/license.php" title="License" target="_blank" class="new_win">SMF © 2021</a>, <a href="https://www.simplemachines.org" title="Simple Machines" target="_blank" class="new_win">Simple Machines</a>
			</span>
		</div>