To say he was excited would be a complete and severe understatement. Would he get a dragon? Probably not. No, definitely not. But he didn't come here to get a dragon. He came here to have the experience, to see the majestic creatures up close, to get to hear their roars, to see how they pick riders and how they interact. It was practically a family tradition to come to the ceremony just to see the dragons, ever since his eldest brother had turned eighteen.

The sun against his head and skin was a welcome feeling, warm and familiar, and he closed his eyes, basking in the feeling. His brother, Alastar, had been the one to come to the ceremony the year before, having turned eighteen. He described it as almost mystical, seeing the dragons, some of them squabbling with each other, almost deafening with their roars, powers flaring, but some had, apparently, seemed almost gentle when they'd arrived at their human.

Looking to the side, where two dragons were already resting, Kuno could almost imagine it. The two of them were large, dark against the green and brown of the forest background. He couldn't begin to guess what type they were, and he certainly wouldn't approach them. If anything, they seemed as if they were already claimed, and, if they weren't, well. Approaching a wild animal overall was just stupid.

Other people were already there, but that was expected. Some arrived early in hopes of spying a dragon before others, or simply to be at the front of the crowd. A lot of people were.. shorter than him, and he took careful precautions to not bump into any of them. He knew he was built strong and tall, all of his brothers were. Broad, muscular, their lives were spent working on the family farm, of course they'd built muscle.

So what if he happened to be the tallest, matching the height of his father? Izotz, the youngest brother, was already almost six feet tall at twelve years old, if anyone was going to match his height, it was going to be the youngest of the bunch.

He heard a splash and turned towards the sound, seeing a wingless crocodile-like dragon come from the water. Huh, Izan, Srinivas and Alastar didn't mention any dragons that looked like that. At least he'd have some unique stories to share about the kinds of things you could see at the ceremony.

The throngs of people were only growing, and through them moved Sindri, a relatively short man, a ginger head moving through the crowd. Some people were here in the hopes of actually recieving a dragon, others were here to simply see them, Sindri was both and neither.

The chances of him getting a dragon were slim, he knew that. Anyone that thought otherwise was a fool, at least in his books. The number of humans compared to the number of dragons left no room for argument, many humans would be going home, alone and potentially upset. Sindri, however, was here for the experience. Getting to see dragons up close was an amazing opporunity, and he'd have to tell his mother and friends all about the different types of dragons he'd seen.

He flowed through the crowd as easily as water, dodging unseeing arms and unaware shoulders, moving somewhere towards outskirts, escaping the main chaos. He was social and charismatic, but anyone that actually enjoyed spending hours pressed shoulder-to-shoulder with a group of strangers was either insane, or lying.

Sure, he could have a nice chat with a stranger, strangers were just friends that he hadn't met yet, but too many was too many. Not that he'd gotten much attention or stood out too much anyway, wearing just simple garments of brown and tan, and wearing his proudest cloak, of a deep forest green. Most members of his friend group and family owned one, having spent many of his childhood years unsupervised in the forest on the outskirts of his village.

The incessant tug on her heartstrings was most bothersone, having dragged her from her cave-dwelling life, destined to soar the skies towards an unknown place, to attach herself to an unknown human, forced to share her space, her heart and her eternity with someone that she didn't even know. It had been making her grumble since she'd left her nest, abandoned her trinkets and skulls, promising the inanimate objects that she would return for them some day and collect them.

The only thing that made it bearable was the existence of the male with her. It had hurt her heart to tell him that she'd experienced the tug on her heart, on the bond she'd be forced to share, and that she would have to leave. She'd been practically overjoyed when he'd told her that he'd had the same thing. At least she wouldn't be completely alone, spending the rest of her life without her beloved things.

Maeleth turned her face towards Ainarikaz, chirping at him. In affection, in warning, Maeleth would never tell, for as she did, she tilted her wings and dipped down below him, before rapidly coming up on his other side, and crossing over the top of him upside down, circling him in a spiralling fashion. She only did it a few times, unwilling to make herself dizzy, before she stilled above him.

She was smaller than he was by an extremely noticable amount. Only about two thirds his height, despite their similar age, and same with their length. The only things that were similarly-sized were their wings. Or, rather, his main pair of wings and hers, where his were only three feet longer then hers. It had never bothered her, it allowed her best friend to be a very good cuddle-buddy throughout their younger years.

Maeleth flew closer, allowing the edges of her claws to gently scrape across his back, before she was lifting and flying out of reach, cocking her head and smiling at him.

"I'll race you," she trilled, taking a moment to imitate his own grumbling noise at him, before she took two beats of her wings and took off in the direction they were headed. They weren't going to enjoy this, she knew. They'd spent too much of their lives secluded with no company except each other to enjoy spending the rest of it with a human each, and gods knew how many other dragons.

She could work with it, she knew that she could disappear and hide if she needed to, she knew that she wouldn't get into unnecessary fights. It was Ainarikaz that she worried about, as possessive of a bastard as he was. If someone so much as looked at her wrong, she was more than willing to bet that he would be the first dragon to come to her defense. She wasn't much better in regards to being protective of him, but she was also small and mildly non-threatening to other dragons.

The silver-white dragoness arrived at the site of the ceremony, slowing down in the air and taking a moment to scan the humans and any other arriving dragons. A water dragon had arrived, as had a dark dragon, and two large males were resting together some ways off, already claimed and bonded, she guessed, considering they weren't skulking through the crowd to find their humans and looked mildly unbothered by the whole thing,

She flew in two large circles, before she selected a spot on the outskirts of the forest. She tucked her wings in, angling herself and dove straight for it. She threw her wings out at one of the last moments, catching herself and landing with only a slight thump, her back to the crowd.

She turned quickly, shifting her wings against her back, and the chirp she'd prepared to sing dying in her throat. Instead, it was replaced with a hiss and snapping jaws at the closest human that dared to take a step forward as she took a step back. She had landed much closer than she'd intended to, a fools mistake.

This feeling within him.. this pull.. no, this yank, was not something Ainarīkaz had hoped to ever awaken to. This constant wrenching and jerking beneath his skin, oh, how he despised it. He would never have bestowed such a thing upon anybody. This sickness.. this curse. Why must he fall victim to it? Why must he be the one to attach to a human. What has he done to deserve such a hex?

He had moaned these words for the entire duration of his flight before falling silent, his expression growing blank. There were no further words that could express his anger.. his discomfort, and so he grew mute; the only sounds remaining were the flapping of his wings, which fluttered so slowly, that it was a wonder he was in the air at all. But oh, at least he was not alone. At least he was not the only one forced to leave their solitude and cavern, for alongside of him, a familiar individual flew.

"You're making me dizzy," he scoffed, though a smile tugged at his mouth as he watched her. Around and around his eyes darted, following Maeleth's form as she dove and circled around. And when she chirped at him, he released a puff of smoke her way before watching her vanish. She didn't stay away for long, her figure returning on his opposite side. While she danced in the air, Ainarīkaz flew leisurely, simply observing her.

When he had initially told her of the news and how a feeling twisted within, he did so with fear. One may have expected him to wither and groan, but rather, he had grown quiet. His thoughts had been plagued, for how could he leave her behind? He had nearly begun to plan, trying to figure out a way to break the connection, for without her presence, there was truly no worth living. But thankfully.. thankfully Maeleth had stopped him before he had uttered something foolish. It seemed that she, too, felt the tug. While he indeed did not wish this curse upon anybody, he was grateful that he at least shared it with his closest friend.

A few taps upon his back brought him back, causing him to lift his head and gaze up at her. He could hardly blink before she had sped up, challenging him to a race before creating a guttural noise. He had heard it enough to know that she was imitating him, to which an apalled expression formed upon his features.

"I don't sound like that," he stated, a comment he often made. He doubted that she heard him, for the moment he began to speak, she advanced. Rolling his eyes, he continued gliding before a sudden flap of his wings propelled him forwards. Increasing his speed, he hurled himself towards her, but alas, his speed was no match to her own. While his main set of wings may be bigger, he was longer and taller than her.

Maeleth was always the fastest of the two. It was something that he had always known, and yet he tried regardless because he knew that it would please her. If she wished to race, Ainarīkaz would race. It was known by now that wherever Maeleth ventured, he would follow.

In an attempt to catch up to her, he had flown higher, ignoring the frustration he felt at getting closer to their location. For as long as he had remembered, it had always been himself and Maeleth. The thought of sharing her with another, even a human, enraged him deep within. It was not something he was used to, and it was not something he wished to grow accustomed to. She was his friend, and only his. He would ensure that it remained that way.

Not to mention, there would be others there. Others like himself and Maeleth. Dragons, humans, individuals of all sorts. Ainarīkaz despised them all, and he had yet to meet them. He could picture them already, constantly pestering him. If they weren't to be invading his boundaries, then they were to be loud. If they weren't to be loud, then they would be annoying. It would be one thing after another. Would he truly get any silence? And then there was the fact that he'd have his own human constantly near him. Gah, it was atrocious!

Frowning to himself, Ainarīkaz continued, though his speed had decreased drastically to the point where he had forgotten about the race. Glancing beneath him, he realized that he no longer saw Maeleth near. Had he been that lost in thought? Lowering his head, he peered down from the clouds, eyes squinting as he circled the skies. When he did not see her still, he released a quiet growl and cocked his head. When no chirp of hers was given in response, Ainarīkaz's throat twitched, his mouth opening to reveal a cry that was equivalent to that of a pitched-down human scream. It rang through the clouds, hoping to reach Maeleth before dying only when he had run out of breath.

When there was no response once more, he dove.

Angling his wings and tucking them against his sides, Ainarīkaz allowed himself to fall. He continued until the ground came into view, and continued even more so when the green of it grew closer, and closer, and closer until he was forced to stop. Opening up his wings, he shot back up into the air, neck craning to the ground in hopes of finding Maeleth.

When he did, he felt something twist inside of him.

It seemed as if she had landed earlier, and much too close. He had never seen so many humans before.. had never seen so many dragons, despite there only being a few. And the people near her, they seemed to be curious. One specific individual seemed to disregard her space, to which Ainarīkaz's nostrils flared in response. Descending to the ground, he refused to land. Rather, he continued flying, his wings nearly touching the ground as he barreled forward towards the crowd.

Wind gushed from his wings as he flapped them, his figure growing closer to the humans. He made no move to stop. Instead, he sped up, headed towards Maeleth. It was only when he was but a few meters away did he come to an abrupt stop, his wings sending a powerful blow of air around him as he finally landed. Even then, Ainarīkaz did not stop, his eyes fixated on the same human who had tried to approach her.

Slithering forwards, his gaze was fixated upon that individual. Without hesitation, his claws swept the human to the ground before slamming atop of them. Creating a trap similar to that of a cage, Ainarīkaz stared for a moment before his throat twitched once more, his jaws snapping apart as a sudden scream emerged from his chest. The sound was prolonged and high-pitched this time, saliva dripping from the sides of his mouth until it became a foam.

When he finished, his head snapped upwards, his teeth clicking as he gazed at the crowd before releasing the human from beneath him and slithering towards Maeleth. He surrounded her with his body like a snake, growling and snapping at the same time in warning. When he was sure that he had made himself clear, Ainarīkaz departed from her and crawled at an intense speed towards the forest and lingering at the edge of it.

That should caution them enough.

If not, he wasn't a picky eater.

= Ylva =

Water Dragon = Female = Mentions: The others at the Ceremony (Ind.)

There was something significant about this feeling that had overcome Ylva the past few days. It was frustrating, like an itch she couldn't scratch. Impossible to ignore. It had been been clinging to Ylva's chest, blocking all other thoughts from her mind and screaming for attention... She wished she could figure out a way to bite it.

But she couldn't. So, she'd either wait for it to cease, spending her days as she always did - riding the waves and undersea currents. That, or she could go and hunt down whatever was causing it and bite that instead.

It had taken the whole swim from her reclusive ocean bay to the coastline of the Kingdom of Ederia, for her to finally recognise that this was the feeling she'd heard about from others, this 'calling'. The call of a Rider.

Stupid. She scolded herself, irritated that she hadn't figured that out earlier. Moments like this felt like the time she'd got caught on a fisherman's hook and line as a (rather undersized) hatching. Chasing silver and getting caught up in a whole matter she'd rather avoid.

Still, she'd swam pretty far all for this human rider that she did not yet know. And, for a call so strong, she at least owed them a meeting. Or maybe a little nip for keeping her awake the past few nights.

Yep, the whole idea was growing on her already. Of a Rider. Like some kind of irritatingly interesting algae growing into the gaps in her brain, smothering any logical thought. Oh tides, I need to bite something. The commitment that went into human Riders felt like more than she could give. Ylva knew herself well enough that she'd get attached quickly and she'd never be able to leave it's side to venture across the sea. Maybe they could go with her?

She breached, chriping excitedly as her body launched from sea into the air. Her arms outstreached and her wings extended quickly to support her glide above the water-level. Then she flapped to pick up momentum and cast her gaze over the valley and looking for a good spot to land and start looking. I want to at least see him.

It seemed like the closer she got to this other side of her summons, the more tangled and confused her already messy thoughts became. Like a compass too close to north and loosing at sense of direction, purpose...

Landing. She'd much prefer to settle in the decent looking lake, shimmering a greenish-blue but nothing in comparison to the magnificent turbulent waters of her oceanic domain. Of course it was her own instinct kicking in, she mused to herself - the Dragon necessity for a 'my place'. For a little patch to call their own. Even far from their homeland territories. A patch to fight tooth and claw for.

Ah but with the feeling of a jellyfish dancing around her stomach, it encouraged her to land in the clearing. Or at least what should have been a 'clearing' but was far too full of hopeful little people all crouded together. The ones desiring a Dragon and considered worthy enough to unite with one.

Tightening her wings, Ylva landed elegantly as if stepping down off a cloud. Her long tail swished a few times to clear herself a decent enough area of space, and her whiskers twitched as she quickly took survey of all the people and... Dragons! scattered around.

Ylva halted the curious chirp in her throat before it greeted the other Dragons nearby. They'd certainly be second on her list of those to meet and greet but right now her attention was elsewhere. Hmph, supressing curiosity felt hard. Certainly for other Dragons Ylva had not met.

Her own curiosity was matched by a few confident humans, leaning but not daring to step forward to admire her shining scales. Carefully opening her jaw to show a glint of her pearl white teeth, but not the full extent of her teeth. More of a warning preview, a disclaimer for personal space. But for the most part Ylva ignored them, glancing back and forth for her person. Her supposed Rider. Wondering what they'd think of her.

Dark eyes scanning the horizon, Ivala flapped her delicate wings as they itched to launch her into the air. Unfortunately, a stronger instinct kept her glued to the ground, as a tug in her chest told her that her rider was most definitely here today. She shook her large head anxiously, scales catching the light in a way that made it look as if a flame had sparked along her neck and face briefly before she willed herself to sit still. The crowds slowly gathering made her nervous, that much was for sure. However, the dragons around that were a very real threat if they chose to be were what was really stressing her out. The female was quite the recluse when she had her way, but something told her that was going to change once she found her rider. A shiver went along her spine at the thought, and she felt her spines standing up straight as her instincts told her to try looking bigger.

The anxiety was growing a bit stronger, and a nervous growl began to rumble in her throat. She decided she'd try to move herself to somewhere that felt safer to calm herself down. But where could that be if she was this stressed hidden in the shadows of the forest? Her eyes roved, finding a large water male that seemed to be receiving a fairly wide girth - probably because the way he ate those fish was pretty gross. Hesitantly, she slunk closer to him. She had been under some trees before, and he was a bit more in the open, but he didn't look very inviting, so he felt safe. She kept a healthy amount of space between them, but tried to make it appear as if they knew each other.

Her crimson eyes darted over to him every once in a while to make sure he wasn't disapproving of her presence, but, other than that, she merely sat with herself and tried to keep from flapping her wings nervously, looking towards the group of people to see if anybody stood out. Who could be her person?

A slight jolt shook her heart as a head of flaming orange hair caught her eye. The woman wielding said hair seemed to be looking around at the dragons. However, she was more toward the middle of the crowd than Ivala would have liked, which was going to be a bit of a problem.

Tentatively, Ivala began approaching the crowd, her spines straight up, pupils dilated, and a feeling that she would probably bite off any limbs that come toward her when she's not ready. Something about this woman felt special, and Ivala sure hoped this young woman was the bond because the dragon did not want to be approaching scary crowds when she didn't have to be.

About 50 or so feet from the crowd, Ivala stopped. She couldn't bring herself to come closer, but she locked her eyes on the girl, willing her to look over and approach alone. Ivala was still on high alert, and warily watching too-eager people out of the corner of her eye, as some of them seemed to want to approach her, but weren't quite brave enough. Ivala hoped her luck held out as she continued to watch the girl in pink.