Cryosphere || Male || 117 || New Ice Dragon || M: Beollan (Ind), Everyone Else (Ind)

The mountain tops surrounding Dragon Valley had always been a sight to behold. Large and imposing, yet protective and (somewhat) kind all the same. Like the love and care of a father. But what really showed off the natural beauty of these mountains were the white tops. The chilling and unforgiving area of the usually docile land mass. Its frigid heart had likely claimed the lives of many – human and dragon alike – over the years. Thus, most dared not to venture here, fearful of what could become of them if they strayed off a path.

It was cold, secluded, riddled with danger, and a warning sign just by existing… the perfect place for a nap!

A puff of air blows from a large dragon’s nostrils, sending the snow covering it away in a blast of flurries. His head shifts slightly to the side, causing more of the snow coat (most) of his body to its rightful place with its fellow frozen droplets. Another breath – this one deeper – rushes out of him, sending even more flurries away from his form. Underneath this blanket of snow, he could barely feel the sun’s effects on his scales. A comforting thought in one aspect, but the idea of having to eventually get up and feel its effects was not.

Taking a few minutes to soak in what cold he could, Cryosphere released a soft grumble-like whine – finally conceding to the task of getting up for the day. Minty eyes flicker open and peer at their surroundings, scanning the blindingly white mountain top for… well, anything. With one last huff and a slow blink, he lifts himself out of the snowy covers he called his bed sheets. The flakes tumbled off his spiky form with much haste, as if eager to return to their companions that had been used as his pillow and mattress.

The dragon’s front half was the first lift itself up, followed by the twisting and pushing of his back end. His spikes (especially those on his shoulders) and horns twinkle in the sun’s blaring light, like icicles after a storm. His bulky body shifts underneath his coat of sharp scales, showing an incredible amount of muscle that few could match.

With a yawn, the chilling dragon proceeds to stretch out his body – first stretching out his back with his front bent down, then pushing his front and neck up. Much like how a cat would. Shaking himself out, he proceeds to walk to the mountain’s edge. Half lidded eyes overlook the valley where his fateful meeting would take place. A sigh left him at the thought of it, and not a particularly gleeful one. His claws hooked around the cliff’s edge, unwilling to take off and get this whole thing over with.

An invisible tug at his chest pulls him from his nervous trance, harsh yet slightly comforting. He places a paw up to its source, holding it as though it were the last light ever to exist.

I’m not ready for this…

But, as unready as he may feel, he didn’t have much say in the matter as the feeling tugged at him again – telling to “get a move on already. It’s not like you have all day.”

With an empty growl, the ice behemoth leans back into himself then lashes his wings – leaping into the puffy clouds that had not been far from his launch pad. His eyes remain locked on the ground as he travels, looking through forest and plains for the landing spot. His mother had taken him and his… leftover siblings here once before. It was the only pleasant trip he could remember. If only his brother was there to see it.

By the time the blue scaled dragon had arrived, the sun was high in the sky – its heat beating down on his hide like the flames flickering on a wood fire. It was incredibly uncomfortable, even after the multitude of hours he spent in the snow just to avoid such a feeling. Thankfully, however, there was a lot of shade nearby as well as lake of the shadows were not enough. But he wasn’t alone in his descent. Or arrival in general.

The first dragon he spots is an incredibly large and fiery beast. Quite literally, too. His ginormous form cast a shadow across the valley, one that Cryo was glad to not be under. A screech like noise left him coupled with a plume of fire that painted the sky with his dangerous colors. Despite now hovering some distance away, he could still all but feel the heat. It made his skin crawl just at the thought of it hitting him.

Best to say on his good side.

Taking a deep breath, the multi-shaded blue reptile makes his own descent, circling the area multiple times to find a suitable place to do so. His eyes scanned over waves of humans and dragons, curious yet nervous all the same. He lets out a friendly call as he passes overhead, trilling out the gentle tones of singing ice. His hope in this was to not startle a soul at his landing (unlike some of the other dragons) with the more mystical of his sounds. Maybe even put some at ease. Though, he didn’t look to see if it had its intended effect.

Finally, his desired place is spotted. Another secluded area, far from the crowds and near the lake. He had not yet completely cooled down, after all, so it’d be safer for the others. A tree was its deal maker, tall and large enough to provide him with a good amount of shade. Swooping down, he angles his body so his hind legs take the brunt of the moment that remind from his previous flight and allows him to land rather softly in the plush grass.

In an instant, frost forms where he touches the grass – turning them into a sheen of white most could only hope to see in most seasons. Though, he pays the sight little mind as he makes his way over to the shaded tree. Behind him, a tail of frost follows, leaving an obvious path that leads to his location.

Upon reaching the tree, Cryosphere huffs out some air – relieved to be out of the sun’s pounding rays. Slumping down against its side, he angles himself to face the crowd of people and dragons while also being mindful of his spikes hitting the plant. Didn’t want to damage the poor thing. But, then again, there was really no need to worry about damaging the tree. It had already been done. Frost slunk its way up the trunk the moment his scales rested upon it, as it did with the grass and plants he now resided on.

Laying his head on his paws, his green eyes shift through the various crowd members as they talk amongst one another. Then to the dragons, who he didn’t take a particular interest in. His kind was really known to be social, after all. They were wanderers, for the most part. Always on the move. Run-ins with other ice dragons often ended in scuffles, what with resources not exactly being that plentiful.

As his eyes flicker over a particular spot towards the back of the crowd, the tug came again. This time stronger and more desperate. Go over there, it screamed. He stayed put.

A sense of nervousness prickled at his heart, nearly taking his breath away. He still didn’t feel ready for this. Sure, he was – to some degree – happy to have been called to find his bonded… but there were some factors that worried him. Specifically, the factor of touch. Let alone the ride. Looking over his form as well as his continuously frosting surroundings, it was clear that problems would arise if their skin were to make contact with his scales. Particularly deadly ones, too. He really didn’t want to see his forever-pal turned into a block of ice the moment they met (even if they were more likely to receive a bad case of frostbite at this current moment).

Kenji

New Rider | M | Mentions: Beatrice, Keziah, Rhyhor [ind.]

Ah yes, Kenji could spot Kez from anywhere. It did help that she was taller and therefore easier to spot compared to Birdie, but he could basically smell her nerves from all the way over here. He didn't need Kez to turn around when he saw her wringing her hands and he knew it was her. Though Keziah seemed considerably better once she had spotted him and Bea. When she had called their names Kenji lifted a hand in greeting, flashing a smile in return. Watching the girl's embrace and clasp hands he frowned slightly when Bea dropped his, however, he kept a laugh down when she mentioned him having germs.

“Sure Birdie, whatever you say,” He teasingly whipped his hand across his tunic, getting rid of “her germs” as she had pointed out earlier. In the moment of silence he reached up to twist his earring, Kenji had two studs but tended to play with the one of his left ear, a habit of his.

Reaching out to Kez he just rested his hand lightly on her shoulder to show some support, since Bea was occupying her hand. The conversation moved to the Choosing Ceremony, the reason why they were all here when Kez mentioned him and Birdie getting chosen, "You'd make wonderful riders." she spoke. Bea added in how he and Kez were then more deserving.

“At this point, I say we all should just bond with a dragon and call it a day,” he shrugged, “Imagine the three of us with dragons…oh the things we could do.” His slight daydream was interrupted by the entrance of another dragon, however, he wasn't complaining. The creature was magnificent, and when Kez had asked if any had caught his eye he pointed in the direction of the creature he assumed to be a Storm dragon. “That one,”

Its eyes sent a bit of a chill up Kenji’s spine, and almost right after he had spoken the dragon looked in his direction. He gulped slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as the creature started to move towards the trio. Kenji thought he wouldn't be afraid to bond when the time came, but now the idea of having a dragon this close set him a bit on edge. The bonding ceremony was getting real now. The humans below parted ways for the massive creature, though it didn't seem to care what was in its way as long as it had a straight path…right to the group. From its pace and path, he couldn't tell who it was headed for quite yet, though as people moved he narrowed it down to Him, Birdie, and Kez.

Kenji’s hands were dangling at his side when he felt a slight tug from Birdie, intertwining his hands again with hers as she pulled him toward her. Still holding onto her he stepped forward to stand partly in front of her and Kez. If they needed to get out of the way he was going to make sure both the girls could do so safely. Or if the creature decided to lash out he didn't want either of his friends in the front. Hopefully, the action would offer some support to Kez as well, though he couldn't read her full reaction from his peripheral vision.

Aziza Sterling || Female || 18 || New Rider || M: Open

Away from the gathering congregation of humans, constant roaring announcements of dragons, and uptight pestering of parents (the ones she wanted to avoid the most), the world was rather peaceful. The gentle breeze brushed against the trees like the soft touch of a lover, pushing one’s hair behind their ear. The singing of birds akin to the whispers of a love song rang through the forested area, rare but nothing short of alluring and heartwarming. The filtering of light – the hope of a new life. The shadows – the breaking heart of the unchosen party…

Maybe she had been reading too many romance novels lately. Scoffing at herself, the short lady leans more into the tree behind her – bringing her current novel (fit with nearly one thousand pages) closer to her face. Her pale gold irises narrow at dark printed words on the page, trying to force her attention on them and not the event of the evening.

The cycling of her thoughts, however, argued otherwise – circling her back to the one topic she currently wanted nothing to do with. The idea of getting a dragon. She wasn’t worried about getting one, per say, it was of what would become of her if she didn’t. She knew the stories. Of how every single Sterling, since the beginning of the peace with the dragons, had come to this ceremony at the age of eighteen. How those chosen were held high and celebrated within the family’s lineage… while those other unfortunate souls were all but cut out of history – lost to time in a fashion that deeply troubled her. It was as though they had never existed to begin with, entire bloodlines washed of the Sterling name…

Azzy knew of what would become of her if she met the same fate. It wasn’t off the table. Not in the slightest. She knew that. Very few were ever chosen to become dragon riders (a concept that truly made her wonder just how many family members had been cast out and shunned for something they could not control). And she knew that her parents would be especially embarrassed and ashamed by what their daughter could not achieve. Their last child to partake in the ceremony. All her siblings were graced with the bond of a dragon. An extraordinary sight to behold, honestly. But… the thought that she could be the only child to not bond with a dragon of her own…

The book in her hands snaps shut with a loud clap, no sort of mark having been made to find her spot again in the future. A harsh and frustrated sigh flies past her naturally pink lips, as she all but thumps her head against the tree’s trunk. Angling it upwards, she searches for anything interesting to just stare at until she is inevitably called back to the crowds. Finding none, she settles on simply closing her eyes, satisfied at seeing nothing but black for a short while. She wasn’t afraid of falling asleep, after all. Her nerves would ensure that.

Azzy’s ears tune into the whispering breeze in the meantime, content with its spilling of secrets from the day’s gossip on its lips. It was oddly calm, in a way – even causing her to give it a few “oh yeah?” remarks as time went on. Which was around five minutes of pass time. A sigh sounds again.

The man shrugged slightly, the comfort of the water dragons scales lulling him into a state of calmness, the uneasy current in his heart gentling to the mere lapping of waves. He found K'issuk often had that affect on him, gentle, calming, like their souls were two parts of a whole. He supposed they were, in many aspects. The bond was special, and Kaia had always been drawn to K'issuk. Many bonds were not perfect, dragons unwilling to be with their riders, sometimes riders unwilling to be riders, despite what destiny had called them to do.

But some bonds, some bonds were okay. Some were perfect. Kaia had always felt that his bond with K'issuk was perfect, completely and utterly. His love for the ocean, her home. Their conjoined love for music. Their parallel beliefs in the nature of energy and all living things. If he were a dragon, he was certain he would be K'issuk, or one very, very similar.

'You've met Sedna,' Kaia's voice was quiet into the bond, almost fond. 'He's a right pain sometimes. But I suppose all little brothers are.' Kaia leaned forward to peer down at the dragons and potential riders, scanning again for his brother. He saw someone that he believed to be Sedna moving along the edge of the crowd, seemingly unwilling to mingle.

Nearby to that, Kaia watched as a dark dragon with electric eyes stalked through the crowd, one of the first dragons to make a move. Impatience rolled off of the dark grey dragon near-visibly, evident in his walk and the snapping of his teeth.

Kaia followed his line of sight, and couldn't help the small, surprised noise he made. "Is that Kenji?" He asked out loud, leaning forward further and furrowing his brows. His chuckle was mirthful, leaning back against K'issuk. "Gods, it's been years since we've seen him," he said, looking up at K'issuk. "Kenji was a good friend of Sedna's when they were younger, he moved away from the ocean and we haven't seen him since," Kaia explained, gesturing to the boy.

K'issuk's sudden movements, though, grabbed his attention again, along with a flash of light down in the valley. Kaia squinted, putting his weight back on his own feet as the water dragon rose. He listened carefully, his face growing fond. It wasn't rare that he learned facts about K'issuk and her past, they'd been bonded for enough time, but he was excited to meet her old companions that he'd heard about.

'Of course,' Kaia said, moving with practiced ease as he climbed up the water dragon to settle in the saddle on her back. 'Our grand entrance awaits,' he said, his tone teasing.

Aalis gave a small, understanding sound. "I'm sure we'll be able to convince our humans to visit our home," the white dragoness assured, using her long neck to lean over and gently touch her muzzle to Nava's. "And I'm sure we'll find a way to fit this place in our hearts as a second home, even if it is much warmer than we're used to," Aalis added, her tone soft and jestful.

Aalis gave a hum at her sisters next words, turning and looking around the valley. There were many dragons, Aalis did have to admit. "Many more dragons than we are used to," she agreed. Aalis had met a few dragons in her lifetime, many that were related or that she had known her entire life, and she knew Nava was primarily the same. With their homes location, not many dragons chose to pass through if they didn't live nearby.

The white dragons laugh was light and carefree, and she shook her head fondly at Nava. "I am in no rush to settle down just yet, sister," she said, a low, pleased sound coming from her chest when the pink she-dragon nudged her. Aalis was often considered tactile, and she enjoyed physical contact with her friends and family, most often with Nava, as her sister was often the closest nearby.

"I have my paws full with looking after you already," Aalis teased, nudging the pink female. It had been many years since Aalis had had to take care of Nava, but even if her little sister were to be still fully dependent on her, the iridescent dragon didn't think she would be able to complain. Her heart held such fondness for her little sister, and she had many happy memories of teaching Nava when her inexperience got the best of her.

A whistle, reminiscent of a whale call, in the distance grabbed Aalis' attention, and her head snapped around, the sound familiar in her mind. Quickly, she zeroed in on the culprit of the sound, and she visibly perked up.

"Oh, Nava!" Aalis said, nodding to where she was looking. "That's K'issuk, oh, look at her and her little human boy, it seems they've been taking care of each other at least."