A Tenuous Peace As always, please do not post here unless named. Feel free to follow along.

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Emyries (Em - er - ease)

Emmerson

Solus

Emyri (Em - er - E)

Ries (R - ease)

Emyries, Emyri, Ries, Solus, UMW Solus

20

9th of October

Male

He/Him

Omniromantic Demisexual

Upper Middle Wing

Tenebris

5 foot 2 inches

146lbs

Black

Green

Emyries is well built, if a bit short. He stands at five feet two inches, but he would tell you that he is five feet three on a good day. A golden tan is fairly consistent across all visible skin, though the tan lines that exist on his shoulders are the most noticeable of them. His hair is a sable black color with hints of red that shine through on the tips when light hits it in just the right way due to the sun bleaching his hair over the years and amount of time he has spent outside. The length is kept relatively short, but still has some length to it - something considered standard in his country, but even more so when you deal with fire breathing dragons all the time. It has enough length to it that his hair is able to curl around his ears slightly. His hair is fluffy in texture, helped in part by the gentle curling his hair type provides.

His face is diamond shaped with a strong jawline, but not sharp. His eyebrows are somewhere between thin and average. They, like his hair, are also black. His eyes are hooded, but make his green gaze seem sharp, even if he isn't intending it to be. He has a perpetual case of RBF, which makes him seem angrier at everything than he actually is.

His shoulders are broad, but not overly making his frame wider than some, but he definitely does not have the widest shoulders by far. Despite his shoulders he would be considered lean. The balance between his torso and his legs seems proportional. He has a few scars scattered across his body and hands from incidents as a child, from training, and from general activity on the job.

Emyri, due to being partnered with a dragon meant for agility and scouting, wears dark clothing and light armor. His uniform jacket is made of stained black leather that over time has been worn smooth and flexible. This jacket is cropped about halfway down his torso. Black, silver, and amber scales shed from his dragon partner are lined along the outside of his jacket. Some of the shed blade-like scales from Tenebris's tail are set and bent slightly over the curve of his shoulders. The hood of the jacket is free of scales, in an attempt to keep it from being too stiff to be of actual use, save for two rows of alternating black, silver, and amber colored scales that lines the outside of the hood's opening. Under the jacket, a thick dark grey and black patterned shirt that cuts off at the shoulders is worn.

His trousers are made of a cloth similar to that of his shirt, but has the same leather from his jacket sown onto key high traffic areas to help lessen the wear that would otherwise occur naturally to simple cloth pants. Metal chains hang in a "u" shape from his pants on both of his hips. This is partially a fashion thing, but also serves an anchor point for his harness to Tenebris. He has well worn leather boots with thick reinforced soles and toes. He wears them more than any others due to the fact that they give him about another inch in height that he can lay claim to.

Because Emyri is meant to serve as a scout in most situations, he carries short swords - one placed on each hip. There's a single dagger placed in each of his boots as a final measure of protection if something has happened to his swords and Tenebris is otherwise indisposed.

Emyries, for all that he likes to try and add to his height in any way he can, isn't actually insecure about his height for the most part. He's not a fan of people ribbing on him for his stature, sure, but he would rather be short and lighter than heavier and taller so that his dragon companion wouldn't have to carry as much weight.

Generally, Ries is outgoing and always up for something new. Trying new foods, experiencing new festivals and cultures he hasn't seen before, and meeting new people have always been highlights in his day. That said, he does also enjoy the things that he already knows. Being able to return to something comforting and familiar after experiencing something new is what enables him to be as inquisitive and interested in the world as he is because he always has something to fall back on, even if things don't go well.

Emyries tries to give everyone the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions or judging them, but that's only when he's able to catch himself and remind himself of that fact. He's impulsive and face-value reactions are what he's able to conjure up the easiest.

He can be reserved at times, mostly in situations that he doesn't have something to fall back on. In those situations he's also often suspicious and combative. His safety net is gone and he is pushed out of his comfort zone, left alone with only himself to rely on.

One of Ries strongest traits, however, is that of his loyalty. When Ries places his trust in someone or something, there is little that can be done in order to sway him from his allegiance. When his allegiances are opposing, it can lead to a significant amount of internal conflict within him. One of the things Ries hates most is those who are disloyal or who break the trust that he places in them.

Emyries was raised in a region of his country that was considerably remote. It wasn't even close to the next nearest town. Due to the reclusiveness of his home, he was paired with his dragon partner from a young age - or at least earlier than most, as is custom for that region. Part of this was due to long standing connections with the breed of dragon that settled in the area. The Avari dragons, tended to have their children at more senior ages and by that time keeping up with an adolescent or hatchling Avari could often be challenging. The humans in the area, similarly didn't tend to have children until they were past the most youthful era of their lives and could at times have the same issue. To help, both the Avari and humans in the area came to the agreement that pairing an adolescent from each species could be advantageous in keeping the other out of trouble. After all some of the trouble that dragons get in isn't safe for humans and some of the trouble humans get into isn't suitable for dragons. Additionally, both of the adolescents would be able to explore the world together more than they would have been able to separately. The human exploring and traveling farther, and the dragon exploring what was on the ground, the likes of which they might have just passed by. This is at least what the humans state the reason for the pairing is for and why they initially occurred. Regardless, Tenebris and Emyries are about as thick as thieves as a dragon and human can be.

Emyries grew up with a set of adoptive parents, his father having died of an illness when Ries was two and his mother following a few months after he turned three. He doesn't remember either of them, but has been told that they were good people who did the best they could for him even when they were sick.

His adoptive parents, Zira and Micah, raised him in their one story dwelling, built under the shelter of a cliff. Zira was native to the region, however, Micah was a transplant to the region who moved after falling in love with Zira. These two in general have been Emyries blueprint for what romantic love should look like.

Emyries was raised as an only child with only himself to entertain himself if his parents were busy. This was particularly because the house he was raised in was rural even within the region it was located in, and the nearest house was far enough away that one would have to go by dragonback.

He joined up with the dragon section of the army, the Airborne Corps when he was 16, though was relegated to training until he was 18.

~.~.~.~

Flightfall

Light grey background with a navy dragon diving midair towards the bottom of the crest. The top and bottom of the crest is outlined in silver fangs.

Monarch - King Castellan Fell IV

The Flightfall Council

Regular Army & Navy ranks collectively called the Ground Corps.

Dragon Army based ranks are separated by duty and are called collectively as the Airborne Corps.

Scouts

Warriors

Claws:

Intelligence

Each has ranks: lower, upper lower, lower middle, upper middle, lower high, high.

Rocky, with scatterings of flat land that are used for crops. Mountains ranges are common topography, but usually are not high enough for snow to gather at the peak. An outlet towards the sea is present but flanked by mountain ranges.

Temperate, warm but not overly humid.

~.~.~.~

Tenebris

Open

Male

Unsure/Ambiguous

Late Adolescence

Avari - a type of quick and agile dragon, with short ranged fire and sharp blade-like scales scattered throughout their body.

Black body with silver and amber colored scales alternating across his chest. Blade-like scales protrude from between his silver curved horns and trail down his neck in an alternating pattern. Larger blade-like scales located on the end of his tail in a fan-like arrangement help with making tight turns. His wings are large and the inner side of his wingers are amber, matching with his short amber talons, the outside of his wings remain his base black. His wings themselves reach about 85 feet and is body from nose to end of his longest blade-like scale on his tail reaches 135 feet. More flexible scales that from a distance look like fur exist on his leg joints. Deep red eyes stare out at things around him with sharp slitted pupils. Tenebris terminally looks kind of angry at everything.

Tenebris is generally an easy going dragon, but has a wide protective streak when it comes to what's his. He does not like the idea of others encroaching on, what to him, is his territory. This has been curbed through the years he has spent as a part of the Airborne Corps with Emyries.

When Tenebris is content he's a little bit of a trickster, pulling off moves that he otherwise would not, just to mess with Emyries. Much like Emyries, Tenebris likes to experience new things and see new places, an explorer's mindset at heart.

Crimson eyes stared down at Emyries own green ones as he lay with his legs sprawled out in front of him and his hands braced behind him on a rocky outcropping high above the training grounds for the Airborne Corps. He and Tenebris had been there only a short while, attempting to find a bit of solace in the short amount of time they had before their next scouting run towards the border where small skirmishes had begun to break out. None of the skirmishes had lasted long, or been fought very brutally - it seemed more as if the two countries were testing the other and trying to get a feel for how the other maneuvered, their common tactics, and what situations played to their enemy's strengths.

This was irrelevant at the moment though, for the hulking figure above Ries that was Tenebris was locked into a staring match with the youthful rider below. The scraping of long and sharp scales across the flat plane of the outcropping, gave away the impatience simmering beneath his companions skin. Before Emyries even realized, he was rolling his eyes and turning his gaze from above to the open area that remained visible on the other side of the training ground's low boundary wall, built of boulders of various sizes meant not to keep people out, but rather to mark where it one would be far enough away that there would be no risk of training accident damage.

"Just a few more minutes, alright Tenebris?" Emyries' voice came out exasperated with a hint of pleading, "The scouting assignment is supposed to take a few days since it's along the southern stretch of the border. This will likely be the last bit of relaxation we get before we return, enjoy it would you?"

The ebony haired man flopped back again the warm stone of the outcropping and lifted one hand towards Tenebris's snout loomed above. The dragon, in turn, snorted but still dropped forward to press its nose against Emyries' finger tips. Hot air grazed the palm of his hand and warmth spread throughout his fingers as he scratched the at the smaller scales located under the dragon's chin that seemed to be perpetually itchy. A content rumbling sound escaped from the flying beast as it chased the feeling of an itch being scratched just right before Emyries pulled his hand away.

A groan escaped him as he pushed himself up into a sitting position once more, this time pulling his left leg up towards his chest and resting his left arm over his knee, "I suppose we should get going though, shouldn't we, you impatient creature." He placed his head on his forearm and closed his eyes, letting the slight breeze flutter around him, taking a few more precious moments for himself despite his words just seconds prior. A gentle push from behind had him opening his eyes in order to look back at the Avari. He let out a begrudging sigh, "Alright, alright, you pushy dragon."

He straightened himself into a standing position and bent down to collect his uniform jacket that had been discarded shortly after the pair had arrived. Its weight settled over his shoulders as he put it on, a comfort that doubled as a break from some of the harsh winds that came with flying - that was good ol' Flightfall utility for you. As Emyries approached Tenebris's side the dragon bent one shoulder low, allowing the young man to more easily clamber onto the beasts back and seat himself in the saddle. Clips that hung on short thick straps of leather were attached to the chains that hung. The action seemed automatic, driven and performed through years of consistent habits.

"Alright, let's go," Emyries urged, and seconds later they were falling off the cliff, defending down in a dive as they reached a low hanging draft of air and began their flight. A glance over Emyries shoulder showed that the bags packed with their supplies for the assignment were unruffled from the take off - not that it was a surprise, the two had long since gotten used to making sure the supply bags were secured correctly. The pair had just reached the outer wall when the sound of the alarm pierced through the air, the one that was reserved for only a single reason - battle. As they turned around to report in Ries spoke, "You were right Tenebris, we should have left earlier..."

~•~•~•~

Tenebris had been outfitted with thin metal armor for his chest and the front of each of this legs. The armor wasn't nearly as heavy as the armor that some of the larger more combat suited dragons in an effort to preserve the natural agility his breed possessed. Emyries, himself, did not get any additional armor as his jacket and other garments were able to double as light armor and as a scout he wasn't expected to be in the middle of the battle. They had left the supply bags on, hoping for the best outcome of the pair being able to leave for their assignment when the battle was over, assuming no injuries. At the call of the Upper Fang he and a number of other riders took to the air.

The journey towards where the battle was already occurring took time. Time enough for a storm with buffeting winds, drenching rain, and dark skies. The visibility through the storm was abysmal at best and impossible at worst. The raging winds accompanied by this made navigation a nightmare to even attempt. The rain poured down on the dragon and the rider equally, soaking them both and making their gear much heavier than it had been just hours prior. Somewhere above and just to the left Emyries heard a loud curse and a man yell to watch for a sword. Ries could only watch by the time he caught sight of the falling sword as it fell towards them. Fear coursed through him as he watched the sword fall towards the joint of Tenebris's wings, he scrambled to catch it, but all for naughty as it collided with the dragon. Instead of the blade slashing through the joint, thankfully, the hilt was the part of the sword that impacted the wing. His relief was only short-lived.

Emyries gasped as Tenebris let out a deafening roar and canted to one side as they lost altitude rapidly. After what felt like both too long and too short of a time the ground became visible and rushed up to meet them swiftly. Emyries let out a series of curses and before he knew it he was being thrown from the saddle. The sound of leather ripping sounded from his left and he was flung to the right. He threw his hands in an attempt to do something, he wasn't really sure what but he was sure it had to do something. The movement stopped suddenly, his body ached, and yet the only thing he could think about was if Tenebris was okay.

He watched as the dragon turned his head towards Emyri and pushed its head gently against the human's side with a pained warble.

The Kingdom of Reyes had been in a constant quarrel over land with the Kingdom of Flightfall for what seemed like mere centuries now. A land that would fulfil the needs of each kingdom. Beyond the rocky mountainscape that was filled with iron and minerals, the vast lands were perfect for the growth of crops, the soil nutrient filled and healthy. They were at a stalemate for some time before the conundrum broke loose. The rivaling issues had started years before the young princess had been born, Princess Amira being brought into this world as others were taken on the borderlands. Her whole life had been shaped around these issues, being taught that the only way to end it all was to capture the land. She was raised in a family that only knew power and force.

That is why to many others it was quite a shock to see the silver haired Princess among her fellow riders. It was unheard of for a woman to be a rider, but let alone a member of the royal family? She had made her way through the training and ranks, bonding with a rogue dragon on her adventures outside the castle walls, and now fought alongside her men. She proved her ranking within the first few skirmishes, and soon with some full battles. Many retreated at the sight of the beast Amira rode upon and it was not long before a whispered name spread across the tongues of men from both sides. The Cannibal.

Diaval was one of the largest dragons to grace the sky, his sheer size known to black the ground below with his shadow. The wyvern had no sympathy to his kind, earning the name due to his style of fight. If he did not burn them alive, he would tear them to shreds with the force of his jaws. What he lacked in speed, he made up in strength. He was a flying wall of sheer muscle and power, one that stopped for nothing unless at his companion’s command.

Amira knew how much the land meant for her people, how much it would help them grow and expand, and the opportunities to expand trade as well. And to just silence the annoying burden that was Flightfall. Amira was stubborn, a firecracker at times, but she also loved her people dearly, risking her life to provide more for them.

~*~*~*~*~

It hadn’t been long into Amira’s day before she was travelling swiftly down the stone halls of the castle. With each step she began to adjust her attire, fiddling with the straps of her belt, adjusting the hood of her cloak, making sure all was perfect. Her frame was adorned in her battle attire, thick ebony leather, hand cut and crafted to fit her well. Upon the chest was the family’s crest, a black and silver shield with a crimson colored dragon. Silver buckles and rivets held the pieces of leather together. The pieces fit snug but gave her plenty of leave to move around in the chest piece. Ebony leather pants as well as boots adorned her bottom half and to finish it all off, her black woven cloak sat upon her shoulders. Her hair was intricately braided in an array of braids behind her, keeping out of the way.

Amira had made her way out to a large stone pad that connected to the castle, the formidable beast that was Diaval waiting with impatience. He was not fond of anyone but her, and it was clear to see as his maw snapped at a guard. Amira’s boots clicked against the stone pad as she slipped on her leather gloves, a smile pulling at her lips at the sight before her. Diaval took a step forward, cornering the guard for a moment before a sharp whistle sounded, Amira crossing her arms.

“D, you know better” She simply said as she neared. The beast let out a deep grumble followed by a plume of smoke at the man before him before turning his head to his rider, shaking his whole body. Amira just shook her head as she moved closer, swiftly climbing up upon the wyvern and situating herself into the fitted saddle.

“Your highness, there is word that another fight has commenced on the southern ridge, storms are headed in. It may be best to sit this one out.” A guard spoke from below as Amira clipped herself in. “Nothing we have not handled before, a bit of wind and rain will cause no delay” Amira simply stated. With not even room for another whisper to leave the guards lips, Amira urged Diaval to move forward. With a guttural grumble, the wyvern outstretched his wings, gaining speed with each step as he aimed for the edge. His wing beats were heavy, drafting a strong force below as he raised into the sky. His shadow cast down upon the world below, darkening the gloomy cast of light as he aimed for enemy territory.

The journey was over an hour's flight, and with each mile crossed, the skies grew darker. Many times Amira looked around at the clouds, watching them grow and swirl. Rain had begun to light pitter down across them the closer they got. Then the wind and heavier rain came almost like a wall. It hit hard and fast, jolting the two for a moment as they grew closer. Amira rode with shielded eyes, soon the sounds of battle calling out to them in the distance. She carefully reached behind her, attaching another strap to the back of the saddle as she felt Diaval’s wings beat harder with force. He knew it was time.

“Angōs (Attack)” Amira called out to Diaval as the battle appeared before them in a blur. Dragons swirled through the air with their riders atop, some with swords, others with just fire. Even through the rain the sounds of yelling and cursing bit at one's ears. Amira had a sword of her own strapped to her hip, but it was for her battles on the ground, not in air. She did not need it.

It was not long before their first collision, Diaval slamming into a smaller dragon before them, his jaw clasping around the creature's neck. Blood mixed with rain, splattering all around them. The dragon's screech filled the air, followed by its rider as they plummeted towards the grounds below. Diaval shifted right, slowly turning his form through the air as he aimed for his next target. The rider looked behind him, seeing their impending death and began to take action, but not for long. Soon the rider was silenced with his beast.

The two made a small impact already, but the storm was slowing them more and more. It was becoming harder to see with every minute, giving others an advantage for once. A few more smaller hits and dives before the real trouble started. A rival came up from behind, using the advantage of the wind to sneak up. A sharp yell escaped the princess’ lips as an iron blade slashed across her thigh. A deafening roar filled the air as talons clasped onto the side of Diaval, digging in sharply.

Diaval sharply dipped to pull from the grasp, his wings folding for a moment. Amira reached down and put pressure upon the wound, the stinging pain shooting down her leg. They were distracted, the both of them and it was dangerous. Amira could not focus with the rain and the searing pain, Diaval was too focused on killing the creature and his rider. Panic struck Amira for the first time in a while, what was she to do? She had to make the decision to take cover. She needed to bandage herself before she lost too much blood.

She could feel Diaval was off as well, and as she glanced down she could see the slices through the scales below his wings. It wasn’t deadly, but it also was not joyful.

“Ruaragon (Retreat)” Amira finally spoke as she turned around, seeing the form of their attacker aiming to attack again. They needed to get away.

Diaval flew harder and as fast as he could, but his size gave them a delay. He dipped and dove, turning left and right, trying everything to get away to safety. But it would soon be over. Their attacker chased them towards the mountains, winds whipping harshly against them, throwing off any balance there was. It was not long before the creature crested to peaks, a funnel of wind, pulling them harshly down the sides and towards the inner lands.

Amira braced as tight as she could, Diaval pulled himself up and held his wings to break the wind. Within minutes they hit the ground with a loud bang, the grounds trembling below. The leather straps that held Amira to the beast gave way, snapping under the impact and causing her to tumble to the grounds below, a sharp and painful breath escaping her lips.

The rain roared around the pair, dragon and human alike. The swirling winds of the storm that snaked through the already treacherous mountain range tangled with the naturally occurring turbulent gusts amplifying the already inhospitable storm. Cold water came down hard and fast leaving the rain droplets that impacted Emyries' exposed skin to feel as if they were the sharp pinpricks of a dull needle. With shaking hands, wrought with the adrenaline that coursed through him from the crash and perhaps a little from the cold, the rider fiddled with the buckles on his jacket as he attempted to pull it closer around him and unclipped the remaining tether he had to the saddle so he could move freely.

One hand reached out towards Tenebris and landed on the flat of his partner's maw, warmth seeped into his fingers first upon contact and slowly spread upward from his fingers to his palm. The pained warble that the dragon had let out was concerning, but not all too unsurprising considering the hard collision they had just had with the ground. It certainly would not be their first time crashing - how to crash safely was a standard class most of the Airborne Corps took. There had also been a few incidents during the pair's stunt flyer aspersions when Ries was twelve. This crash by far seemed the worst to Emyries, despite the fact that it had only just happened and the after effects of the crash were still yet to be known.

Carefully, Emyries moved to rest his head against the bridge of the black dragon's snout. "That was a rough one, wasn't it, Tenebris? Think you can let me have a look at that wing of yours?" His voice was soft enough that his words seemed to be distorted and swallowed up by the rain and wind as soon as they left his mouth. Tenebris, as always, seemed to be able to hear him just fine and responded with a low groan of pain, drawing back just enough that their heads were no longer touching and sharp red eyes could focus on Emyries.

He watched as the dragon pulled its left wing closer and shifted around it protectively, pulling further away from Ries. Emyries let out a soft sigh, "Tenebris you need to let me see it. I didn't see you get nicked by the blade, but if you did I need to make sure the wound is clean and get it covered. You know the drill and that wounds on the wings are the most important to treat." The dragon only stared at Emyries for what felt like far too long, as if trying to challenge the human and make him drop the subject, but eventually with another softer pained warble the crimson eyed dragon lowered the wing closer to Emyries eye level.

A rueful smile graced the human's face as he approached the wing, "I know it hurts, bud, but it's better to get it over with now than when we both end up sore and stiff later." There was a soft sound of acknowledgement from behind him as he gently ran his hand over the hooked spike at the edge of Tenebris's wing. Though there was some light through the storm's dark and overcast clouds, it was minimal, the rain would make the ability to detect blood by touching something wet a negligible effort. With this in mind Emyries focused on the only other option - to feel for wounds themselves. It would be inefficient, but it would hopefully catch any wounds before they festered and ended up infected. It was slow going as Emyries moved from the tip of the wing towards the wing and shoulder joint looking for any distinctly fleshy bits or scales that had a texture that didn't match the area around it. As he approached the joint of the wing, he slowed down - taking more care to examine the area recalling in the moment that the sword had fallen closer to the wing joint than it had the tip of the dragon's wing. Scales with a much more scuffed texture made themselves known just inside the joint and as Emyries pressed down on them slightly Tenebris's wing twitched and he was nudged from behind as a quiet pained sound emanated from the beast.

"It got you good there didn't it?" He said as he peered at the spot to try and get a better look, "It doesn't look like there is any blood, so it probably doesn't need to be bandaged. Once this storm passes though and there's better light I'll look at it again and reevaluate if needed." Emyries turned and scratched Tenebris's itchy spot under the dragon's chin. He smiled at the soft rumble that he received in return. "Think you'll be able to get us out of here?" He asked.

As Tenebris lifted his wings, the one that had been struck by the plummeting sword spasmed. Emyries watched as his companion tucked the wing against his scaled side and heard the soft growl of pain that the dragon emitted. A disappointed sigh escaped Ries and he patted Tenebris's shoulder, "Looks like we won't be flying out of here any time soon. It didn't look broken, but it'll probably need to heal up a bit before we attempt anything. Our first prio-" Emyries was cut off as a thunderous banging sounded nearby.

Narrowed green eyes darkest towards the direction the sound had come from, his body stiffened as he looked towards the sky searching for any charge of light that could be present in the clouds. Tenebris was wearing metal and if the sound had come from thunder it needed to come off as soon as possible. Thankfully it didn't seem like the sound had come from the raging storm above. Emyries was relieved, there hadn't been any lightning in the storm before they landed, but who knew how quickly the rainstorm, terrible though it was, could turn into a thunderstorm, which arguably would be much worse for the two stranded Airborne Corps members. "I guess," Emyries started to say, "we should probably go see what that was. Could be another of the Airborne Corps and if they landed that hard they'll probably need help."

Emyries started forward first, taking point in their endeavor to help whatever pour soul had crashed nearby. It was perhaps a bit easier to navigate on the ground than it had been in the air, though the visibility levels were still considerably low. It felt a bit like trying to peer through rain-streaked window at night. Still, they made a steady pace, taking their time to make sure they hadn't passed the site the sound had come from while listening for any sign that would help them guide them to the downed dragon and rider.

A blurry shape was beginning to emerge, though the outline was hazy and it could also be a large rock or boulder, its shape wasn't defined enough to definitively say it was the downed duo that they were looking for. "Hey! Are you okay over there?!" Emyries called out in a not so subtle bid to get a response and determine if the large shape was in fact those he was looking for.

As they moved closer, the once blurry shape began taking a more defined shape until finally the shape could be made out clearly. Emyries stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the form in front of him. It was not a boulder, that was certain, but a boulder just might have been better than what was before him. A massive dragon was before him, though perhaps instead wyvern more a more apt term based on how it held itself and that the wings seemed to double as its front legs. Additionally, this wyvern was not one he knew belonged to the Flightfall Airborne Corps, if a wyvern that large was in the ranks he was sure he'd have heard about it by now. Tenebris's tail curled around the area where Ries stood in a protective gesture and Emyries had drifted towards the short sword on his right. His hand paused before he could even touch the hilt as the form of a person caught his attention. From what little he could see they had light hair, but even odder was that it was long. Most people he knew kept their hair short due to the risk of catching fire with so many dragons around.

Darkness

Cold

Wet

That was the feeling the moment after impact with the rocky ground. Amira laid silently on the muddy ground, rain pelting her skin and hair, luckily her leather attire keeping her from getting too soaked. Her fall had been quite hard, keeping her in a constant fade of consciousness.

Diaval let out a deep, guttural grumble as he rose to his feet, snorting before shaking his body and outstretching his wings. He took quite the impact as well, the ground behind him from where he slid completely torn up. The grass was now churned to mud, a large slide mark leading to their position. He turned his head to look at his rider, fully turning as he saw she was not moving. He moved closer and grumbled again, his deep, golden eyes watching her intently.

He was just about to nudge her when his head snapped around at the sound of a voice.

“Hey! Are you okay over there?!”

Diaval turned around, the ground trembling beneath his steps as his form pushed up through the fog. His gaze sharpened, looking at the stranger through slitted eyes as his lips pulled to bare teeth. He was not one to welcome strangers, especially after what they had been through. He did not advance towards them, wanting to stay near his rider, but if he needed to, he would. From where he stood, these strangers would be an easy meal.

But as Diaval stood his ground, a sharp yell soon erupted from behind him.

“Aughhhhhhhhh” Amira yelled, finally coming to for the most part. Her leg burned from the deep slice across her thigh, blood slowly pooling on the ground below. The pain had woken her up just enough for her to reach down and grasp it, blood trickling over her fingers. Diaval growled and took a few steps back, still baring his enormous teeth. But he wanted to be near Amira. His rider never had sounded to be in so much pain before.
Amira tried to catch her breath as she put pressure on the wound, teeth gritting against each other harshly. She hadn’t even noticed the strangers in the distance since she came to, the pain becoming unbearable. She had to push through, otherwise she would be dead. She fumbled for the cloak she had worn, the fabric being torn from her body as she fell. It was just a few feet away. A few feet too far.
“Fuck” She growled through gritted teeth, finally gaining enough strength to push herself into a sitting positon. Looking down at her thigh, it was bad. Through the skin and muscles, but luckily not to the bone. Her head pounded and her ears rang, the ground feeling as if it were spinning. Then there was a sound, one that did not come from her dragon.

Finally looking up, her blurry eyes could see the strangers in the distance, noticing how Diaval stood guard as well, proving it was not just her imagination. Now normally, one command and she would have sent Diaval barreling after them, knowing he could easily take them by himself. But this situation was different. Even if Diaval did attack them, she was still left here with a slice in her leg.

Amira had to juggle her thoughts at that moment on what to do. Keep to herself and find away, or ask for help. She was never one to ask for help. But she needed it desperately. She also wagered the fact that if either of them attempted to harm her, Diaval would be there to stop them instantly. Finally letting out a defeated sigh, she gritted her teeth and looked to Diaval.

“Lykiri (Be Calm)” She said to him carefully, the beast turning his head to look at her. She gave him a small nod before he grumbled, taking a few steps back to stand behind her.

She looked over at the strangers, quiet for a moment as she debated what she should do. She knew what she had to do.

“Can you help?” She called out, voice laced with a sharp pain. “He will not harm you so long as you do not harm us.”

As Eryndor took in the appearance of the towering dragon that stood before him and his own dragon companion, he considered that perhaps the feeling he had once dismissed as uneven ground beneath his feet accompanied with the adrenaline that had been - and still was for that matter - coursing through his body, was instead the Earth groaning and trembling beneath the hulking figure of the dragon that stood guard over its rider. He knew, of course, that such a thing was unlikely, especially when applying Occam's Razor. However, the idea of what one would attribute the most obvious and simplest option was beginning to blur, giving Emyries pause. A gentle brush of Tenebris's sharp scales against the bottom Emyries' trousers drew the downed rider away from the tangent that the dragon in front of him had sent his mind spiraling on.

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The fangs that the other dragon bared at the pair had Emyries shifting ever so closer to Tenebris's side, though he still took care to not brush against his partner's injured wing even in his unconscious movement. Subtle lines of panic and stress made themselves across the dragon rider's face and his body tensed even more if possible. This far, this was not going to be a friendly encounter. Instead it would likely devolve into some variation of combat that still ended with both Tenebris and Emyries dead and their bodies likely to never be found. A human his size had no chance against a dragon of that size and even if he could land a lucky hit, he would be dead very shortly after, Emyries knew this. He also knew that the biggest advantage Tenebris had on large, bulky dragons was currently out of commission. Without the ability to fly and outmanoeuvre the other with arial agility, his partner would be all but a sitting duck waiting to be caught in the jaws of the beast before them. Their only true choice was to try and make peace with the dragon and the rider - actually no he had not seen the human form that the dragon was standing over protectively move. Oh, they were so dead. So, so utterly dead. Deader than dead, even.

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A pained yell caused both the Airborne Corps members to flinch back sharply, instinctively trying to pull away from the dangerous dragon in front of them. Emyries eyes were drawn towards the source of the sound without his permission, if he was looking at the human it meant he was not watching the dragon and that probably was not a good thing. Much to the relief of both Emyries and his dragon, the enemy before them seemed much more concerned about making sure that their rider was okay than it was concerned about menacing and standing imposingly in front of them.

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Emyries shifted even closer to Tenebris, laying his hand against the dragon's warm shoulder to steady himself as he was almost sent tumbling ungracefully to the muddy ground by a stray rock as he moved. Something about the way the other human was moving made something in the back of his mind itch uncomfortably. Were they just stiff from their cacophonous meeting with the ground? Were they injured? If they were injured, where and what would that mean regarding the dragon that had just stopped bearing its fangs. The lack of knowledge made Emyries' skin crawl with uncertainty and dreadful anticipation. The small amount of tension that had been released when the hulking figure had turned away from them was back as he tracked the human saying something to the dragon. Was this it, his final moments alive? He felt like his entire fate was held in the hands of a person that he had never met and likely never would have in any other situation than the one that he was in right now. Who was he kidding? His fate was definitely in the hands of a stranger and hopefully they were feeling merciful.

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The tension that filled the air around him seemed to draw out the silence for much longer than Emyries was sure it actually lasted. Eventually the dragon moved further away from them and settled behind the other dragon rider. Tension bled out of Emyries, were they being granted mercy? He really, really hoped they were. Now the others eyes were focused on them instead of their dragon.

.

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The voice seemed distinctly feminine for some reason. Not that there was anything wrong with that, it was just you didn't see a lot of women in the military, well at least there weren't a lot in Flightfall. Emyries' mind stalled for a moment before he began nodding along as the other explained that her? dragon would not attack him or Tenebris unless they did something to harm the others first. It really had not seemed like the dragon agreed with that sentiment, especially with the fangs they had been met with for just approaching the pair, but maybe it was because it was protecting its unconscious rider. Emyries was suddenly very glad they'd opted to keep the supply bags as they headed into battle.

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"Um, yeah. I should be able to? Do you know what kind of wound you're dealing with?" Emyries eyes flickered back to the imposing figure that the dragon still made. He was still wary of approaching even with the others words regarding he and Tenebris's safety. He trailed back towards where the nearest bag of provisions was located.

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"I'm Emyries and this is Tenebris. Is there a name I should call you and your dragon?" He attempted to make some kind of small talk to fill the silence. As his hands went to try and open the provisions bag he shivered in the cold unforgiving rain. He opened the bag and rooted around in it looking for one of the many spools of bandages that he kept packed in case of injury. To be fair though, most of them were too large to use without being cut up if you intended to use it for a human. This was generally done on purpose, at least with most Wings of the Airborne Corps. It was easier to cut bandages to size then to try and fix up a dragon with too small bandages.

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Emyries' fingers finally brushed against the item he had been looking for and he maneuvered it out of the bag carefully. He turned away from Tenebris and started to pick his way across the area that separated him from the other rider, motioning for Tenebris to stay back as he did so. It was probably best to not push their luck with the big scary dragon right? He caught sight of the wound through the murky visibility and flinched slightly, it definitely wasn't a pretty wound and needed to be dealt with quickly.

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"Getting this wrapped up might hurt, please don't let your dragon eat me?" He said with a shaky smile and began the process of trying to stem the bleeding as best he could and wrap the leg cleanly, if a bit nervously. Another shivered raced through his body, shelter and warmth needed to be the next priority.

The moments Amira laid in the puddle of her own blood and pooling mud felt like an eternity as she waited to hear the voice of the stranger in the distance. Would they take this opportunity to attack? To take the win of slaying the Cannibal and his rider? Or would they take pity and help? Amira could not blame them if they decided the first options, she would do the same. She was raised to hold no pity against the enemy, for that shows you as weak. That your walls of steel have crumbled like stone.

Her Kingdom was ruthless, their King known for the vicious tactics used to take control. And here his daughter was amongst the ranks to prove it. As a young girl there were signs of hope that maybe there was a heart deep within like her mother, a caring woman who loved all. But as Amira grew older, her heart grew cold to many. The talons of her father taking hold of her mind to guide her on the path he had planned for her.

Diaval let out a deep grumble as the strangers began to move around, the man shifting towards the bags that sat behind his saddle. His deep golden eyes seemed to follow his each and every movement, piercing through him. He did not seem to care for the other beast, knowing it was hurt and would be an easy kill, riders could be harder, they were small enough to squirm past his blind spots.

Amira groaned again as the searing pain coursed through her leg with each raindrop that fell. Her head pounded as she tried to keep consciousness, the blood loss slowly starting to take its toll as her body felt as if it was light and airy. Her free hand gripped the soft dirt below her, almost in a way to keep her grounded, to feel the real earth below her and stay awake.

She could hear the stranger speak in the distance, his words sounding slightly distorted in the wind and rain, “Do you know what kind of wound you’re dealing with?”

She took a moment to respond, trying to sit herself up but unable to, her back tight and bruised from the impact, “A sword slash ...to the thigh” she was able to reply. Diaval let out a quiet warble as he stepped forward, carefully nudging the top of her head, worried for his little rider.

He gently helped push her up, Amira outstretching her arms so she could sit up a bit and see who she was speaking to. It was also the first time she could see the wound on her thigh. Her face grimaced and she grabbed the small dagger on her hip, reaching forward and cutting the leather of her pants to reveal the wound a bit more.

Her eyes glanced up as the stranger introduced himself and his companion, Amira taking sight of the pair. At least they were not much of a fight if it came to it. He then asked for their names. Amira was well known by her title in all of the lands, but luckily, no one knew she was a rider as well. It had always been looked down upon for royalty to take flight in battle, let alone a female. She knew she could not give her real name, what would happen if someone knew the Princess of Reyes was hurt, anything could happen to use her against her Kingdom.

“Am, and Diaval” She simply said. It was not all a lie, growing up her parents usually could only get the first part of her name out before she was off running around.

Amira stayed quiet and watched as Emyries finally found what he had been looking for, turning to make his way near. The tension held across the land was high, almost steaming off both beasts, but they stayed civil. As Emyries motioned for his dragon to stay back, Amira did the same, glancing at Diaval, “Lykiri”.

Diaval grumbled in protest for only a moment before he took a few steps back, not many but more than he had been willing to.

As Emyries neared, kneeling before Amira, Diaval kept his eyes closely on him, ready to make a move the second he needed to. “Getting this wrapped up might hurt, please don't let your dragon eat me?” This simply caused a grumble to come from the beast, his eyes flicking at him.

“You will be fine,” Amira said, her fingers tightening around the ball of mud in her hand, teeth gritting tight as Emyries began to tighten the bandage around her wound. Rain pelted relentlessly against them, the wind causing it to come in almost sideways. Water dripped from their hair and soaked their clothes, a shiver threatening their skin.

They would all need to find shelter soon, or the impending cold would surely kill them before the other or their dragons. Emyries was able to stop the bleeding with the pressure of the bandage, though the pain would have to subside with time. After he had finished, Diaval was quick to move back forward, using his snout to push the man away before looking at his rider again. Amira only let out a soft chuckle, her bloodied hand reaching up to pat the beast on his large cheek. “Be nice Diaval, he did no harm.” She said, her voice just slightly breathless from exhaustion and bloodloss, before looking to Emyries, “Thank you.”

Time seemed to stretch and warp to lengths of time that were not true to its normal passage. A second felt like a minute and a minute like an hour under the sharp yellow eyed gaze of the dragon he was not acquainted with. Emyries knew that the passage of time was not something that a dragon had the power to influence, but that did not stop the feeling of being suffocated slowly under its watchful eyes. The other's assurance that he would be fine was not enough to quiet his nerves. The motions of wrapping the other dragon rider's leg wound were familiar, but only in the sense of drills given in the academy he had completed just to be checked off a list for a grade, or as a test for a skill clearance that had no dire life or death consequences should he somehow screw it up terribly. The shaking of his hands did not help, hindering him and making the simplest steps more difficult than they ever had been before. The dark haired man tried to quell the tremors that wracked his body. Attempting to convince himself that it was from the cold rain that mercilessly fell from the sky as pelted his exposed skin and drummed tunelessly against the scale-clad leather of his cropped jacket was not a comfort in the slightest - hypothermia could be just as dangerous and a much slower, more painful way to die than at the hands of a dragon.

.

The fact that the other had cut their pant leg themselves for easier access to the wound was nothing short of a godsend to Emyries. He feared what might have happened if he was the one that had to create better access to the wound. The flash of not forewarned silver blade could have very well caused his death before he had even thought about mentioning such a thing. Intentional and deliberate movements from Emyries could very well decide not only his own fate, but that of Tenebris who he could not bear to have punished for something avoidable that he had not been careful enough about. Injuries to the thigh were dangerous, knowledge of that had been drilled into him in combat training as well as other locations that could lead to death if not handled not only swiftly, but correctly. Emyries could only hope that he had managed to recall enough of what he had been taught to have met both requirements.

As he finished with the task of stemming the tide of blood that had run from the other's wound, his inquiry regarding what to call not only the person in front of him, but the looming dragon above finally had a moment to be considered.

.

"Am and Diaval," the voice had sounded the same as before, higher than most men he had heard.

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He took in the form of the rider in front of him, Am, according to the information he had been provided only moments earlier. Up close it was clear that this was not a man like he had assumed previously, but a woman. A woman, which explained at least partially why her hair was so long regardless of the potential consequences of such a thing when dealing with dragons. Though there were women where he was from that kept their hair short due to having an Avari paired with them at a young age, there were still plenty of others that preferred to keep their hair long and deal with the fallout should something occur. Given the situation there wasn't time to be surprised Am was a woman or even to bring it up, perhaps when things were a bit calmer and they were at least out of the rain. Internally Emyries noted that Diaval certainly seemed like an imposing enough name for a dragon such as Am's.

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Without warning Emyries was suddenly pushed backwards by Diaval's rough head sending him careening backwards onto the wet, muddy grass behind him. He gazed fearfully at the dragon that at the moment was much closer than his own, but once he realized that the dragon was more preoccupied with the state his rider was in, Emyries scrambled back towards where he knew Tenebris had been last he saw.

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Emyries collided with his companion sooner than he had expected. Tenebris had moved closer as he caught sight of Diaval's head approaching the muddied rider. Tenebris shifted slightly to place Emyries under the shelter of his good wing and brought his tail to curl loosely around where Emyries stood. A short sound that wavered between a hiss and a growl sounded from the Avari. Not quite a chide to Diaval about his actions, but not a full on growl either. The dragon's tail flexed slightly as he did so, the sharp points of the long blade-like scales that adorned it digging slightly into the soft ground below.

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Emyries patted Tenebris's side gently, pushing himself a little farther from the dragon's side as a horned head and red eyes bent to look at him. "It's fine Tenebris. I don't think I'm hurt. Shelter is the bigger priority." His voice was low, kept soft to further placate the upset Avari. He turned towards where Am still was talking to her own dragon.

.

"Thank you," Am spoke, seemingly heartfelt, if a little breathless.

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Emyries nodded, "Of course. I wouldn't leave someone wounded even if they didn't have a dragon like, uh, Diaval hanging over their shoulder."

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From under the protection from the rain Tenebris's wing provided Emyries shivered once again. Shelter and warmth definitely needed to be the next priority, the elements were not going to be kind to them if they continued this way. "We should probably find shelter. Given your injury and condition it would be best if you stayed stationary until shelter is found to ease the strain on your body and avoid making the wound worse. Tenebris and I will go scout around the immediate area and see if there's some sort of shelter around. We should be back shortly"

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The man waited a moment then pushed gently against the side of his dragon to set them off in a random direction. They scouted in a circular motion, starting close but expanding further out as they went. It was best to keep as close as possible to Am just in case something should go wrong.

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A rock outcropping became visible through the haze of the rain. The pair made their way towards it as quickly as they could manage given the state of the ground as the rain turned it into a mess of mud. Inspection of the outcropping found a small cave set into the base of the stone. A glance inside revealed that the ground of the cave was rough, though some smoother areas did seem visible. The entrance seemed just large enough that Tenebris would be able to squeeze himself inside, though with an injured wing it would potentially do more harm than good given the outcropping provided its own kind of shelter.

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"I think we will shelter here for the storm. I'll go get Am and Diaval, see if you can find some wood for a fire. We'll need it soon if we want to stave off any issues from the rain."

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Emyries and Tenebris parted from each other, Tenebris more reluctant than Emyries to do so. The man made his way back to Am's location. As he approached the fear of the other's dragon that had subsided without his knowledge returned, "There's an outcropping and cave not far from here. It's the best chance at a shelter for now." He gestured in the general direction of said outcropping, "Do you need help?"