life as we know it[Darrius]

[Vanilor Zar'rac Wyrda]

“Hey get back here!” an elf yelled after the hatchling’s vanishing figure. The other hatchlings sat obediently, waiting for the elves that were walking through the dragon’s keep. Each elf hoped for a dragon to choose them. Vanilor was sick of waiting. Not one of those elves were the right kind of person for Vanilor. Most feared him, calling him a ‘bad egg’ behind his back. He had ears and he wasn’t stupid. He could see right through each elf that entered the dragon’s keep. After biting off three fingers of one hopeful elf, none had approached him. All were too afraid to meet the same fate as the other unfortunate elf. They were smart to be wary of him. He was always filled with an anger that he couldn’t explain. Something was wrong with every young potential bond-mate he saw. Too skinny, too fearful, to ignorant, too snobby.

Vanilor darted across the elven city, letting his anger fuel him. He didn’t stop running. Night fell and the sun rose when he finally slowed down. He was in the desert. He huffed and spied a desert mouse. His stomach growled in hunger. He flattened his wings down and squatted down, tensing his muscles. After a moment of storing up energy, he sprang forward, darting after the mouse and grabbing it, then he enjoyed his snack. The mouse eased his stomach and he continued onward. He didn’t know why he had left the safety of the dragon’s keep. He didn’t know where he would go. But he knew there was no place for him there that he needed to move. Something drove him, something stronger than his anger.

Vanilor welcomed the forest when he arrived at one. He immediately searched for water, he was parched. He found a small spring and dived in, drinking and enjoying the water washing over his scales. The sun shined through the canopy, making his ocean blue scales glitter. Movement made him alert, his head jerking up and sniffing the air. He got out of the spring and looked around, making a barking sound. He huffed and moved when he noticed ahead was a clearing with deer eating tall grass. Vanilor sat and watched them, ready to grab one to eat . . .

[Darrius Alato]

Darrius shrugged up his pack of food and other daily things that he needed to survive in the wilderness. His golden-brown eyes blinked as he scanned the area as he headed deeper into the area.

Pausing to look around his surroundings, he heard creatures nearby and sighed. "Okay, another hunt...here I come" he said as he took out his sharpened branches that he worked on earlier. Darrius smiled as he walk out of the clearing to spy a huge group of deer.
Slightly crouching, he eased a handmade spear to his right hand. Within seconds, he got it ready to throw. Easing closer to the herd, he smiled as they hadn't notice him at all. The human blinked a few times to calculate before hefting the weapon before throwing at a nearby deer's shoulder.

The animal bolted with the sharp stick in its shoulder. In the matter of minutes, the game animal was down and gasping for breath. Darrius rushed forward to lean over his kill and whispered a prayer for the soul of the animal before ending it with a swipe of his short sword. After a minute of triumph in his eyes, Darrius felt eyes on him and turned to see a large, blue dragon staring at him.
"Oh, oh." is all he said as he blinked at the ocean blue eyes of the young dragon. "Ah... um... I guess you were hunting. Ah...um... you can have some of the deer. I can easily share with you. There is plenty here for both of us." he said politely.

[Vanilor Zar'rac Wyrda]

Vanilor shot forward into the clearing, and skidded to a stop as the deer fell a few feet in front of him. The deer gasped its last few breaths while a boy ended its life. Vanilor leaned down a bit, his teeth showing in a threatening snarl, a growl ripping from deep in his chest and ripped from his throat. A human? HA! Humans were worse than elves in Vanilor's eyes, he didn't even have to look at the human, he could smell that he was human. Humans were rude, ignorant, their lives spans were short, and a cockroach could live through more than a human could. Vanilor moved his deep blue eyes from the dead dear and to the boy, and he felt that pull stronger than ever.

"Oh, oh."

Vanilor smirked. He’d never met many humans but so far they all were stunned by the sight of dragons. Vanilor raised up on his haunches that gave him an extra two feet added to his three feet, and watched the human curiously. He was obviously stunned by Vanilor. . . or was it fear? Vanilor stared into the golden brown eyes in front of him, moving closer, sniffing lightly, warm air coming from his nostrils.

"Ah... um... I guess you were hunting. Ah...um... you can have some of the deer. I can easily share with you. There is plenty here for both of us."


Vanilor tilted his head to the left. Was he saying that out of fear? Or was he actually being sincere? Vanilor moved until his nose was almost touching the boy’s forehead. He breathed out a hot breath and then felt something move within him as he bent his head down and placed it under the boy’s hand, feeling the sear of the bond being made and the what was obviously the gedway ignasia being burned into the boy’s hand by a magic far older than them both.

[Darrius Alato]

Darrius watched the dragon with kind, soft and patient golden-brown eyes. The human knelt still as the dragon seemed to be walking toward him. This caught his eye a little bit. He held perfectly still as Vanilor came over and stopped, almost touching his forehead.

Then, he was shocked at what happened next. The dragon seemed to go to his hand, which Darrius was sightly afraid that the dragon will bite it. As the scaly nose touched Darrius's hand, the young man winced as he felt the pain upon his hand. (Dang, what happened?) he asked himself as he blinked at the dragon with interest.
Peering at his hand, he saw the design and turned to Vanilor. (Oh...Oh, I am bonded?) he thought as he gathered his thoughts. Darrius has heard many stories about people and elves bonding to dragons...but never has seen one happen.

(Okay, now... now...) he blinked. (What now? Do I introduce himself? How should I start this?) he thought before pausing before looking at the dragon with interest and patience. He turned to the deer. "You must be hungry." he whispered as he went to work. After a minute, he had a few pieces of food. "Um, here." he said and offered the food to Vanilor. "I am not sure what to say, I guess an introduction is something to start with." he said to the blue dragon politely. "My name is Darrius Atalo. I wonder if you have a name." he said to Vanilor with a polite nod of his head.

[Vanilor Zar'rac Wyrda]

"You must be hungry."

In truth, Vanilor was starving. Vanilor watched the boy work on the deer meat with honest curiosity. He sat on his haunches and looked from the boy’s hands to the boy’s face interchangeably, his blue eyes big. His resentment was almost completely gone from him, in place he could feel the bond. It wasn’t strong like that of older Dragon and Ryders, but Vanilor knew it would grow as their relationship did. Vanilor felt oddly close to the boy, whose name he didn’t even know yet. Vanilor wondered what the boy was thinking, he knew he could find out through the bond if he tried but he didn’t want to just yet, he didn’t want to hurt or overwhelm the boy.

"Um, here."

Vanilor blinked and then quickly extended himself towards the boy, snatching the meat out of his hand and throwing his head back and the food a foot in the air, and opened his mouth, catching the food, and chewing twice before swallowing noisily. So he didn’t have manners when he ate, he didn’t see a problem with it just yet. Vanilor licked his lips. Deer meat had always been his favorite.

“I am not sure what to say, I guess an introduction is something to start with." he said to the blue dragon politely. "My name is Darrius Atalo. I wonder if you have a name."

Vanilor pushed himself into Darrius’s head. Darrius., He tried. It was different, speaking in someone else’s head. He had never tried, nor had anyone ever spoken into his head not counting the other hatchlings. Vanilor tried at it again. Darrius . . . Vanilor huffed in frustration, walking up to Darrius and sitting near him, looking up at him with his large sapphire eyes. I am Vanilor Zar’rac Wyrda. The more he said, the easier it was to communicate to Darrius. I have been waiting for you for a long time, Darrius.

[Darrius Alato]

Darrius watched the dragon eat the meat. (Wow, you must have been hungry.) he thought to himself before waiting patiently. His golden-brown eyes blinked at the human listened and watched the dragon.

After a while Darrius paused as he felt another presence in his mind. The newly made rider never felt this before, but he will likely get used to it much faster than the other riders. He heard the voice, which sounded like a male. "Nice to meet you, Vanilor Zar'c Wyrda. Do you mind if I just call you by Vanilor?" he asked the dragon politely. He then paused as he heard the other sentence. (He has been waiting for me? How long? Where did Vanilor come from?) he thought to himself.

"Ah, I wish I was more prepared for this." Darrius said as he fumbled on words. (Where do I get training for this?) he wondered again as he thought about it deeply. He looked down and felt a little embarrassed for not being prepared for this to happen to him.

[Vanilor Zar'rac Wyrda]

Wow, you must have been hungry.

Vanilor looked at him with one sapphire eye. Then he snorted, and looked at him evenly. Yes. It was a long journey from where I came from. Vanilor listened to the sounds around them. He could hear the rustle of feathers, an Owl flying not too far away. He heard grass moving, the sound of insects, and Darrius's breath and heartbeat. The sound was surprisingly comforting. Darrius was his, and Vanilor would never let any harm ever come to him. This startled Vanilor, for he had never cared about anyone but himself before.

"Nice to meet you, Vanilor Zar'c Wyrda. Do you mind if I just call you by Vanilor?"

Vanilor tilted his nose down slightly. Of course you may, Darrius. It is nice to meet you too, Darrius Alato. Your politeness is refreshing, but remember- we are equals. I am your Dragon as you are my Rider. Vanilor took a step towards him, watching Darrius intently.

He has been waiting for me? How long? Where did Vanilor come from?

Vanilor sat on his haunches. Two years. I hatched a few weeks ago. I come from a land many days and nights away. A land that is not of Alagaesia. I was brought here by the wolf-elf. I hatched in Farthern Dur, an Elven City a few nights and days from here. I. . . If Vanilor could- he would have blushed. He did what he did instead of blushing, which was a dipping of the head at an angle. I ran away.

"Ah, I wish I was more prepared for this." Where do I get training for this?

Vanilor stood up to his full height, now four feet tall. You will be. We need to go to Ellesmera, and let them know that we are bonded as Dragon and Rider. I can. . . try to fly us there. It would be faster. 'He'll be heavy' Vanilor thought to himself. 'But I have to try. He'll die if we go into the Haradoc Desert without proper provisions.'

[Darrius Alato]

Darrius heard Vanilor and was slightly surprised that the small blue dragon journeyed for a long time. The new rider practically gasped in astonishment when he knew that the dragon was right.

The human blinked politely at Vanilor. He paused before trying something out. With his mind, he felt something new and used it to talk mind speak to the blue, male dragon. Um, I was wondering if I can share thoughts. I have heard a few stories about riders and their dragons. I heard that riders have a connection to their dragon's mind. he thought softly to Vnailor. He then started to wonder if it worked or not.
Well, thanks for the comment. I promise to not let you out of something. We will work as friends and as a team. he said to Vanilor through their connection.

"Two years...waiting to hatch. That a long time to wait, Vanilor." Darrius said with a politeness in his calm voice. Darrius was also amazed that Vanilor traveled all the way to find the young man. The new, human Dragon Rider heard the rest. "That is also really a long time and distance to travel." he thought of the mountains, forests and raging rivers that Vanilor had to fly over or to cross.

The human, young man paused as he heard that Vanilor's offer to fly him. His eyes traveled the length of Vanilor. "Your too small for me to ride. So, I can take my horse...while you fly. If you fly me, we may not make it." Darrius sighed heavily. "I own a horse that likes to run and do endurance." the young man blinked his eyes slowly. "To reach Ellesmera... it will take about 3 weeks. 1 week for going around the desert than across it. It will take two extra weeks for the rest of the journey on horse back. On foot it will take... about a month. Flying...not very sure how long it will take." Darrius calculated the distance and nodded as he agreed with his answer.

[Vanilor Zar'rac Wyrda]

That is indeed true Little one. We can speak through our minds. Vanilor wondered why he already cared so much for Darrius. It was true that Vanilor had waited a long time. Darrius was the perfect match for Vanilor. Where Darrius was patient, Vanilor was not. Where Darrius was even tempered, Vanilor. . .well he had a nasty temper. They balanced each other out, feeling his mind, Vanilor knew that this was true. Vanilor extended his wings to let them cool off a bit before pulling them back to his body. Horse back it is then. I could carry you a little ways, but I would get too dehydrated half way through the desert

Vanilor sighed and dug a claw into the ground. I wish I were larger, so I could carry you. By the time we reach Ellesmera, I will be large enough to ride. Maybe even before that. I grow fast, I've noticed I get larger every sun up and sundown Vanilor looked at Darrius briefly before looking in the direction of where they would soon be heading. We should leave as soon as we can.

((SUPER ULTRA-MEGA SHORT POST :OOO ))

[Darrius Alato]

Darrius heard Vanilor and thought of speaking back and forth in mind was mind boggling. The farm, that I live at, is about... an hour or maybe an hour and a half away from this location. Darrius said to his new partner's mind. The new rider strapped his sack and bows away after her pocketed all of the deer meat he can get into his sack.

The human rider smiled, I am sure footed, so I will do a easy run. You can follow anyway you want to. If you need more food just ask, and I will give it. I have about 4 days of food in my sack. Once we get to my farm, I will get my horse and some more food for the journey. he said with a swift nod of his head. Darrius started to run and follow a memorized route.

--------------------- An Hour and Half Past---------------------------

A farm easily got into view as Darrius started to slow down into a rushed walk. "Mom!" he called out. A minute later a woman rushed out of the house. Her eyes seemed to smile when she saw her son. Her hands easily hugged him before Darrius sighed. Vanilor, this is my mother. Her name is Mariana. My father passed away long ago. Once I am gone, she will be alright. She has the neighbors to get food from. he said to his newly found partner.

He then went into the house, "Mom, I need to leave. The neighbors will be there for you. I will also be fine, I am a dragon rider." Darrius said with a sigh. Mariana stopped and blinked. "Okay, Darrius. I understand." she said as Darrius took out some food from from the pantry. The pantry is always stocked for months.

The young man rushed out and easily saddled his bay gelding. The horse snorted as he pawed the ground. "Easy, there. Easy, Sunrise." he said before strapping on the sacks of food, blankets and clothes. Two minutes later, Darrius was trotting out. "Take care, Mom!" he called out to the waving widow. Tapping his horse's sides with his heels, Darrius got the horse into a easy canter. Vanilor, I got about 2 weeks of food. I am also on the trail onto the city you said that you want me at. he said to Vanilor's mind.