"The surrounding nations have proven competent when banned together," a proud voice carried from a regal silver-scaled dragon as she sat before the other four lords, "however Mog remains in pieces and the crescent seems to have their own mixed motives."
A brassy-scaled dragon with colorful silks drawn from his snout in a luxurious veil and down his body leaned in to examine the map before them. "My whispers tell us there are those that align with King Vollenth there but there are just as many loyal to their religion. It would seem that those in power use religion to enforce that power. They could be swayed."
A dragon who's scales shone like newly minted copper pieces cocked her head. "You could do so, but rumors of Sythris living could spread like a plague. Relying on their religion could lose us the crescent."
The largest of the five, a dragon who's scales shimmered with the richest of gold, pondered the situation, bringing the room's attention to the fifth and final lord. "Lord Aevaren. What are your thoughts about Carmarthen's battle-readiness?"
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Cool mountain wind brushed Sir Erri's claws as he stood at the edge of the keep's aerie. The large "hangar" kept open wide for the larger dragons to make it in. His wings ruffled in the chilly air, shivering in his tarnished copper scales as he traced over the singe gold and silver scales on his wrist. A pair of goggles sat on his head just above his eyes.
The aerie was built with many levels, knights in their leisure time would come to watch him here, both dragon and rider. It was not long before a familiar attendant approached the dragon. "Sir Erri, are you prepared to receive the new cadets?"
He could never hide his smile. "Bring in tha lit'le ones. I'm ready when they are."
In moments a small army of fledglings was amassed at his feet. They sat wide-eyed before him, their combined coloration as if someone emptied a coin purse all over the stone floor.
"Attention cadets!" His voice called over the minor rabble. Their squeaks silenced, scattered laughter from the knights in the cave echoed.
"Today yer all takin yer first steps to bein in tha Companions of Bahamut. Now who here knows what that all means?"
A little gold hatchling reared back in a show of tiny claws. "Shiny armor!"
Sir Erri snorted. "It can mean that. It also can mean bein a part a the longest livin order of dragons an dragon-kin! Yer bond between dragon an rider is one of the most treasured things you'll ever have. And its important that you know how to carry yourself on yer own two wings."
With a flick of his snout, he let his goggles fall over his eyes.
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Lord Aevaren sat among the other four dragon lords in council. Her great wings remained folded back over her storied hide, bronzed with tales of victory carved into its toughness.
Despite her attempts at focusing on the battle plans before her, a buzzing at the back of her head kept her distracted. A kind of burning that kept her mind away from the meeting.
She tried to keep her mind set at the task at hand. Crescent politics? Divisions of power? That means... something about less morale? Wooden pieces on a map. Thousand soldiers per hand carved piece.
Erri was to teach hatchlings to fly today. If this meeting wasn't going on she would be there alongside him. With a soft sigh her mind wandered to the way he cared for those raised by the order. What about their own hatchlings someday? What color scales would they bear?-
"Lord Aevaren?" The gold dragon's voice boomed again.
Aevaren blinked herself out of her mind. "Yes, Lord Braxxar."
"How quickly can we expect Carmarthen to mobilize?"
She forced her focus onto the map before her. "With their skirmishes on the western front to keep propaganda churning, their eastern front would be slow to prepare. We would have better chances there."
Lord Braxxar nodded, and began to speak. Aevaren's thoughts slowly became fuzzy again. That buzzing persisted, and her brow furrowed as she stares into the map.
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"-and keep yer wings loose, ya don't want ta plunge yerself right into the ground."
Sir Erri crouched with his wings spread wide as a number of tiny dragons attempted to do the same to varying success. He then stood and walked around the group. One silver hatchling was having an especially tough time with her wings growing faster than the rest of her. A gentle claw steadied her again as she looked up to him.
"Good work Alaye, you've been practicing haven't ya?" She gave the dragon a chipper nod as two other hatchlings near the front began to chase after and antagonize each other with claws clacking on stone and little snaps of jaws at each other. One of them ran headfirst into a much larger dragon they absolutely were not paying attention to.
"OI! Delf, Zala, front and center!" Erri's voice boomed as the two hatchlings slunk forward with their tails and wings drooping.
Erri's attention was momentarily split as he watched his love enter the aerie, soaring in on powerful wings. As a Lord of Battle she commanded the room's presence, drawing the attention of the relaxing knights who watched the small flight school. He only melted a moment more before returning his attention to the little ones before him. "Since these two think they don't need to practice their form, we're going to have a little exam for them."
As he spoke he unfurled his wings, winking at Aevaren who rolled over onto her side across from him. The little hatchlings swarmed to either side leaving the two troublemakers in the middle.
"Delf and Zala, take your flight stances."
The two hatchlings kept their wings out, but kept their heads in an awkward spot to catch the wind. Erri opened his wings further. "And, begin!"
He brought them both through a downstroke that carried himself back a few paces. The gust scattered the two hatchlings all the way back and they thudded against Aevaren's belly safely, giggling. Erri was soon swarmed by a minor horde of the things, all squeaking for his attention. Aevaren lowered her massive head to set the little ones on their feet, watching her lover get attacked by the little ones with a smile to herself.
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The little hatchlings protested as their attendants scooped them up. "Don't worry! You'll all be back before ya know it. Sir Erri isn't going anywhere."
Aevaren moved to his side, tucking in a most sizable loaf. Next to each other the difference in their sizes was more exaggerated. Erri was a good deal larger than your average horse, and loosed the longer courier saddle from his back to set it aside, and tilted his head up to let his goggles fall back. Aevaren was a good deal larger than an elephant. Her tail curled beneath his to wrap alongside him, and tuck him closer to her. She lowered her head to nuzzle him.
"How is the order's finest flight instructor?" Her voice strong, weathered, her adoration for him couldn't help but come through.
