Peter M. Evans || 17 || Rider || Male || M: Whistler (ind)

In all of his life, lacking the ability to hear basic things, nothing had really seemed quite as terrifying as the moment that stood before him. It towered over and loomed, seeming to block everything from it's pathway and the only thing that this particular young man could even do was just hide.

Shoved under the crumpled mattress and twisted metal of what might have once been a bed frame, with half the blankets pinned under the rubble of the ceiling and wall. In the darkness--with only the faintest of light from garish orange fires that had begun to flicker and lick at the shadows. The faintest light that came from a mere pin-prick hole just above his rusty, dusty, red hair.

He didn't dare make a sound, covering his mouth with the blankets. If something had happened--oh. Oh what about Whistler?

The sheer panic that enveloped his chest made itself known in a rising shril shriek of brief panic--only half muffled by awkwardly placed blankets. The more he shuffled and tried to free himself from the trapped cocoon of fabric, the more noise he really made.

Particularly due to the silver bell attached to his side.

If anyone else was nearby, the bell would be one of the few sources to hear the young man and tell he was still at least somewhat alive.

The low rumble in the ground brought almost a sense of comfort for the large male. It reminded him of the vibrating rumble of thunder, when the shockwave sounds and the world quietens for just a moment to listen to the resounding boom. It woke him, yes, but lulled him quicklly into a sense of security. Security he very quickly realized was false, and that the vibrations and booms were not, in fact, thunder.

The storm dragon rose to his feet and wing-paws, only to be forced to take a step back and close his eyes against a second, much larger, and much closer blast. His lip curled, flashing his teeth in annoyance, before the large dragon dropped the slight height onto his actual forelegs and walked out of his cavern, towards the exit of the cave.

There was no way it was a cave-in, not with that kind of blast, and not with the taste of ash and fire than the long, snake-like dragon was describing. It couldn't be a test, surely, not this early in their training and not destroying their own caverns.

Which, naturally, left him with the only semi-plausible explanation: The academy had been attacked, and they'd hit the dragons first. Most likely, it was to stop them from helping their riders in the attack. Rhyhor's tail shifted behind him, and he went back up on his wings to study the blocked entrance.

Xevioso

Storm Dragon | Male | 250 | Mentions : Henry (indirect & attempted directly but failed ) K'issak & Scirocco

A young male dragon lay slumbering in his cavern. Quite content to sleep for a good while, he was looking forward to seeing his Rider in the morning time - but it seemed the fates were against that idea as a whole. Because his slumber was interrupted by violent shakes of the earth and the feeling of dirt pouring against him as the earth was assaulted above. " What in the four seas ?" He muttered out loud as he slowly rose to figure out what was going on. And he slowly but surely tuned his ears to listen closely around him. The other dragons were in an upset and unsure about what was going on and he gave an annoyed frown at the ruckus. Henry, are you alright? It seems like there - and their was a piercing headache given to him. Hm, he wasn't close enough to ask his rider what was going on. But he knew that the older dragons could offer insight, as they'd been paired longer so they had the ability to speak over larger distances. And so he managed to get himself out of his cavern and he noted the blocked exits. And from the sounds of it some injured dragons.

"K'issuk, Scirocco. Have either of you heard from your Riders? I can't contact mine as we're too far to be able to speak. But you both have been with your Riders longer, so they should be able to contact you, and you be able to contact them." He reasoned out loud. He wasn't one to immediately initiate conversation but this seemed too dire to not speak.

" This isn't a random attack. This is a preemptive strike, to keep us at bay, from whatever forces are out there. As it seems our Keep was struck first, and I could hear other explosions as well - so the dorms must be damaged. " he said thoughtfully and continuing, "if we aren't being swarmed right now, it means we aren't the targets as of yet. Which means our Riders are in danger. And this wall is bloody blocked." He said growing agitated - his frills flaring out a bit, a slight rattling noise emitting from them as he rose his head a bit higher and frowned, frustration growing . And he walked next to blocked exit he stood quietly examining the wall. He looked around them, to see if there were any resources he could use - but it was lacking, maybe a good lightening strike? Nah, that be too obvious, if they wanted to save their riders they'd need to be stealthy and not let the enemy know they had escaped. But he wasn't in charge. The ones that were would be making then decisions would come up with a plan soon.

Sedna had woken up with the first distant rumble, eyes wide in the darkness of his dorm room, his hands tangled together over his stomach. He hoped it was only thunder, that a storm was approaching them, maybe a storm dragon with a bad dream. But as it grew progressively, and very quickly, louder and closer, the pit in his stomach only grew, and when the walls shook, the dark-skinned male was on his feet and moving.

He grabbed shoes first, moving quickly through seemingly practiced movements. He'd spent enough time on his own to have thought-out plans for most instances, and even if an attack on the school wasn't one of them, he figured he could apply basic knowledge to it. He'd just pulled a long-sleeve shirt over his head and was reaching for a dagger when he heard Fergus, his roommate, jolt awake.

He's just gotten his fingers on the handle when their room exploded, sending Fergus to the ground, and knocking Sedna off course, the metal and beads in his hair clinking together with every sharp movement. Debris knocked into his body, and he quickly felt over his abdomen for any serious injuries. Nothing but scrapes and bruises so far, and he quickly slipped the dagger into the sheath, before turning to Fergus.

"Yeah, I know," the man said, moving quickly across the room, stumbling at times before he finally reached the other. He reached out and grabbed the paler mans arm, hoping the contact would be at least somewhat calming. "I need your head in the game right now, man," he said, watching the redheads face for only a moment before getting a more solid grip on his arm.

"I don't know where Kaia is, and I don't know for certain what's happening. I think the academy was attacked, by the sound of the explosions, I think they hit the dragons first." Kaia would be in his dorm, and hopefully okay and alive. Not that he could say that to Fergus, who seemed terrified. Did he have no survival instincts?

"Keep up, I'm gonna take us on a round through our dorms, see if we can find any survivors of the explosions, and then we're heading outside. We'll make more plans from there, okay?" He tried to speak calmly, tried to speak clearly. If he started panicking, there was every chance it would only make Fergus worse.

Using his grip on Fergus' arm, Sedna pulled them both out of the dorm, looking both ways down the hallway before heading in one direction. It wasn't long before he heard voices, and he slowed, pulling Fergus closer to him as he approached them. He got one look at their faces, and practically deflated with relief.

"Maze, Jasper," he said to announce themselves, giving the two girls quick once-overs, eyes locking onto the blood spurting out of Maze's arm. Not that much could be done about it right now, but as soon as this was all over, it'd have to be looked at.

"Are you guys heading outside?" He asked, keeping an eye out for anyone else, before frowning at a small jingling sound, kind of like a bell.

The rumbling came first.

Then, the walls caved in.

Finally, the ceiling collapsed.

She had believed it to be a storm at first, the rumbling nothing more but thunder in the sky. The intense glow illuminating the cave? Well, she had believed it to be lightning. Instead, it was nothing she had witnessed before. An attack, and one upon them all nonetheless. It was nothing she would have ever suspected nor predicted. It was unheard of.

And yet, it had happened.

K'issuk had been deep in slumber when it began. To think, she had taken comfort at the thought of a storm brewing, having heard the faint sound. Oh, but she understood that something was wrong the moment the sound dragged on for several seconds. When it grew nearer, she arose from her position, head peering out of the exit with concern.

She saw lighting then. For a moment, it was a beautiful sight. You should have seen the way the light highlighted the path to the mountain. The carved decals seemed to have sprung to life beneath the brightness. "Kaia would have loved the beauty of it," were her final thoughts before her cave exploded.

Debris flung around her, throwing her to the ground as the walls surrounding began to crumble. A sound, so loud and harsh, had caused her ears to ring. For a few minutes, she had lost her hearing. Believing the worst to be over, she was forced to the ground once more as a series of explosions continued on a fixated path. Dust clouded, blinding her to the point where she was forced to await until it settled. "Kaia," she sounded, using her link, although weak at the moment. "There's been an attack." It was all she managed before being forced to focus.

"Get out," she croaked, her voice hoarse from the dust surrounding the vicinity. "Get out!" Squeaking her words out, it was both a pathetic sight and sound. Once strong, her voice was now frail and weak. She doubted the others within the Eastern Keep could even hear her.

Slowly, K'issuk advanced, using her body to crawl over small piles of rubble. Slowly, the dust began to settle, and when it did, she wished that it hadn't. Eyes widening, her gaze traveled up the walls and to the ceiling, where miniature cracks had formed.

Quietly, she continued on her path, hardly even allowing a breath to escape her. Rock was a fragile thing. She had heard stories of it caving. It was unpredictable.. delicate to the touch. This was no different.

"Riezzyn," she uttered huskily, having espied the physique of the lunar dragon, and a companion of hers, emerge from a neighboring cave. "What is the meaning of this, K'issuk?" Her friend had replied, head craning towards the exit, only to realize that it was blocked. "Attack. It's an attack," the water dragon managed to say. "We must lea-"

A final, singular explosion was sounded, and that was all it took for the ceiling to crumble.

K'issuk was swift to move, slithering towards Riezzyn and shoving her forwards with a singular wing. Where the two were headed, even she herself didn't know.

She was a fool to think that they could outrun it.

The ceiling collapsed after them, rubble smashing into the ground faster than they could move until, finally, it had caught up to them. Riezzyn was the first to be caught, a boulder barricading down onto her tail. Unable to move, she was yanked to a halt.

"Keep going. I'll manage," she hissed, to which K'issuk ignored, gyrating. "K'issuk, don't." -- "Hush," she replied, talons already around the boulder that held Riezzyn's tail down. Grunting, the water dragon clenched her teeth in an attempt to move the stone. After what felt like too long, she managed to lift it an inch momentarily, giving the lunar dragon enough time to free herself.

But by then, it was too late.

The moment the boulder touched the ground, the ceiling caved in on them. K'issuk made eye contact with Riezzyn, who stared back at her in horror before they were buried.

Pain surged through K'issuk's body as rubble fell upon her, burying her beneath it. Pressure built up upon her chest, preventing her from being able to breath properly as stone fell upon stone. There was so much darkness, and she couldn't move. Not even when the sound stopped and all was still, but by then, the water dragon's eyes had rolled back, a rock rendering her unconscious.

When she awoke, she was delirious, hardly able to predict which way was up or down had it not been for a gentle flickering of a flame peeking through the gaps of rubble. Wincing, K'issuk forced her head to rise, pebbles and rocks falling from her sides as she moved. Suppressing a groan, the female felt warmth trickling down various parts of her body, the metallic smell of blood surrounding her senses.

"Riezzyn," she murmured, blinking away the filth blocking her vision. The sound of heavy, rapid breathing could be heard. A sudden surge of adrenaline had coursed through her, allowing her enough strength to rise. "Riezzyn," she repeated, gazing around in a distraught manner before a soft voice was sounded.

"I'm here," it whispered. Only the sound came from below. Gazing down, K'issuk wasted no time. Beginning to dig, she threw aside the remains of the ceiling until her fingers began to bleed. She continued digging, tossing aside any rubble until the face of Riezzyn was seen, a weakened smile gracing her features. K'issuk watched with soft eyes as her friend coughed faintly, blood splattering from her throat as she did so.

"Oh, my sweet Riezzyn." Hand holding the other female's face, she smiled sadly. "How bad is it?" The lunar dragon spluttered, seemingly understanding her fate. K'issuk couldn't bear to inform her that she couldn't see her body, for it was too far buried beneath ruins. "It's not bad," she lied. "You'll be just fine." Riezzyn only nodded, her breathing growing shallow as she released a muffled sob of pain.

She seemed to have stood there forever, watching as her friend's body struggled to survive, until at last, she could no longer witness the sight. Still holding the lunar female's face in the palm of her hand, K'issuk tilted it slightly. With a blank face, the female placed the talons of her other hand against her friend's throat. Stroking her cheek, she maneuvered her talons in a singular, swift action. It was quick, and it was painless. It was the way Riezzyn deserved to go, not suffocate in a slow manner.

"It was an honour to know you." K'issuk murmured her words, lowering her friend's head. In the distance, another boulder could be heard falling, to which she managed to pick herself up in response. Somewhere, there must be a way out. Somehow, she needed to warn the others. She needed to tell Kaia and ensure that he was safe. Releasing a high-pitched sound that echoed throughout the path to let others, if any, know where she was before turning around.

Limping, the female continued, weaving her way as quickly as she could in an attempt to head towards the exit before stumbling. Releasing a grunt as she hit the ground, a shaken gasp escaped her.

"Deilo?" She croaked, crawling towards the male, who remained unresponsive. An admired seer, Deilo was a tall and bulky individual who was the first to welcome K'issuk all those years ago. Now, he, too, recieved the same fate as Riezzyn.

A muffled noise sounded from her throat, her hands hovering over his figure. He wasn't breathing. She wouldn't have been able to save him if she could. Defeated, K'issuk lowered herself onto her haunches momentarily, closing her eyes. She would have sat there like that forever, but the sound of explosions in the distance jolted her awake. Blinking, the female's neck stretched upwards, her heart thumping against her chest.

The attack wasn't over.

The Western Keep.

The others.

Kaia.

Picking herself up, K'issuk broke out into a limped run, continuing her earlier path towards the exit,. Throwing herself against it upon sight, she began to dig.

The sudden sound of another jolted her, her head swinging to meet the form of Xevioso and Scirocco. "Oh, thank goodness!" A breath of relief escaped her as she took in their presence, standing to meet them. Her hand reached out to touch Xevioso's face gently, then Scirocco's, before falling to her side once more. "I warned Kaia earlier, but there's been no response." Pausing, she listened to Xevioso's words, scoffing.

"Of course it's a preemptive strike. A bold one, but a preemptive strike nonetheless." -- "And of course we are the targets, Xevioso. Without us, our riders are easier to get to. Wounding and eliminating us was the plan, which is why we must be quick." Sighing, she returned to the rubble, shaking her head.

Turning to the storm dragon, K'issuk motioned to the rubble. "I need you to strike the rocks," she announced. "They already know that we're here. It's either that, or we dig, and we cannot waste anymore time." She paused. "But be cautious of the blast, we don't want to cause a cave in."

Peter M. Evans || 17 || Rider || Male || M:

The lack of being able to see and smell was terrifying. He couldn't hear anything. Just watching the shadows flicker, praying and hoping that it was okay.

It has to be okay.

That was the thought racing through his mind.

The problem was he didn't know how to alert the right people. All he could do was roll uselessly, jingling that same stupid bell that he couldn't hear.

Peter finally let out an awkward noise, half muffled by the blankets.