Ian laughed at Ryuu's words, green eyes sparkling with the movement. "Well, I'm certainly glad you're keeping things in order then," he said. For a first time squad leader, it was a pretty good thing that everybody was still unconsumed and in one piece. Feeling Ryuu's tail curl around him as he drew, Ian felt a twinge of affection for the dragon.

The man finished up his drawing before closing his journal, pocketing it, and standing up with a mock insulted expression at Ryuu's words. "I look amazing, per usual, and you know it," he laughed, mussing his hazel hair, though it was a bit more rat's nest than style right about now, which didn't help his point. "You know what? Forget beauty sleep, I think the eye bags looks good on me."

"Rhydor!!!" The excited exclamation alerted Ian to the arrival of his close friend. Henry was a rather amusing individual, though occasionally bothersome (especially when Ian was short on sleep), he'd come to known when they'd trained together. Ian found himself chuckling softly as Henry got off to a rambling start before being cut short by an incoming thought a few times.

Ian was caught off guard as Henry darted towards him and scooped him up, squeezing him for all he was worth. "It's so good to see you!"

"I'd like to say the same, but I can't- really- get the air out- right now-" Ian wheezed as Henry gave him a bone crushing hug. He laughed heartily once his feet were back upon the ground, patting Henry affectionately on the shoulder. "It's good to see you, man. I'd been feeling a bit overwhelmed with all these kids around."

Ian smiled at the scene. His heart swelled at the good season he saw ahead. With Henry to help him and, hopefully, some good, trainable dragons and riders, nothing could go too wrong. Well, it couldn't go too wrong as far as "wrong" was defined when dragons and teenagers were involved. The testy creatures couldn't be expected to be completely well behaved, and neither could the dragons. He chuckled, lost in thought.

His thoughts were cut off as a strange atmosphere overtook the valley. Ian's senses sharpened and he detected a faint whiff of smoke and flame with some screaming that sounded far-off. He paled. Could a dragon with a wilder disposition have shown up? If so, what could he do about that?

His tiredness was forgotten as panic coursed through his veins.

Looking towards the sound through the thin line of trees that had him, Ryuu, Rhydor and Henry separated, he saw a lone mounted individual standing on a ridge. The horse reared, and, before Ian knew what was happening, hundreds, if not thousands, of riders on horseback plunged into the valley. Almost before he could blink, there were bodies. Suddenly, he could hear again, and screams reached his ears. There were dragons roaring and people screaming and everyone was in a panic.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

The words did the situation no justice, but Ian glanced over his shoulder at Ryuu with a jerk of his head and took off into the valley. He was somewhat aware of Ryuu fending off some of the horse backed attackers that had spilled in around him, but he was focused on one thing: the dragons and their riders. Some might not have even made their bonds. It had been an hour, max, and the ceremony was usually a several hour affair. What could he even do? He felt so helpless, even as he zeroed in on the nearest dragons.

"FIND YOUR BONDS!" He yelled with a desperate sort of authority. "Find each other and get out! Meet me at the island off the coast!! DEAD WEST from here!! Shouldn't be more than a ten minute flight!!"

"If you fight, you'll die. Get the fuck out!"

He gestured towards the beach he meant, which felt far, far, far too far away. If they got to the beach, they should be able to see the island and make it safely there. If one of those spears pierced a dragon's wings... then it probably wasn't making it out, which meant its rider wasn't, either.

"If any dragons can take two or more riders, do it!!"

Ian glanced around for Ryuu, making sure his bond was close so they could make their own escape as he continued sprinting through the bloodbath in order to get the message to anyone he could. But he still couldn't shake the thought that he wouldn't, in any universe, get to all the dragons.

Maji finally got up on her feet and looked where she was going and saw the shiny gold dragon from before and walked back a bit, and guess what? She fell again.

She stood up and looked at the dragon and blinked, and then smiled at her. She hoped the dragon could understand that she was mute, but highly doubted it. How was she supposed to bond with a dragon when she couldn't say a word?

Suddenly, screams started to echo through the place, making her jump and again, fall. Why..? She quickly stood up and then started hearing a ton of hooves running around, and turned her head to the sound. Hundreds of thousands of horses were running down the grassy hill. Maji froze and then stared, and stared, before running and hiding behind the gold dragon. She thought that they wouldn't see her there. She heard stories of wars starting this way, but never thought they were real. She turned and looked at Ian, their squad leader, who was barking orders that she couldn't understand, but guessed he was just telling them to run.

Maji turned her gaze to Pallas with fear in her eyes. She was a coward, and immediately just looked to a dragon for safety. Even though she knew it probably won't help her, she just tried. The dragon probably knew how much fear she was experiencing right now. She never expected to see this...

Oh. If anyone was wondering, here's what Maji thinks the world is.

Pink fluffy bunnies. Everything happy. Flying around without a care. Unicorns. Bears walking up to you and hugging you. Roasting marshmallows with a freaking dragon. That's what she thinks it is. She thinks it is just la la land. Boy she was wrong.

And this is what she gets for her stupidity. This? If she knew that this was real, she would've been more prepared, and cautious, like, her sister, Kina, who stayed home because she hates dragons, and thinks they're just bloodthirsty monsters. Maji though, yes, thinks she can roast marshmallows with one without bonding with them at all.

The rumble that emanated from his chest was deep, but almost airy, as if his body were trying desperately to replicate a purr. It had his chest and shoulders vibrating to the touch, and he settled further into the ground, content in the company of his friends and his bond. His blinks turned slow and lazy, as if he were stuck in a half-conscious state, thoughts idly meandering through his brain.

So content was he, that Ryuu barely reacted when Rhyhor settled down beside him, the weight of the large storm dragon leaning against his side. He barely turned his head, flashing his teeth for only a moment in a half-hearted manner, the rumble growing louder as Rhyhor lowered his mighty head and set it on the floor, gaze switching between the approaching form of his rider, Henry, and the two dragons that were now with Juniper and another human. The huff that broke the rumbling almost resembled a breathy laugh, and he slapped Rhyhor's hind leg with one of his tails.

"Henry," he said slowly in greeting, mind still caught in his half-aware, content state, heart warmed by the sun on his back and the heat of his companions at his sides.

And then, all at once, the contentedness was ripped from him.

The strange atmosphere settled across the valley, and Ryuu clocked it immediately. He swung his head around, taking in deep breaths through his nose, gagging deep in his throat at the unexpected smell of smoke, fire and burned flesh. Immediately, the male rose from his position, the shift on his weight making Rhyhor almost tip over from his own tensed spot.

Movement at the entrance of the valley snatched his attention next, and it was as if time slowed for him. His irritation flaring was the first thing he noticed, and he wrestled it down. It would be no use to him now, but how dare these people, these strangers, ruin a day so special to Ian? To their kingdom?

All at once, screams erupted, the frantic sounds of horses galloping as thousands rushed past the original figure, arrows and spears flying through the air.

"They're trying to down the dragons," Rhyhor said beside him, voice breathy, as if talking too loudly would make this horrid day a reality.

A small group of them came up behind the four, and, with Rhyhor's spikes beginning to glow a bright blue, Ryuu lashed out with his tails, ripping through metal, flesh and bone in his assault. He turned on his hind legs, striking the men off of their horses with a low snarl.

The panic and desperation pushing its way through his bond with Ian was the next thing he focused on. When he looked back, Ian was gone, running across the valley, screaming instructions. He took a large breath, exhaling slowly and trying to push his own emotions through the bond to Ian.

An intense tranquility, the waters of his mind only disrupted by a mild ripple of irritation. He had been born to fight, Ryuu had always felt most at home with flesh in his maw and blood on his claws. Ian was still running, still screaming, telling dragons to find their bonds, to leave, that they would die if they didn't.

But Ryuu knew. And he knew that Ian knew, too. He would never reach everyone, it was impossible. There would be some that would not hear him, wouldn't know where to go, could only hope to follow the crowd. People would die today. People had died today. Their people. His people. Ian's people.

His irritation doubled, spiking until it almost hit anger.

His thoughts, his concentration, were interrupted by a large head bumping his neck. He growled low in his throat, swinging around to smack the assaulter, but was met with Rhyhor's serious face.

"Go!" The storm dragon demanded, jutting his head towards Ian's steadily shrinking figure. "Get to Ian, lead the dragons out, go! I'll cover you until you're in the air."

And, really, who was he to ignore such a good compromise?

He didn't nod or speak his agreement to Rhyhor, simply ran after Ian, his great, lumbering figure catching up to his speedy little human with enough room to spare that he was able to lean his weight back onto his hind legs, snatch Ian up in his forepaws, and launch into the air. He unfurled both pairs of his wings, pushing himself up, up, up, hoping to get out of the range of the spears before one could hit him.

One was on the path to hitting him, and he heard a zap and the splintering of wood. He could only guess that Rhyhor had kept true to his word and zapped the flimsy thing out of the air before it could hit its mark. He made a distant mental note to thank his friend for that later, when they were both safe.

'We cannot stay too long,' he said to Ian through the bond, holding the human against his chest as he rose until he was confident no spears would hit his delicate wings. He slowly levelled out, rotating in two wide circles around the valley. 'Climb onto my back now,' he ordered, confident in his ability to keep his human from falling.

The rumble in his chest returned, but was low and ferocious in a way it hadn't been before, as if anger curled between his lungs, forcing it's way up his throat and out of his maw. He split his jaw, allowing the sound to tumble from him in a roar. Perhaps those that hadn't heard Ian would hear him, and know to follow his way.

He waited only until Rhyhor threw himself into the air and came to settled at his flank before turning to the west. He had to command the group, of course, but most of all he had to survive. He and Ian had to survive to lead the younger squad members through this ordeal. They couldn't lead from beyond the grave, after all.

Everything went to shit so quickly, and it did so in, quite frankly, spectacular fashion.

One moment, Rhyhor had been leaning most of his bodyweight against Ryuu, allowing the content rumble from the venom dragon to infect his body and brain, allowed him to even lay his head on the ground as he watched Juniper, flicking his gaze to Henry every so often as the man approached. He even began to replicate the rumbling sound, deep in his chest, the sound like rolling thunder on quiet nights.

And then the scent hit him in the same moment it hit Ryuu. He felt his friend tense, heard the small gag, and Rhyhor lifted his head, lips peeling back from his fangs at the smell of it. But there were no fires, not in the valley, nor were there any triumphant dragons boasting about the kill of a human. So, of course, it meant the threat was from the outside.

The familiar feeling of lightning flickering between his fangs, almsot on instinct. The rumbling in his chest grew, rolling out of his body like thunder out of a cloud. It was a bloodbath. There was generally the risk of death at ceremonies, everyone knew that there was the risk of territorial dragons or humans simply getting too close, but an invasion was ridiculous.

'We need to go,' he said into the bond, the spikes on his body beginning to glow a bright blue. He felt more then he saw Ian run off, screaming instructions to the new riders and their dragons, and he was snapped into action by Ryuu lashing out at riders that came up behind them. The large venom dragon snarled, knocking riders off of their horses with his tails and claws. 'Henry, on my back, now,' he ordered, shoving his head into Ryuu's throat.

"Go!" He told the other male, watching the snarl on his face fade slightly. "Get to Ian, lead the dragons out, go!" Electricity zapped between his fangs, and he looked out over the valley again. "I'll cover you until you're in the air."

He got no confirmation from his friend, but he knew Ryuu agreed, the large male bounding after the squad leader. He was stuck between watching his own surroundings and guarding his friend, watching as Ryuu threw himself up and into the air. The storm dragon was just about to join him when he spotted the spear, and the lightning escaped his mouth before he could stop it, flashing through the sky and colliding with the spear, blowing it to smithereens.

He snorted, gathering himself and lurching into the air, making his way towards the venom dragon as he roared, deep and guttural. He settled at Ryuu's flank, head ducked to try and locate Juniper in the mess of blood and screaming.

Kyros opened his mouth in consternation, ready to argue and get angry with a lot of things Aina had just said. He can't get my five letter name right?? Also, Kyros was quite confident in how much clothing he wore.

Even when the dream dragon turned away from him to talk to Silver, - or Maeleth, as Kyros now knew- Kyros put his hands on his hips in an exasperated and frustrated way. It was to be gathered that the illusion female meant much more to Aina than Kyros would for a while, if ever at all. However, the invitation to go talk to Pretty Boy, the man that was with Maeleth, was enough to shut Kyros' mouth and have him turning towards the violet-eyed man.

Yet, before Kyros could even walk over and strike up conversation, a dark green tail was wrapping around him, forcing him closer to the dragons. The man was only then aware of the strange mood that had seized the valley. A whinny echoed through the valley and he turned to see a living wave of muscle and weapon coming towards where everybody was now scrambling around, trying to escape an inevitable death as horse backed riders with spears closed in. These monsters had chosen this day and this place to attack? Were unsuspecting and peaceful crowds had gathered? What a bunch of spineless-

The thought was cut off as Aina's mind started working rationally before Kyros' did and the dragon began giving the small group direction.

"Kyros. Climb"

Despite being overcome with panic, Kyros couldn't help laughing to himself at the hilarity in the fact that the dream had most likely been using his name incorrectly on purpose, as he suddenly seemed to remember it. Or maybe it was because he was battling mounting panic, as this was a very inappropriate response he quite often seemed to have.

"You have ten seconds to climb"

Both the new-found familiarity of the dragon's heated tone and the shower of arrows that Aina kept off of Kyros cut off his laugh and he eagerly took the invitation to climb onto the dragon's back, somewhat uncomfortable though he was due to their rocky relationship so far. The man situated himself around the golden brown spines along Aina's back, trying to figure out a handle before looking over towards Maeleth and Pretty Boy. From how Aina had talked about the illusion dragoness, there was no way Kyros was getting out of here alive unless she did, too. It motivated him to internally root for her survival. (Not that he wouldn't have before, he's just a little bit more hopeful that she makes it now.)

It was from his now secure spot on Aina's back he glanced around to see the havoc around him. He even saw a hazel-headed figure running through the chaos screaming directions before getting scooped up by a large venom dragon. Kyros assumed it was the squad leader, and was also rooting that he survived, as leadership was probably going to be necessary after today.

The dragoness blinked slowly, listening to the words of her rider through their bond. He had never had friends? Well, she had only ever had Nari, so it wasn't particularly difficult for her to imagine someone being alone, but it still tugged a frown onto her face. Her heart tugged on it's own strings, and her frown deepened. Her own emotions towards her rider were... difficult, to say the least. Nari had made his opinion extremely clear, and, while no one would ever rival Ainarikaz in her soul, it was difficult to ignore her heart when it told her to care for the human.

'Nari has been my companion since I was very young,' she said slowly, tilting her head to the side. 'We have never had anyone else, never trusted anyone else. Every time we tried, we got hurt, so we learned to only depend on each other. I hope you will not take Nari's opinion of you too personally,' she paused, wiping her expression clean, and nodding to the green dragon. 'This, having a bond, was never something we wanted. I am sure you and Nari's human are quite lovely, but our views may be tainted by our... dislike of how things have gone.'

Maeleth turned her head slightly, as if checking where Nari was and if he was safe, before flicking her head back to her human. 'As unwilling as it may have been, we are a partnership, you need not call me any titles. I am simply Maeleth.'

Muscles that she didn't know had tensed relaxed the second she saw Nari approaching her again, chirping at him in greeting and leaning into the contact he gave her, having wrapped his tail around her again. The noise that came from her throat when he shooed Tatsuya back could almost have been a giggle, reaching out and grabbing the end of his tail to bring it back towards her and to allow Tatsuya closer again.

"Be nice," she said softly, more affectionately exasperated than truly scolding, leaning some of her weight on him when he leaned closer. "We have to be with them until they die, Nari, try to be at least a little pleasant, if not nice," she whispered back to him, batting at his face playfully, before her attention shifted to his human when he introduced them.

"Oh yes, I'm sure that's his name," she all but cooed, as if she were looking at something adorable while watching them interact. Her expression hardened only slightly, although not in an unfriendly manner, when her undivided attention shifted to 'Kuro'. "You'll have to tell me your name, companion of Nari."

Maeleth leaned over further, pressing her snout beneath Nari's jaw, practically purring at the contact, before she gestured over to her own human. "Mine is Tatsuya, I have already told him about you," she said softly, privately, for only her friend to hear. But, at the faces he and 'Kuro' were making, she leaned away, giving him a look. "Try not to hate each other for too long," she said, primarily for Nari to hear, trying to sound harsh but coming across as merely fondly displeased.

It was almost as if they'd made their own little bubble, the two of them and their humans, a place to exist and talk.

And then, ever so suddenly, the bubble popped.

The energy shift in the valley immediately put her on edge, and she leaned her weight back on her tail, pushing herself up onto only her hind two legs, hoping to see more of what was happening from a higher point. Almost immediately, she dropped back down, spotting the lone figure, using one paw to drag Tatsuya closer to her, another, the one holding her necklace, draping the necklace over his shoulders.

'Hold that for me,' she said by way of explanation, having a moment of pause where she seemed to debate something before continuing. 'Get on my back, be prepared if I have to run or fly.'

When she looked back up, the sea of muscle and horses had already begun, the scent of blood near suffocating in her nose. She clenched her teeth, barely suppressing the low hiss that was started to rise in her throat, watching Nari and his rider in a similar situation to her and Tatsuya in terms of forcing a first ride.

The voice of the man in the distance, shouting instructions that she couldn't quite hear over the screams and chaos, met her, and she watched as he was scooped up and into the sky by a large venom dragon, an equilly large storm dragon following after a bolt of lightning fractured the sky.

"Follow them," she said to her companion, voice hard, an order. "They obviously know where they're going, if we get split up, follow them," she shuffled her wings, turning towards the forest, but keeping eye contact with the other dragon for as long as she could. "I'm serious, Nari, do not look for me. Follow them. I will be there."

And then, with an illusion rising around herself and Tatsuya that made them appear as nothing, as if they weren't there, a bubble of invisibility that allowed them to see each other but others to not see them, Maeleth turned completely and fled into the forest. Bark chipped and her claws left marks in some of the trees as she bounced off of them, propelling herself and Tatsuya forward, away from the mayhem and the chaos.

She could find the scents of the other dragons, find the scent of Nari, once they were far enough away that she was sure she was safe, and that she was sure Nari would be safe if he'd managed to follow her.

The dragon was huge. Massive. Gigantic. Absolutely, Kuno knew that he was on the taller side, and he felt like a dwarf beside the reptilian creature. He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting, well, he was sure. He was expecting nothing, to not get chosen, to not even get looked at by a dragon, and yet, here he was. Life really had taken a turn for him, huh?

"Murk," he said, nodding his head, repeating the dragons name at him in a way similar to what the dragon had done. "You can just call me Kuno if you want, or Mondo, or even Sohail, that's my middle name. I don't really care, I'll answer to any of them," he rubbed the back of his neck, shifting his weight from foot to foot, as if he had energy coursing through his veins that didn't quite have any place to go.

The blond man tilted his head, watching the dragon as he looked around, taking an extra second to process that Murk had asked him a question. "I mean," he said, waving one of his arms. "I'm not really built for swimming, but I'm not the worst. I won't drown if I'm left to my own devices," in fact, Kuno was pretty average at swimming. His brother, Aleksi, was the worst in the family. Perhaps not on the level of drowning, but he was definitely the slowest.

The stillness that swept over the valley also took him a second to register, smacking him in the face like a wet cloth. He could have sworn he smelled.. Smoke and fire? Were those screams he heard? He tried to stand taller, looking around, and his eyes fell upon the lone figure sitting on the back of a horse.

And then, of course, destruction came. It was a bloodbath, people from his kingdom pushing and shoving him as they tried to run away from the men on horseback. Kuno took a step towards his dragon, careful to not invade his space as much as he could and to avoid being the one to make physical contact first.

"What do you wanna do, big guy?" He asked, watching as a man ran through the crowd, shouting instructions. The squad leader, probably, if the way a dragon ran after him and snatched him up said anything. That didn't exactly look like a new bond. He was so focused on watching the venom dragon that he almost flinched at the sudden flash of lightning cutting through the sky, eyes jumping over to a dark storm dragon.

"We're stuck together here, I'll go where you go," he said, again talking to Murk. He was confident that, if Murk wanted nothing to do with him, he could turn tail and run through the forests. He'd spent enough time as a kid in the forests, he could rough it for a bit, wait until invaders left, and make his way back.. Somewhere, especially if home wasn't an option anymore.

Things had gone to shit, and they'd done so very, very quickly. Sindri had barely found enough time to think about the change in atmosphere before he'd heard a whinny, and the bloodshed had started. He'd been somewhere between the middle and the outskirts of the valley, surrounded by other people as they screamed, pushed, shoved. He'd seen more than one person pushed to the ground by their own kingdom, their own allies, before being stabbed or cut down before they could rise.

The ginger male was glad for his quick feet and quick mind, running and dodging where he could, ducking out of the way when he saw those on horseback coming towards him, quickly getting his feet under him when hands on his spine or shoulders pushed him down. These invaders, they had to have been merciless. Young people came to the ceremonies, people as young as 15, children in the grand scheme of time. And yet, here they were, hacked to pieces, light fading from their eyes, their blood on his hands.

Dear gods, their blood was on his hands--

He took a deep breath, and pushed on. He could wash his clothes, wash the sticky, thick liquid off of his legs and stomach, he could get the smell out of his clothes and hair, he could scrub his hands until they were red and raw, but first he had to survive. If he could make it to the forest, he could rough it until he could work his way back home. Home. Was home an option? What about his friends? His family? Were they alive? If they were, would they still be alive whenever he next got to see them? Would there be a next time he got to see them?

Shouting, different from the screams, caught his attention. It was behind him, and when he turned, he caught sight of a hazel-haired man, screaming instructions. The squad leader, perhaps. Judging from the dragons that were here today, he would have had quite an interesting squad to command, if the academy, and perhaps the kingdom, hadn't fallen the way it had. West. He was telling his squad to head west. An island.

Suddenly, his head panged, an ache so deep and so profound that it had him dropping to his knees, palms on his temples. It lasted only a few moments, before a voice met his ears. His ears? The figurative ears inside his head. It took him a second to register them, blinking away the pain-induced confusion, just in time to see a large venom dragon scoop up the man that had been yelling and flying into the air. The flash of lightning made his eyes ache.

'I'm near the forest,' he said into the bond, trying to stand again. 'The venom dragon that just flew, he was running right at me, that's the direction I'm in. I'm the little ginger boy.' As an afterthought, he added: 'I'm covered in blood. It isn't mine, I got pushed.'