"I would like that very much." Frentil acknowledged with a bow of his head. His step seemed to lighten as he lead Terra through the back entrance. His silky ears shifted forward, catching every sound and causing his silver earring to sparkle in the dim light.
Where the heck did you go? Cali demanded of her rider as she felt more then saw the dwarf's form emerging from the shadows. She held back another impatient comment as Frentil followed closely after her bond.
Don't get your tail in a knot. Terra muttered mentally, though a smirk touched her lips at Cali's confused gaze. This is Frentil. He'll be joinin' us for a while.
Oh. Was all Cali could muster. She lowered her large muzzle and peered curiously at the new creature. The flame of his strong wings and movement of his sleek muscles intrigued her. She'd never seen anything like a ligon before. Frentil grinned and chuckled at the dragon's gaze.
"You must be Cali. Terra told me about you. Do you like to hunt?" The black Fire King ligon was now full of questions. He tilted his head to the side and boldly walked up to meet Cali's muzzle with his own. The dragon snorted lightly, ruffling the crest of flames on his head. He, like her, had never seen anything like the duo-winged dragoness in his life. The graceful fold of her four wings, covering knots of powerful muscles and gleaming hide. The Ryslen crest on her head was a darker shade then her silky, caramel body, matching the shading of her wing sails.
Well... yeah. I love to hunt. Cali blinked slowly. She continued to study Frentil in silence as the ligon did her, both of them intrigued by the other.
"That's enough standin' around. Let's get back before Ki'yeal decides to send me on some stupid mission." Terra growled, pulling herself roughly up to Cali's saddle. She had a bit more trouble then usual since her dear bond was still investigating the new companion and didn't offer a lowered wing as support.
Frentil broke the staring gaze first. He happily padded over to Cali's side and leapt up behind Terra, careful not to dig his claws into the dragoness' hide to gain purchase. When both her riders were settled, Cali spread four, powerful wings and leapt into the air. She winced slightly as Frentil finally did put his claws into her hide, only to stop himself from flying off. Two strong thrusts of her wings brought her soaring into the sky, high enough to circle around once before disappearing between.
Frentil felt the sudden chill of between penetrate his fur and wrap around his bones. He closed his eyes and shivered, trying to draw a breath to ease the sensation of nothingness. No air touched his lungs and the bitter chill seemed to press harder in on him. He barely noticed Terra seated stoutly in front of him or even Cali's pumping muscles beneath him. Everything was gone.
Just when the ligon thought he really had landed in a world of nothing, Cali burst into the sun warmed sky over the Warren. His eyes flew open and he nearly dug his claws deeper into the dragon's hide when a rumbling bellow left her throat and echoed around them.
Jumpy, aren't you? The taffy sweet sound of Cali's voice chidded in his mind. He was quickly growing used to the dragon's voice.
"I've never flown dragon-back before." Frentil admitted, both mentally and verbally. Cali laughed, knowing his verbal message had been lost in the wind yet his mental words had been projected clearly to her mind.
You can just speak with your mind, you know. I'll hear you. She bellowed again and sent warm images of laughter to Frentil's bewildered mind.
An answering bellow filled the air from the flight fields down below. Frentil cautiously peered over the edge of Cali's wing to see a multitude of different coloured dragons lounging in the bright sunlight. The one who had answered her call was a large, proud-looking brown. He didn't have much more time to look as his stomach lurched into his throat with the force of Cali's drop.
The dragoness folded one set of wings back against her sides and brought the other pair in only half way. In this manner, she dove towards the ground while still being able to maneuver on a pin-head.
"She always does this." Terra growled over her shoulder, forced to raise her voice a bit to be heard over the rush of the wind.
"Would you mind greatly if I made my own landing?" Frentil shouted back, barely able to open his eyes as he ducked his head behind Terra. The dwarf chuckled and nodded, motioning for him to take off whenever he wanted. He did so half-way to the ground, spreading his wings and being carried up and away from Cali's back. For a moment, he hung in the air, watching the caramel dragoness swerve gracefully over the tree tops, then began his own descent.
Cali looked up sharply as she felt Frentil's weight lifted from her back. Terra patted her shoulder reasurringly and reminded her dear bond that he did have wings and she should be watching where she's going. The dragoness responded with a light snort and flared her wings slightly to slow their fall.
As she was gliding elegantly to a landing, Frentil came up beside them and landed just as lightly on the lush grass of the flight fields. A few approving rumbles greeted them from the other dragons but other then that, everyone seemed at ease and unwilling to move in the sunlight.
"This place is amazing." Frentil gazed around in wonder, noting the tall, thick build of the trees surrounding this central field. Mountainous walls rose in the near distance, only a few dragon-length's away from the edge of the forest. He was so intent on his surroundings that he barely noticed Terra stomping towards what appeared to be a hole in the ground. He gave a start and took after her, glancing back once to see Cali going to meet a few of the other dragonesses.
"If ya think this is nice, I'm sure you'll love the smithy." Terra grinned, almostly slyly. She laid one hand on Frentil's shoulder and walked in step with him to the sloping entrance. "The smithy's below ground, closer to the base level of the Warren. Keeps the heat from penetrating the rest of the cavern. Come on, I'll introduce ya to Dungar and Rugan."
As Terra gave her short explanation of his new home, Frentil followed her down the gentle slope into a well-lit room. Two sets of torches were fastened into each wall, illuminating the silvery gleam of the weapons displayed on blankets of blue velvet. The only noise in the room was the dull scratching of a pen across paper and a few muttered curses. Both stopped at the sound of Frentil's claws clicking over the ground.
"What's that?" A gruff voice called out from a shadowed back corner. Terra moved ahead of the ligon, waving off the suspicious question.
"Don't get all wound up. It's only me." The dwarf woman replied. She side-stepped a central display table and stood defiantly in front of a stocky, dwarven man with gold-trimmed glasses. Frentil came up beside her and almost regretted the motion as a lump of metallic orange seemed to materialize beside the man. The wher growled low, shaking her chain as she gazed at the new creature.
"Huh." The man snorted lightly. "And what's that with you?"
"He is Frentil and he'll be stayin' with me for a while." Terra motioned for Frentil to come forward, ignoring the snapping jaws of the wher. "Don't mind that beast. Her name's Asmodeas and she did the same to me when I first came." She thumbed toward the man next. "That's Dungar. He runs the place." She smirked lightly, leaning forward so that only Frentil could hear her next comment. "Which means he sits behind that desk all day and curses."
Frentil hid a grin and bowed his head respectfully to Dungar. "Pleased to meet you."
The old dwarf raised a dark, bushy brow and nodded slowly. Shaking his head, he turned back to Terra and scowled. "You took long enough with that message. Rugan's fighting with your new design and has been expecting you back for some time. You'd better help her out before she destroys the whole smithy."
Terra chuckled lightly. "Thought that would make her work." She smiled, a quick up-turn of her lips and gazed at Frentil almost eye to eye. "I guess you'll get to see my line of work first hand, hmm?"
"I can't wait." He grinned, waiting for her to heave open a door that had previously been hidden in the wall. Frentil walked through first, looking around the dim room in wonder. Once his eyes adusted, he could make out the distant back wall and various items used in planning a new creation. He could also make out the gigantic metal beast that was the forge. A gaping opening glowed red and cast its eerie light over the smithy's anvil. Behind the anvil stood a tall, dark-skinned woman, seeming as demonic as the red light that lit her features.
Terra shouted over the noise of the pounding metal, waving her arms to get the woman's attention. When the dark-skinned human finally set aside her tools, she glanced up at them with a less then interested gaze. A small smirk touched her lips.
"Finally back." Rugan stated matter-of-factly, wiping her hands on an old rag. She stepped around the anvil and came forward to greet them, towering over Terra at almost double her height.
"Aye; and I brought a friend." Terra again rested her hand on Frentil's shoulder, craning her neck up to see the woman's face. Oblidging the dwarf, Rugan knelt down beside them and swept her dark gaze over the ligon.
"What is he?" She asked simply. Terra snorted lightly.
"Blunt, aren't ya? He's a ligon from Lao Damia."
Rugan merely nodded. Frentil sniffed lightly at the air, smelling more then metal and sweat eminating from this dark woman.
"You smell like a cat." He replied in the same blunt tone as Rugan had. Oddly enough, the 1/4 Liron quirked a grin.
"I haven't gotten that statement before."
"She's 1/4 Liron. I'll explain it later." Terra whispered and patted Frentil's shoulder reassuringly. She cleared her throat once and cast Rugan an almost triumphant look. "I heard you're having troubles with my design."
"Damned thing won't work. You made it wrong." Rugan's grin faded, replaced by a suspicious glare. Her voice was still smooth though, and just as enchanting as a tigeress in the woods. She stood abruptly and began marching back to the anvil.
"Bah! You just can't read instructions." Terra growled back, stomping after the taller woman. She cast a glance over her shoulder as Frentil came up beside her. "Frentil, would ya mind getting a bag of coal from the barrel there? The fire's running low."
"Of course." Frentil replied with enthusiasm. The heat and noise of the smithy trilled him and returned whatever confidence he had lost at being abandoned. The ligon turned on his tail and quickly glided over to the large barrel of coal, nimbly picking up one of the full bags and beginning to drag it back towards the forge. Gray, Rugan's gray flit, chittered above his head encouragingly.
At the anvil, Terra watched her new friend at work and smiled. She caught a light chuckle from Rugan's deep throat and glanced up at the 1/4 Liron. Rugan smiled wryly.
"I think he'll fit in nicely here." She said, an obvious note of approval in her voice. Terra returned her smile and nodded slowly.
"Aye. I think he will too." Both women then turned back to the weapon designs, catching a glimpse of Frentil dropping the bag by the forge then shooing Gray away from the flames. Despite her strict control, Terra felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips again. The Warren had brought her Cali when she was alone. Now she brought the same to Frentil.
Frentil was bonded at: Sargon of Azon's Tiger and Ligon Impressions