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Reaching a hand up absently, he stroked Blackflame, watching with slight interest as a... rather beautiful dark blue female dragon that moved gracefully chose her own bond. Interesting form, haven't seen one like that hatch before.
::If I had to guess, I'd say that's the highest ranking type. Water it looks like.::
Huifeng nodded, still stroking Flame's head as he watched, then letting his hand drop back to his side. Other dragons hatched and bonded. Airs, Earths, a Plant, a Water, a Fire, and several Lightnings. It was as two of those Lightnings left the sand that his eyes were drawn to watch a Greater Ice as it stepped out from behind an egg and started moving with grace across the sands, just to step aside and bow to another.
His eyes snapped to the creature that the Ice had bowed to, another creature just like the Water that had hatched before, another Greatest, but this one of Ice, and male.
Huifeng's eyes locked with the hatchling's, and he watched in calm stillness as the Greatest strode past the other candidates, then settled himself before him. The creature was already bigger than others that had hatched, and looked powerful enough to give even Harbringer pause.
Zhu Huifeng, this war will be an easy matter to settle with me as your ally. The ice reared up on his back legs so that he could look the warrior eye to eye. But that is not why I have come to you. I have come to you because I can think of no one else who I would wish to share my mind and my life with. If you think of me as nothing more than a weapon then I shall turn my back on you now and live my life bondless and alone. Zhu Huifeng, my name is Retsu Nioi and I demand an answer!
Retsu Nioi let out a roar with those last words, his vocal cry adding to the power of his mental one. His voice rang in Huifeng's head and ears, yet he refused to show weakness and wince, as it was, he repressed a small smile as he saw the others around him and the hatchling slowly backing awaying a bit, as if afraid of the magnificent creature. Retsu Nioi's words deserved careful thought, though, and he turned his mind towards them, running them over in his head to formulate a decent answer. He could see now that these dragons were not simply weapons, but creatures with their own minds and thoughts and feelings, just as BlackFlame was.
And so, he carefully chose his words to the hatchling, letting the truth of them be seen in his mind, "Yes, you would indeed be a powerful asset in war. But your value as a comrade is far greater than that, Retsu Nioi. I am honored that you have chosen me as your bond."
BlackFlame watched both of them, as Huifeng reached out and ran a hand over his new bond, tracing the four fin-ears, the spikes going down his back, and the scales on his front. Together, both of them turned and strode out of the sands, conversing mentally, and privately, as they did.
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He grinned slightly as the two swords met with a clang, the other opposite him giving not a single centimeter at his attack. As it should be.
"Good." Huifeng spoke as he broke away, warily circling his sparring partner, who was also his bond. In human form.
That had taken a bit of getting used to, seeing a human where a dragon should be, yet he had gotten used to it with time. The fact that Retsu Nioi could take human form would vastly improve their chances of keeping him a surprise for the enemy.
"When are we returning? I know you are anxious to." Retsu Nioi spoke as his ice blue eyes watched Huifeng carefully, holding Huifeng's spare sword with his right hand.
"Whenever you are ready. I would not want to force you into something you do not wish."
Nioi smiled slightly, as he darted forward, nimble and light on his two feet as he swung the sword, locking Huifeng's with his, then twisted the sword in his hand a bit, twisting the sword out of Huifeng's hand and sending it through the air to land with a dull thud on the ground a distance from them, near BlackFlame.
::Hey! Watch where you two are throwing those things!:: BlackFlame growled, as he leaped into the air, landing on a branch out of the way.
Nioi and Huifeng looked at each other, then at BlackFlame, almost identical expressions of amusement on their faces. Nioi handed Huifeng his sword back, then strode over and picked up the other one, handing that hilt first to his bond as well.
"Then what are we waiting for?" He took a step back, looked around to make sure that there was room for him to change, then swiftly allowed his form to flow back to that of a Greatest Ice dragon, looking down at his bond, Let's go. No time like the present after all.
Huifeng nodded, then swung up onto Retsu Nioi's back, settling himself comfortably as BlackFlame landed on his shoulder. Nioi launched himself into the air, fanning the air with his wingarms in order to keep them aloft, then took his directions from his bond's mind and blinked between.