The Syzygy The Dance of the Moon Dragons

[Eira]

Eira's smile was forced, but convincing enough.

"I am only... worried to be without Tyafainne. This eclipse has made the bond dulled..." She turned her head slightly to look at Karn behind her, lightly huffing before steering the blonde Nhalaryn girl towards the festivities. "Besides, tonight feels monumental. Worse than the idea of another birthday ball where I would be told it is time to start looking for a husband." The Malennis dragon rider rolled her brown eyes.

Matches were being made for Ilir and Sidonie, but still, none had come forward to ask to court Eira despite her winning qualities... being a Malennis moon dragon rider and... Gods, was she truly that awful of a prospect?

"My daughter!" Came the loud celebration of her father. Whatever frown or worry on her face was no eclipsed by a large grin as Eira embraced her father. Aeron smiled down at Cress, like he used to do to his children at that age. "I have hope for the noble society in the years to come with you two lovely ladies at the helm. Do not venture far! There are some difficulties with the music, but please, dance once the music starts. If you cannot find a dance partner, Eira, then have Ilir accompany you."

"I am not going to have my brother have my first dance." Eira looked to Cress for understanding... but remembered the eldest daughter of the Nhalaryn brood got along with her siblings, where Eira did not most of the time.

"Right, we are going to take a turn, see if I can prospect a dance partner." And she would not. "My shadow may scare anyone off."

"Ah," Aeron then noticed the towering guard behind his daughter. "Karn. Thank you for looking out for her. Anyone that runs at the sight of your shadow is not worthy of a Malennis, remember that."

Cress Nhalaryn Karn

 

[Cress Nhalaryn]

Cress could not keep the smile off her face as Eira chattered away. Though she loved her siblings dearly (except maybe for the twins), she could still understand Eira's dislike towards her own siblings. But, as they moved away from Eira's father in search of a dance partner for the youngest Malennis, Cress thought to herself of how it would be easier for Eira to find a partner than she gave herself credit for. Eira was the Chosen Heir, after all.

Cress knew she'd have a bit more of a struggle- she was third born and a girl on top of that. No matter what Eira's father said, Cress would never be at the helm of anything except perhaps a household if she ever married.

She could almost hear her mother's voice in her head saying, "But you're young and beautiful and quiet; men love that almost as much as they love money and power,"

She shook her head imperceptibly to clear her head of her mother's voice. She thought she saw Daryon in the crowd, talking to someone she didn't know.

"I'm sure you'll attract plenty of dancing partners," she said to the older girl, glancing around them. "Look, I think that gentleman was just looking at you with awe," She may have been laying it on a bit thick but there had been a man who had been watching Cress and Eira.

Eira

 

[Daryon Nhalaryn]

"Sorry," she said, rather eloquently.

Daryon barely stumbled, looking at the one that bumped into him. Recognition did not register with him as to her identity, other then the fact that she looked back towards a dragon, and Daryon began to piece together who she was...

"Lyraxis." Oh well, he was close. He knew of the black dragon, seeing the beast frequently in the skies going towards the Wall, or simply in the areas he frequented while with his unit.

"Sorry, your name? Daryon." He offered his hand.

 

[Satia Lyris]

Satia raised an eyebrow when he said the name of her dragon. She was surprised he knew who Lyraxis was but then again Lyraxis had a bit of a reputation as an ornery brute. So Daryon's first impression of her would be that she didn't look where she was going and her dragon was a bully.

Off to a great start.

"Satia Lyris," she replied, giving her name and putting her hand inside his to shake.

Only after she had said it did she wonder if it had been smart to give her full name- he was likely to realize she was not of a noble house and therefore should not be wandering about aimlessly with those of noble houses, especially without keeping an eye on her dragon.

Daryon Nhalaryn

 

[Melisandre]

“I wasn’t screaming.” Melisandre felt her cheeks become heated. How to explain how one week turned into two, days blurring together and becoming one? “And I didn’t starve myself!” She hadn’t gone outside, she had let herself become filthy, and the notion of hunger was a fleeting thing in her silent suffering.

That’s all it was, not a tantrum, just plain suffering— and that was all that suffering was. It didn’t make her stronger. It didn’t help her reflect. It only hurt. Her body, her mind, her heart, her soul. A pain that refused to be ignored.

“Forcing me to play pretend with you, Thesius,” Melisandre couldn’t have stopped the bark of laughter even if she wanted to. “How cruel. You’re….” The dragon rider bit back her words, feeling her throat constrict. She cleared it, hoping with the action that the feelings would drain from her. She turned her head from Raimond, a piece of forgotten driftwood from some great ship, floating in the much greater sea, alone and waiting to sink.

Raimond Thesius

 

[Vhagor]

As the moon dragons took to the skies, their scales reflecting the odd light caused by the Eclipse, the land seemed to hold its breath. Unknowing, the citizens of Thanasis continued on in their revelry, toasting to the hope of the future of the beloved moon dragons. But out on the horizon a darkness began to gather like an ocean storm.

That grew closer.

And closer.​

 

[Danika]

The Inner City - Plaza

The forge mistress gave a quiet sigh of relief as she finally reached the drinks table. It was not that she was a recluse or an introvert, but rather she was out of practise in talking to so many people. Unless they specifically made the trip to the dragon forges that sat deep within the mountains, it was very rare that Danika spoke to anyone on a day to day basis. Of course there were those that did. The red-haired beauty was a rarity amongst dragon riders for she was kind. No matter what she was doing she would spare a moment to lend an ear - or her one good hand. Cadets in particular sought her out after suffering the rough side of Vhagor's tongue or Nyx's anger. Unfortunately it meant in social situations such as this that she couldn't go more than two steps without someone calling her name.

She was parched.

Dani had just ladled herself a cup of punch when another familiar voice called her name. She turned towards the voice with a smile and in doing so missed how the punch within her cup began to ripple...

 

[Tuon]

Outer City, Harbour

Tuon stared blankly at the cadet who had addressed her by name, racking her memory for the boys name. She could recall his dragon easily enough even without him hovering a few feet away from Nazharul who was regarding the other dragon with the usual wariness of a territorial creature. From the odd fuzzy sentiment she got through the bond Naz was rather liking his chances, surrounded as he was by Tuon's family and their dragons too.

"Err... Hi--"

"Here you go," the stallholder dumped the rather large order in Tuon's awaiting arms saving her from attempting a name. She flashed him a grateful smile over the pile of wooden boxes.

"Are... you here with your family?" she glanced behind him to see any sign of a group. It tended only to be those with ties to the poorer part of the city that came out this way. She felt a tinge of guilt at not having got to know her fellow cadets.

Down by the shoreline where the rider fished a bloated dead fish bobbed to the surface, its scales an eerie alabaster white.

 

[Trask]

*Still no fish*
Trask was about to settle up and try a spot farther down the beach away from the city when he noticed the horizon darken.
It looked like storm clouds but there was no noise or wind. Only the stillness and gentle waves.
He seemed at that moment to be on a horizon all on his own. Before him was this unknown darkness and behind him lay the City in its laughter and lights.
"What the devils is that?"
A dead fish floated to the surface and bobbed then another and another.
He was not a man who liked to put stock in signs and portents but a coldness gripped his guts that wouldn't let go.
"Gods below."
He turned and began to wade his way to the shore.

 

[Daryon Nhalaryn]

His mother had always taught him to be kind, to be receptive to all if he wanted to make a good lord.

And so, he donned a polite smile as Satia shook his hand. "Forgive me, but I do not seem to remember if we have met before. I am not often deployed with the Thunder, but I like keeping up with other black dragons."

For a quick moment, he turned to look for his siblings, spying them without Cress. "Do me a favour, tell me if you see a younger girl, blonde hair, troublesome. I told my sister to remain with the twins..." He sighed, running his hand down his face.

Satia Lyris

 

[Eira]

Eira did not actively look around at anyone.

"I am not going to dance." One day, even Cress will tower above her. The Chosen Heir was not interested in craning her neck up to stare at a face she had no intentions of ever entertaining. "I will let Tyafainne dance for the both of us." She did not elaborate on the moon dragon traditions of finding a mate, or even want to think of her bonded doing such a deed.

Thank the gods and goddesses that her bond was quiet tonight.

Her eyes flicked up to the skies, as if she would see her dragon, but caught a blackened mass in the distance, growing larger the longer she stared at it. Something did not sit right with her, and so she turned to Cress now. "Hey, go find your family. I must make the rounds of greeting some friends."

She should go find her father too, but she had Karn present. If anything were to happen, he was there and tasked with guarding her. When Cress would depart, the Malennis heir turned around to see her guard. "What do you think that is? Black dragons?" Her uncle was bonded to a black dragon, and she would not put it past him to interfere somehow... Being a Malennis allowed her to see into the dark a little better than most, a skill also trained into a young rider to be able to see their moon dragon.

Cress Nhalaryn Karn

 

[Cress Nhalaryn]

Cress wondered at Eira's dislike of quite nearly everything- her role as heir, dancing, taking charge, and large gatherings. It seemed she only cared for her dragon and Cress; and as she dismissed Cress to 'greet some friends', it seemed even that was shaky.

Cress nodded and smiled, turning back to where she had left Brevis and the twins. Suddenly Brevis was in front of her, the twins behind him. Brevis looked pissed and Cress was honestly surprised he had managed to keep track of the twins. Brevis managed not to berate Cress and keep his grumblings under his breath, but as she watched his eyes dart over the crowd, looking for their eldest brother, she knew Daryon was going to get an earful.

Cress looked for Daryon amidst the crowd as well, and she spotted him before Brevis. He was with a girl with dark hair and dark skin, and he was also searching the crowd. She knew Brevis had seen Daryon when he cursed, and she wondered if Brevis would hold his tongue against Daryon if the unknown girl was still there.

She was about to say something to Brevis when she saw something in the distance. It looked like a massive black shadow, but as it moved it appeared solid. She shot Daryon a glance, wondering if he noticed.

Eira Daryon Nhalaryn

 

[Satia Lyris]

Satia thought his smile looked more polite and less genuine but at least he was smiling.

"We haven't. Met before, that is," she replied.

Over his shoulder she thought she saw a black mass amongst the rooftops and she felt as if someone had dumped cold water down her back. She caught the tail end of his sentence; implying he was bonded to a black dragon as well. Ice ran up and down Satia's spine, and she nearly missed his next words.

She looked around, searching for anyone that matched Daryon's description. Why was she even doing this? It would get her nothing. But maybe she wanted to stay on his good side, just in case.

Just as she caught sight of a blond head surrounded by a taller blond head and two shorter blond heads (damn the Nhalaryns and their blond hair), there was a sound like rolling thunder from behind them. Satia laughed nervously before she could help herself, praying her dragon had nothing to do with it.

Daryon Nhalaryn Cress Nhalaryn

 

[Daryon Nhalaryn]

Upon spotting his sister, he clicked his tongue and gave a sharp exhale of breath.

Unceremoniously, Daryon slipped his hand into the crook of Satia's arm and pulled her along, intercepting Cress before she made return to their siblings. "Cress." His brows set in a severe line, unhappy she chose to do something foolish.

Daryon removed his hand from Satia and shot her an apologetic look. "Apologies. I did not want to conclude our conversation..." but he sighed once more and cut his sister a look. "Cress is friends with the Heir Malennis. Hellbent on not heeding my concern for such a family."

Surely Satia Lyris knew of the infamous feuds that weaved in that noble family's blood?

 

[Cress Nhalaryn]

Cress raised an eyebrow at her brother as he marched over to her with the girl he had been talking to.

"Apologies, Daryon," she replied, only for the benefit of the new girl. Daryon would know well enough that she was mocking him.

Cress wondered how long Daryon and the girl had known each other. She did not recognize any of her features and could not place which house she was from. There was a flicker of suspicion but Cress tamped it down. She looked nice enough, and was putting up with Daryon.

Daryon Nhalaryn Satia Lyris

 

[Satia Lyris]

Satia blinked, surprised, but did not protest as Daryon dragged her over to his sister. She was a very sweet looking girl, and did not look much younger than Satia herself. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she detected a bit of mischief in the blonde girl's eyes and in her tone as she responded to her brother and she warmed up to her even more.

Satia turned to meet Daryon's gaze as he spoke rather unfavorably of the Malennis family. She didn't know all the ins and outs of the houses but she knew enough to know who the Malennis heir was and that the rest of her family was bitter to her.

But didn't every family have their feuds? She thought Daryon's father's family was particularly cold to Daryon and his mother and siblings.

She could not say any of that to Daryon or Cress, so she settled for a rather eloquent "Ah,"

Daryon Nhalaryn Cress Nhalaryn

 

[Raimond Thesius]

Whether it was intentional or not, Melisandre's pain was shared with him. Even in her denial, the hurt she felt soaked every word she spat at him. It made Raimond wince made him feel just as helpless as she, the fact that somebody he cared for so vehemently was adrift amidst a sea of her own conflicted emotions and tiding sorrows and he could do nothing to pull her to shore.

Chiefly because he was one of the reasons she was there in the first place. How could a symptom of the disease also be a part of the cure?

"I thought about running away." He muttered, keeping his arm around hers but making no attempt to move closer to her. Only minutes had passed since their arrival but already it felt as though it had been hours. The admission wasn't one he took pride in, the thought was one he'd dismissed as a fruitless effort. Now, with the way she seemed so dismayed at his very being here, he wasn't so sure. "I could take Ha'Than and fly to the mainland. You wouldn't have to marry me. Maybe I'll still do that."

Raimond slipped his arm from hers and wordlessly walked to one of the refreshment stations. He hadn't planned on drinking tonight. Now? He could think of nothing but.

Melisandre

 

[Karn]

Karn shifted uneasily behind the heiress, his eyes constantly roving the crowd and the sky. Threats could come from any direction. He had asked Aeron for a larger detail, but he had been denied. He didn't want to upset Eira, and that most definitely would have. Still, it was a lot for one man to follow.

He stepped forward as the little blonde departed, Cress? His eyes lifting to where Eira had pointed out a mass that blotted out the already darkened sky. he frowned behind his helmet, his hand instinctively grasping the hilt of his sword. "Could be. We'll keep our eyes open. I don't trust it." He motioned her forward with his hand, in hopes she would proceed to her father, he wanted her out of the thick of the festival.

Eira

 

[Eira]

Eira looked to her shadow guard, impressed. "Then we share something in common." She was hard pressed to trust many things unless proven by her own design.

"Right, I need to keep looking as if I am finding a dance partner. Be a dear and keep back anyone that tries to ask?" Eira lifted a brow, wondering if he could do such a thing for the Lord Malennis' heir. The only one she wished to dance with would be the last to attend this event that the nobles littered themselves in. Perhaps if she ducked out and searched the Outer City... he may be there watching the moon dragons take to the skies.

"My mother says to always look available and not entertain company." She added, still looking around the crowds for that unmistakable face.

Karn

 

[Daryon Nhalaryn]

Daryon shook his head at his sister before smiling.

"A new acquaintance I have made, Cress. Meet Satia Lyris. She has a black dragon, and therefore an ally." He grinned, giving Satia a smile. "You come here with family, Miss Lyris?"

Satia Lyris Cress Nhalaryn

 

[Cress Nhalaryn]

So she was new. Cress found herself a bit relieved, she had worried for a moment that this new girl- Satia, he said her name was- had been a secret lover of sorts. Now she also noticed Satia's look of barely contained polite confusion. Cress was just about to ask about the girl's family but Daryon beat her to it.

She smiled demurely up at Satia, though she suspected the older girl could see past her facade of soft innocence. It worked better on men, anyway.

Daryon Nhalaryn Satia Lyris

 

[Satia Lyris]

Satia wondered why in the world Daryon was being so friendly to her, but when he asked of her family, a bit of panic overtook her wondering.

"No," she replied, smiling with false calm. "They're all dead or working on it," It wasn't entirely the truth but it wasn't necessarily a lie either. She hoped at the mention of death that Daryon (and his little sister who seemed to be staring into Satia's soul) would back off and not question her any further.

Daryon Nhalaryn Cress Nhalaryn

 

[Cullen]

Cullen had always made a point of avoiding events such as this. People generally avoided him too, and here, there were throngs of them who would scowl and spit in his path for nothing but the marks on his face. Luckily, he had found a spot on the face of a steep hill overlooking the bay where he now sat perched upon a cluster of rocks.

Meala lay beside him, her presence a comfort in the midst of the bustling crowd. Tonight, their connection was dull, as if a veil had been drawn between them. It was a strange sensation, one that left Cullen feeling oddly vulnerable, and he ensured the golden dragon remained close.

He watched the festivities unfold with a mixture of fascination and apprehension, his dark gaze scanning the crowd warily. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the beauty of the event, but rather, he felt like an outsider in a world that was no longer his own.

He knew that Eira was to play a central role in the festivities, and despite his reluctance to be here, he had come for her sake. He had kept his distance for her sake, too. Cullen had no desire to endure the disdain that his appearance roused within the people of Thanasis. So he sat in silence, Meala by his side, content to watch on from afar.

 

[Karn]

Karn appreciated the brutal honesty from Eira, he hated the trivialities that being in the social light tended to bring about. He would much rather cut to the chase and be done, so too, did Eira seem to think. Perhaps she wasn't so much of a burden as he initially thought.

"I have no issue keeping anyone at bay. For my own sake as well as yours." He managed a small chuckle. An uncommon thing to come from the mostly silent man. His eyes wandered back to the skies, any humor he had fading instantly. " I honestly feel as if we should move from the throng of people. I'm feeling a bit uneasy, if I'm honest with you." Not something he'd normally admit to a charge, but there was something in the air that told him tonight would be eventful.

Eira

 

[Eira]

Eira stared at him.

"If I leave, my father is without protection. I do not trust my uncle, Karn. His true born children tried to come for me, and Meeri paid the price." Eira's dragon defended her rider by ripping the throat put of her cousin's dragon, thus ending her cousin's life as a rider could bot survive the death of their bonded. She stepped beside Karn, her small stature ever more prominent now.

"Fenton over there? I bet you anything he will try anything against me and my inheritance. As long as I am present, all is well. They would not dare to come against me." Eira purposefully left out the detail that it was Cullen that helped her put her twin cousins in place. Fenton was without his twin sister, and as if he knew eyes were upon him, he lifted his green eyes to see Eira smiling pleasantly at him.

She watched as her cousin muttered to his younger step brothers and disappeared, heading towards his black dragon down the end of the plaza.

Karn