Court of the Fallen
How to Train Your Dragon - Printable Version

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How to Train Your Dragon - Ronin - 02-08-2019

Sugar's efforts to fly had not been in earnest, really, not since she had hatched into Ronin's hands. But her scrabbling and flapping about on the guildhall floor - and on his shoulder (his shoulder littered with punctures from tiny, eager claws) and on his lap and on the back of chairs - led him to believe that it might be time that he tried a flying lesson with her properly. If his friendly neighbourhood alchemist hadn't been so torn and stitched up, he'd have invited Remi along in his hawk form to show Sugar the ropes. Alas, he would be going it alone today.

The afternoon was crisp and the snowfall had stopped at midday, leaving a blanket of soft, undisturbed white across the fields for them to practice. And if the dragonling fell then it would be a soft landing, at least. Ronin's footsteps were sure as he marched through the snow, his boots leaving deep prints, his coat billowing with the cold breeze. The dragonling in question was perched upon his shoulder, her slip of a silver tail draped around his shoulders for balance, her white wings folded neatly over her shoulders.

On his right hand he wore a leather gauntlet not dissimilar to those worn by falconers. His God Hand or bracers would do a similar job, but he wanted to make sure he was a little more protected while Sugar was still getting the hang of it.

"Okay," he said, flashing a sideways smile to the dragon. "Down you climb. Let's try this out."

Trilling and nosing the warm space behind his ear with a serpentine snout, Sugar clawed and clambered her way down his arm to perch upon the glove. Ronin raised his hand high, and the little creature began to beat her wings steadily, as if to get used to the motion.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Jigano - 02-09-2019

Silence was absolutely necessary for hunting mice in the snow. Not only hearing them, but pinpointing them precisely and aiming the pounce to plunge through fresh, fluffy powder and the crisp crust beneath, to even more snow between crust and ground before sinking narrow jaws on a tiny, warm, squeaky body. Isuma had started to try and copy his elegant (ridiculous) leaps, but the little fluffball lacked the simple mass required to punch through to the ground. She had grown to a double-handful on a steady diet of fresh meat and could get her head and forepaws in now, at least, but her little wings fluttered in excitement whenever she tried to pounce, and she never quite got them closed in time, so she would get stuck shoulder-deep and tip over with a squawk of dismay every time.

Jigano had just procured her another snack (and she had just shaken the snow from her feathered head after her attempt to mimic him) when he heard footsteps approaching through the fresh powder. He had paused, ears cocked, as Isuma bounced and tried to get beak or claws on the fieldmouse tail that dangled from his mouth. The footsteps came to a halt just the other side of a drift of snow that formed a low, artificial hill in the normally-flat fields, and a voice Jigano only faintly recognized carried to his ears on the light breeze.

Curious, he couldn't help but creep to the top of the hill, Isuma still bounding along at his side and trying to reach her snack, to look upon the man and his... was that a dragon? But so small, a miniature of the mighty reptiles from his own world... not unlike Isuma was. He tilted his head in fascination as he watched the silver lizard flapping its wings, inadvertently pulling the tail end of the mouse a little higher and completely out of the gryphon's reach. She let out a little Reep! of protest, oblivious to the man and his dragon when food was so tantalizingly near at hand.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Ronin - 02-09-2019

"That's it," Ronin praised his companion, grinning as he watched the delicate membranes of her wings catch the winter light. She seemed to get the hang of it well enough - instinct was a powerful motivation, it seemed - and at Ronin's encouragement the dragonling began to release her grip from the glove. A beat or two and she made it into the air, much to both of their delight, but distraction caught them in the form of a shrill sound of indignation.

Losing her concentration, Sugar overbalanced and tumbled out of the air - luckily, it was into Ronin's waiting arms. He cradled the dragonling like a baby, her wings folding around her and her silvery tail coiling about his forearm as she trilled her dismay. "Hey, don't put yourself down," he told her, grinning before lifting his gaze to locate the source of the interruption. He just about spotted it over the rise of a snowdrift, near enough blending into the white, Ronin tilting his head. Unsure if it was Attuned or some other creature entirely, he tried for a greeting first.

"Hello?" he called.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Jigano - 02-09-2019

Flying lessons? It certainly seemed to be, and nearly successful, too - until Isuma's protest distracted the little dragon. Jigano watched to make sure that she was safely caught before turning to tap his own companion's head with a gently admonishing paw. She peeped again in quieter protest that she had done nothing wrong, but before the foxy bard could reply, the man called out to them.

He considered for a moment whether he wanted to go down the snow drift or not. He doubted the man would follow if he turned around and simply left. But... he was very curious about the dragon, and Isuma had caught sight of her as well, little body quivering in fascination and a strong desire to play that he could sense even without seeing how her tail switched back and forth with eagerness. He huffed a little laugh through his mouthful of mouse, finding the decision already made.

He trotted down the snowbank, paws sinking into the fresh powder and the gryphlet hopping through the shallower snow in his tracks, unfledged wings fluttering with each bounce. When he reached a body length away from Ronin and Sugar he stopped and looked up at them with amused blue eyes. When he was sure he had both of their attention he crunched down on the mouse on his jaws, ducking his head to step on its tail and tear it in half. He tossed his head so half the mouse would land near Ronin - and the small dragon on his arm. The other half was almost immediately pounced on by the gryphon, who buried her little face in its steaming innards with fierce joy and little peeps of excitement for lunch.

As for Jigano, he sat back daintily and began to wash his muzzle with tongue and paw, keeping one mischievously twinkling blue eye on Ronin as he did so.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Ronin - 02-09-2019

Both man and dragon watched curiously as what looked like a bit of snow went tumbling down from the drift. Closer inspection showed it to be a white fox, in fact, with a... very curious something indeed pouncing through the shallower powder in its wake. Sugar noticed, too, the dragonling rolling in Ronin's arm to half sit up, shrieking out a greeting(? or a warning? Who knew) to the approaching newcomers.

Keeping the reptile held close lest she do something brash or foolish, Ronin tilted his head at the fox that came to arrive a short distance away - close enough, indeed, for the guildmaster to realise it was a tiny, tiny gryphon that bounded at its side. "Oh," he said, because there didn't seem to be anything else to say.

Then the fox tore a mouse in two and tossed half of it in his direction; Ronin wrinkled his nose but Sugar was very interested indeed, her head lowering over his arm to try and get a better look. A dutiful father, Ronin lowered her to the ground where she leapt clear of his arm to investigate the mouse... the mouse that quickly became a snack. Indeed, Sugar wasted no time, snapping up her half and tossing it into the air with a flick of her head, all so she could catch it and scarf it down in a few quick crunches.

Shrieking her gratitude, she hopped across the snow to investigate Jigano, knowing better than to disturb another creature while it was eating.

"Thanks," Ronin murmured, smirking to the fox. "And you be nice, now." That was to the dragon, of course.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Jigano - 02-09-2019

The dragon liked mice as much as the gryphon did, Jigano noted with amusement. Smaller Isuma, with her little owlet beak, took longer to work on her meal, but the white dragon was quickly done and just as curious to investigate the newcomers. Her shrieks were decidedly uncomfortable to his sensitive ears, but he kept them determinedly perked forward in friendly welcome as she hopped closer. He let his jaws loll open in a foxy grin at Ronin's gratitude before he crouched to let the silvery dragonet come close enough to sniff him, without looming over her.

Isuma was not, luckily, a food guarder, but she was gobbling down her lunch as fast as she could so she could join in the greetings. A few small burps later and only the tail remained, dangling from her beak like a little furry rope. Or... a toy? She certainly seemed to think so, as she waddled over to greet Sugar with a little chirrup Jigano had never heard from her before. Though he'd never met a dragon before, either, and neither had she. Maybe that was... normal? The dragon was only a little bit bigger than she was and they both had wings, so maybe she thought it was just a strange kind of gryphon?

He sat back when Sugar finished her investigation, looking down at the two little companions with fond amusement as Isuma sat up on her back paws, foreclaws folded neatly over her chest and wing stubs fluttering for balance as she flopped the tail at the dragon in open invitation.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Ronin - 02-10-2019

The foxy grin was met with a crooked smile in return, Ronin folding his arms and watching the interaction between fox and dragon. Sugar hopped closer still, leaving untidy little scrabbles in the snow as she did so, when Jigano leant down to greet her. Trilling more softly this time, she lifted her snout to investigate his furry nose, seeming to approve (the bribe of half a mouse helped) and giving her wings an enthusiastic flap to say hello.

At that point the little gryphlet had come to investigate too, Sugar sniffing at the air as if to decide what kind of a scent the new little creature had. Whatever it was, the toy thrown at her feet was well appreciated. Sugar reared back on her hind claws, silvery tail flailing against the snow, before she pounced at the tail.

Claiming it - and a fair bit of powder besides - between her jaws - she gave it an enthusiastic shake before tossing it back to Isuma with a flick of her head.

"Well, looks like someone has made a friend," Ronin observed, grinning.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Jigano - 02-10-2019

Both sides took their time to sniff greetings, Jigano remembering the little dragon's scent as something curious and wholly unique in his experience. He'd only faced a dragon once, and that had been in his human form, where scent hadn't really played a role. This little creature was as different from that one as night and day, though, and he was utterly charmed by her good manners. He sat back at the flap of her wings, grinning his foxy grin as Isuma waddled over to make her own greetings.

She wasn't nearly as scent-based as he was, he'd already discovered. Unsurprisingly, she responded far more to sound and sight, but she studied the white dragon intently as she approached even while being sniffed in return. They both seemed to come to the conclusion of 'friend' though, or at least playmate, because Isuma wasted no time in trying to convince the dragonet into a game of toss-and-pounce.

Gryphon and fox were both delighted when the winged lizard caught on quickly. It was, Jigano decided, a good thing for Isuma to have someone her size to play with for a change, and he surreptitiously made his way over to sit beside Ronin and wrap his tail over his paws with a silent laugh of open vulpine jaws.

Meanwhile Isuma squeaked in glee and made her own pounce - more successful than her usual hunting efforts, Jigano noted with amusement - before picking the tail up and bouncing over to the dragon, offering one side of the tail for what the fox could only guess was an invitation to tug-of-war. He looked at them a moment longer, then up at Ronin with his head cocked to the side in curiosity. He looked capable of protecting the little ones, and Jigano had his scent now, so he could track him if anything went amiss...

With a decisive sneeze the fox hopped to his feet and trotted a little ways off, nose to the snow as he tried to find a trail of something a bit meatier for the little ones to nibble on.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Ronin - 02-10-2019

Ronin quirked a knowing little smile at the white fox as it padded over to sit beside him; he had already figured the creature for an Attuned, and the fact that Jigano hadn't bothered to take a human form didn't bother him at all. Besides, there were more adorable interesting things to observe as he watched Sugar interact with the little gryphlet.

Lowering her head so her bright blue eyes could track the tail dangling from Isuma's beak, she trilled at her new playmate and dutifully took up the other end, tugging enthusiastically. How long it would take for the mouse tail to break or be eaten was anyone's guess.

Only when he glanced back to the fox did Ronin realise he had been left as a babysitter, more or less, though he did feel privileged to be trusted to watch both of the strange little creatures. He crouched down so he could watch them play, grinning at Sugar; it was probably good for her too, he thought, to have a more suitable playmate.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Jigano - 02-11-2019

Isuma Reep!ed happily at the trill and set her four limbs to resist the tugging when Sugar took up the other end of the tail. Being smaller, she was pulled forward, but fluttered her little wing nubs in happiness as she fought back with fierce, if tiny, determination.

Jigano, meanwhile, had caught the scent of a vole run a little ways off. It was faint, just a small hole poked through the snow, but it gave him a place to start. Stepping with exaggerated care he focused his ears on the ground beneath the snow, trying to sense the scurry of little paws...

Sugar was, perhaps, the more controlled of the two young creatures, but she was also older. Isuma had never had someone her size to play with before, and she still didn't realize how sharp her beak could be. After a few minutes of tug-of-war she got too excited and bit down too hard on the increasingly-ragged mouse tail, shearing her end off - and sending herself tumbling backwards to land, surprised, in the soft snow. It was instinct that had her slurping down the little bit of tail in her beak before she wriggled back to her feet, covered in powder and chirruping a sad little apology at Sugar as she came back.

The fox, meanwhile, was certain that he'd heard a squeak. Nothing was moving, that he could sense, but just to the north of him was a feel of something small and alive and ready to run if he tried to dig. So he did what any self-respecting fox would do: he crouched, made certain of his angle--

And pounced, driving down through the snow blind but confident. This time he closed his jaws gently around his prey as his tail and hind legs flagged above the drift, black pawpads startling against the white fur and snow around him. He pulled himself out carefully, and resisted shaking the snow off his head as the little vole trembled violently in his toothy grip.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Ronin - 02-11-2019

Sugar almost tumbled over as well as Isuma snipped the end off her tug-of-war mouse tail, the dragonet forced to flap her wings to keep even remotely balanced. She didn't waste a moment before snapping up the rest of the tail, seeming pleased, in fact, that the two of them had each managed to get a share of it. She chirped at the little gryphlet in return, as if in cheerful response to the apology, bounding through the snow towards her new friend when a distinctly voley scent hit the air.

Rearing up on her hind claws to try and sniff it out further, Sugar let out an excitable trill, and Ronin had to catch her before she went bounding off in the direction Jigano had disappeared to. While the little dragon gnawed at the buttons on his coat, Ronin chuckled and shook his head. "Where's your papa, huh?" He inquired of Isuma.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Jigano - 02-11-2019

Isuma perked up immediately at Sugar's cheery response, bouncing a little in place as the dragonet approached at a bound. There was the distinct possibility of a tussle in the near future, and she quivered with excitement as her little muscles tensed and prepared to pounce on her swiftly-nearing friend.

Unfortunately for her, Sugar stopped short, and Isuma's pounce landed her flat on her tummy in the snow at the dragon's feet. Peeping curiously, she looked up at her trilling friend and tried to mimic her stance, though her stockier body and shorter neck didn't let her stand nearly as tall. Sugar's attempted dash had the gryphon running a few bounds as well, though she stopped as the dragon was captured, turning to look behind her curiously. Ronin's question was a bit over her head, but she tilted back to look up at him with confident innocence.

Rrreep? she responded - though it was probably a request for the return of her playmate rather than a proper answer.

It was perhaps for the best that the white fox came trotting back before too much longer, jaws closed carefully and a little awkwardly around something. A joyful Isuma gamboled around his feet until he sat down, looking up at Ronin with mischievous blue eyes. He nodded towards Sugar, then flicked an ear at the human's gloved hand, waiting to see what the man would do.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Ronin - 02-11-2019

Later Ronin would privately feel all warm and fuzzy inside at seeing Isuma trying to mimic Sugar's posture, but for now he was a little preoccupied. "That doesn't tell me much," he said conversationally to the gryphlet, rising to his feet with Sugar cradled in his arm (she was still sniffing at the air and trilling in the hope of attracting the fox and the creature he had hunted). Squinting at the snow, it was difficult at first to spot the fox with his camoflaged pelt, but Ronin noticed at last when Jigano trotted up to sit by them.

"Well you took your time." Ronin smirked, glancing to Sugar as she was nodded at, having to think for a moment before he understood what was wanted from him. "Oh! I mean... sure. We were practicing anyway, weren't we?" Grinning to the dragonet, he carefully waited for her to clamber up onto the glove, where she chirped excitedly. Ronin held her into the air, glancing back at the fox expectantly.


RE: How to Train Your Dragon - Jigano - 02-11-2019

Isuma chirped obligingly back at Ronin, enjoying the conversation game they were playing. He made a noise, and then she made a noise, and now it was his turn again! And Sugar was trilling, too, even if she wasn't paying attention to whose turn it was, but that was okay. It was fun to have more people to play with, especially one that was the right size! She hadn't even known that people came in her size before this, and it was a marvelous discovery!

But then Jigano was back, and he tipped her a fond look and she could feel his love, and everything was right in the world. Especially when she noticed the flicker of movement within his jaws, and her big eyes grew even larger as she went still as a little statue.

The fox saw that his companion was behaving and turned his attention back to their new friends, seeing that they were ready to go. He flicked an ear in warning as Sugar looked balanced and ready, and then he crouched, opening his jaws to let the vole roll out. For a long moment it sat quivering on the snow, uncertain what to make of its world and terrified out of its tiny mind.

Then Isuma pounced at it with a squeak of glee, uncoordinated but enthusiastic. The small rodent's instincts took over and it shot off, a tiny dark grey blur against the white as it scampered over the top of the loose powder that the gryphon sank into. Jigano sat up smugly, keeping an eye on Sugar to see how she'd react to the fleeing prey heading off to her left.