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 Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:53 pm
Dear Journal,
Sparky and I tried to fight a Firani, but Sparky didn't quite grasp the concept just yet. He thought we were playing, I guess. Maybe next time will go better. I might have to practice a bit with him first though...
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:18 pm
Dear Journal,
Well, Sparky understood the fighting a little better... he might get this eventually...
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:10 pm
Dear Journal,
Why can't we win against these Firani?!?! WHY ARE THE FIRANI SO TOUGH?!?!
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 1:22 pm
Dear Journal,
Firani are really tough... Guess Sparky and I will have to do some practicing...
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:29 pm
Sit! Stay! Roll over!!
"Okay Sparky, listen. You can use electricity just like me to attack." The Dovaa generated several sparks around his hands to demonstrate. "See? Now you try!"
Sparky's face went through several expressions as the little Keindred tried to duplicate the Dovaa's trick. Eventually Samril burst out laughing at the variety of expressions, causing Sparky to give a little whine. "Can't. Hard."
Samril thought for a moment. "Hmm... well, you are still young..." After all, it took a Dovaa a while before they could use any of the inherent magics of the race, so why wouldn't these little dragon-like creatures be the same way? "Keep trying, but don't worry about it, Sparky. You'll get it eventually."
This was disappointing. Samril did feel bad about scolding Sparky so much for not doing anything in their recent dragon fights since the little Kiandri Keindred was not able to actually use magic yet, apparently. But perhaps the little one could still learn some basic attacks?
"Let's try this instead, Sparky. Use your claws like I use these." Samril held up the clawed gloves he owned, then put them on and flexed his hands for a moment. Then he gestured for the young Drakein to follow him to a nearby tree.
They were in Samril's usual practice field on the Celestial Plane and most every tree bore marks of Samril's previous practices. The Dovaa raised his hands and got into a ready stance, then slashed quickly at the tree's trunk, leaving new fresh marks on the poor thing. "See? Now you try."
Sparky gave a chirrup and walked closer to the tree. The Keindred reached out and tried to copy what Samril had done, but underestimated the force he would need to mark the tree in a similar fashion, his claws doing nothing to the bark.
"That's okay! Try again, Sparky!" Samril encouraged the youngling, grinning as the Keindred started to swipe at the tree again and again. It took a few tries before Sparky got the hang of things, but he was soon leaving his own marks in the tree's bark.
"Good! Better stop there, though," Samril added as he noticed that Sparky was slowing down. No sense in pushing the youngster. He could remember all the time he'd spent practicing in his own youth. It took a while to get into shape for fighting and it made sense that the Drakein were the same way.
Samril gave the Keindred a through scratching of the head, causing Sparky to thrum happily with delight at the attention and affection. "You rest for a while, Sparky. I'm going to practice a bit then we'll see if you feel up to a bit more practice."
"Rest! Rest!" Sparky parroted back, thumping his thick tail against the ground. He loved watching his Bonded in action and settled in as Samril selected another tree to practice upon.
Before long, Samril was a blur of movement as he jumped in and out, slashing and stabbing, shocking and zapping the tree that was his target. He even switched to the next tree over during the attacking, pretending in his own mind that the dragon he was fighting had jumped back and he was rushing back to teach it a lesson!
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 9:48 am
Of Orbs and Eggs
Once again, it was getting close to the time where Samril was going to move up in the hunter ranks and he hadn't yet turned in any orbs. He knew of some classmates that turned them in right away in hopes of being promoted earlier, but the teachers won't promote you until you're ready. And it seemed they felt that Samril was, since they were hinting around strongly about it recently.
But Samril had been so busy recently with Sparky and trying to actually get some decent sleep that he'd kept putting it off. And now it seemed that it was the only thing holding him back. Plus, he'd been meaning to talk to Marcus about finding Sparky's egg and their bond. He could not deny that there was a bond between them. He could even swear that he caught bits of the Keindred's thoughts from time to time and wondered if the Dovaa leader knew anything more about it. Perhaps it was just because he was a Dovaa. After all, the Dovaa could understand the dragons, so why not these other types of dragons?
Samril was still not quite sure what exactly Sparky was, but he was not a regular dragon. He didn't look like them, for one thing. And he was a lot smaller too, though he already towered as tall as the Adept boy.
"Come too? Come?" Sparky chirped as he saw Samril pull out his travel bag and look towards the orbs he had stored. When they were home for a while, Samril preferred to display the dragon souls on a shelf rather than keep them crammed in the travel bag he used. He still hadn't looked into making some little sacks for Sparky, but that was something he wanted to do before they traveled out to fight dragons again.
Samril grinned. "I suppose you should come, yes. I'm sure Marcus will want to see you." The Kiandri Dovaa turned his attention back to the orbs. Now... which ones to take? He was obviously going to take the Firani orb. That was his pride and joy and he was very proud of it. He'd just hoped to have more of them to turn in other than the one.
But what about the others? He was supposed to turn in five orbs. Should he turn in the two Gaili orbs he'd found? He hadn't actually earned them, but he had found them in his travels once with some potions. Surely Marcus wouldn't mind that he hadn't actually fought the dragons for them? Or should just just take four of the Kiandri orbs? He had plenty of those.
Samril grinned as he recalled when he'd showed those orbs to his family. They'd all about fallen out of their chairs in shock. Sure, the Kiandri weren't as tough to him as they were to his Peisio brothers, but they were still tough dragons and he'd had so many of the soul orbs!
His mind made up, Samril stuck the Firani orb and four of the Kiandri orbs in his pack, then turned to Sparky. "C'mon Sparky, let's go see Marcus."
The Kiandri pair made their way toward Marcus' office in the Celestial Fortress. They raised some attention as they walked the streets. Until now, Samril had tried to avoid the streets as much as he could. After all, you didn't usually see a little dragon trotting along!
Samril ignored any calls and questions and kept on until he and Sparky were standing outside of Marcus' office. It seemed someone had run ahead to alert the leader of a dragon walking the Celestial Plane, for Marcus was standing in the doorway, clearly waiting for them. "Come inside, young Baird. You have some explaining to do."
"Yes, sir..." Samril sighed. He really should have come to Marcus as soon as he'd returned from Eowyn with a newly hatched Sparky in tow, but the little Keinling had been so demanding and he'd been busy keeping the thing fed that more time had passed than he would've liked.
Marcus shut the door as the pair entered and sat at his chair behind the desk, staring at the young Kiandri pair. "Explain."
Samril took a deep breath then launched into the explanation of how he'd found the abandoned egg and thought it was really just an odd rock and then how he'd been about to leave Eowyn and Sparky had hatched and how there had been a... well, a spark that was more than a spark that had bonded them together.
The Dovaa continued on about how he'd been so busy caring for the young Drakein and then how they'd tried fighting some Firani dragons, but they hadn't quite figured out how to fight together just yet.
Finally, Samril finished with an apology. "Sorry, sir. I meant to come see you sooner, but well..." He looked sheepishly at the floor. He probably should've come to Marcus instead of making another trip to Eowyn, but he'd been so eager to get more Firani orbs to turn in that he'd hoped the fighting trip wouldn't last as long as it had. But it had been a complete flop.
Sparky sat next to Samril's legs as the Dovaa talked on and on. He could sense that his Bonded was sad and worried. And that this tall man was the cause. As Samril talked on and on and grew more and more worried that Marcus would banish him for befriending a dragon that is not really a dragon, Sparky started to growl a low, deep growl that grew in volume until, once Samril stopped speaking, it became noticeable.
"Sparky! Stop." Samril hissed at the Keindred, which made Sparky whine. This man was being mean and he did not like this.
"Hmmm, I recall hearing something of these many years ago. They had a name, but I have forgotten it. But they are different from dragons, I do believe. And this one certainly seems tamed. Just keep an eye on him, young Samril."
Samril glanced up, relieved. He wasn't going to be thrown from the Celestial Plane! And he would get to keep Sparky! Though, if Marcus had tried to make him get rid of the Keindred, Samril wouldn't have been able to. Banishment would have been better than leaving the young Drakein on his own. Samril couldn't even think of doing such a thing!
"I will! I will. I promise!" The young Dovaa let out a sigh of relief, reaching down to stroke Sparky's head. The Keindred, with his bonded now happy, was content and thrummed at the attention.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I brought some orbs for you." Samril slipped the pack off his shoulder and carefully set the one red orb and the four golden orbs on Marcus' desk.
Marcus grinned. "Ah yes. You are ready to move up, aren't you? Well, these are some very fine orbs, young Baird. I will make note so your teachers will know they have been turned in."
"Thank you. C'mon Sparky, let's go." The young Dovaa waved to the older leader and the young Kiandri pair left for more adventures.
"Ah, the energies of youth..."
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:10 pm
Dear Journal,
Sparky and I ran into a very young Ysali Drakein while exploring Serenia. I was hoping to run into a Ysali dragon for Sparky to try fighting since they're easier than the Firani we've been trying recently, but no luck there. This little one was not bonded, I don't think. Or if it was, I never saw their person. But it was certainly a cute little one! My how fast Sparky has grown...
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:10 am
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:55 pm
Growing upPrompt Samril's brother Tyne appears one morning and asks to talk. He reveals that while having grown up in the Baird household where the older brothers pretty much deem that boys fight and girls heal, Tyne does not like fighting and wants to quit. He asks that Samril keep it quiet from their older brothers, but that he has already told their mother and asked Sarita to help teach him healing. How does Samril react? Does he agree to keep his brother's secret? Does he subscribe to his older brothers' view on gender roles or does he support Tyne in doing what he really wants to do regardless of how some of their family may react? Does this make Samril take a second look at his own choice?
It was early morning and Samril was preparing his pack to head to Eowyn once more for a chance at hunting some Firani once again. He still really needed to look into having some little packs made for Sparky. They could even carry extra water that way, which would be handy on the desert continent. Perhaps he should look into that first...
As Samril was sitting there thinking, a knock came at the door. Startled, Samril looked up. He didn't usually get visitors...
"Door! Door! Door!!!" Sparky chirped, running toward the door, only to be unable to stop himself in time and slid into it with a loud thud and then quickly get up to prance in front of it, impeding Samril's progress to actually opening the door.
Finally the Kiandri Dovaa managed to get to the door and get it opened (only to have Sparky instantly stick his head between Samril's legs to see who was making that noise happen!). "Tyne...? What are you- uh, hi?" Samril was surprised to see his brother on the other side of the door.
"Hey Samril... can I come in? I have something to talk with you about..." Tyne didn't exactly look his brother in the eye and seemed... different than normal. Something was up.
"Sure," Samril managed to somehow get the door all the way open without tripping over Sparky, who'd retreated a bit at the sign of someone entering his space. He let out a low growl, which earned him a scolding from his Bonded and the attention of the intruder.
"What the... Is that one of those Drakein? I thought they didn't like us bonding to them or something like that?" Tyne's attention diverted, he knelt to get a closer look at the cowering Sparky. Sparky was not liking this intruder thing! This was his space! Well, his and his Bonded's!
"Yeah... that's a long story. I found his egg before all that happened and we were already bonded. But they don't like it, that's for sure... He's almost gotten me into more fights than I can count now because of it all..." Okay, that last might've been a bit of an over-exaggeration, but Samril was getting very tired of having to constantly tell his story whenever he saw a new Drakein. "His name's Sparky." He added.
"Sparky?" Tyne chuckled. "Well, I could see that. I won't get too close to him, then!" If nothing else, it seemed that Sparky had cheered up Samril's brother a bit, though Tyne's expression became serious once more as he stood up and looked to Samril.
"Here, sit." Samril gestured to the one chair he had in his small room, which was getting smaller and smaller as Sparky grew. He was going to have to look into getting an actual house before long. At least most of his training was done and he could move out of the dorms anyways.
Tyne took a seat as Samril cleared a spot on his bed from where he'd been setting out items for his trip. He could leave later for that, no rush on it. Whatever Tyne had to say seemed to be important.
Tyne took a breath and Samril turned his attention back to his brother. "I don't want to be a fighter." He announced, a bit loudly, then sighed. "I never really did. I don't like fighting and I'm not any good at it. I have problems fighting the Firani dragons and they're supposed to be weak to Peisio! Took me forever to get to where I could beat a Kiandri... I really just wanted to be a healer. But Nin and Teslin... they would've laughed if I'd done that. I wasn't brave enough to stand up to them, so I joined the fighter ranks just like they did. And I've always hated it. But I finally decided that I don't want to hate it anymore. I'm quitting. Sarita said she'd help me learn to be a healer. Even Nila is way better than me at fighting..."
Samril listened as Tyne spilled his story in a bit of a rush. "I know several girls that can fight well. And some guys that don't like it. Nin and Teslin are just stupid. Just because you're a boy doesn't mean you should fight if you don't want to. Just like how Nila doesn't have to be a healer just because she's a girl. Do what you want to, Tyne, not what they want you to."
Tyne gave his little brother a small smile. "Mom said the same thing. I guess it really just hit me when I realized that you were about to move ahead of me. I won't ever make it to Expert as a fighter, I'm just not that good. I'm a bit surprised I've made it as far as I have, but I guess I'm just stubborn... and stupid. I should've quit years ago." Tyne sighed. "You won't tell Nin and Teslin will you? Mom and Sarita said they wouldn't..."
Samril shook his head. "I won't tell, I promise." He didn't even have to think about it. He and Tyne had always stuck together against the older boys and he wasn't about to stop now.
Tyne gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks. Do you think Nila would tell? I want to tell her too, but..."
This time, Samril did have to think for a moment. "Well, you would be a good thing for her to get their attention off her... but she's been going through it for so long and I don't think she'd wish that on you. Hard to be sure, though..."
"Yeah, I thought the same. I might wait a bit... I haven't even officially quit yet... I thought you should know first. I'm on my way now to do that." Tyne stood, then pulled his brother into a quick, two-second hug. "Thanks, Samril." And with that, he left.
Samril blinked, sitting back onto the bed from where he'd been pulled to his feet for that quick hug. He glanced over at Sparky, who gave a questioning chirp. "Well, that was unexpected... I never knew Tyne didn't like fighting..." He sat for a moment longer, thinking. "I wonder what else about my siblings I don't know... Does Nila wish she'd chosen healer as well and only keeps fighting because she doesn't want Nin and Teslin to think they were right? Or does she actually like it? And... I wonder how good she is... is she better than Teslin? She's been training a bit longer than Kevlin, but how do they compare? I never really paid much attention to all their stories before... am I really that ahead of some of them? I mean, all of my other brothers besides Tyne are Experts... but that doesn't mean too much now that I'm actually almost one as well..."
Samril sat that way for a while longer, lost in thought. He'd never thought before that some of his siblings might not be happy with what they're doing, though they all certainly seemed that way at family get-togethers. But were any of the others putting on acts like Tyne had been?
And how much truth had actually been behind Marcus' words about him being the greatest fighter of all his siblings? He'd put them aside as he'd grown a bit older, figuring that it was the old man's way of boosting a young boy's confidence... but had there been truth behind that as well? The last family dinner, he'd stunned most of them by his display of orbs, though Nen had later proclaimed that he had probably borrowed them from his friends or something. But Tana had later stated that she'd believed him. And that his mother had as well. And Sarita, but she was like a second mother to Samril. But Tana... Tana had believed him without being family and a doting older female... Well, okay, she was a bit older than him, but not by much.
Hmmm... he hadn't seen Tana in a while, being busy as he had been with Sparky. Perhaps he should meet up with her again. He was curious to know if she'd been doing better against the Firani since their practice match.
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:49 pm
Another shopping trip
After Tyne's visit, Samril spent the rest of the day lost in thought and so his trip planning was pushed back. But a few days later, he was considering trying again, but now he wanted to go and find someone to make some little packs for Sparky to wear first. So the pair headed off to Astral City to find someone who would be willing to make something like that.
The Kiandri pair stopped in a few shops, but there was nothing that even came close to working, which Samril was afraid of. He could buy some rope and a few packs and make something but he was afraid that Sparky's scales would rub against the rope and fray it or that the rope would leave marks on Sparky's sides.
And so the pair continued on after each shop owner had the exact same idea. Very creative, these shop owners... Samril noticed that several people paused to stare at them and several whispers started as they walked. Oh well, he'd been accused of stealing Sparky's egg many times by now and was getting used to it in a way. It was still tiresome to have to explain about finding Sparky's egg, but what else could he do?
Before long, the two had walked out of the shopping district and were among the craftsmen. Perhaps here they could find someone who would make what they were wanting... Samril kept an eye open for a leather worker, though it seemed alchemists and healers were much more commonplace. Even a few blacksmiths were more easily found but eventually Samril spotted a place and grinned. "C'mon Sparky. Over there."
The pair made their way to where the small leather worker stall was set up. The owner, a middle-aged Ayrala Dovaa, spoke without turning as they drew closer. "I don't often get customers... unless you're lost like most people I get..." The man turned and blinked in surprise to see the young Drakein standing next to the Kiandri Dovaa. "Well, this is new. What can I do for you?"
Samril quickly explained what he was wanting and the leather worker nodded thoughtfully. "That shouldn't be too hard. I probably have some scraps of leather around here that will work for most of the straps and some small simple bags will work on either side. Though, without knowing how big he'll get as he grows, I'll just have to go with his current measurements. But when he gets bigger and you need them replaced, just come back to me." The leather worker continued on, more thinking aloud than talking to Samril. "I might want to get a head start on making several of these too... From what I hear, several people have been looking for these Drakein to get an egg..."
Samril didn't comment. He'd met the Drakein leaders and they had not been happy about their children being Bonded, so he wasn't sure how many young Drakein would be found around the Celestial Plane, but he wouldn't be surprised if several still appeared from time to time...
The leather worker had already turned back to his worktable with the measurements and was sorting and measuring leather pieces.
"How long do you think it'll take?"
The man answered without turning around. "Come back in an hour or so. This being something new, I might have to try it on him a few times to make sure it fits right..." He paused to jot down some notes as he continued sorting the leather.
"Okay. C'mon Sparky, we'll go look around a bit."
The two wandered around for a while, watching a few various craftsmen at work before they made their way back to the leather worker, who seemed to be ready for them. "Let's see how this fits. I've put a few buckles on so it can be adjusted a bit, but still not sure how long it'll last him."
Samril knelt and the two of them had it adjusted and on before long. "That didn't take you too long to make," Samril commented, giving a strap one last tug. "How does it feel, Sparky? Try moving around some."
As Samril straightened, the leather worker chuckled. "I happened to have a few small packs on hand that I hadn't sent to be sold yet, so it saved me some time." The two of them watched as Sparky carefully walked around, twitching his wings and shoulders around some.
"Tighter." He chirped as he returned to the two Dovaas. Samril quickly knelt and tugged on the straps that Sparky guided him to via their bond.
"There, try that." Samril stood once more and Sparky walked his circle again. Then the Keindred circled again, this time more quickly.
"If he's gonna run, he better do that outside!" The leather worker piped up before the Keindred could circle the small work area a third time.
Sparky heard and moved out before taking off at a run, then quickly turning and running back. "Good! Good!" He chirped happily as he rubbed his head against Samril, who laughed and turned to the leather worker.
"Thank you. This will come in handy during our dragon hunts. How much do I owe you?"
The leather worker tried to wave it off, knowing that with these measurements he'd be able to make several more and sell those easily, but Samril wasn't going to let him get away with it. They finally settled on Samril paying the price of the small packs that had been used in making the harness, though he still felt it wasn't enough.
Finally with the payment settled and complete, Samril and Sparky headed back to their dorm room to pack for a trip. He should look into getting a home when they returned, but for now he was more eager to go beat up some dragons with Sparky!
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:50 pm
Dear Journal,
Wow, Sparky and I have gotten better, it seems. This Firani was easy! I think we might try some Peisio next... we should have good luck with them since we're both Kiandri!
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:41 am
Moving out
With Sparky growing ever so slightly bigger and bigger, Samril had finally realized that they needed to get a new place to live. And sooner, rather than later. Now would be even better. And so he was stuck having to navigate that headache instead of hunting down Peisio dragons like he'd much rather do!
There were always a few empty homes around the Celestial Plane, either the result of a warrior dying and not returning home, the occasional banishment, or a wedding and the two moving into one home together. Several of Samril's friends had already moved out of the Celestial Fortress upon becoming Expert. Very few Experts actually continued studying and, while Samril did plan to continue working and studying, he would just have to commute back and forth from a much larger home than the dorms.
An older Ysali Dovaa woman was showing Samril and Sparky a few of the empty homes in the Dwelling Place. She'd met with the two Kiandri a week ago to discuss what was needed and had said she'd look around for some possibilities. Now, she was going to show the three homes she'd found that might work for the odd pair.
Samril had seen how large a Drakein could get and had wanted a place where Sparky wouldn't have to be outside all the time, which made things harder. Many of the empty homes were small, single-person dwellings. The type that were rather common and usually had a faster turn-over rate than the larger family dwellings.
"This first one is a bit iffy," the woman admitted as they walked down the cobblestone paths. "It has a nice large backyard, but I'm afraid it might be a bit small for your... friend, she told Samril. He'd noticed that she didn't speak directly to Sparky and treated the Keindred as almost a pet more than a companion. But she was supposedly good at finding homes and his friends had recommended her. He just hoped she found one quickly so he wouldn't have to deal with her for very long.
"Here we are," she announced as they stopped in front of a smallish home and started up the path. Samril could already tell it would be a tight fit with a full grown Drakein, which Sparky was close to reaching. But he kept quiet as they entered (Sparky having to squeeze in through the door and narrow hallway beyond).
The woman talked on and on about the good features (Samril counted her mentioning the large backyard multiple times) while the trio made their way slowly through the house.
Finally, Sparky had had enough. He huffed and squeezed his way out the back door and sent Samril a mental vibe of discomfort and eagerness to be away from this place. But the woman wouldn't shut up. Finally, after a good two circles through the house, she paused and glanced at Samril.
"No." He said and left it at that, heading out of the house so they could move on. The woman looked a bit upset at such a quick rejection, but hurried to lead the way to the second home as Sparky walked around the outside to meet back up with the two Dovaa.
The second home was a drastic improvement over the first. While still a bit small, it was more of an open floor plan which made it seem larger. It didn't have as big of a backyard, which was fine, though a large one would be nice.
Finally the tour of the home was finished and the woman looked to Samril. He paused for a moment. "This one is much better... How about we go look at the other and I can compare them." The woman nodded and they were soon on their way to the last house.
As soon as they walked up to the last home, Samril forgot all about the second house. This one was a bit larger and had the open floor plan once again. But it also had a huge backyard, complete with a fence. As they walked through the home, Samril wondered why the woman had even bothered to show him the first two homes. This was exactly what he was looking for! Sparky had plenty of space to walk around inside and the back door was double French doors so he could easily get in and out of the house.
"This... this is perfect." Samril stated before the Ysali woman could even look his way. Then he noticed her expression. "What?"
The woman winced and then told him the price. Samril nearly fell over. He knew he'd have to spend more than his friends and had been working extra hard to earn some coin so he could afford something larger, but he hadn't been expecting to have to spend this much.
Noticing his expression, the woman told him how much the second house was going for. It was much less, almost half of what this house was listed for. And much closer to his price range. In fact, he had a bit more than that but not enough to get this one.
"Can... can we have a few minutes?" Samril asked, his hand resting gently on Sparky's head. The Keindred crooned softly as the woman nodded. "We'll... be outside for a bit." He always felt he could think better outside.
The Kiandri pair made their way to the backyard and settled somewhere around the middle of it, facing the house. True, this home was a bit larger than they really needed for just the two of them, but Samril knew without asking that Sparky loved it just as much as he did. The Dovaa leaned into the Keindred's side, sighing a bit as Sparky wrapped a wing around his Bonded.
They sat that way for a bit in silence, their bond doing all the talking. Samril had noticed that he was getting better and better at reading what Sparky was thinking and feeling through their bond, which seemed to make the Keindred happy as he had a hard time expressing himself in words sometimes.
"Like." Sparky softly stated.
"I know. I do too. But we can't afford it. And won't be able to unless we work really hard for a while... and it'll probably be gone by then." Samril sighed. It would have to figure. They find the perfect place and it's too much for them. "That last one wasn't too bad. And we could afford it."
Sparky didn't speak, but his disappointment was easily felt. Sure, the other one was okay but this one was so much better. Samril felt the same way. Glancing up, he saw that the woman had come out and was standing just outside of the back doors. With a sigh, Samril stood, though Sparky stayed where he was.
Reluctantly, Samril approached the Ysali Dovaa. It took him a while to realize that there was another Dovaa standing behind the woman. This was another older Dovaa, though this Dovaa was from the Kiandri clan like Samril. Curious, he picked up his pace and met up with the two.
"Samril, this is Fyrian, the owner of this house. I told him that you were interested, but that his price might be a bit steep for you..."
The man gave the younger Kiandri Dovaa a smile, glancing past him to the Drakein in the yarn. "I've heard many things about you, Samril. My family and I lived in this home, but my children are all grown and I have no use for such a large home with just myself and my wife. I would like to see it full of life once more and a young man like yourself would be able to do that. So... for a fellow Kiandri and for a great fighter as yourself, how about... half?"
Samril's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Half? But... but, that's too cheap!" He shook his head in both rejection and shock. Sparky made a questioning chirp from where he lay, wondering what had happened to make his Bonded so startled like that.
The man smiled, firmly stating the deal once again. "Half. Not a single coin more." If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he'd give the house to Samril for free, but he knew that the young Dovaa wouldn't take it. Offering it at a discount was a compromise that he was quite willing to meet. For he had indeed heard many things of the younger Dovaa. And such a nice young man would soon have a nice young lady and they'd need a home for their family.
Samril was still shaking his head, but Fyrian's firm stance wasn't going to be budged at all. Eventually, the two came to realize this and Samril gave in, though reluctantly. He still felt it was too cheap and he'd find a way to help pay for it in a different manner.
But for now, he and Sparky had some work to do getting their new home set up! Like... finding furniture. The house was empty of it, but it wasn't going to stop the Kiandri pair from spending the night in it anyways. Samril figured they could curl up together on the floor for one night. They slept that way often enough on dragon hunts, after all.
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:23 pm
Making magic... and mistakes
Now that they had a place of their own, Samril was eager to try out some practice in their own backyard. He had some ideas for targets that he could make, but for now they'd make do without. "Let's warm up with a few laps," Samril commented to Sparky, who chirped an agreement.
The Kiandri pair took off and started around the edge of the backyard. As they jogged, Samril thought of something that they could do for practice. Sparky caught his Bonded's thoughts and agreed, so once they were warmed up, they headed for the middle of the yard.
They'd agreed to a gentle sparring match. Light contact and starting out very slow, they could gradually work up to speed a bit and both practice at once. They started off at a very slow pace and were each able to easily dodge and block the light attacks. As they grew more comfortable with the sparring, their Bond was able to communicate the gradual picking up of the pace.
Before long, they were moving at a pace that was still slower than a normal fight, but was quick enough to be a challenge. Sparky grunted as one of Samril's punches landed lightly on his flank and gave a snort. Samril's guard dropped as he felt the shock that ran through his system.
But Sparky was already retaliating from the punch and his eyes widened as he realized at the last moment that his Bonded wasn't prepared. "OOPS!" The Keindred tried to pull his attack but it was too late to avoid hitting the Dovaa. His claws made contact, slicing down Samril's jaw.
"Sorry!Sorry!Sorry!Sorry!" Sparky whined as Samril fell to the ground with a cry. The young Drakein hovered over the Dovaa as Samril shed his shirt and quickly pressed it against his jaw. He pulled it back and saw the amount of blood and quickly pressed it back harder, wincing at the pain.
"Sparky... Sparky, it's okay. It was an accident." He tried to stay calm to calm down the Drakein, but it didn't help much. Samril leaned heavily on Sparky as he got to his feet and took a few unsteady steps. "We better get to my sister's house...
The Kiandri pair set off unsteadily at first for Sarita's house. It wasn't too far away, but the walk seemed to take forever to the wounded Samril. Each step hurt as the vibrations moved up through his body to his jawline. He kept the shirt pressed against the wound, though the pressure hurt.
Soon, they were stumbling up the path to Sarita's front door. Samril eased himself from where he'd been leaning against Sparky to raise a hand to knock and the front door opened.
"Sammy! What happened?! Vynn saw you coming up the walk and I sent him to fetch Tyne. Tyne's been staying here, but he went out earlier. Come, come, I've got Triss helping me set up in the kitchen." Sarita took over guiding Samril as they walked through the entry and down the hallway to the kitchen, where she gently pushed Samril into a chair at the table and motioned for her daughter to bring some clean, wet rags over.
A pot was boiling on the stove with several rags floating within. Several of these were quickly fished out by the young girl, who looked at her uncle a bit apprehensively as she approached. Samril tried to smile reassuringly at her, but winced as the movement hurt.
"Keep your lips still, Samril. I need to see the damage." Sarita gently peeled the bloody shirt away from Samril's jawline, though the boy winced several times during the process as bits of the shirt had stuck to the open wounds. "Sorry, sorry."
Sparky whined and Samril glanced at the still worried Triss. "Triss... why don't you take Sparky outside while your mom works?" He whispered, trying not to move his lips too much.
Triss glanced at her mother, who quickly nodded and herded the two youngsters out the back door. She'd no more than closed it and turned back to inspecting the damage to Samril's face when the door slammed open and Tyne ran into the kitchen, out of breath.
Tyne's eyes widened as he spotted his brother's face. "What happened?! No, wait, don't talk." He added the second quickly as he caught sight of Sarita's face. Tyne turned to Vynn, who was entering the kitchen behind his uncle, out of breath as well. "You better fetch your grandmother too, Vynn," he spoke softly, then gently shut the door behind the young boy.
Sarita sighed in relief. "You lucked out here, Samril. The cuts are straight and shallow, though they're long. They're going to scar, but other than that they should heal just fine. I need to make sure they're clean before I start, though." She grabbed another wet rag and went to work for a bit longer on Samril's face while Tyne brought the pot of water to the table and sat it beside Samril.
Though it seemed to Samril that everything was taking forever, it wasn't long before Sarita deemed the cuts clean and gestured for Tyne to move back. "Facial cuts are very tricky and these go over the mouth too. Just watch for this one, Tyne." She made sure her pupil nodded before turning her focus to her healing magic.
Soon the water from the pot rose as Sarita's hands sketched across the air and then a cool gel-like substance settled onto Samril's face, startling him. He'd not expected it to be cool at all, but it felt so good.
By the time Damla slammed open the back door, Tyne was leaning over Samril and inspecting the cuts while Sarita slumped in a chair herself. "What happened?!" Their mother asked, which caused Samril to sigh.
Tyne spoke without looking up. "Samril's not supposed to talk right now. So not sure." There was a moment's silence before Tyne straightened up. "They've all closed up," he reported to Sarita, who nodded.
"Good. They're still going to scar, but the scars will probably fade over time, Samril." Sarita glanced at her mother. "Would you mind making some soup, Mom? Samril, you're not to talk whenever possible and no chewing. For several days at least, a week if you can. The longer you take it easy, the better the scar tissue will grow in and let the cuts heal."
Samril gave a nod and Tyne was back next to him with a mug of cold water. "Drink. You've lost a lot of blood." He helped his younger brother while their mother set about making soup for Samril to eat and take home with him.
Sarita glanced at her youngest brother with a grin. "Vynn will be glad to hear you're okay now. He was worried sick when he saw you stumbling toward the house. He really looks up to you, you know." At Samril's startled expression, she laughed. "He does. We're all proud of you, even if some of us don't want to admit it..." She grinned at her youngest brother.
Tyne gave Samril's hand a pat. "And some probably never will. But we are."
"Of course we are! You're the best fighter in our family, Sammy. The others know it too. And I don't think Vynn is the only one looking up to you."
"He starts his apprentice training soon. He can't wait to brag about you to all his classmates and friends. Though, I hate to break it to you, but Triss leans towards Nila." And the three older Bairds burst into laughter as Samril rolled his eyes.
"She should." He managed before they shushed him. Tyne grinned. This no-talking thing was going to be hard on Samril.
The back door opened cautiously and two small Dovaa heads and one large Drakein head poked in. "Samril better?" Sparky asked, more for reassurance than anything. He'd felt the pain from his Bonded almost disappear and that Samril was feeling better, but he had to see it for himself.
"Yes," Samril quickly reassured Sparky before the others could stop him. The Dovaa could feel the waves of apology and sorrow coming from the Drakein and he sent back waves of love and pride, which brought confusion from Sparky until Samril remembered the feeling of the shock going through him and Sparky sent back a startled feeling. He'd done magic? When Samril confirmed, Sparky blinked in wonder.
"We'll practice later," he commented, which drew confused looks from the Dovaa who hadn't been part of the bond conversation, but brought a look of eagerness to Sparky's face.
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:48 am
Practicing magic
One day of Samril sitting around while his mother and sister fussed about him was one morning too many! He'd been convinced to spend the rest of the afternoon and that evening at Sarita's house so they could keep an eye on his healing. But then it turned into an overnight stay and "oh, have breakfast with us" and then they kept trying to get him to stay longer and longer.
But with the enforced silence and bowls and bowls of broths and soups, Samril had had enough. He could rest just fine at home and promised to do so. Plus, he wouldn't have anyone to talk to at home and they could send food along with him.
So, carrying a large basket with various dishes of broths and soups, Samril was finally headed home. It was nearly midday, but he was glad to be finally back on his own. Well, okay, Sparky was there, but that wasn't the same as having everyone hovering over him. Plus, he was eager to get Sparky practicing his magic more. The Keindred had apparently come into his magic finally and Samril was excited. Another lightning user would be great against a Peisio dragon!
It wasn't long before they were home and the basket of food was placed in the kitchen. Sparky was already waiting in the backyard, having hopped the fence while Samril went inside quickly to drop off the basket. Now Samril came out the back door and paused, thinking. He quickly turned and went back inside. He found what he was looking for and dumped the contents that hadn't been unpacked out of a box, carrying the empty box back with him outside.
He placed the box in the middle of the yard, avoiding the spot where the two of them had been sparring. Sparky hovered, curious pouring from his body. Samril grinned and motioned for the Keindred to back up, which Sparky did, watching. The Dovaa generated a very mild spark and sent it at the box, then motioned for Sparky to try, reinforcing the idea through their bond.
Sparky caught on instantly and his tail swished happily as he stared down the box. Samril backed up, though he knew that a shock wouldn't be very harmful to him. But no point in stressing his poor body any more than it had been recently.
Sparky tensed up, clearly focusing. But nothing was happening. "Relax. Breathe and don't think so hard." Samril thought at the tense young Drakein.
While those exact words might not have crossed the Bond, clearly the message did and Sparky let out his breath in a loud huff and frowned. "Hard." He muttered, though Samril heard it.
"You did it yesterday without thinking." Samril thought again, but this message didn't seem to cross as well through emotions. Sparky was focusing on the box once more.
Remembering what had caused Sparky to release the spark the previous day, Samril looked down and found a small pebble not to far from where he was standing. He picked it up, moving slowly so as not to distract Sparky from the box. He moved just a bit so that his toss wouldn't be seen and aimed for the Drakein's flank.
The pebble hit and, startled, Sparky let off a spark, zapping the box. He turned and looked behind him, seeing nothing, and then back at the box, blinking. But now that he was more aware of it, the little spark was enough to trigger his ability, it seemed.
With a large grin, Sparky let off a few sparks tentatively, then more as he grew more confidant. Soon, the box was reduced to a crumbled pile that crackled from the lingering electricity in it. Sparky grinned and turned to Samril, who grinned back, then winced. The scars were still tight and tender. He'd have to remember not to grin so much...
"Good job," he praised Sparky, letting his pride flow through their bond. Now they could travel to Serenia for a Peisio hunting expedition!!!
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:12 pm
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