The First Blight: Curse of Dumat [RP/Closed]

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin followed, walking next to Sulahn'nehn. The idea of not being on the ground made him a bit anxious. Traveling by boat was one thing, but up in the air? And to a place so far away as Antiva. He was doing his best not to let how short his breaths were becoming show. He was so focused on it, he didn't have much time to notice the stiff conversation between the female elf and their new commanding officer. Even if it was done with all the proper polite expectancies, it was far from friendly.

"I do hope its not long..." He hesitated for a moment, "When we left Antiva there wasn't much left. There may not be anything or anyone to assists by the time we arrive." That seemed like an adequate reason. Far from not wanting to be in the air for a prolonged period of time.

 

[FortyThree]

"Sure, sure. Well. The kind of horse that could bite the head off a Hurlock."

He gazed at the beasts reverently as they entered, sparing only a moment to look around.

"Once dear Constable arrives she can explain the basics. I've never ridden one before myself."

 

[Cinnonym]

?And if I had my way, t?would stay like that.?

A woman in leather and mail leapt over the gate of a stall to stand before the group, absently brushing feathers out of her bangs. The heraldry on her shoulder denoted her as a Senior Warden, and there was a glaive leaning against a column in the roosts. It looked old, well-worn where she?d gripped it, but the blade looked meticulously cared for.

?You must be the lot Vorenus? sending into Antiva City. Delphina?s getting mounted, but the rest of you aren?t going near my birds solo without lessons first. You?ll fall off, or damn near.? She crooned at a beast, very nearly purring, to coax one of the massive beasts from its roost. Standing at full height, the thing was as tall as two Ulrins. ?You don?t sit on a griffon like some pampered palfrey, your weight is on your feet and you?re holding with your knees. Oh, and add a weapon to that, too. ?actually, I don?t imagine most of you won?t be riding double by the end of it, but I don?t give the orders, now, do I??

She strapped blanket and saddle to the beast with as much speed as one would expect from a lifetime of riding. The thing kneeled to allow her to hook a foot into the unique set of stirrups and swing up onto its back, suddenly towering over the group.

?So,? she smiled, amused, ?who?s first??

Fidelity?s expression remained blank, but its words carried a surprising amount of anxiety, ?I? think not just yet.?

 

[ShadowFolk]

Sulahn'nehn watched the woman as she spoke, she clearly knew her stuff. Following her instructions word for word would keep the Wardens on their mount and from a long, nasty fall. However, she was not entirely eager to hop on one of their backs again. The flight clinging onto Trajan wasn't less than terrifying to her.

She waited and listened. Fidelity backed out and no one seemed to be going for it. Sulahn'nehn chewed on her lip in thought, then sighed and slowly raised her hand. "I'll go..."

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles didn't look impressed. Of course, this was purely due to his long practice dissembling. He ambled forward cockily, eyeing their instructor as well as her technique. He thought he'd seen her around, but hadn't got the chance to introduce himself.

"Naddy-something, right? Diocles Komnenos, at your service. Anything else we should know about directing the beasts?"

 

[Cinnonym]

Her brows quirked upward when Diocles addressed her. At his name, she smiled.

?Nadja. Nadja von Brandt, of the Anderfels. Senior Warden, is it? Ah, a well-earned promotion given your? martial prowess, yes? Your lesson will come soon enough.? Nadja turned towards the elven woman, a little slip of a thing. Easy enough. She leaned down to give her a hand up. ?Come, then, hold tight to my waist and put your feet just there, that second set of stirrups. Very good. Don?t lock your knees, give them a bend and let them squeeze the saddle. Yes? Now, don?t let go. Up!?

The griffon?s wings stretched and beat the air once before it launched from the top of the tower and into flight, leaving the party in the wake of the gust and a mess of straw and feathers.

 

[ShadowFolk]

It was very hard to listen to the part about not locking her knees when the beast took off so quickly. Sulahn'nehn let out a surprised shout as soon as left the tower. She had to tell herself repeatedly to just bend them, it might have been out loud and they were so very high up.

Breathe. Calm down. She knows what she's doing.

"How- How do you control-" The elf never quite finished her question, fearing that the next beat of the griffon's wings would toss her off.

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles smiled and stepped back, watching closely. There was something enchanting about a griffon taking off. He was also somewhat enchanted by the sight of the elf embracing the other woman as they prepared, hanging on for her life. He glanced back over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows at Jarrik and Ulrin with a smirk before turning back. He expected Jarrik to see what he was getting at. He half-expected Ulrin to interpret the gesture as code for 'rape and kill all the elves as a blood sacrifice'.

 

[Cinnonym]

"Reins and knees, girl! Watch me, feel the way I move, the way the griffon moves--"

The beast soared high and swooped low, the maneuvers leisurely but still much for an untrained rider to adjust to; even the swift change in altitude was enough to make the elf lightheaded. The woman encouraged her again not to let go.

"Lean your weight into the turn, that's what I want you to learn!" Nadja made a few more circles over the tower before looking back over her shoulder to smile at her, "Why don't you try firing off a spell?"

 

[ShadowFolk]

The elf was barely managing to keep on the mount and would now have to hold on with one hand. Either Nadja was extremely confident that she would be fine or she was mad. Sulahn'nehn did not attempt to get any spell out until she'd gotten used to the feeling of the turns. It was all a little much. When she felt brave enough to let go for a moment, she cast a spell and immediately grabbed hold of the woman again.

"I hope we run into no trouble. I do not quite like the feel of this!"

 

[Slycne]

Jarrik simply chuckled at Diocles and shook his head, not quite seeing the eroticism when hanging on for one's dear life was involved.

Truthfully, at the moment, the griffins had more of his fascination though, riding into battle atop a mighty war steed was romantic and glorified enough for the stories and legends, but taking flight on a beast as graceful and savage as a griffin was another matter entirely. He eyed one of the saddled nearby creatures, trying to make approximations and guesses as to how one rode one. From the sound of the roost matron, it was not dissimilar to how one gripped a horse during a charge. A theory he intended to test once they returned.

"So why haven't you ridden yet, you seem to have been with the wardens long 'nough?" He tossed the question towards Diocles, while inching closer still to one of the griffins curiously. Unsure if there was a way to properly approach one that didn't involve loosing a few fingers.

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles shrugged, keeping his eyes on the beasts.

"Simply wasn't a need, I've only been deployed within a short range of Weisshaupt, for the most part. The griffons are valuable, and their use isn't given lightly. Besides that, I've only been a Warden for a couple of months. I'm quite excited to finally ride one, though."

He grinned. It would be a new experience, and likely an exhilarating one. The archer almost seemed reluctant to wait for Nadya to return.

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin did not see what was so enjoyable to Dicoles and Jarrik about the beast. Just seeing Sulahn'nehn and the Senior Warden take off was enough to make him sick. And the woman herself did not make it seem any less terrifying. Perhaps under different circumstances her commanding demeanor would have reminded him of Ghil, but for now all he could think about was having to be off the ground, and it did not look pleasing.

Diocles and Jarrik seemed fascinate with the birds discussing riding them and their excitement. The excitement the elf felt was that he was going to throw up. He couldn't help but tense looking around at the beast, and the longer he stared the more he regretted having breakfast this morning. In fact he found he regret being born with a stomach at all.

Last. He was definitely getting on these things last.

 

[Cinnonym]

"Perhaps if we tied you down to the saddle!"

With the rush of the wind around them and the woman's face turned away from Sulahn'nehn, it was impossible to tell if she was being serious.

Soon enough, the elf was back on the ground and Nadja took each of the Wardens up into the air on the same route, testing who had the aptitude for griffon-riding--even the reluctant Ulrin was given a turn, she thought he looked agile enough to learn how to move. When all of them were once again safely on stable ground, Nadja dismounted with a smile.

"How are we all? Good, yes? ...No one has lost their breakfast?"

Spoiler: Dexterity Check

Add 1d20 to your Dex score, and let's see how you did in flight.

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles' flight was.. Not his best. He still came out competent, thanks to his natural talents, but the riding was far more difficult than he'd expected. Then again, with his lithe trainer pressed against him, perhaps he was simply distracted by thoughts of more recreational mounting.

I should really learn some control.

He nodded his assent to the Senior Warden's question. His stomach remained full.

 

[ShadowFolk]

Sulahn'nehn looked a bit like she was still up in the air, which was to say, startled. Steering a griffon was not her strong suit. She would have much preferred the trip to be by horse back if she had a choice. Nadja may have had a point, the elf might have just needed to be strapped down to the beasts if she were to stay on them. There was no way she was going to be allowed to take the reins.

"At least you lot fared well."

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin was doing his best not to shake when he mounted up behind Nadja. Once they were up in the air, he thought for sure he'd left his stomach behind on the ground. However, once he manged to open his eyes and steady himself, it was not so bad.

It was actually exhilarating. Steadily the elf loosened his grip on the woman and listened to her instructions. He was looking over the sides and behind them and ahead taking it all in. The world from up here was magnificent. He was almost more reluctant to get off than he was to get on.

"That was... That was perhaps the most pleasant thing that has been granted to us since the Joining."

 

[Slycne]

"Show me your worst."

The Rivaini teased brazenly before swinging up into the second saddle with an experienced motion. He took a moment to settle himself, studying how the creature differed from the coursers and destriers he was used to riding. It seemed denser, wiry and taut muscles instead of simple slabs to draw strength from. He placed his hands at Nadja's waist, only briefly noting it had been a few weeks since he'd last held any woman that close, a thought quickly dispelled as they edged out over the parapet.

Impressed, he whistled softly.

Soon the ground was far below them, the great griffin beating its wings with powerful strokes. It was that motion Jarrik found most difficult to adjust to, as the griffin's mighty back rippled to flap the wings the rider was unnaturally rocked along. Finding rhythm with the beast seemed somehow key, even if that action eluded him. The feathered creature dove, banked, and swooped in increasingly sharp manners at the honed behest of its master. All the while, Jarrik maintained fascination, it was a sensation foreign and wholly new. Though he did not appear gifted with an abundance of nature talent for the aerial riding, more practice would be needed.

"Aye, when can we go again?" Once boots were back on solid ground.

 

[Cinnonym]

Fidelity braced its hands against its knees, still overwhelmed from the new experience. Touch and smell were adventures for the spirit, what was it to do with the feeling of soaring flight?

"That was... highly interesting."

Nadja grinned; of the lot of them, at least none had fallen off the saddle. Still, the two mages seemed the worst for wear. "Senior Warden Komnenos and young Warden Ulrin will receive more private lessons. The rest of you ought to spend some time in the towers, get accustomed to the altitude. We'll be leaving at dawn, after all, and it'll be more of the same for you then."

The woman swung down from the saddle once her mount lowered to the floor, but instead of returning the beast to its stall she saddled up two other creatures. She addressed the two rogues when she spoke, "I'll meet you two in the courtyard. We'll be spending plenty of time ensuring you can keep your balance in the stirrups and guide them with the reins before we dare let you fly alone. Go, now, get to it!"

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles returned her grin with his own signature blend of amusement and self-assurance, winking to Ulrin. He took the lead to the courtyard, gesturing for the elf to follow him as he made his way down the stairs.

"That's us, then, 'young warden'. I think I'm fond of these griffons. Did you find it as exhilarating as I did?"