Snowy days.

((I dunno if everyone wants to do this but I'll start it up, I guess))

The snow was piling up outside the castle's door, but the fire was crackling warmly in the hearth. Percy was huddled by it, wrapped in the old threadbare jacket that he couldn't be bothered to replace, even after so many years.

There were footsteps on the staircase behind him. Percy turned to see Loki trying to descend the steps as quietly as he could. The demon froze when he saw Percy looking at him, then hunched his shoulders and came down, making sure the scarf that obscured the bottom half of his face was still in place. "C-can I join you?" he asked. Percy nodded and the demon came to sit next to him.

"Where's the girl you're usually with? The one with the fiery hair?" Loki asked, his thick accent stumbling over the words. It took Percy a few moments to figure out what he was saying.

"She's still asleep," he said. Then, after a moment, he inquired, "Does it get this cold in the desert?"

The demon shook his head, and the two lapsed into companionably awkward silence.

Ever since he'd returned, he'd done his best to stay away from everyone else, hoping that no one would notice his almost constantly changing arm- especially since only a week prior, he'd been desperately trying to hide the fact that he'd been using a dwarven arm. Now, rubbing the feverishly hot skin that even then was falling apart, rejecting the arm that he'd stolen from a woman he killed while traveling, it looks enough like his own that, if people didn't examine it too closely, it could work.

Except for the mottled black skin around the angry red seam that separated the body parts, the stitches that he had only recently placed, so that blood still welled out of them, pushing against the skin.

He shivered slightly, mismatched eyes narrowing slightly- his room was frigid and, well, lonely. Even though he could hear Vedrada perfectly well, her love for him warming him mentally, it had been so long since they'd talked. Actually talked, conversed about meaningless trivialities about the temperature and whether or not he should change his hair colour. Sometimes, he felt like less of a being with the lack of conversation between them.

Grabbing a cloak to disguise the red stain on his clothing, he descended the tower, cursing slightly at the burning that each soft jostle that his footsteps created inside his arm. The bones, he decided, didn't match up. It was poorly healed, mostly because he wanted to be sure it was the perfect arm for him before he cemented it to his being. Which it never was, and it wasn't like he could have gone back to go get his old arm, since during the fighting not only had Vedrada trampled it during the fighting, but it had been hacked into oblivion when it was still attached to him.

Sora noticed that his posture was a lot more meek-looking than before he became an official murderer.

Slowly, he traversed the length that was between his room and the main room, pausing when he saw that there were already two people there- or at least, what constituted as people. Keeping his mouth shut, he cursed mentally that he wouldn't be able to be as close to the fire as he would have liked, taking a chair in one of the farther corners and sighing. It was just as cold as his room had been (he refused to have a fire where he slept, since he liked small spaces and didn't like feeling he could catch aflame any minute), and much more awkward, considering it would be weird for him to turn on his heel and exit.

Maybe they wouldn't notice him. He pressed further into the cushions, curling up on himself with just that hope.

Loki noticed. His rather large ears twitched as someone behind him flopped into one of the chairs nestled into the many dark corners of the castle and he gave a small squeal, tail puffing up. Then, overcome with embarrassment, he curled up, raccoon tail wrapping itself tightly around his legs, and pulled his scarf up to cover his red cheeks. Percy looked around to see what had alarmed the demon.

There was a shock of blue hair in one of the corner chairs. He nodded to Sora, then asked, "Would you like to come over?"

Snowflakes fell gently from the sky and Sam brushed them out of her hair. The elf looked up into the slightly grey sky with a small smirk on her face. She may hate the cold, but snow was better than constant rain. She leaned back against hard, red scales, enjoying the warmth her dragon's inner fires provided.

Her book sat unread on her lap. Sam closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off. G'reth growled softly and nuzzled her leg. His warm body had created a dry patch in the middle of a two foot snowfall. There was a small crack and both the dragon and rider looked towards the sound.

A small white rabbit stood still, as if frozen, trying to escape detection. The creature's white fur made it nearly disappear into the snow, but the two beady black eyes gave it away. Two very fearful beady, black eyes.

Sam laughed softly as G'reth snaked his neck forward towards the rabbit. His eyes never left his prey. His rider glanced down his body and saw his long tail twitching in anticipation. Then, his body went slack and the large red settled his head down near his rider. The rabbit, sensing its luck, dashed quickly away.

Sam looked into one of his amber eyes. "Fortunate rabbit?"

The small nibble was not nearly worth the effort. I'll need to go hunting tonight though. His rider sighed and rubbed the tip of his snout. The dragon rumbled with content.

Contrary to what Percy had thought, Shelby was not still sleeping the day away. She had been off visiting Terlu in the caves near the castle, trying to coax Terlu to at least poke his head outside, the lazy lout. Ana, Percy's dragon, had been watching in amusement as the girl had first tried pleading, then ordering, then grabbing hold of the stubborn dragon's feathers and trying to pull him outside, until at last she had to give up or get her hair burned off.

There was still a faint smell of burnt hair as she stomped through the snow in boots far too big. She was startled out of her anger when she came across G'reth laying in the snow. "Oh, hello! I didn't realize that there were other people out here," she greeted them.

G'reth lifted his head lazily and looked towards the newcomer. He stretched his neck forward and yawned. His fangs glinted as bright as the snow in the sunlight. Sam stretched her legs and stood up to see who it was.

"Hello," she said, stifling a yawn behind her hand. The red dragon beside her shifted but did not rise from the snow. Sam saw his nostrils flaring as they picked up a scent. She focused on Shelby and noticed the scent of singed hair. G'reth looked at his rider curiously but Sam shook her head.

Not even going to ask, Two small streams of smoke drifted from the dragon's nostrils with his chuckle.

Her irritation returning as her surprise faded; she sat down beside the elf with a huff. "Was G'reth as frustrating as Terlu when he is younger?"

Sam opened her mouth to speak but her dragon beat her to it. I was more frustrating. The elf smiled at her dragon. The large red winked at her.

"Sometimes he would take off on me. In a huffy mood if he didn't get his way," Sam said looking at the dragon. He avoided her eyes, pretending to be absorbed with kneading his talons into the frozen ground. "He's stubborn, always has been. All dragons are, but he wouldn't be my partner if he wasn't,"

G'reth chuckled and blew a small smoke ring into the air. Once I dropped her into a lake while she was sleeping. We were flying over a small lake. She was sleeping quietly on my back so I drifted close to the surface of the water and pulled a somersault in the air. Sam hadn't bothered with her leg straps and she fell into the cold water. Woke her up pretty fast...

"Rude awakening if I say so myself," the elf said with an angry scowl, but the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.

Shelby laughed. "Then I'm lucky that Terlu only burns my hair."
She's the one annoying me, Terlu grumbled from the depths of the cave. Always pulling on my feathers. My mane is forever ruined.

G'reth chuckled and looked at his rider.

They argue like children.

Compared to us they are still children. Sam replied, leaning back against his warm scales once more. She had been young when she was forced to flee her city. Thankfully, she had found G'reth's egg and together they did what neither of them could do on their own. The elf shuddered to think about what would have happened if she had not found the large red egg. G'reth nuzzled her shoulder affectionately.

I love you little one... he said in his low voice. Sam put her hand on his snout in response and closed her eyes, enjoying the peaceful moment.

Darkest watched the younglings shiver in the waist deep snowpile he had swept up just for them.

"Concentrate not on the cold, but on the air around you. Heat it without using flame, and melt the snow."

one shivering girl looked over to her friend, then back at Darkest.

"S-s-s-s-sir, Why c-can't we just use f-f-f-fire?"

Darkest gave her a blank look. "That'd be too easy, besides, there's a lot more to mastering Flame than just summoning fire and shaping it to your desire. Believe it or not, but this will be a valuable lesson."

Darkest smiled brightly. The class looked like they wanted to cry. That, or murder the man who had cheerily swept up a large snow pile around each student. Either way, it made Darkest chuckle.

"First person to melt the snow get's some mulled cider, fresh from the kitchens." A few students perked up, but most just sighed and shivered.

'Graendl, why aren't they happy?'

The red dragon was quick to answer.

'Gee, I don't know. I'd be perfectly happy if my maniac of a teacher took me out into the training yard and buried me in snow.'

Darkest rolled his eyes. Teaching a dragon sarcasm was almost as deadly as mentioning their weight.

'I heard that!' A

"I'm glad you did!." He shouted, startling the freezing children. He glared at them.

"Well, do you want to catch a cold or drink cider? Think damnit, think! I KNOW you can do it without using fire, just think!" A cold breeze blew through, making him shiver.

"And do it fast."

Sam relaxed and spread her mind, wondering if anyone else was out on this chilly day. Many of the minds she felt were inside, wrapped in blankets or curled up by a warm fire. She stretched her mind further.

Darkest? she said, pressing lightly against the barriers around his mind. She then felt the minds of the younger pupils. What on earth are you doing? Sam felt G'reth shift next to her. He had felt the children's anxiety and was softly laughing. The rider rolled her eyes at her dragon.

"What?"

Good teaching method, that's all.

Really? Sam harrumphed sarcastically.

Shelby watched the elder Rider curiously. "Are you talking to someone?"

Sora started at the squeal, looking at Loki with wide eyes before frowning, annoyed by how lopsided his face felt. Well, whatever, that was his own fault, now wasn't it? Absently, he gazed over the creature- didn't recall seeing him, then again, the elf didn't notice much anymore- but said nothing of it, just remaining silent for a few seconds after the creature (the only thing he could think to call it) spoke.

"No," he finally said, shaking his head quickly. "I... I'm fine where I am, honest..." He frowned, finding himself unable to even look at Loki before he glanced away, shifting slightly in his seat and shivering. Why was he so uncomfortable when talking to people these days?

Percy glanced at the demon bemusedly, then shrugged and turned back to the fire, leaving the elf in peace. Loki, though, embarrassed by his outburst, cleared his voice and called out to the man, "Are you sure? It looks rather cold over there..."

"Apparently no one," Sam answered. Must be completely involved in his training.

Hope he doesn't freeze them to death... G'reth chuckled and stood up. He shook the loose snow off his body and glanced down at his rider.

Come on. You said an hour break and then back to paperwork.

Sam looked away from G'reth and muttered something under her breathe that sounded a lot like slave driver... The red dragon lowered his head and his rider grabbed onto one of his neck spikes to pull herself to her feet. She sighed. The paperwork was never done...

"We have to go. Council business to attend to," Sam said apologetically to Shelby. What if I just grabbed the papers and hid them in Darkest's room? Then they can be his problem... G'reth grinned as Sam hopped on his back. The dragon crouched low and beat down his wings to gain altitude.

"Don't stay out too long!" Sam shouted to Shelby as G'reth flew towards Sam's room.

Shelby grinned and waved back. "I won't!" she yelled, then stood and went back inside before she froze.

She admired Sam greatly; she always seemed to confident, and she was a good leader, the kind she wished she could be to her old troupe. Then maybe she wouldn't have had to rely on Percy so much. Plus, she and G'reth got along so well. Shelby scowled at the thought of Terlu.

The fire-haired girl found Percy and the weird demon guy sitting near the fire. She walked past, not noticing the man in the corner at all, and plopped down next to her old friend. "Hey."

Percy gave her a vague smile. "Hullo."

Darkest's ears twitched. He could swear someone was talking to him, or thinking about him...another cold gust made him concentrate on the younglings.

"Nobody? Nobody at all?"

He sighed.

"Warm the air fools, accelerate the particles or heck, just tell it to warm! None of you are getting any cider. At all. Now stay here and contemplate on what you-"

One small girl collasped, becoming buried in the snow and an angry dragon roared.

"Great." Darkest muttered under his breath as he reached through the snow pile gathered the child in his arms. He turned to the rest of the class.

"If any of you are going to feint or collapse, kindly drag yourselves OFF my training ground. Or I'll have Graendl carry you up to the roof, and leave you there." Shaking and chattering teeth were his only answer. Darkest frowned.

"Remember, heat the air without making fire, the next lesson depends on your ability to do so."

He turned, still carrying the youngling, and trudged into the castle.

'You're feeling guilty.'

'not now graendl, i need to find a healer.'

'Not all of them are strong...many will not be more than messengers.'

'Who said they have to grow up strong? Besides, there are many kinds of strength.'

Graendls snorting laughter echoes in his head.

'I could eat them for lunch! And none of their companions would be able to stop me!'

'Then it's a good thing you aren't in the habit of eating children, O' mighty Huntress.'

Darkest could sense the glare of disapproval.

Really child? You mock me?


'Mock you? I would never! It was just luck that the deer the other day happened to bound during your hunt...Backwards. And how were you supposed to stop in time to avoid that thicket? Besides, I'm SURE you getting tangled in that brush was just a fluke. you are a mighty dragon, after all.'

He got an embarrassed, sulky feeling from his partner then, and he couldn't help but laugh, garnering some strange looks from passing servants and riders, most of which scooted away, closer to the walls, as he continued his hunt for someone with enough knowledge to check the younglings insides and make sure she wasn't frost bitten.

G'reth soared around the castle, approaching the western side. A large balcony jutted out from castle and the dragon trimmed his wings and landed, as gently as his large body would afford, on the stone. Sam quickly hopped off his back and unlocked her door with a word in the ancient language. The large double doors swung open and she walked into her room. "Brisingr," she muttered under her breathe, starting a merry fire in the fireplace.

Her dragon crouched down and placed his head inside the large doors. His nostrils sniffed the quickly warming air. Sam grinned at her dragon's large head on her carpet. Good thing she had placed a ward preventing the cold air from outside from getting inside. One of G'reth's amber eyes watched her as she walked over to her bed and sat down on it.

For one, you should be doing paperwork. And secondly, he said looking grumpily at the fire, Lighting the fire is my job.

His rider laughed lightly. "I'm sorry, the last time you lit the fire you started the rug on fire. And I rather liked that rug... She chuckled again as the red dragon looked away from her bashfully.

So I sneezed as I was lighting your fire. Things happen.

"I know," Sam got up from her bed and went and scratched the soft hollow behind his head. The dragon growled in delight and settled his head down to rest. His rider walked over to her desk and looked distastefully at the small pile of papers she still had to finish. She sighed and settled down to work.

((Anyone mind if I join in? :DD?))

(( How's this, do it or I bann you for inactivity. :DD ....Seriously. :/))

((Still waiting....))

(( Sad. And from one of my own. Would you like some help structuring a sentence without using smilies?))

Benjamin awoke in a strangely silent, yet cozy room. His head felt as though it was split in two, and his muscles just happened to be spasming back and forth as though they had been scarred from a thousand battles.

He lazily sat in bed, his eyes noticing the multitude of minor visceral flaws, his ears taking in all the annoying sounds of the Castle. Worst of the noises was the local residents…the children of the Castle…



Benjamin slowly shifts out of bed and onto the floor, and proceeds to literally lock his limbs into place one by one. He stands up and begins sifting through his drawer, finding his ol’ trusty coat and jacket. After sheathing his Rapier and putting it aside he checks twice to make sure no one is spying and begins stripping down. Less then five minutes later, he’s wearing his black coat and preparing to begin his day.


Soon after getting dressed, he slips out of his dorm and on the path towards the library. Around halfway to the library he was stopped by a young, black haired Asian girl standing directly in his path...

“HELLO MISTER…Are you new he-”
Benjamin practically pushes the young girl aside, passing her and continuing to make his way to the library.

“WAIT A MINUTE, MISTER!” She yells, struggling to keep up.


He felt a pulling on the back of his jacket, and then a loud crashing noise…then the scream of a young girl…


Looking down in sympathy, he extends his hand to help her up.

“My name…is…Benjamin….you?” He utters in his normal monotonous tone of voice…

She looks up, her eyes widening “My name is Mao, and I’m the best Hatchling in this place!”

Snow, snow, nothing but snow. It covered everything and made the already cold weather even colder. It went inside your clothes. It could look beautiful, if you looked with only one eye and tilted your head a bit to the left, but Felkaranos wasn't interested.

"I'm late."

Felkaranos was a young man - some would still call him boy - who for some reason was walking in the snow. To others, it may have seemed as if he was lost or just mad, but they would be wrong. This man - or boy - had both a good reason to be out here, and he had a destination. But he was behind schedule.

"Where is that castle?"

His whispers didn't reach anyone but himself, but that didn't matter. He wanted to talk to himself. Felkaranos brushed snow out of his white hair and made sure that he still had his bag. Well, rather the contents of the bag. The bag itself was made of birch bark, and it wouldn't matter if he lost it. What he kept inside it however, was far more precious.

"Snow. Curse you."

Although he was young, Felkaranos had seen more than most men from his village would see their entire life. Which really wasn't that impressive when most men from his village were farmers who would never leave their birthplace. Felkaranos was a self-proclaimed explorer. He put it as his highest goal to explore the world. And then there were the treasures. He often found ancient items that had been forgotten for centuries, then sold most of them and kept only the finest. But this time he carried something entirely different. In his improvised bag, he had a large, round item that looked like a light blue crystal. He carried a dragon egg.