Rylen Lovelace

“You could find a private place to fly. There’s plenty of open spaces you and your dragon could go to.” Eadric didn’t like to see Rylen so put off due to recent events. “You’re going to excel whenever they call you in. You’ll be a full-blown Dragon Rider before you know it.” Assurance was one of the few things he could offer to Rylen to tide him over. That and a hug around his middle.

“Care to come with me?” He asked as he looked at the shorter mage. “We can just go south out of metia for a while i heard there was a cool city with a place made of gems. Im sure its not reall but it would be cool to explore a new land.” He spoke as he looked at the other. ‘I don’t know what i did to get a fan like you in my life but i must admit your flattery is growing on me small one.” He teased as he looked at the other for a moment wanting to kiss him but pulling back. “So what quest brings you out here today.”

Eadric was surprised that he had warmed up to Rylen so swiftly. He was so used to spending his days with his nose buried in a book that physical contact was so foreign to the shorter male. Despite this, he reveled in every touch given to him by Rylen and ached for his touch when it left him. “One-day people’ll forget what happened. They have to remember that dragons are still vital to us as a society.” Eadric shrugs in his attempt to give Rylen hope. “You’re a full dragon rider as far as I’m concerned. You made it out unscathed and acted quickly on your feet. If this had been a test at the institute I would have passed you with flying colors.”

“Yeah but if you ask me its taking far too long i missing flying and being in the air. I don’t think ive spent this long on the ground for a long ass time.” He spoke as he looked at the other and just held him close for a moment before letting him go. “They have to make it offical so its not big deal it’s just waiting for the time for them to call me in.” 

“Well I don’t trust many of them,” he replied simply. “And the one’s I do trust are usually very close to me.” He took a breath, pulling his hands from the pockets of his robe and crossing them over his chest, “And I can’t say I want to get close to a dragon any time soon.” At least not much closer than he already was. 

And the man tried to get him to leave. J’argo could only roll his eyes in response. “As much as I’d love to, you’re dragon has nearly crushed the flowers I was looking to collect.” With a nod, he draws attention to the sparsely littered and mostly shredded patch of ruby red flowers. “I think it would benefit both of us if you were the one who asked him to move instead of me. Just a hunch.”

“Well then that is your life but don’t judge someone about liking dragons.” Rylen spoke up from his spot he was sitting at. “Espically if said person is a dragon rider.” He looked at the other and raised and eyebrow as he demanded that the pair move from their spot. “Well then i guess its time you find a a differnt pach of flowers to pick from.” He spoke as he looked at the other. He wasn’t really found of the mage at this point in the conversation. “you can try by the tail but i doubt we are gonna move any time soon.” 

Eadric melts in his embrace, pressing his cheek against his solid chest. He shuts his eyes and draws a deep breath before he steps away from him, having to crane his neck to meet his gaze. “People’ll forget eventually. There will always be those that feel the after effect of the attack, but dragons are a vital part of our lives. We can’t let a few bad apples ruin the whole bunch.” Eadric gives the other a squeeze around his middle. “So, mastery mark. What’s that?”

Rylen smiled and kissed the boy on the forehead as he smiled at him. Their friendship had come out of nowhere but he still loved the other for it. “Im sure they will but not flying is hard i miss it.” He spoke honestly as he looked at the other. “It’s a test we have to take to leave the academy. To prove he have learned enough to be a full dragon rider.” 

J’argo closed the distance between the pair of them though was still mindful to keep an eye on the dragon. A small smirk couldn’t help but tug at the corner’s of his lips at the man’s comment. “Well, if you go around calling mages stupid, I can’t imagine that there are many who’d want to help you anyway.” A gentle wave of his hand brushes off the insult before returning to his side. “And it’s not that I think they’re all inherently bad,” J’argo corrects, “I simply don’t trust them.” 

“Why would i need a help from a mage when i have a dragon on my side.” He spoke as he looked at him. he looked at the other with a roll of his eyes. “Do you not trust humans and kings as well cause they are capable of the same ammount of destruction as a dragon..” He looked at the mage one last time. “If all you want to do is talk about how much you distrust dragons you can move along.” 

“He’s still down?” Eadric had tracked down Rylen with a bit of effort. He had parted ways with Rylen after the attack and was glad to see him alive and well. “You should’ve sought me out. I could make salves that will make him feel better.” He offers, looking at Rylen with a kind smile.

Rylen perked up when he saw the other and smiled. “Oh no hes not hurt.” He spoke to the other as he moved to trap him in a hug. “the salves you gave me for him worked the first time and i still have some to spare. People are still mad at dragons so its hard to fly. I was supposed to take my mastery mark soon but it got pushed back.” 

J’argo knew perfectly well that if anyone but himself had gone out to collect potion ingredients from the depths of the Valtolian forest, they’d come back with the wrong things. It was a job he didn’t mind doing, but didn’t enjoy. The forest always seemed larger than life and the longer he searched through it, the more bored he became. You could only collect so many mushrooms and spores before it became monotonous. 

And while stumbling across a dangerous looking dragon in the middle of a forest clearing certainly broke the rut he’d fallen into, it hardly made him feel better. The mage narrowed his gaze cautiously, stepping around the edge of the clearing until he caught sight of what must have been his rider. “—–I don’t understand how you can be so close to those things after everything that’s happened.” 

This is what Rylen hated the most people act as if dragons had one big hive mind and would just all attack at once. “A mage almost killed me the night before the flight and few of them are far from helpful but you don’t see me running from you.” He spoke his voice far beyond irritated at having to have the same argument with people. “just because a few them did evil things doesn’t make them all bad someone as close to earth and the gods as  you are should be able to see that but i guess not all mages are smart.” 

His skin was covered in dirt and grim as he moved through the scorched rock looking for anything that could be salvaged before they cleared it out. By the time the sun set his clothes where plastered to his chest with sweat. Done for the day he moved to large barrel of water pouring a good amount over his body washing away a lot of the grime. “This town looks so much different now” He spoke to someone that had walked up next to him. 

“You lived to see another day, Ry. There’s more to life than trophies. Spending time with cute boys, for example. That ought to be worth it."When the other lowered his forehead so theirs could brush he bristles, his cheeks going pink before he smiles. "Both are correct. I couldn’t just leave you running around with any injuries and I wanted to touch you.” Eadric wasn’t going to deny that. Rylen had been wearing that tight suit which did nothing but entice him. “Do you know of any places where we could hide till this blows over, ser?”

“all im saying is the trophy would have been nice. Cute boys are a plus but i don’t really have time for that too much training to do.” He spoke as he looked at the other and noticed the blush. “Do i make a great healer nervous?” He asked with a smile before pulling away a bit. “Well look at you killing to birds with one stone you are very time saving.” The joke left his smile as he looked around. He was trying to get his bearings to know where they are. “well i still have to do my part to help but i still could use a best. I think there is a cave somewhere around him, it’s not the best but it will do.” 

James knew that at times like these, he really should have been focusing on the people, on rebuilding, not himself. Still, standing there with Rylen, having felt his soft lips on his, the idea of being able to spend some times at beach with him away from it all, it was so easy to let all of the responsiblities and the trauma fall away. “Gods… you have no idea how badly I need that,” he replied, placing another quick peck on the taller man’s lips. They were hard to resist, especially now.

Once Medran gave him the okay, with an affectuate nudge of his nose, James carefully climbed onto the dragon’s back, settling in the saddle, smiling widely at Rylen. “Come on, let’s get going before it gets dark.”

The second kiss made him smile. It was nice to see the other and just be around him. It made sense why the older knights talked about loving being at home. When it came to never knowing what was going to happen coming home to someone was far better. “You have no idea how much i need it. Being up there and not knowing if was going to come back was harder then it looks.” He sopke honestly as he looked at the other. 

He smiled as he saw the other step up on the dragon and he smiled as he slid in the spot behind him. “You just want to see me in my swimsuit don’t you”  His arms wrapped around the other and grabbed the reigns of the beast that sat under him. “Lets go boy” He spoke as he felt the them left off the ground leaving the world below them. 

“You most definitely will not!” he demanded with a wide grin. “Spare me some dignity, will you?” Though despite his protest, it didn’t stop him from leaning into his friend’s solid body for support as they walked. The kiss had been unexpected at first, though James had no idea why it would. It wasn’t the first time he’d ever kissed Rylen, but with all of the chaos of the past couple days, he wasn’t sure if the blond would have felt as affectionate as he did. Still, James was all too eager to lean into it, to return it, to savor it. “I’m glad I get to do it again. Part of me was worried that…” he trailed off and shook his head. “Never-mind.”

“I’m fine, I promise,” he assured Rylen as they continued out of the castle and down to Medran. “Hey there, boy,” he he greeted the dragon with a soft hand to it’s nose, allowing the creature to catch his scent. “You up for a ride?”

“Alright ill let you walk out of her but any sign of hurting and im carrying you.” He teased the other as he pushed himself closer to the body so he could be a better crutch. The kiss was slow but as james got a hint as to what was going on it became more. it was like every kiss they had shared before but this time it had a joy of them finding each other after all that had happened. He smiled as he pulled back and just looked at the red head before him. “You don’t have to say all that matters is that we are here and we are going to the beach for a bit.” 

He smiled as he looked at the dragon he was saddled and ready to go. It was nice to know the boy he was falling in love with cared so much for his dragon. “I think he is go to eat and rest  for a bit.” 

well since you asked so nicely.