World of Dragon Riders: Book One

Chapter 7 - Animalities

Soren and Bridgette - Sky and Yin 

Soren, Bridgette, Sky and Yin were paired against Rollan, Felicia, Oakwood and Canyon... and those two Senior Dragons were TERRIFYINGLY good at swatting Soren and Bridgette off of Sky or Yin, or blasting them with out hurting them or their dragon counterparts. Soren got lucky, he nearly dislocated an arm landing on the ground below. Bridgette wasn't so, Sky had sent Rollan off Oakwood, and when Oakwood swivelled to catch Rollan he smacked his wings into Bridgette, who landed ON Soren.

"Hey Rollan! WHAT is the PLAN anyways! Improvise?!"

"YEAH! You did a blimey good job against those Dark Riders who interfered in the Initiation Test, improvising should be a cake walk! Come on! Try me!" Rollan challenged Soren, and Oakwood blasted them with a bolt of powerful magic. Bridgette rolled off him and Soren bolted from the spot in time to dodge it.

"Watch it! Or you'll hit us!"

"That's the big IDEA! It's TRAINING! Here's a tip, DODGE!" Canyon roared, blasting them again. They narrowly dodged, and Sky And Yin were not helping.

"GUYS! HELP! DOWN HERE!" Soren yelled up to them. Sky heard him, but ignored him with a mischievous smirk. "SKY!" He rolls side-ways and grazes his knee, then crashes with Bridgette. "FORGET IT! They won't help, so we have to take care of ourselves!"

"How?!"

"We need to learn to cope without them! That must be why YIN isn't helping... maybe? Come on! I have an idea." Soren spots a weakness in Canyon's attacks. He hesitates after he fires or he goes flying backwards. "First we need a way to knock Felicia off Canyon. We need to split, then provoke him to fire. I'll do bait, you knock Felicia off... got it?"

"Yeah! So... that means when he strikes we need to time it right... LOOK OUT!"

Lance and Ryan - Duststorm and Fireworks

"That all you got you two?! Come on! You can do better than that!" Olivia mocked them, while Violet smashes them with huge stalks grown from the ground. Shaun and Smoke aren't doing anything, just supervising.

"HOLY MOLY THIS IS DANGEROUS! AND WE GET NO HELP FROM THE DRAGONS?!"

"We need to learn to cope without them."

"BUT IT'S DRAGON RIDING! HONESTLY!" Lance shriekes and falls forward as the ground gives way beneath him. Ryan drops forward and catches him. He manages to catch a glimpse of Bridgette and Soren, Soren was waving his arms to get the Senior's attention, and Bridgette was... somewhere else. Probably part of a plan where Soren was bait.

"RYAAAN! PAY ATTENTION PLEASE?" 

A PLAN! That's it!
"Lance we need a plan! Now!"

"Yahoo!" And Violet dive-bombed them, Olivia was sparking magic from her hands... sparking an idea from Ryan.

"Lance, draw their attention! For a second I swear!"

"And you'll do WHAT?!"

"Trust me!" Ryan bolts and hides behind a boulder, keeping an eye on Shaun and Smoke in case they decided to participate. He recounts several spells, pulling out the hasty written manual he had tucked away in his shirt, and casts one. From his hands came whips and rope of fire-light, and he threw them at Violet and Olivia. One snared Violet's foot, the wrapped around Olivia, and Ryan pulled. Olivia yowled in surprise, and Ryan span circles while she did. Shaun watched intently as Ryan randomly threw her in one direction... which to his lucky surprise was into Rollan, about to charge Soren. He fell off Oakwood with a yell of surprise and he and Olivia landed on feathers as Sky caught them.

"THAT WAS AMAZING! Awesome job dude!" Lance cheered, then backed up. Ryan whipped to see Smoke take-off and charge... not at them, but at the Dragons.

"DUSTSTORM!"

"FIREWORKS!"

"LOOK OUT!"

They dodged, barely, in time, but Fireworks tripped on his own foot and smashed into Duststorm, who crashed into trees. They were fine though. The two boys ran to their dragons' side and hopped onboard just as they were about to take off. Soren and Bridgette managed to sneak up the trees Yin and Sky were on and hopped onboard too. The four re-grouped and then faced the remaining two riders, Shaun and Felicia.

"You guys are naturals! Ryan that move was amazing! Very creative!" Felicia congratulated.

"Too bad you didn't get to do Soren's plan." Shaun added. Ryan smiled apologetically at Soren, who gave him the thumbs up. Positions wise, left to right, Sky, Yin, Duststorm And Fireworks were lined-up together... and they and their Riders grinned. But suddenly Marine appeared, flapping frantically, and she smashed into the four. Yin and Duststorm pulled out in time, but Sky And Fireworks were smashed into and Soren and Ryan barely kept hanging on.


Time-Lapse... Marine reveals the reason why the other groups weren't there.

"Why would they be afraid of Sky and Soren?" Lance said, worry creased his brow.

"Afraid? Ninnies! This guy's awesome! Dragon too!" Bridgette protested, waving her arms to emphasize her point.

"Well... some people recognise Sky's aura, those whose villages were..."

"Were attacked by the Dark Riders. I was there at hundreds of them as their leader's dragon. Of course they'd recognise me... I should have known!" Sky cried, whimpering in a ball. Yin hugged her, and stroked her back with her tail.

"What about Soren?" Nearly everyone else synchronised.

"Well... I have no clue! They never said anything about why they feared you young one!" Marine apologized, bowing her head in defeat.

"No it's fine Marine! If I have to prove they shouldn't the two us" he gestures at Sky. "Then so be it!" He finished, clenching his fists in determination.

"Yeah! We'll prove it too! We're a team! We do anything together! Everything together! Am I right you guys?" Bridgette is grinning, and she smiles at her friend.

"HECK YEAH WE'RE WITH YOU!"

"Yeah we are! Calm down Lance." Lance just elbows Ryan, and says:

"NOPE!"

Soren and Lance's House..........

"Coool! You guys got your own PLACE! Nice!" Bridgette takes in the view from the balcony... (What? I may change a few things with their house!). Soren and Lance invited Ryan and Bridgette over to their place, along with Fireworks and Yin who were busy going around to the back door, the Dragon Door. After school of course! For some reason the house seemed to have grown bigger since Soren and Lance were last here. "Oh DUDE! This has got rooms for all FOUR of us!"

"ALL FOUR OF US?!" Lance gawps, and checks it out. Yes indeed! The house had grown! Magic was how the houses were built, so then they could also fit more by growing bigger and expanding to fit new possible inhabitants. Finally, the dragons entered the house... but Sky bumped into a wooden support pillar and smacked into Fireworks, in turn he crashed into Duststorm, Yin was at the very back and avoided all this. Ryan decides he was too in awe to stay conscious.

"Yeesh." Bridgette sighed. "I CALL DIBS ON ROOM NEXT TO SOREN'S!" And she bolted for it too. Soren groans, and hoped for the best that Bridgette wasn't noiey.

"Ryan, get up!" Lance kicks him, and he bolts upward.

Time-Lapse... Bridgette has moved into her new room, because it is official they are living as a team in the one house, Ryan's moved into his, and now they were working on a research task... on a certain, assigned to research, race... the Animalities.

Kelekonia Kingdom - Inhabitants - Animalities
Kelekonia, or 'The World of Dragon Riders' as other world people call it, is home to many a race of people. Humans, elves, dragons, dwarves, goblins, trolls, gnomes, griffons, are some of the most common. Another race includes the Animalities, the half-human half-animal hybrids, who can disguise as normal humans and morph into full animal forms too. Animalities can be Dragon Riders, like elves and humans, but they are rare as dragons have a habit of not liking another animal riding on their backs... on the account of several dragons interviewed beforehand. An animality in disguise is usually hard to tell out from humans and animals, one feature can be told out depending on the Animalities animal species counterpart.
Examples:
Foxes - They usually have red-hair that is too russet-red to be natural, that and they usually spring tails when caught off-guard with excitement.
Bunnies - Human ears are usually more elven looking, but rounded.
Birds - If they're caught off-guard and caught in the act, they'll squawk.
Cats - They love cat puns, and females especially, their nails are claw-shaped.

Bridgette yawns in boredom, Ryan is just annoyed and kickes her and keeps reading. So she gets up and goes to see what Soren and Lance are learning from the dragons. Ryan sighes in relief, mainly that she is off to bother someone else. Something vibrates in his pocket, his phone. (Yes they have phones) He checks who his caller is, it's his big brother... one of them anyway.

Oh I'm in trouble now! I forgot to tell them where I am... and that I'm moving out... shoot.

"Yeah hello? Ryan."

"Where are you little brother?"

"Oh HEY big brother! I'm in trouble... aren't I?"

"Mother's was on a rampage in anger through the house when you didn't come back after school. How was it anyway?"

"Great! We were put into teams, or groups, that we work with each day at school... and about that umm..."

"You're moving in with yours?"

"Aye... that's why I didn't come home! I FORGOT I'm sorry!"

"*sighes* It's fine little brother... you know Dad was home right? He's hardly home these days... no freak out! He's staying till further notice."

"Which means?"

"You'll see him tomorrow! He's the one who calmed mom down. Hang on..." Ryan's brother goes off phones for a while, then he comes back.
"Lucky dude! Here's father!"

"Wait DAD?!" Ryan was standing and now he's falls over in surprise. Soren pokes his head out from the Dragon Quarters, and Ryan smiles to show things are fine.

"Have a nice trip Ryan?"

"Dad! You're ACTUALLY home!"

"Aye! Heard your in your team now, how big?"

"Why does size matter- including me it's four Riders and four dragons. We... haven't decided on a leader yet, like your team has. But there's Lance, he's a lot like you are father! He's over-energetic for one. His dragon is Duststorm, he's really nice and friendly. Then there's Bridgette, the only girl Rider in the team, and she's also outgoing and friendly... very loud too. Her dragon is really calm and quiet, her name is Yin. The final member is Soren, he's a lot like big brother! You know, when we decide to pick leader... I'd vote Soren! He's amazing!"

"I CAN HEAR YOU RYAN!" Said guy shouts, in order for him to hear.

"Yeah... His dragon is named Sky, she's... a girl. And she's SOO much like Bridgette."

"Heard that." Both girls snorted.

"They got sensitive ears to hear you Ryan. Best you don't-"

"Yeah yeah yeah! I know! Annoy them... got it! Speaking of girls... how's big sis? (For your information Ryan has twin older bros, and an older sis as well as a mother and father... and a baby sis :3)"

"Who Vix? She's FINE! Doing great! It's your younger one... let's say she is WAY too energetically... enthusiastic. More than I was I guess... then again so was the older one." (A voice in background says "Who you calling old dad?") "No one! Mind your own business!"

"Yo Ryan! You on a phone? Dude we're supposed to be doing homework!" Lance says, waving notes in the air.

"Yeah I know! Sorry dad... homework..."

"Oh? Well, don't get in trouble and forget to do it!"

"Unlike you used to."

"What?"

"NOTHING!! BYE!" Ryan hangs up and bolts with the book to the others.

Dragon's Quarters....

"So wait... animalities disguise as normal humans and animals... why?" Soren is doubting about that, he and the others were sitting on the comfy hay bed Yin made for them.

"So they could fit in with society better!" Sky grins, she's only guessing.

"Exactly. Animalities were quite hated by humans for looking like 'freaks' they'd say. Humans used to 'kill on sight' any they'd see... even children."

"MONSTERS!" Bridgette's horrified they'd do that.

"Yes... But it's true... and still happens in many parts of Kelekonia. Places like this Dragon Rider base are safe havens for them... and they've been born with internal magic power like dragons. They use it to hide from any and everyone... because of fear they'll be killed or beaten up and bullied." Yin explains. Yin learn't all this from research and listening to Elder Dragons... That and she was a lot older than she looked.

"Do YOU know any?" Ryan asks, curiousity sparking his eyes.

"No. They blend in too well with humans and wild animals their auras seem to blend over time with them. Guess some humans may have animality blood and not know it."

"That would be awesome!" Lance and Bridgette say, excited, and they high-five.

"Ryan, May I ask you something?" Now that was unexpected from Yin.

"Uh sure! What is it Yin?" He says with a smile. But Yin stares deep at him, as I feel to read his aura (aura is magical presence)... and recoils in surprise. The other dragons do too, as I feel they were secretly reading Ryan's aura as well.

"What? What is it?!" Bridgette gulps, worried about the dragons and oblivious to the fact it was Ryan they were recoiling from. Oh... except Fireworks.

"Ryan... are you SURE you yourself don't know an animality? Even among your ancestors?" Yin whispers, but that's her normal tone and everyone hears her. Ryan opens his mouth to say something... but hesitates, And tribes say something but Sky interrupts.

"Plural 'animalities'... are you SURE you don't got one or more animality ancestors?" She says, broadening the details. Now Ryan's spooked and he is frantically afraid of telling the truth.

"He's got animality ancestors." Everyone's attention snap to Fireworks. "What? Think a dragon can't tell his masters ancestry? He's got animality blood! Hence... his hair. I mean SERIOUSLY! It's way too red to be normal! And yeah, I know that stuff about dragons usually not picking an animality as a Rider, even ones with obvious ancestry to them! But hey! I DID!" And Fireworks scoops his precious Rider into his arms and rubs his red-hair into a mess. No that you pay attention... he's a red-head with extremely fox-red hair. Bridgette is jealous, but amazed how no one noticed that simple little fact.

"Umm to be precise..." Father's gonna kill me... but they're my team... and gotta know.

"To be precise what?" Soren, Lance and Bridgette say at the same time. So do the dragons except Yin.

"First, Fireworks put me down." He does so, with a unusually worried expression. "And second......"

Fireworks is telling the truth, Ryan's ancestors were Animalities... but what he does know too, but didn't say...

An immediate yelp or gasp and shriek of surprise was expected, wide-eyes too... Ryan showed his little secret...

Was that Ryan HIMSELF was an animality.

Time-Lapse...... Ryan and the others, dragons included, are inside the house... Ryan revealing he is an animality.

"You guys are taking this in a whole lot better than I thought you would."
Bridgette is absolutely terrified, but in expression. Lance had fainted. And Soren wasn't any of those... or any expression or reaction Ryan was expecting... he was cool with it!

"You mean Soren's taking it in easier than you thought?" Duststorm gulps. Fireworks kicks him, and Sky hisses at Fireworks.

"Defendant of your boyfriend Sky?" Soren teases, Sky smacks him hard.

Lance is conscious, and is noticing Ryan's animality features.

Ryan had sprouted a long, red, fluffy tail which ended in white fur... as if it was dipped in paint. He also now had long red ears that blended in with his red-hair, except that they had black-fur tips and fuzzy white fur inside. His eyes were now a striking gold colour, with animal-like slits instead of round pupils. He was guessing he had sharp teeth too.

"Dude, seriously! Yes, all of us were DEFINITELY surprised at you being an animality... but it think it's really AMAZING!" Soren gives him a hard pat on the back. Fireworks snorts and Sky giggles. "Your a Fox right?"

"Aye. I am. Also... my father's gonna kill me for telling you guys! But since we're sharing a house, and we're a team, and we're friends... you all have the right too know! Besides, you'd figure it out eventually." Ryan rubs his head, and smiles with worry and apology. "I'm just telling you guys... no one else. Please do NOT tell anyone else! I BEG you!"

"Totally cool dude!" Lance grins, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"Okay!" Bridgette agrees, snapping out of her trance of surprise.

"Absolutely!" Soren agrees, slinging his arm around his other shoulder. The dragons nod too, no one's saying anything about it.

"Thanks you guys..." Ryan's ears perk up a bit, and he smiles back at the wide-grins.