Fiend and a Friend 2

When Ferdinand had returned to deliver the message of the mighty dragons acceptance of Magnus' gift, the Lord had never been more pleased with him. Which, wasn't exactly hard considering Magnus tended to treat him like dirt beneath his talons, but there wasn't much Ferdi could really do about that. 

 

The flight back up the canyon had been a long and somewhat wobbly one, and Ferdinand didn't fancy much his chances of getting back through that completely unscathed, if he was completely honest. Down was always a little scarier then up, considering down was where certain death was. 

 

Up wasn't much better... but it was still away from the toothy, flaming dragon they had produced a meal for before leaving. 

 

This time, as he edged towards the canyon, its large red magma rocks spitting flecks of lava indignantly at the tiny human staring at it, the engineer shivered in his boots. 

 

He hated this. He wanted to go home, go to Nico, and just sleep. He didn't want to be the ferry between this dragon and a bird who hated him. 

 

But such is life, he realized. 

 

He didn't have a choice.

 

Looking towards his friends for this trip, he frowned a little worriedly. Juno, his wings fluttering anxiously and his whiskers brushing against Ferdi's shoulder as he clung to his rider with his little talons, tail around his neck for a more secure hold then last time - and then there was the other one. Kittiwake was back,  his patchy body fluffed up in the harsh, hot wind that billowed out from the gouge of earth and rocks and fire. His googles on, and what Ferdi could only assume to be a grimace of his own on his muzzle.

 

Ferdi wasn't really sure what Kittiwake *was* exactly, besides a creature that knew how to traverse the chronoscape - one that was able to carry a lighter weighted human like himself down into the chasm and back up again. 

 

This time, the food offering had been predropped into the hole for them. All they had to do, was fly down and drag it over to its correct position, which between himself and Kittiwake, Ferdi hoped would be easier then the first time in that respect as well. 

 

He cast his eyes up to the clear, cloudless sky, and took a moment to breathe in the ashen hair, and nod. 

 

"Alright. Lets... lets get this over with. We have to keep doing this until he says yes, or we get permission to stop..." he frowned. His pep talk not exactly something either dragon nor Kirunhound would write home about. But it did the job. 

 

Kittiwake positioned himself infront of the pair, and carefully, Ferdinand mounted his back in the comfiest place he could get to, and the trio stood for a moment, peering over the edge. 

 

Before the engineer felt he had even caught his breath, the Kirun had launched himself off of the edge of the chasm, and Ferdinand closed his eyes and tried not to scream. It had felt so much more smooth in the carriage. When he couldn't feel the wind on his face, the blazing fire inches from Kittiwake's feathers. When he didn't have to clench his legs tightly around the hound's chest to stop himself slipping off. 

 

He held an arm up to secure Juno, and after what felt like a few ages that must have in reality only been a few minutes, they were landing on the dark rock floor. Kittiwake shook himself off a bit, white feathers already sooty with ash, while Juno and Ferdinand looked around for their offering crate. 

 

It wasn't hard to miss, considering its size, and after circling it a few times to be sure, Juno crawled up to its top edge and sat to guide them as well as stay out the boys way. His lightweight body, while it had grown somewhat to comfortably take up around the same space as a cat on Ferdi's shoulders now, he'd not managed more then a short glide before his wings had angled the wrong way and he'd plummeted onto the barrack bed - so anything that didn't involve staying put or walking wasn't really for him.

 

And if he had a chance to hitch a ride over walking on the hot black rock, he'd take it. 

 

It took them a minute to work out how to actually move the crate, and one they had, Kittiwake and Ferdinand slowly started to haul it along in the rough direction of the cavemouth. 

 

Unlike before, the huge dragon was waiting for them this time. They had sensed their presence in their home, and had come to investigate it. Wondering what they could possibly be doing out here again, after having been accepted the first time. 

 

Seeing the crate, Fiend tilted their head, and paused to think. Another offering? This... what was his name. Magnus character, seemed rather intent that he join him. He'd never met the bird, and as a result didn't particularly think he wanted to find out either. 

 

This young man, however? He had the bravery to return to his lair not once, but twice. 

 

It was something to think about. If he were to choose to bond to anybody, it would need to be a careful decision, as all dragons and riders with any sense are likely to be cautious of. Death of either side could be the death of all, and for a dragon as mighty as he, there was no reason to throw away his freedom that he could see

 

But an easy meal is an easy meal, and the way the little human decided to talk to him was also an admirable trait for one so pathetic and small. 

 

He wondered as he watched he and his feathered friends approach his cave, veins of magma and firey liquid rock flashing to live beside him as yet more paths created themselves in the rock, if this Magnus person had chosen the scrawny human to be a snack for himself. It wouldn't have been particularly surprising. 

 

Fiend turned his attention to the hatchling with them. Their tan fur was sticking up at a soft puff, wings unfolded in an attempt to look just a little bigger, but as his head was leaned forwards in a respectful gesture, he took no offense by his show of bravery either. Why he had chosen to bond to this rider though... he was curious. 

 

Once again, the gift was accepted, and the others were on their way. Much to the relief of one grey haired engineers and his two partners.