OOC: Anyone can join, though I encourage younger dragons especially, and anyone who likes exploring. More will be explained in my post.

IC: Alna'ir stood atop the rise above the Eldor Lake, her wings rustling in excitement as the early morning sunlight glistened on the waters below her. She had sent out a message through everyone she knew that this expedition was beginning, and she hoped to see many others join her before she set off. The young blue loved exploring, and this was the first major excursion she had set up by herself. A young white dragon, his spinal-crest and wings fading to star-silver, climbed up the rise to join her.

Sirius yawned as he came up beside his sister. The sun had only just risen and he had slept well that night. He was accompanying her on her adventure, agreeing with her motives as well. Na'ir had told him, and anyone else they had come across, that while the older dragons were off fighting in battles and saving Alagaesia, the younger ones needed something to do besides constant warring. He had been helping her spread the word for about a month now, and hopefully others would show up to their planned meeting site (maybe even creatures besides dragons).

Isn't this exciting? Mom and Dad have told us stories of the caverns and tunnels beneath Alagaesia, and now we're finally going to travel those places extensively. I bet I'll be the first one to map them, or at least a lot of them, Na'ir told her brother with excitement, nodding to a leather pack hanging across her left hip which contained paper and writing tools. She was rather proud of her skills as a cartographer, actually.

Sirius laughed quietly. Yes, it is. Hopefully the other explorers will be arriving soon, he replied with a nod. He wasn't as avid an adventurer as his older sister, but he was curious about the depths of Alagaesia. And also, he wanted to be there to protect her and anyone else who came in case they encountered danger, which they probably would. He sat back and watched the waters of the Eldor Lake calmly, the trees of Du Weldenvarden a distant green haze.

OOC: So yeah basically we're going to explore the deepest fathoms of the earth beneath Alagaesia, discover hidden secrets, fight dangerous and scary cave creatures, and survive danger. Everything a good mission of exploration needs.

Polaris and Saiph woke with the morning. Both of them had been waiting eagerly for today to come. Saiph even had to use a spell to put himself to sleep so that he would be rested enough for the journey they would be embarking on.
Polaris, come on! We'll miss it otherwise.
Oh please, they wouldn't leave without us. Besides, the sun has only just risen so I'm sure they'll be waiting for a few hours yet. Polaris said, though she had to admit she was just as excited as her brother and had to use the same spell to put herself to sleep as well.
Saiph began eating the leftovers of the deer he had begun to eat the previous night. He knew he didn't have to eat for another few day or so, but he didn't want to have to bring some dinner with him.
Polaris had her own dinner to finish since they couldn't share the same kill anymore. She was torn between joy about finally being able to eat a deer by herself and sadness that she wouldn't be able to share the same kill as her twin brother. She put the thought aside as she finished and burped.
Alright, if you're ready I am.
Always been ready. Let's go!
Both Polaris and Saiph took off into the air at the same time, almost racing each other to the meeting point where they would begin their journey.

It didn't take them long to reach the place since they had bedded close to it the night before. The familiar shapes of their older brother and sister send a thrill of excitement through them both. Although they wouldn't say it to them, they always loved having adventures with their older siblings.
Polaris was the first to arrive, landing on the ground beside SAlna'ir with a skip as she didn't bother to slow.
Saiph, however, didn't stop until he tackled Sirius, mock-fighting with him for a moment on the ground before spreading a wide grin across his face.
Siruis! Na'ir! I haven't seen you in such a long time, how have you two been?

OOC: Here's trouble.

Toby shifted in Val's brand-new leather saddle, trying to see how far they had left to fly. He could just barely make out a few sparkling shapes on a hill near a lake. There they are! he said excitedly, with a hint of nervousness. The young dragon and Rider pair had only recently splintered off from their teacher for a break while he went off to war, when they heard about an exploration planned for the younger generation. Toby immediately started hounding Avalon about it, determined not to be left out of what promised to be a fine adventure.

The silver dragon had finally given in, but not before he made a detour to pick up his new saddle. The old one Tobias had been using was a joke, and a danger at that. It had been made of patchwork quilts Toby had seized from an old farmhouse, and he had been in danger of falling off everytime Avalon dived while he was riding on it. It had been on the recommendation of their teacher and a few of their friends that the two had finally gone to get Val measured for a proper one, and word had reached them that it was ready only a few days ago. Now Toby couldn't wait for a grand adventure to break it in properly.

Yes, yes, I see them. Val chuckled exasperatedly. Would you calm down for a moment? None of the dragons have seen us before, they might be a little antsy.

With a sudden burst of speed, he entered the airspace directly over the heads of the young dragons. He circled lazily, gradually losing height until he landed a safe distance from them. Hello there, I am Avalon, a student of the dragon Equinox. This is my Rider, Tobias. Word has it there's a fantastic adventure for young thrill-seekers about to take place here. We were wondering if we could join. he said in a friendly voice, all too aware of Tobias flopping around in the saddle, trying to get a good look at the dragons over Val's head.

OOC: Draco, is this before or after Dragon Mountain: Reborn? I'll assume it is in this post, but just let me know if I'm wrong.

Elisa flew rather haphazardly considering there was a Rider on her back, but Hawke was thinking that she had probably forgotten that he was there in her excitement. He shifted uncomfortably in the saddle he had recently received, and Elisa narrowed her eyes to glance at him, once again remembering that he was there. Elisa, I know that you want to be like Star Gazer and all, but remember that there's a Rider on your back. I'm not exactly used to flying on a dragon. True, he had rode on Star Gazer once, but that experience had caused him to almost fear flying.

Elisa rolled her eyes at him. I need to make the most out of my speed and agility, so of course I would need to practice my maneuvers! she countered.

Hawke puffed out his lip and looked away stubbornly. Elisa's slight irritation was then replaced by happiness when she remembered just where they were headed. Isn't this going to be amazing? Na'ir said that we are going to go on a journey! Elisa chimed. Hawke squinted, his enhanced sight allowing him to see a group of dragons. Elisa giggled in delight as well. Despite being more level-headed about it, Hawke was very excited as well. He had been on journeys before, but none so interesting as this.

As she approached them, she began to glide and descend slowly. Na'ir, how have you been? Elisa asked eagerly. She was the biggest dragon here currently due to Galbatorix's experimenting, but she was also very young.

OOC: I'm excited for this rp; and I bet Railyn and Luxir will enjoy the adventure.

IC:

Railyn was flapping her wings as fast as she could, all the while coaxing Luxir to get a move on before she'd have to fling him across the countryside. He grumbed something, but she didn't catch it. She was too excitied. Her friend Na'ir informed her of an exploration that was about to occur sometime soon and she didn't want to miss it for the world. She even took the journal her mother took the initiative to weave for her when she was almost a year old. She now took it everywhere with her, already pictures colored every page as well as thoughts and ideas. Rai couldn't wait to put in things she would discover just like her mom.

C'mon Xir, hurry UP! Rai complained, pumping her wing muscles faster and faster. I don't want them to start!

She spotted a cliffside that some younger dragons and a couple humans had gathered on and immediately made a landing nearby.

Hi guys! she chirped cheerfully, her eyes wide and excited. How is everyone? It's been so long. I bet you're all excited too. I wonder what we'll see? she began to ramble on and on, her chatterbox loose from her brain once again. She turned to some new faces and grinned. Well hi! I'm Railyn, and this is my brother Luxir. He's shy though, and don't talk much. But he's alright. What are your names?

Luxir merely shrugged as his sister Railyn tugged him along for the ride. He wasn't particularily excited for this adventure, moreso aggravated. He just wanted to train and be by himself. Being in a group made him uneasy. But Rai was unforgiving and forced him along. He kept up with her easily, his wings more massive than hers yet her speed and agility was still impressive.

He grumbled, It's still early, I don't see what the big rush is. We barely even had time to eat. But it was obvious his sister wasn't paying attention and before he knew it, Rai spotted a group below them. Dragons of course, a couple having riders on their backs.

Another large group, he mumbled to himself as he landed next to his sister. Hey there, he said quietly, but otherwise said nothing. He didn't even comment on Rai's rude words of him. She never intended on being rude, he knew her too long for that, for she spoke her mind faster than actually forming a sentence in her head. He, however, stood there and allowed her to talk.

OOC:
I think this would probably be after the Allatik War....sometime after.....maybe even after 'Mahari the mad'......

IC:
Sarai ran headlong across the ground, going as fast as she could. She heard in rumors that there was going to be an adventure for the younger generation. She had instantly begged her mom for her to go. Reluctantly Jia had agreed and allowed her to go. She was so excited to officially be on her way. She wove around a few sparse trees easily, having sensed them at least a minute before they actually appeared. She sensed Eldor Lake coming up at least a league ahead and increased her pace. She also sensed two dragons, smallish in size but quite bigger than her. She was pretty much as big as a pony at the shoulder. She recognized Na'ir and Sirius as she drew closer, and even Polaris and Saiph. She opened her mind and brushed against each of them. Hiya, I'm here for the adventure? she questioned brightly, her black-gold scales bristling with eagerness. She gathered her muscles, crouched while still running, and then sprang powerfully with a thrust of her hindlegs. She beat her wings once, twice, and then landed with a dull thump in front of silver-white-Sirius and blue-Alna'ir, grinning as white-Saiph tackled the former. Tel and Anir should be on their way as well, I tried to invite Mom along too but she said she needed to take care of a few things first, but she might try to find us once she's free. I don't know if Quasar or Zeuk are coming. she reported to then. She looked up at the sound of wingbeats, grinning. Hello friends, welcome! she greeted, her eyes bright. She stumbled as she felt a bit when she felt a pair of dragons landing, and another two that had extra weight on their backs. Elisa, Hawke, good to see you again! she chirped to the dragoness and her Rider, her eyes popping wide when she registered how much bigger her friend was than the last time she'd seen her. She turned to the two dragons again, hearing the female introduce themselves as siblings. She smiled kindly at Luxir, her lavender-flecked-grey eyes sparkling. It will get better once we actually get a move on, trust me. she said to him warmly, then a bit louder so that everyone could hear her. I am Sarai Kuldrsundaskular, daughter of Johdzsia Kuldrskular and Shruikan Sundablaka. she chirped happily. She looked up to Na'ir, since she was kind of the one that had organized this. Once everyone's here, where are we going first? she asked eagerly.

OOC:
I'm assuming that the kids and Sarai would probably know each other after the War....../:

Na'ir giggled as her brothers rolled briefly across the ground and welcomed her sister with a cheerful smile. Another familiar dragon came out of the trees. It was Jia's daughter, Sarai. Na'ir greeted her as well and then looked up as an unfamiliar dragon with a rider joined them. It's nice to meet you, Avalon and Tobias; I'm Na'ir. I know of Equinox, but I didn't know he had students. Of course you can join! she said to them, her wings ruffling in excitement. Another familiar dragon and rider pair quickly touched down to join the group. Hi, Elisa! Hi, Hawke! I've been well. Mostly exploring as usual. But I thought this adventure was too big for just me. I'm glad you're joining us, she said to the pair, her green eyes shifting back to the sky when Railyn and Luxir entered the group. She laughed at Railyn's excitement. It's good to see you both again. Now that there's a proper group here, I'll start to explain everything in more detail, she began, glancing towards Sarai, Basically, there are vast systems of tunnels and caverns beneath the land of Alagaesia. I've been down there briefly, and I've heard stories from dragons who have been there. But no one has ever truly explored them or mapped much of them. I wanted to set up an expedition to venture into the darkest, deepest caves in the land. I was hoping that you all would join me in uncovering their secrets. Na'ir glanced between the members of the group, a wide smile lighting her face.

Sirius exclaimed in surprise as his brother hurtled into him, sending them both rolling across the grass. He play-fought the white, laughing happily as he did until Saiph pulled away and asked how they had been. Only his siblings could make Sirius laugh and grin like that. Seeing that their older sister was distracted by other newcomers, the silver-tinged white decided to answer his brother's question. We've been very good. Na'ir's been exploring as usual, I've been fighting evil. And now I guess we're going on an adventure together. It's great to see you both; how have you and Polaris been? he replied, smiling at the twins. He gave nods of greeting to the other newcomers and briefly gave them his name if they were strangers to him. Railyn and Luxir eventually joined them, and Sirius nodded to them as well, having been on an adventure with them before. The two were polar opposites, as usual; Luxir was silent, looking reluctant to speak, and Railyn was incredibly chatty.

OOC: We'll head off in my next post.

Polaris, seeing how her brothers were pre-occupied, decided to introduce both of them as the others came.
Hi Avalon, Tobias. I'll introduce myself properly when everyone else arrives.
As he waited, she saw many faces that she recognized plus a few that she didn't. It sent chills down her spine that so many people came to explore the caves with them.
Polaris wanted to ask how Avalon and Tobias knew Na'ir, but decided that could wait as there were more dragons arriving. It was strange to be working with a rider, but no more than usual. She remembered Equinox from the Shadow Wars, but never any of his students.
As she waited, she saw Elisa and Hawke approach, yet another rider pair. How do they deal with having one of those two-legs on their backs all the time? Polaris quickly thought to herself.
It was truly impressive the amount of both dragons and riders that kept arriving. Polaris repeated the names to herself as well as welcoming them as they came.
Elisa, Hawke, welcome. It's weird to see so many riders in one place. She said before she realized what she said.
Railin, Luxir, it's nice to meet you. I'll say my name when everyone else gets here.
Finally, the last one came, and Polaris could introduce them.
Sarai, welcome. Then she said to everyone, My name is Polaris and the white one over there is my twin brother Saiph. If everyone's ready, I'd love to get this adventure started!

Saiph was half-listening to Sirius and making note of everyone that Polaris wsa greeting. He hoped to surprise everyone when he knew everyone's names. When Sirius asked how their adventures had been, Saiph knew he wouldn't be able to spin any kind of tale without his brother knowing that it wasn't true.
To be honest we haven't been doing much. We've been training mostly trying figuring out how to use this gift between us to our advantage and we've come up with a few good moves to use. Apart from that, we're beginning to work on our own against opponents so that if we need to we can split up. It's been a little heartbreaking to realize that we won't be together all the time, but what else can you do when your minds are linked?

See Avalon? Nothing to worry about. Toby said, grinning. He unbuckled the leg-straps and jumped out of the saddle. "Don't mind me, just need to stretch my legs for a bit," he said aloud, totally unaffected by the fact that he was surrounded by creatures more than twice his size. He walked around a bit, then returned to Val's side, leaning casually against his left foreleg. Toby kept stealing glances at the Rider astride the pale blue dragoness. He hadn't met very many Riders in his travels, even since joining up with Equinox.

Pleased to meet all of you. Avalon said politely, bowing his head in greeting. His eyes twinkled happily as he saw how many youngsters of his kind were joining them on the expedition. He hadn't known there were this many dragons left in Alagaesia. We only recently became Equinox's students. he added, allowing everyone present to hear the comment. He bumped Toby lightly with his shoulder to get him to stop staring at the other Rider. The boy blinked and looked up at him, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"So any ideas on what we're likely to encounter in these tunnels?" Toby asked curiously, turning his attention back to Na'ir. He was wondering if he was going to regret only having a dagger for protection, instead of a proper Rider's sword.

Sarai grinned and spun in a circle, excited to go on an adventure. She looked up suddenly when she heard yet more wingbeats, and recognized them. Anir, Tel, over here! she called eagerly, her lavender-flecked-with-grey eyes. She felt her cousins flying toward the group and bugled a greeting to them.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tel felt his sister tap his flank twice, meaning it was time to start descending. He pulled in his wings and braced for landing on the ground. Anir taped once, telling him to slow down a bit. Another few moments and he felt earth underneath his paws. He stumbled a bit, but Anir was right beside him to steady him legs, just as she always was. He smiled up at the group. Tel and Anir are in the house! Sarai ran into us on the way and invited us along. he said, grinning wolfishly, his icy-pearl-white eyes glittering with humor.

Polaris yelled in excitement as they began to walk towards the tunnels. Finally the waiting had come to an end and it was time to begin. She even jumped into the air a couple times before settling down.

Don't get me wrong, Saiph continued, we'll be together until the very end but we're training so that if we ever get separated or need to fight off more than one enemy we'll be able to. We've always been able to lean on each other when times got tough, but I hate the thought that if one of us is unable to fight in any way that we'll be helpless.

Toby looked up at Railyn, a surprised grin on his face. "Wait, you're Incendia's sister? Alright! We met her when we first joined up with Equinox, when he agreed to become our teacher," he said happily. The young Rider turned to look at Hawke as he introduced himself and couldn't help but wave goofily at him. "Hi Hawke! You're one of the few Riders I've ever met before," he said excitedly. Tobias looked up at the sky as two more young dragons approached, these two seemed to already know Sarai. He frowned as he realized everyone here knew at least one other member of the group, except for himself and Avalon.

He shrugged and looked up at Val. Look's like we'll be making a lot of new friends on this trip. he said, smiling happily at the silver dragon. He was about to climb back into Avalon's saddle when Railyn raised her wings to get everyone's attention. He slipped back down to the ground and looked up at her. For a young dragon, she certainly knows how to make a speech. he thought appreciatively when she had finished. Now he was so impatient to be off that when he climbed onto Avalon's back he had a hard time re-tying the straps around his legs to hold him into the saddle. He roared right along with Polaris when the black dragon cut loose in a fit of high spirits.

Come on Avalon! Strange mirror creatures, giant spiders, tunnels, and tons of adventure! Don't look so grim! he teased his bond.

Who are you calling grim! Avalon said back, a large grin plastered to his face. Toby's excitement was washing across their link and mixing with his own to the point that he was practically levitating off the ground from the force of it. It was all he could do not to charge down the cliff and force his way into the tunnel ahead of Railyn. Instead he was politely waiting his turn to join the throng, while behind him his tail was lashing the ground so hard that the spikes were gouging the rock.

He waited until there was enough room behind Tel, Anir, and Sarai before jumping into line. He grinned at them, his silvery-white eyes sparkling with anticipation. This is fantastic! he said to them, his voice full of excitement and boundless energy.

OOC: Whoops sorry didn't realize it was my turn. XD Lol I'll go now.

IC:

Railyn nodded her head eagerly at Toby. Yep! Incendia's my older sister, but not by much. She only hatched a day before me, she laughed good-humoredly. That's so cool! You'll definately have a good time and learn many things. She grinned a toothy grin at Na'ir. You're right, that's awesome! It'll be like a story, complete with pictures. I bet after you map out all the tunnels, it'll be almost as big as Alagasia itself! she exclaimed. Well, maybe not that big but still quite large. Rai hurried towards the crack Na'ir implied, where the tunnels began. Those creatures sound menecing. But I bet together we can defeat them! she replied with optimism. She looked over at her brother, to make sure he was following them.

Luxir shook his head, his sister acting so much like a child. But perhaps it was he who took things too seriously. It didn't matter anyway, Xir knew that whenever Rai got excited about an adventure, she would stop at nothing to go on it. With a look of endearing towards him, Xir couldn't help but follow, a slight smile rising out of his gloomy expression. He went after his sister, unsure of what these tunnels harbored besides a few creatures that Na'ir listed. He was doubtful he could use his lightning breath if the tunnels would not provide enough room. He didn't want to hurt any of his companions, much less himself. Xir cursed himself, and for his lightning breath. At least his dad had control.

Anir hovered close to her brother with her tail draped over his flank as usual, guiding him down to the cave entrance at the back of the line. Tel growled softly as he felt the coolness of the air as they entered the tunnel, and a shiver went down her spine. She looked back and grinned at Avalon and Tobias, her vivid silver eyes, like perfect twin mirrors, glittering. Yes, I know! I wish my other two siblings were here to join the fun though. she chirped sadly. She had hoped so much that Quasar and Zeuk could have come.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sarai looked back at Avalon, grinning at his excitement. Yes, a new world to explore. she said eagerly, and for her it was. She'd felt the occasional tunnel underneath her when she was running, but she had never been able to actually explore or investigate. She pondered squeezing her way up to the front so that Na'ir would have the benefit of her powers being able to sense what was up ahead. She decided to offer first. She reached her mind up and brushed against Na'ir's consciousness. Hey Na'ir, would you like me up by you so I can warn you if there's something ahead like a pit or creature or something? she said quietly. If you do I can stay back here as well, but I could Sense better if there was no one else ahead of me.

Certainly! Polaris said to Sirius. She followed closely to her older sister, eager to begin the journey which would no doubt be exciting. She was never a fan of being underground but she felt safe next to her older sister who knew what she was doing.
I'll keep a look-out next to you sis. Polaris said quickly. I may not be able to shine my scales, but I still got better night vision than most thanks to dad.

Saiph walked alongside his brother for a little while before thinking against it. He skipped to the middle of the ground and shone his scales gently. He wouldn't create much light yet, but it would help the others know which direction the group was taking.
I can too. If anyone get's nervous, I can create more light, but I'm mainly doing this so that we don't lost. A middle marker if you want.

"How long have you been a Rider Hawke?" Toby asked, watching their group move along the tunnel. He reached above him to see if he could touch the roof of the tunnel, but only felt air. "Yeah, we've already learned a bit," he said to Railyn, grinning.

OOC: Short... Sorry

Saiph listened to the group as each had their own conversation. Though he had to admit that Railyn's caught his attention the most. To her question he answered;
This would be my first time. I don't particularly like travelling underground as I'm more used to flying in the open spaces. That and there not usually much to eat that lives in caves and most of it tastes terrible.
Polaris just walked along beside her sister and listened to the conversation that she was having with Avalon and Elisa.

"That sounds about right. Avalon started breathing fire about a month and a half ago, and he's seven months now. Which, as you might guess, is how long we've been partners," Toby said with a grin. He twisted around in Val's saddle so that he was sitting backwards in it and facing Elisa and Hawke. "What I don't understand is how come Elisa is so much bigger than Val if she's a month younger than he is. Was it something she ate?" he asked with a chuckle.

He looked around at Sirius, the white dragon with the blue eyes. "I'm Tobias, aka Toby. This is Avalon, but you can call him Val if you want. I'm an orphan from Palancar Valley. I ran away from the orphanage a few months ago, and not long after I stumbled upon Val's egg. Well of course I didn't know what it was, and you should have seen the look on my face when he hatched. When I reached out to touch him, he marked my palm and we've been buddies ever since," Toby answered, a fond smile lighting up his face at the memory. "Other than that, there's not much to tell. We ran into Equinox, Incendia, and a few other people not long after Avalon learned to fly, after which Equinox took us under his wing as his students," he finished lamely, shrugging.

It's a lot more exciting than he makes it sound, Avalon said, grinning. Hawke, has Elisa tried to breathe fire yet? She may have matured enough already, you never know.

He walked along in silence for a few minutes, listening to the conversations around them. Railyn amused him, she was more talkative than Toby, which was something he had never thought he would encounter. He could tell that the dragon next to her, he thought it might be her brother, seemed rather annoyed by the chatter. No, we've never traveled underground before either. I prefer the skies, he said swiftly when she paused for breath.

OOC: Your turn in this one Astral.

OOC: Sorry thought I posted in it...must have deleted before I could Oh well I shall go now.
IC:

Railyn brightened when she heard Toby talk about her father and sister. What had you learned from him so far? she wondered. Or was that not too long ago? She blushed, realizing there wasn't a huge time span in between when she hatched and to this present state in time. I hope you learn great things from him, as I said, he's an wonderful dragon to learn from. Rai grinned when she heard Saiph and Avalon both prefered the skies oppose to the ground to travel under. The sky is definately more comfortable, more room to move around in, she laughed. I do too, flying that is. But this is interesting, to travel underground. Who knows, maybe we'll find gigantic caves where we have to fly around in. Rai had kept a sharp eye out for anything intriguing or new that she could document in her journal. She turned to Luxir. He seemed tense, and rather annoyed. Lighten up little brother, you know I'm just curious about the whole ordeal.
Luxir grimiaced when Rai pointed out his annoyance towards her. Sometimes she could do that better than anyone, realize how he was feeling even in the dimmest of lights. Well I'm not, he grumbled. I don't have any intereset in crawling around in the dirt in tight uncomfortable tunnels. The only reason why I'm even going is to make sure you stay out of trouble. The truth was he worried about his sister, sometimes her rambuncious behavior caused her to do reckless things without thinking. He was the one who looked before he lept, and wanted to be sure Rai did the same every now and again. He had to add to Rai's statement about their father, Indeed, Equinox is a great dragon. I have learned many things from him, even with my own lightning breath that I had inherited from him. Elcyon is who I resemble in terms of physical appearance. She's our mother, a brilliant scholar and artist. Reminiciting his family made him slightly homesick. He hadn't realized he had, but being away from home for a few months definately increased the homesickness. He wished to return to the island after this journey, to catch up with his other sister and parents.