Name: William Maxwell | Gender: Male | Age: 27
Role: Terra-Class Mentor | Location: Docks | Mentions: N/A

Smoke proliferated around a small radius that didn’t quite engulf William just yet, privately regarding the display to be more irritating than impressive when all it did was bring him to the edge of a coughing fit numerous times than he could admit. Theodosia was to blame, her antics another blow to his thinning patience as the Pygmy went on to create more smoke in spite of his obvious disdain for them. For a dragon whose beauty was comparable to that of an Oriental, the same can’t very well be said for her attitude that was anything but.

In the far off distance where he’d expect the ferry to appear any moment now, the water’s surface was surprisingly calm. Serpent’s Pass wasn’t known for its tranquility for many a dragon traverse through its currents on a daily basis; hourly even, if you take the time to actually count. What’s more was the absence of the luminosity normally seen beneath, a telling observation indeed considering the pass is a known hotspot for loitering Drifters, their luminescent bodies a common sight around these areas. Though while a ripple or two could be seen here and there, none were big enough to indicate activity worthy of a leviathan the size of a vehicle.

As William stood there upon the vacant dock, unenthused and bored out of his mind, anything with a semblance to quick movement caught his eyes easily as an overbearing parent would to a misbehaving child. His breath was a mere vapor with every exhalation, a hand stuffed inside his pocket to save them from the misfortune of frostbite--not that the temperature was capable of giving such an affliction--while the other balanced a weathered book whose pages looked as though they were in the brink of falling apart if not for the delicate treatment he’d given it. At a glance, the mentor couldn’t look more miserable than he did now.

(I’ll post for Nikolai tomorrow)

⇺ [ Alistair Simmons ] ⇻
30 Years |•| Male |•| Chancellor
Location: Ferry Docks |•| Mentions: Direct - William / Indirect - Riders-to-be

Wood creaked underfoot as Alistair made his way through the port, only stopping once he neared the end of the docks. Swirling mist obscured his vision, nothing visible through the thick white haze beyond the faint ripples on the water's surface, the lack of a luminescent glow in the depths below his feet creating a sense of suspicion, and Willam's dejected form beside him. A gentle rush of air from behind blew strands of ginger hair out of place, fingers moving automatically to smooth them back into place. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to make a grand entrance?” He asked the creature hovering at his heels, turning slightly to peer up at the beast.

Specter’s crimson orbs shone through the fog like great, bloody beacons, the rest of her barely visible in their current surroundings. Mirth glittered within her gaze, a puff of smoke billowing from her nostrils as her muzzle wrinkled in glee. Her expression was utterly terrifying, but he knew her well enough to recognize she was amused, the chirring growl rumbling in her throat the closest to laughter she could achieve. “I’ll see you back in camp then. I know you so enjoy making a spectacle my dear, but please try to contain yourself this time. We can’t have a repeat of last year’s incident.”

Spector huffed in response, but the tip of her tail flicked his cheek playfully as she twisted in the air, massive wings creating a burst of wind so powerful Alistair stumbled forward, balancing precariously close to the water’s edge. Oh, blast that demon if he fell in! After a few more seconds of struggling to regain his footing, Alistair managed to right himself, seething with barely contained embarrassment Spector had pulled something like that in front of a colleague. "William," he greeted evenly as if he hadn't just almost gone for an untimely swim. "Any sign of them of yet?" He asked, in reference to the ferry and their new arrivals.

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⇺ [ Jaclyn Casey ] ⇻
19 Years |•| Female |•| Rider-To-Be
Location: Ferry |•| Mentions: None, Open

The journey to Ecadius was surprisingly quiet, her fellow travelers either lulled into silence by the eerie quiet or else rattled by the thick mist preventing anyone from seeing much farther than their own hands could reach. Now and then the boat would lurch, and the people around her responded nervously, one woman letting out a strangled yelp. Jaclyn offered her a few words of comfort, seemingly unperturbed by the sudden movements. After the second abrupt sway, she grew quite used to it, coming to expect it even, wondering with some amusement if it was the sea playing games with the vessel or perhaps something more lively.

The notion that dragons might be swimming just below, occasionally rocking the ferry, didn’t bring with it any fear as one might expect and instead encouraged her to leave her seat, curiosity piqued. She stopped a few paces away from the nearest gathering of people, enough room to offer personal space yet not come across as unfriendly or unwelcoming. Leaning against the railing, she gazed down, catching delightful glimpses of glowing bodies shimmering beneath the surface. Jaclyn wasn’t disappointed.

“I wasn’t expecting to see any until we reached the port,” she broke the silence, speaking to no one in particular, her voice brimming with excitement. “I wonder what they're called." It was a relief to find the fantastical tale claiming an island of dragons awaited their arrival was true. At the very least, the lingering concerns she might be walking into the grasp of some deranged serial killer were soothed. What else could the creatures below be beyond what the letters had claimed?

Rafe Adler | Male | 18 Years | Rider-to-Be
Location: Ferry | Mentions: Jaclyn [Open]

Rafe had been out on the deck for the better half of the trip, much preferring the tranquility and fresh, salty air out at sea to the tense and claustrophobic cabin. He almost blended in with the darkening sky, wearing a dark blue jacket that looked black in the dim lighting. The chilly wind tousled a few strands of his otherwise perfectly slicked back hair. He'd been looking into the water below for a long time now, hoping to catch a glimpse of a dragon. Though they'd only shown themselves recently, he was completely absorbed with watching the glimmering shapes below, sometimes disappearing only to return a few minutes later, this time in a different spot; he'd barely noticed that more people were gathering on the deck of the boat now. They probably had the same intentions as him.

He was vaguely aware of another figure coming up beside him, but it was only when she spoke that he bothered to look up, his gaze settling on the woman a few meters away from him. "They're Saltwater Drifters," he responded, feeling obliged to answer the question she'd blurted out, seemingly to herself, "they glow like that to communicate with each other." When he'd learned he was coming to Port Drakon he'd spent hours poring over any old family records he could get his hands on, especially reading up on anything about Drifters. Considering every record he could find of his ancestors that had been bonded with dragons had a Drifter as their companion, the odds were pointing towards him following that path as well.

Name: William Maxwell | Gender: Male | Age: 27
Role: Terra-Class Mentor | Location: Docks | Mentions: Alistair [Direct]

Alistair’s arrival came as a shock to the mentor, however, he didn’t outwardly express such. The Chancellor’s footsteps upon the dock preceded him, providing William ample time to appear a tad more resolute to his superior. Only moments later did the presence of Specter became more apparent, the dragon hovering no more than a few feet behind them. He’d grown accustomed to the wyvern’s silent movements, though the great white beast never failed to catch him off guard in the numerous occasions that she did.

As the deep haze soon settled smugly unto the embankment, William stashed away the book previously balanced on his hand after realizing that reading wasn’t really suitable at the current state of things. Suddenly, strong winds of indiscernible origin startled him, the burst of air nearly propelling him forwards if he hadn’t quickly thought of crouching to pull his masses together. As he whipped around to assess what had happened, he merely witnessed the tail end of Alistair’s struggle of keeping himself upright, too close to the water’s edge to be considered comfortable.

And as though nothing had happened, William was asked about the progress of the ferry to which he answered with similar casualness, taking it as a silent warning to never speak of the incident to another soul. ‘’None, from the looks of it. Taking to account the lack of Drifters in the pass, it’s safe to assume that they’re currently on their way to accompany the ferry like they always do. Curious dragons, they are. Let’s hope they won’t cause havoc this time around. ‘’ He mused.

Name: Nikolai Vaughn | Gender: Male | Age: 18
Role: Rider-to-be | Location: Ferry | Mentions: Jaclyn, Rafe [Direct]

The brisk, saltwater breeze was a pleasant surprise. Tangy sensations assaulted his nostrils, not one bit as intolerable as one would expect it to be much to his delight. He’d recently emerged from the lower decks, an area less open to the scenery that was abundantly available above. Thus it came to no one’s surprise as to why the starboard grew in popularity given the small timeframe, the crowd most likely enraptured by something overboard that he was keen on observing as well. Words travel fast between excitable young adults, even more so when the rumor in question spoke of luminescent figures swimming stride by stride with the ferry. Knowing little of what the description entailed, much less the basic understanding of what dragon it could possibly be, he promptly made his way upstairs.

People clung to the railing like a lifeline, some so eager to take a closer look that they’d even leverage themselves further upon the metal rods. One more inch and they’ll be thrown overboard by force of wind alone, though judging by the elated expressions on their faces, he doubted such a hazardous consequence was even present in their minds, consequently resigning to keep any colorful comments to himself. Face flushed by the cold, bringing some discernable color to his otherwise pale complexion, Nikolai lumbered elsewhere, his winter coat an effective repellant against the veritable chill that normally came with traveling within the boundaries of the arctic circle. Nearby, he couldn’t help but overhear a brief exchange that piqued his interest.

‘’Saltwater Drifters? ‘’ Came Nikolai’s rather unceremonious interjection, no shame whatsoever evident in his grinning face as he approached the two individuals that were conversing a few moments earlier in relative peace. However, he was courteous enough as to greet them accordingly, believing himself as an advocate of good morals--at least when he’s not feeling particularly mischievous. ‘’I’m Nikolai by the way. ‘’ He said to the both of them before adding rather apologetically, ‘’Forgive my sudden intrusion, but I had to come over. I’m not that well versed with Leviathan-Class dragons, you see. ‘’

⇺ [ Alistair Simmons ] ⇻
30 Years |•| Male |•| Chancellor
Location: Ferry Docks |•| Mentions: William, Barra, Anu (Directly) / Riders-to-be (Indirectly)

Alistair merely nodded his agreement, having little else to say at that moment, not commenting on the fact William had apparently been catching up with a book rather than waiting attentively for the ferry. It could be a dreary post he supposed. His thoughts instead focused on the missing drifters. He could recall a student on last year's trip had tempted one of them out of the water by dangling food over the railing. He could only hope the mentors sent to accompany the future riders-to-be were more watchful this time around.

The creak and patter of approaching footsteps announced Barra's arrival long before her form materialized through the haze, stopping to stand beside them with her avius predictably in tow. "Good morning Barra," he greeted in return, eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms, her lack of a coat catching his notice immediately. "You should have worn something more befitting the weather," he lectured lightly, though one could point out he wasn't wearing a jacket either if they so wised, even if he were less visibly cold.

A life spent on the island ensured Alistair was quite accustomed to the climate and the chancellor was rarely seen with one. As Barra inquired how much longer it would take the ferry to reach the port he rolled his sleeve up slightly to check the watch on his wrist. "Within ten minutes, if all goes well that is." Anu taking off in the direction of the ferry saw his stance tense slightly, however. "I hope she knows to behave," he commented sharply. Barra's dragon was known for sometimes causing mischief and he clearly wasn't thrilled about her flying off to introduce herself before the riders even reached the port.

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⇺ [ Jaclyn Casey ] ⇻
19 Years |•| Female |•| Rider-To-Be
Location: Ferry |•| Mentions: Rafe, Nikolai, Anu (Directly) / Friedhelm (Indirectly)

A sudden voice speaking beside her startled Jaclyn out of her own quiet observations, her gaze sliding to the young man standing next to her with widened eyes before making a swift recovery. "Saltwater Drifters," she repeated thoughtfully as she glanced back down at the frothing waves, pleased she now had a name to associate with the glimmering beasts swimming alongside the ferry. "I have to admit, I never thought of dragons living in the ocean. Are you familiar with this species?" She asked excitedly, moving to stand a bit closer to her new associate with an expression that encouraged him to share anything else he might know concerning their unexpected greeting committee.

Nikolai's interruption saw her turn toward the other man with a smile, unperturbed by the arrival of someone new. "That's fair enough, I’m not that well versed in any class of dragon," she replied humorously. "I'm Jaclyn, it's a pleasure to meet both of you." Anything else she might have said was silenced by the appearance of what she had first assumed to be a tropical bird of some sort flying toward them, brightly colored feathers shining brilliantly through the mist. "What is that? Isn't it a bit cold out here for a parrot?" She asked aloud, tone laced with concern for the supposed bird. The chill in the air was unpleasant to her, having lived somewhere warm her whole life, she couldn't imagine what effects it might have on an animal that couldn't bundle up.

As the creature drew closer she realized with delight it wasn't a parrot at all. Anu landed, approaching them within a matter of seconds to sniff at Nikolai's hair before nudging him with her snout. "This is amazing. I can't believe this," she gushed in a voice barely above an elated squeak. "Hello," she called to the avius gently, hoping to catch her attention. It was difficult to view Anu as dangerous even though she likely should, and in a moment of pure foolhardiness she slowly reached out her hand for Anu to sniff. A nearby chirring noise briefly distracted her, catching sight of another man hoping to capture Anu's attention as well. It was selfish, but Jaclyn almost hoped she would ignore him.

Rafe Adler | Male | 18 Years | Rider-to-Be
Location: Ferry | Mentions: Jaclyn, Nikolai, Anu

"Yeah. I'm definitely not an expert, but my family has actually contributed a fair amount to the research of this specific species," Rafe said, pleased to have found someone he could impress with his knowledge. He was still captivated by the creatures, and probably would have continued watching them had another Rider-to-Be not made their presence known. The source of the new voice was a tall man with dark, unruly hair. He allowed Jaclyn to introduce herself before giving Nikolai a polite smile. "Raphael Adler. You can call me Rafe."

He would have been more than happy to continue talking about the dragons swimming beside their ferry, eager to share everything he'd been reading about for the past couple weeks, but Jaclyn's attention now seemed to be on something else. Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion when the girl mentioned there being a parrot, he followed the line of her gaze to find out what she was looking at. It quickly became apparent that the figure flying towards the boat was definitely not a bird. When the dragon landed on the deck, extremely close to him and the two Riders he'd been speaking to, he took a step back in awe. Unlike a few of the others now gathering around the Avius, Rafe didn't try to interact with it, instead choosing to admire the creature from afar. He let out a low, impressed whistle when he set his eyes on the dangerously sharp claws of the dragon. Perhaps the others ought to be a little more careful, this thing could clearly kill. "I guess this means we're close to our destination."

Name: Nikolai Vaughn | Gender: Male | Age: 18
Role: Rider-to-be | Location: Ferry | Mentions: Jaclyn, Rafe, Anu [Direct] Friendhelm [Indirect]

Nikolai was elated to have been accepted quite easily into their small group of two despite his abrupt appearance. Normally, he’d be scorned for his actions, being interpreted as brash and untoward by others. However, he suspected that the people here were more open-minded, a fact he’s rather grateful for. His eyes, of which were a shade lighter than usual, reflected his intrigue when the woman had introduced herself, claiming to have no particular understanding of dragon classes which took him by surprise.

‘’Surely your family has some kind of affinity to one specific class. It’d be odd if yours doesn’t. ‘’ To his knowledge, everyone present had connections to dragons one way or another, furthering his confusion upon the matter given how she knew absolutely nothing from the looks of it. Of course, there was the possibility that she could be one of those rare cases of average joes, as one would call it, being integrated into the community once in a while. Whether that was to be the case or not remained unanswered, sequestered at the back of his mind as he thought against prying on her personal life.

Jaclyn’s companion introduced himself shortly after to which Nikolai replied. ‘’Nice to meet you, Rafe. ‘’ He tested the name before continuing, ‘’Your last name sounds familiar for some reason. Does your family happen to write--’’ Interrupted by something Jaclyn had exclaimed, he turned around to search for the source of her interest in the far off distance, similarly intrigued. The fog seemed to part for the speeding figure as every second only cemented his suspicion on what the creature may be. ‘’That’s certainly no parrot. ‘’ Nikolai observed lamely, too dazzled by the stunning display of feathers to add something relevant to his comment other than the obvious remark he provided. As the dragon descended delicately, it would seem the feathered beauty had its eyes on one thing: him.

At their close proximity, Nikolai permitted the dragon to do whatever they pleased, visibly disturbed by the talons pressed flat against the floor. Though at hindsight, the avius was more playful than hostile if he ignored the lethal arsenal the dragon openly possessed. Nearby, he was alerted by an uncanny chirping similar to the ones produced by the avius. Upon realizing that it was simply an impressive imitation by one of the riders-to-be, he allowed himself to gradually relax. ‘’Well, this is one hell of a welcoming I admit. ‘’ He chuckled, a bit flustered despite himself.

[I'll post for William tomorrow. I've got an exam coming up so it might be shorter than expected. ]

⇺ [ Jaclyn Casey ] ⇻
19 Years |•| Female |•| Rider-To-Be
Location: Ferry |•| Mentions: Rafe, Nikolai, Anu (Directly) / Friedhelm (Indirectly)

Nikolai's inquiries saw the smile drop from her face, anxiety swirling in her gut. Was it really that strange she wasn't particularly knowledgeable? She wasn't even entirely sure what 'classes' meant beyond assuming dragons were similar to most animals with many variations within the same species, something the contrast between their new feathered friend and the aquatic beasts swimming below would confirm. She had assumed most of the other people on the ferry were in the same boat as her, but it was evident now Jaclyn was the odd one out.

Rafe's family apparently even had an extensive history with the drifters, and she gathered it was likely the same for Nikolai with another class. A hand lifted to rub at the back of her head, and she looked a bit lost for words. Anu's grand entrance had saved her from having to say anything else; her attention captured immediately. The sight of razor-sharp claws and a maw equipped with teeth just as imposing did bring with it the thought of expressing a bit more caution, but the awe she felt in this creature's presence overpowered most of her common sense, and it appeared he boldness resulted in reward.

Anu's attention briefly diverted to the boy imitating her calls before Jaclyn's own attempt to catch her interest saw Anu's dilated gaze switch back to her. The rapid rise of her crest caught her a bit off-guard, and her heartbeat quickened, wondering whether or not that might be a sign of aggression. Thankfully it seemed there was little to worry about, Anu inched close, first nudging her chest before her muzzle lifted to nestle against her cheek. "You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen," she breathed out a sigh of relief, tentatively stroking the feathers along the back of her neck. "I hope my dragon is as pretty as you."

[Giving Sal a chance to reply with William before adding Al.]

Name: William Maxwell | Gender: Male | Age: 27
Role: Terra-Class Mentor | Location: Docks | Mentions: Alistair, Barra[Direct] Anu, Artemis, [Indirectly]

William watched with earnest, having been deprived of stimuli in the past few hours or so. As such, it was a blessing in and of itself that Barra had decided to join them, though her dragon looked as though she wanted to entertain herself elsewhere. When Anu departed, her directory aimed toward the open ocean at the mouth of Serpent’s Pass, it didn’t take long for William to deduce what the avius had in mind. Perhaps an impressionable crowd of young adults were better company than they were. ‘’I would have Hylos keep her in check if he wasn’t busy patrolling the forest. ‘’ William offered meekly, sensing Alistair’s concern. ‘’But I doubt he’d be enough to keep Anu from trouble. ‘’

In the corner of his eye, he spied Barra in the midst of mist and haze, awfully overdressed for the occasion. She looked visibly unperturbed by the cold, though knowing her, it could very well be a facade. She and Alistair seemed to have that in common, his reprimand falling on deaf ears in regards to her lack of a jacket. ‘’Greetings to you too, Barra, ‘’ He gestured a half-hearted salute before promptly resuming his idle observation over the pass and wondered out loud, his thoughts briefly returning to Anu and her progressing escapade. He could almost hear the shrieks of delight and terror from here. ‘’I wonder who’s stationed there. It’s usually Artemis, if I remember correctly. ‘’ His expression soured at what could entail of such an encounter between the mentor and Anu, even without mentioning Lei. It sounded like a perfect storm to him. ‘’Normalcy doesn’t seem to favor us that much, huh? ‘’