Roleplay

Once they were done eating, the servants came and cleared the table before removing it entirely. The cart that had borne Jaristrasz's meal was also removed, leaving the two of them alone in the courtyard. The sky was quickly turning dark, the first stars beginning to appear. With it being summer, the air was still warm, though he knew once they got up high enough, it would get cold.

Shall we go? Jaristrasz held out a paw, the palm facing upwards, for the princess to climb into since he was too big to climb for most people. When they had first bonded the servants had tried bringing out a ladder, but he'd insisted on doing it this way. They couldn't always rely on a ladder and climbing one wasn't suited for a princess.
"I do have money..." The merchant withdrew a pouch that clinked when he put it down on the booth counter. It wasn't very big and when Kishion inspected the contents, there were more copper coins then silver and no gold. "I just need an escort to Fallmore. It's just me and my cart." The merchant worriedly wrung his hands together.

Kishion gave him a flat stare. This wasn't enough for an escort mission, especially if he brought along Vessen or Ashera. However, this sounded like a one-man kind of job. Whatever the merchant's wares were, they couldn't be all that valuable based off his pitiful offering and shabby appearance. That meant he was less likely to be a target of bandits which in turn meant this mission could be easy money. Fallmore wasn't far from the capital either.

"I'll do it," Kishion said. "Meet me outside the east gates in the morning."

The merchant looked relived as Kishion pocketed the coins and stood. "I'm very grateful to you, sir!" The merchant bobbed his head and left.

Dahlia glanced up towards the sky as the stars began to shine. She smiled softly, enjoying the sight of the nightsky. As a couple of the servants remove the folding table she had been eating at, another came up to Dahlia with her riding jacket in hand. Having anticipating a flight after their meal, Dahlia has asked that her riding clothes be prepared in advance. It was nothing extravagant, just thicker clothing to protect from the stronger winds while in the skies.

Dahlia finished buttoning up her jacket before turning to Jaristrasz, smiling. She approached his outstretched palm, climbing up confidently. It took a few tries for her to get her footing right the first few times they had gone flying together, but now she had it done and was quick to climb on. I am ready to go, she said to him as she got settled.

Virdela continued to watch the booth with interest. It did not seem the merchant sold goods, so a service then? Virdela's guessed it was most likely an bodyguard, escort type service based off the way the man behind the booth carried himself. She wondered what the buyer needed escorting, he didn't seem to have much.

Virdela soon lost interest in watching the exchange and returned her attention to the square where many of her brethren continued to be swarmed by eager merchants to sell them their wares. Virdela considered going down there to see what all of the excitement was about, but she wasn't quite ready for that yet so she remained where she was, staring longingly at the wares instead.

Once the princess was settled, Jaristrasz stretched out his wings and launched himself skyward, the downward strokes of his wings sending the gardens below into a whipped frenzy. He climbed higher and higher until the ground was but a distant memory. The air turned to ice, but Jaristrasz wasn't affected by it due to the fire magic that coursed through him. The warmth that radiated from his scales offered protection from the cold to Dahlia as well.

He glided along at a leisurely pace, heading away from the capital and moving east towards the mountains. Farmland passed below, turning into wooded foothills before giving way to rocky terrain. How was your day? he asked.
When the merchant was gone, Kishion stood and abandoned the booth. While the upcoming job wasn't going to be particularly exciting, it would at least get him out of the city.

Around him, the merchants were starting to pack up as lanterns in the square were lit and people began heading home. The dragons that had been selling their wares took flight, their shadows passing over the people below. The movement drew Kishion's attention to a green dragon that was perched above the square, watching the proceedings with interest. Having had very little interactions with dragons, Kishion looked away and tried to decide which tavern he was going to visit.

Despite the few flights they had been on together, Dahlia still felt nervous with the take off. She wasn't sure why, she trusted Jaristrasz wouldn't let any harm come to her. Once they were in the air though, all of her worries left her body. Her jacket paired with Jaristrasz's natural warmth made sure she was kept warm despite the biting cold.

My day was rather boring, just had language lessons today. She said as she watched the scenery below. It was so strange seeing the kingdom from so high up, but it was also so beautiful. Did you do anything interesting today?

Virdela eventually grew tired and hungry so she took to the skies, headed for the nearest dragon rest stop. Various buildings had been built throughout the kingdom for dragons to stop and rest in if they don't feel like flying all the way back to their own kingdom. Virdela liked the buildings the humans had built for them. They were comfortable and then that way she didn't have to fly for a long time.

There was a smaller building just outside the gates of the city and that was where Virdela flew to. As she approached, she couldn't see any other dragons currently resting there, so she flew right in, shaking out her wings before tucking them against her body. Piles of large fluffy pillows were placed around the inside of the building and Virdela went about making herself a nest of them in one of the back corners, tucking in for the night. She wondered if anything exciting would happen the next day.

((I'll skip to morning in Kishion's post when we're done with Jaristrasz and Dahlia.))
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Jaristrasz made a gentle turn as he followed the curve of the mountains. With night having fallen, he didn't want to fly too far and keep Dahlia awake longer than necessary. He understood the need for rest and the tedious tasks that came with being royalty.

Nothing exciting, just flight training for military recruits. Some humans might find it odd that a dragon would need flight training, but there was a stark difference between knowing how to fly and being skilled at it. The typical dragon wasn't going to be aware of advanced combat maneuvers without training.

He descended a bit, banking back towards the west. In the distance, the capital glimmered in the dark.

((Sounds good!))

Dahlia sighed happily as they flew, closing her eyes to feel the wind around her. It was one of her favourite feelings, feeling the wind rush around her. If she could have it her way, she would stay out all night flying.

Any exciting new recruits? Dahlia didn't completely understand how the dragon kingdom functioned, but it seemed mostly similar in the sense that they also had a military and recruits to train. She wondered what that sort of thing entailed.

Dahlia opened her eyes once more to overlook the capital. It was so beautiful from as high up as they were. She loved it.

Mostly younglings who are more liable to trip over their own wings. Training the recruits was not a responsibility that Jaristrasz enjoyed and while he wasn't the one solely responsible for it, he did have to oversee them from time to time. As acting commander of the military, he needed to be aware of potential talent among the upcoming generation and everyone else who was under his authority.

When they passed over the capital, Jaristrasz began to descend in a slow spiral back down to the palace garden. He landed in the courtyard of his pavilion and settled on all fours, lowering himself to the ground—though it was still quite a drop.

Servants emerged from the palace and came running. They stopped and stood at attention. Jaristrasz found them amusing. "I will stay the night here," he said out loud for their benefit. His deep voice caused the ground to vibrate. They'd already prepared the pavilion for him, but he wanted to ensure they knew their efforts hadn't gone in vain.