Above the Keep, Volume 27
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Above the Keep - By Lorelai Silvermoon Volume 27
The light of morning punctures the Elysian cloudcover, giving soft illumination to the gathered shadows atop the Castle ... shapes of both men and dragon standing statuesque through the parapets.
An hour's half passes as the gathered listen to a lone figure, crimson hair tousled in the wind, before being broken into small groupings once more ...
To the southeast of the city a flight of dragons rally about a pair of Silvers as they are lead through their drills, arrows and blades finding target marks amid commanding shouts from an avariel girl and a dark haired Hunter ...
The northern skies above Dagroth Woods see a larger group of winged defenders wrestling in the air with mock combat and delivering diving spear charges to assembled targets ...
To the south of the city, over farmlands, a trio dip and soar ... a doe coated ranger and her Copper companion leading newcomers through a test of progression ...
The crimson haired figure, golden dragon aside him, keeps a smaller group gathered to him in the interim, invested in heavy discussion upon the rooftop, the wind at times carrying faintly recognizable streams of prayers.
Hours pass and all come together once more as a whole, before all lift from the rooftop as such, their wing beats a now accustomed thunder to the citizenry. The formations fly westward out over the lake until out of eye shot ... and do not come back into view until midday.
They fall to custom upon return, a debriefing atop the walls, thoughts left to think upon ... and all then return to city postings, if not Eastward once more.
Drills and work continue in the Elysian skies, dragons and their partners knifing through winter clouds, lying low and weighty with coming snowfalls.
As ever, Cole stands before the groups before and after ... briefing the days drill plans and addressing them with overall thoughts and encouragement.
After counseling with all of their clericly inclined individuals, all will note that now they are more evenly spread throughout the ranks, with instructions to ensure the enhancement and protection of those around them as they take battle formations ... prayers for endurance, strength, and dexterity ... recitations of Legions Shields of Faith and more to give them any extra edge. At times, this subgroup practices in a different slice of sky ... briefly lighting the clouds with flashes as they practice loosing various offensive or battle tilting prayers, judging for themselves what may or may not hold any use so far above the ground.
Of late, Cole also takes the reigns on the training of the new Elysians from MJ and her bow work, seeing to their instruction in use of blades and spears from dragonback. They are shown his personal preference for a blade sheathed in front of him at the head and across the saddle, while keeping two spears to his right, before repeatedly causing them to draw and sheathe the weapons at length, eventually allowing them near the practice targets.
Again Von Foster is left in the lead of his usual heavy formations as Cole sees to this instruction ... trusting he, MJ, Naia, and Thaylis to see the majority through those days.
Other days see the entire formation in flight once more out of the city's eyesight over Lake Eridanus as they continue to practice the feigned retreat and encirclement tactics.