Only a few hours later, Peri awoke to see the faint glow of dawn on the horizon and the sound of cheering down in the streets. The Riders were here. In no time at all Peri was up and outside in the mob of people that filled almost every single street in Dragon's Landing. Even the neighborhood around her home, usually inhabited only by criminals and drunks, was packed full and she had to be careful no one saw her emerge from the ground. Now came the hard part: actually getting to the house prepared to house the Riders. Nervousness burned in the pit of her stomach like acid, but she forced herself to ignore it. She'd done a whole boatload of jobs so much harder than snatching a dragon egg. And she had one thing going for her: no one would ever expect anyone to try something so horrible as stealing an egg, so they would be prepared in the least. That didn't mean she could just waltz in and grab an egg, but it certainly eased her anxiety.
As she got closer to the docks, the chaotic rumbling of the crowd reached a degree of order; an excited chant reached Peri's ears. She couldn't yet make out the words, but she got the feeling it was something to do with dragons. Just a guess, though. Peri glanced up at the sun that was just starting to peek over the rooftops and warm the packed streets. She would have to hurry if she wanted to make the square in time. Peri shifted into an awkard jog, darting through gaps in between sweaty bodies that existed only for a moment, occasionally knocking into the people she was trying to get around.
Peri reached the town square just in the nick of time; she had just stopped at the edge of the wide space, roped off to give the dragons space to land, when she heard the thunderous wingbeats of the giant lizards. The crowd's chanting rose in volume and energy, ringing in her ears: "Dra-gon. Ri-ders." Peri stayed silent, not wanting to miss a moment of the Riders' dramatic arrival. She might be stealing one of their most precious possesions, but she was still in awe of their power and grace, just like every other human in Algaësia. She was practically holding her breath in anticipation. A gleam of brilliant color flashed in the sky above the rooftops and the square fell silent in one eerie heartbeat. The distant cheering of the observers farther out from the square could be heard, but not one man, woman, or child in the brightly lit square made a sound.
With frightening suddenness, a gargantuan shape shot across the patch of sky above, sending shards of sunlight spinning across the cobblestone. A second shape, slightly smaller in size, followed just a moment later, and at a slower speed so that the watchers could see the ornate box clutched in its talons. For one moment, the entire city sat in complete silence, broken only by the nervous bleating of livestock. The two dragons wheeled around in the sky, climbing high above Dragon's Landing, and they almost disappeared completely, when the first dragon's wings snapped shut and went into an almost vertical dive. The dragon's size grew far too fast, plummeting towards the hard earth, and some screamed in fear. Peri found herself holding her breath again, eyes riveted on the twisting shape. At the very last possible moment, the dragon flipped around and threw its wings open wide, muscles straining to slow its fall. For a moment the dragon, a dark rosey color, hung suspended above the city, neither falling nor rising. Far above, the second dragon began to make a slower, safer descent so as not to damage its precious cargo. Then the rose-colored dragon seemed to let out a breath and landed with a thump that shook the buildings in the center of the square, then lifted its head proudly, giving the crowd a regal look. The city erupted into deafening cheers and shouts of admiration, which the dragon seemed to enjoy. It tipped its head back a shot a plume of fire into the sky, drawing screams and even louder cheers from the crazed mob. Peri grinned in the confines of her hood, clapping enthusiastically, her heart racing from the exhileration. Moments later, the second dragon, its scales a spring green, landing softly beside its kin, setting down its burden. As the pair stood silently, the cheering continued.
With no visible signal, the two Riders dismounted, their hair tossed and windblown from their journey. The first was clearly an elf, with fair features and pointed ears. He had large, feline eyes that were a luminescent yellow, and his fiery auburn hair was cut close to his head. The elf lifted a hand to wave at the shifted mass of people, the sunlight glinting off fingernails that were filed to points. When he smiled Peri could see fangs instead of blunt human teeth, and the smile was less than friendly, with more of a feral feel to it.
The second Rider was the complete opposite; a female, human, and much softer in appearance. She had eyes the color of a pure mountain spring, bright and friendly, and long blonde eyelashes framed them. She was short and petite, like a doll, and her mouth seemed to turn up at the corners like she was used to smiling. Her hair fell to her shoulder in golden curls, partly hiding her face. She stood modestly by her dragon, who stared around protectively, one wing partially extended over her Rider to block out the sun. With skin as pale as hers, she had to burn easily.
After a minute or two of celebration, the crowd showed no signs of stopping, so the elf stepped forward and raised both his hands, gesturing for quiet. Peri didn't expect the crowd to take notice, and for the most part they didn't, but the few that did shut up immediately and shushed those around them, pointing at the elf. Slowly the noise died down to a calmer level and the elf began to speak.
"Greetings, citizens, travellers," he announced in a loud, commanding voice, letting his clawed hands drop to his sides. "We thank you for this overwhelming welcome to your beautiful city."
A few people tried to start up another cheer, but a look from the elf silenced them instantly. After a brief pause, he continued.
"My name is Dareth, and this is my dragon, Freida."
The elf gestured to the larger dragon and she snorted out a cloud of smoke, staring around at the crowd, her eyes blazing with energy. The elf glanced to his companion, and she stepped forward, her feet making no sound at all on the dusty stones.
"I am Iridessa," she called, and her voice was just as warm as her face, like a warm, lazy river washing around your feet. "And this is Kaji."
Iridessa smiled happily and Kaji made a rumbling sound deep in chest, somehow making her predatory eyes seem less threatening as she gazed around at the city's inhabitants. The dragon's gaze landed on Peri and a flicker of recognition appeared in those bottomless green pools. Kaji eyes seeming to pierce right through her cloak, and she gave an amused chuff. Peri frowned in confusion and the dragon repeated the noise, then looked away. It was like the dragon had known her, seen her before, and Peri didn't like it. She tugged her hood farther down and nervously fingered the dagger on her belt, but the dragon didn't glanced her way again.
"Tomorrow, we will have the Procession, where all those who are ages eleven through nineteen will have the oppurtunity to lay their hand on four Unquickened dragon eggs," Dareth declared, gesturing to the chest that held the eggs he spoke of. Peri studied the box, searching for any signs of a lock.
The chest, forged out of gold and rimmed with a coppery metal, was set with countless gemstones ranging from black to brilliant yellow to the rosey pink of Frieda's scales. There were handles on either side, carved in likenesses of a dragon's head. A swirling, elegant pattern had been carved into the box's lid, dizzying to look at and altogether beautiful. There was no visible lock, but Peri was willing to bet it was sealed with magic. The Riders weren't stupid. Peri's attention was snatched from the chest when Dareth began speaking once more. Peri was beginning to dislike him; he seemed a bit too dramatic and, well, loud. Still impossibly graceful and beautiful, but loud.
"For now, let the celebrations begin!"
Taking the hint, the crowd erupted into cheers, growing louder and louder as the people farther away began to catch on. Dareth stood there in the center of the square, grinning. Iridessa went to his side and murmured something in his ear, to which he nodded, and the two of them went over to the box, each taking one carved handle with both hands. Iridessa's lips moved, her voice too soft to be heard over the noise of the square, and she touched one hand to the top of the box. With surprising ease, the two Riders lifted the box and carried it across the square to a huge building that had also been roped off. This was where the Riders would be staying, appropriately named the Riders' Lodge.
The building was simple and elegant, with many stained glass windows that could be thrown open on a hot day. Each window had a small balcony just outside so that Riders could get a breath air or communicate with their dragons without having to brave the square, where they would be mobbed with people. Plants covered the granite stones that made up the Lodge's wall, grown there by elvish Riders who had stayed there before so that, in spring, the Lodge was a collage of yellows, pinks, blues, reds, and so on. While the flowers were in bloom, the square, usually reeking of body odor and mud, enjoyed the sweet aroma of flowers. Even when no one tended to them, the flowers still grew with the help of elvish magic. The Lodge's roof was different from the rest of the buildings in Dragon's Landing because it could be opened from the inside to allow the dragons to poke their heads inside, and for the Riders to get to the roof easily. That was where Peri would enter the building in the dead of night, while the celebrations would still be going on. Hopefully the noise of the city would help to cover up her movement.
As Iridessa and Dareth approached the Lodge, its solid, oak doors, decorated by an elaborate carving of a tree, the Menoa Tree to be exact, were thrown open from the inside and two of the men who worked in the Lodge, dressed in simple, white cotton shirts and tan pants that down to the knee, stepped out to make sure they didn't close again. Their black leather shoes, meticulously polished to a shine, snapped together with a click, and they bowed their heads as the chest was carried past them. Once the Riders were inside and out of sight, the two men slipped back inside, pulling the doors shut with a low boom that Peri could here even above the deafening cries. The dragons glanced at each other and, with a nod, they flung themselves into the air, flapping their mighy wings to get above the rooftops. Once they were clear, they shot off across the city, drawing screams of excitement and awe from any they passed above.