Here there be Dragons

...and here they were.

A man in his mid-fifties let out a sigh as he pulled himself over the edge of the cliff, his sword rattling against the stone. Sweat running down his brow, the warrior was quick to straighten himself out. The journey up the cliff face had been harrowing, enough to make even him feel a tad bit sore. But, at the same time, a slight climb was going to be the least of their worries very soon. The man brushed a strand of gray hair from his eyes, his steely gaze traveling up the path before them. That was the final stretch, and at the end apparently laid the dragon. The village at the foot of the mountain had spoken of the beast...of how they saw it always circling about, threatening to swoop down. It hadn't yet attacked, but it was only a matter of time. It would soon grow hungry, or perhaps just bored. Hopefully, the two of them would be able to put a stop to the creature before it did any damage...

Still, Leon Reigh didn't know what was going to happen. The final trial of a Dragon Rider was always a sink-or-swim situation, and to be honest he couldn't help but feel a tad bit worried for his young student. She showed potential, there was no denying that, but at the same time so had all his other ones...and yet that didn't stop them from being torn apart by the overgrown lizards. Yes, the dragon that they were going after hadn't yet shown any signs of aggression, but the man had a feeling things would change very quickly once the creature came under threat. After all, they always did say the most dangerous thing was a cornered beast...

Turning about, the man looked back down the cliff, looking to see if his student had caught up yet.

Gripping tightly to the slick stones she pulled herself up the side of the cliff. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed that her old mentor had beat her up the cliff. Looking up she saw him looking down at her she only had about two feet to go still she smiled up at him. "It's harder than it looks," she smiled climbing the rest of the way up. Looking towards the area they were heading for she nodded contently. Brushing off her leather caprice and armored top she looked to her mentor.
Layla Riley tightened her braided hair before looking to straight ahead again. Making sure that her gear was properly in place she moved forward. Heading for the layer of the Dragon, or at least she hoped there would be a Dragon. Her blood was pumping with anticipation, her spirits high ready to prove that she was ready to be a Dragon Rider. "Are you coming Leon?"

A small smile made its way onto the man's as he reached over, placing a firm hand on his student's shoulder. Giving her a quick shake, just to make sure she was properly awake (in case the climb had failed), he let out a slight chuckle at her question. "Course not," He shrugged, letting go of her and taking a step away. Reaching into his belt, the man withdrew a small pipe, "...I'm going to be having a smoke, actually. The climb really did take a whole lot out of me..." He put the pipe in his mouth, leaning back against the rock face. "...besides, the point of the trial is for you to tackle the dragon alone. You don't want this old man getting in your anyways, do you...?"

Layla looked back at her mentor while he lit his pipe, she could feel her stomach tighten at the fact he wasn't coming. Sure she'd trained for a long time and new all he did, but still to have him there would have been comforting. Looking back to the cave she felt her stomach twist more before she turned to him with a small smile. "Of course not...besides I'll be back in no time," she stated in hope rather than confidence. She took a step forward, stopping to make sure he wasn't just teasing her before continuing into the cave. Taking out her shield in case it was a fire Dragon she moved into the dark earth hole. Her body tense while her breath showed from the coolness. Once within the cave she lit a tiny stick to see by. Wondering how she was going to lure this Dragon to where it would listen and accept her.