Chapter Text
Neil didn’t know why he always ended up here, but low and behold once again he was curled up against Cassandra. He knew Andrew would rather stab him with his knife..knives, Neil still wasn’t sure there was only one, but this once Neil decided Andrew can suck it up. He felt a strange comfort within Cassandra, he couldn’t put his finger on why but it was there. To be fair he didn’t run to her first, he had tried getting into his new lodge but it was locked. After deciding Wymack wouldn’t be happy if he smashed a window or broke into the lodge he had decided to run around the arena. It wasn’t his fault that as soon as he arrived Cassandra started making a fuss again.
“You’re a flighty little thing aren’t you.” Cassandra murmured her head on Neil’s lap. He wanted to defend himself, but he couldn’t deny it. Even his father had thought it to be so, the guards stationed every time he even went out to train proving his point. “I have to keep up my fitness somehow, right? I’ve been told I’m hard to get ahold of when sparring.” Neil glanced at his hand atop her head, it was like petting a cat, or what he assumed it was like. The only animals Neil had seen with his father were down in the basement, and never alive.
Cassandra lets out a low growl, he felt a slight tug in his head, she was letting her displeasure about his train of thought be know. Neil still didn’t understand the whole bond without being soul connected, but his head was already swimming, he really didn’t feel like overanalyzing it now. “Sorry.” He sighs laying his head against her side. “You think to loud, little one.” Again with calling Neil small and young, he couldn’t deny that by a being that has been alive for centuries he may seem young, he just wishes she wouldn’t mention it so much. “How am I supposed to turn off my thinking?”
“You can start by thinking of more pleasant things.” Neil rolled his eyes earning a tail to hit his side. He grunts cradling his side. “Now that was unnecessary-“ Cassandra didn’t respond but he could feel her smugness tugging at the connecting, she was just like her owner, hard to read and annoying. “Well, if you don’t like what I’m thinking then don’t listen to my thoughts.” He straightened smoothing his side once more.
“You’re a disrespectful little human. Your kind should worship us. We are the only reason you win wars or can get to the sky.” Neil barely resists rolling his eyes once more, but a flash of her tail twitching makes him think better of the gesture. “I’ve been told I have a bit of an attitude problem. Mostly by…” Neil trails off not finishing the sentence, he didn’t have to, she could see his thoughts anyway. Lola. “I can see why.” The words sounded slightly rough and harsh but her tail moved around him as if in comfort.
“You know..I just realized I don’t know much about well..the world. Of course I had classes, but I didn’t pay attention. Fighting was just more interesting.” Cassandra shifted slightly from his lap nudging his cheek. “Now is your time to learn isn’t it? You’re free..and yet you’re still subconsciously holding yourself back.” Neil freezes his hands clutching at the stone floor. “I’m not holding myself back from anything.”
Cassandra nudges him again. “Yet you still live your life in fear.” Neil shot up like a bullet glaring down at the dragon, who merely looked him over not moving. “What do you know. You’re the one holding back, aren’t dragons supposed to be scary with powers and talons? I don’t see any of that here.” Cassandra made a low growl sound, slowly standing her eyes narrowing. Neil knew he was toeing the line, but what else could he do? He just felt so powerless. He hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself all this time, but it was true. He felt lost, and alone. Who was he without his father? Without rules and someone telling him exactly what to do and say, who was he?
Cassandra let out a sighing sound, then settled back down on the floor. “You would do well to remember your place, young one. If you don’t have a place then make one. You’re holding back.” Neil felt his jaw clenching, what did she know? She said it like it was easy, for a being like her maybe but- “you don’t have to be alone you know.” He stoped once again, glancing at her then back at the worn stone. “What do you mean. If you say something mushy about my teammates I’m leaving.”
She huffs a sound close to a laugh. “No, not your teammates, although you should make an effort for that as-well..I was speaking of your soul bond.” That made Neil pause his twitching. He hadn’t thought of that in a while. His soul bond..the dragon that was destined for him. They were meant to fight side by side, trusting each other with their lives and thoughts. Neil knows he was destined to have one, the mark on his thigh proving his theory, but he had decided to push that thought till selection day.
Selection day was every dragons riders dream, that quickly turned into a nightmare. A day that originally was for the kingdoms dragons and every rider to gather in the same place. At first it went smoothly the dragon would notice their rider quickly then they would have a celebration with their chosen guild or service. Soon it turned deadly, when dragons gathered that had grudges against another decided to attack their soul bonds taking out the riders before they could fully form a bond. It was devastating to both side’s, the riders would lose their lives in bloody horrific ways, and the dragons would lose their bonds. Although seemingly inconsequential, soon turned equal parts horrific, dragons only have one bond in their long lives, and if their rider is taken before the bond is fully formed it shreds both souls, such a fragile balance can cause shock and in severe cases death for the dragon.
It had turned the act from peaceful, to its own battlefield. Greedy riders would try to take another out before they could form a bond taking out both rider and dragon, and evil dragons would do the same. It made the selection process one of grief and only for those in the army of training for it, it became its own trial, those who survived earned glory respect and rank. Those who died were treated as not strong enough and both them and their dragons soon forgotten.
“It’s in a few weeks little one.” Neil snapped out of his stupor, his hand clenching at his side. “I know.”
“Are you fearful?” She asked it so easily, like it was just something off hand she has come up with. “Scared to die, you mean? No. I was raised for this moment.” It had accrued to Neil perhaps he shouldn’t so freely tell her this information, but if she could already see into his mind this wasn’t news. He could only hope she didn’t feel the need to share with her bond.
“Yes. My kinda had heard of Nathen. Your father.” Neil took in a shuttering breath, just his name alone sent shivers down his spine. “Why would your kind know of my father?”
“He is infamous for-“ she gets interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Neil turned as the door to the stable opened, his first instinct was to take out the intruder. His body reacts without him thinking sliding down and kicking the feet out from the intruder and holding them down with a hand on their chest. They fall down with a yelp. “What the hell-“ Neil snaps out of his daze stepping back retracting his hand. “Matt, sorry you surprised me.”
Matt makes an awkward chuckling sound, standing and flattening his shirt. “If that’s you mildly surprised, I would hate to see you actually trying to take me out.” Neil just shrugged, not denying. “I came to check on you after you uh split. Plus I have the only copy of the keys to our lodge…” Matt smiles shyly, scratching the back of his neck. He was very different from how he appeared. The dark skin tone and spiky hair giving off a more bad boy vibe, along with the track marks, it just didn’t add up.
“Oh..yeah I couldn’t get in so I just came here to train.” Neil tried to be polite, after all Matt was nothing but kind if not to a fault to him. So he gave Matt his best attempt at a small smile. “Oh-! Yeah that makes sense.” Matt seemed to get the color back to his face, smiling more brightly and less unsure. “You know you shouldn’t go into Cassandra’s stall though, I’ve seen Andrew choke a new recruit for it before.” Matt shakes his head in an almost friendly scolding, closing Cassandra’s stall behind Neil. “I won’t tell him though buddy.” Matt put a thumbs up winking.
“..thanks?” Andrew didn’t gut Neil when he had found him with her before, but who knows with him, maybe he just felt nice that day. It was only a one..well two time thing anyway. “No problem, you done with your training? I can show you to the lodge now if you would like.” Neil nods looking back once at the stall then following after Matt
———
The lodge was a decent size, it had one main room with a kitchen and living room, then two rooms with two beds each. Although Matt had informed him that only three of them would be in this cabin. Each room had a bed in each wall then a desk at the end of each bed, the room was cut in half with a dresser and nightstand in each side. Only one window in the middle of the room. All in all it wasn’t bad, better then his rooms at his fathers anyway.
“We each get our own space you know- oh yeah you still don’t have stuff huh? Wymack briefed me…I guess we need to take you shopping. Allison would love it-“ Neil tuned out the rest of Matt’s rant as he set the bag with the little stuff he owned on the bed, it was mostly Wymacks things he intend to give back once he got his own. “Hey are listening-? I said we can go to the girls lodge now and see if they are down to go shopping now. I mean I assume you want your own stuff sooner rather than later.” Neil didn’t notice when but Matt was standing by the door holding the keys and looking at him slightly confused. “Oh sorry, yeah I mean I have nothing else to do.”
———
The girls had quickly agreed to Matt’s idea, Seth however who was hanging out at their lodge just rolled his eyes and loudly stated he didn’t want to go anywhere with the newbie. Neil didn’t mind, he could already tell he wasn’t going to like Seth. The girls on the other hand weren’t the worst company in the world. They had split up for the ride into town. Matt and Dan had hoped into Matt’s dragon together, a brown almost dirt colored dragon with smaller spikes but a taller frame. Neil had heard dragons matched their owners but it seemed to be true so far. Renee had offered to let Neil ride on the back of her pure white, albino looking dragon, but Neil didn’t trust neither the dragon nor the rider, so he turned her down.
The only one that left was Allison, although they had a rocky first impression, Neil didn’t hold anything against her, she had no idea he was against touch. She seemed remorseful enough, judging by the way she didn’t meet his gaze as she hopped in her own dragon. Her dragon was a dark shade of red with black eyes, it didn’t seem very aggressive if the way it was idle waiting for Neil to climb in was anything to go by.
He didn’t hesitate this time the way he did with Cassandra, once was enough for Neil to execute a perfect and fine tuned maneuver onto the dragon. “This is Andrella, she won’t bite you.” That name was familiar.. “She was the one Seth came in complaining about.” Neil hadn’t realized he said it outloud till Allison let out a cackle. As soon as Neil was seated and grabbed into one of Andrellas spikes, she took off. All three dragons were in the air, heading in the same direction without any of the riders directing them. “Yes she is. The asshole deserved it. He cheated on me with some little new recruit from Alster.” Alster? That was far off, and also very cold, it wasn’t everyday someone from there joined the fight. “Don’t feel bad thought I got pay back.” Allison shrugged scratching Adrellas head, who in turn cooed softly. “I got Jack to stop letting him ride.”
“Is that his dragons name?” Allison nodded a shut eating grin in her face. “You should have seen his face when he couldn’t ride for a month.”
“Jack just listened to you? Over his bond?” Allison made a confused face, as they soared through the mountains tilting into a cave for a few seconds before resurfacing. “Well yeah, our dragons are mates as I have a bind to his as well.” Huh? Neil hadn’t heard of that before, although not going to class or listening will do that to you. “That’s a thing?”
Allison giggled, her blonde hair almost glowing in the setting sun as it flew around in the wind. “You don’t know much huh newbie? I’m not the best teacher. Ask Renee or something. She’s captain for a reason.” Neil could see as the mountains slowly morphed into trees and land then to houses, they were close to town. Allison seemed to pause thinking for a second before speaking. “Listen Neil, I’m sorry about the meeting. I’m not sure what set off that little monster, but you seemed uncomfortable.”
Neil’s eyes widened slightly, sure she didn’t seem bad but he didn’t expect an apology. Not that he even needed one, she wasn’t even aware that it would set him into a panic. “It’s okay, I just don’t like being touched is all.” Allison seemed thoughtful as she nodded. After that the ride was mostly silent.
They soon landed, the town itself was on the smaller side, most people going home or wrapping up work. They barely pairs any mind to the dragons or riders, it seemed they must come here a lot for even the townsfolk to not bat an eye at the famous foxhole guild flying in on dragon back.
Allison effortlessly jumped off the back of Andrella, Neil noticed she was even still wearing a tight dress and heels. Women were so complicated and surprisingly strong to Neil. How she rode and jumped off a dragons back wearing that he had no idea. Although Dan and Renee weren’t wearing anything comfortable either. Renee in jeans and combat boots, similar to Andrews, and Dan in a leather skirt and platforms, Neil didn’t know much about clothing but he knew they couldn’t be comfortable.
Neil jumps down from Andrella, who lays back down with a sigh. The rest join up with him and Allison, who shoves him toward the closest shop commenting on his ‘Totally unflattering clothes, that should be burned’ in her words, he didn’t think Wymacks old cloths were really that bad…
———
By the time they arrived back at camp, Neil had four full bags, more than he could even want. He had wished the girls a good night, then went back to the lodge. He sighed setting down the bags rolling his shoulders, that had started cramping from holding all the stuff the whole ride back. He decided to start putting them in the bag Wymack had given him for his team when he noticed it.
Sure none of the stuff in the bag was his, but he still felt the pull of wanting to keep his things to himself, so he had set the cloths in the bag in an organized fashion. I at first glance nothing was wrong with the clothes they were still neatly folded in the same order, but there was something that whoever touched his things hadn’t noticed, Neil folded his tags in a very specific way, one that the one who had touched his things hadn’t returned it to.
Neil didn’t know why this angered him so much, maybe it was the fact that he really didn’t own anything yet someone decided to touch his things anyway. Either way Neil was fuming. He storms out of the lodge startling Matt who calls out for him but doesn’t get a response, Neil was in a mission. He storms right to the cousins lodge pulling a bobby-pin from his pocket he carried around just in case. He turned it in the door jiggling the handle till he heard the click. Wymack should really invest in some better locks.
The second Neil throws the door open all eyes are on him. Nicky and Aaron were lounging on the beanbags, with Kevin laying on the couch vodka bottle in hand, Andrew was perched on the window sill a cigarette in hand. “Wrong lodge rabbit. Try again.” Andrew deadpans flicking the bud of the cigarette out the window. “I thought we locked that..” Nicky stage whispers in German. Neil wanted to break something, someone preferably. He knew the perpetrator had to be Andrew, maybe he doubted Neil’s intentions or didn’t believe him when he said he wasn’t a threat to his people, but he couldn’t very well yell at a commander. He could lose his spot in the guild, so instead he turned his anger in the easiest target.
“Stay the hell out of my things.” Neil spit out in perfect French. Kevin’s eyes seemed to widen, although Kevin knowing French wasn’t a well known fact most people who grew up around the Raven guild would know. “What are you talking about.” Kevin ground out his teeth bashing together, as he glared at Neil. “I know one of you guys touch my shit. Put a leash on your monster or I will.”
Kevin let out a short laugh his eyes narrowing as he stood, leaving his bottle on the couch. The cousins didn’t seem to have the intention on stopping the fight although it seemed to have gotten Andrew’s attention who was messing with the edge of his armbands. “A frightened child like you? I’d like to see you try.”
Neil took a step forward glowering. “Fuck you, cripple.” Kevin sputtered taking a step back before rage filled his features, he took a couple steps forward his voice dark and promising violence. “What was that newbie?” Neil took a few steps back his hand in the handle to the door. “You heard me. You’re a no good has been, who has no place still being a rider.” Neil only had a split second to react before Kevin was lunging for him in a blind rage, Neil opened the door quickly moving out of the way then closing it. He only had a few seconds till the door was thrown open and Kevin was in him again. Neil managed to keep out of his reach with his quick reactions, but it was like Kevin’s strength multiplied when he was angry, if Neil took him in now he might not win as easily, he could see why Kevin was one of the top officers in whatever guild he was in.
Neil was backed against the side of the lodge, Kevin’s fist a breath away from his face when Kevin was pulled back. Nicky had his arms around Kevin’s middle pulling the struggling man back it would have been a comedic sight if Andrew wasn’t now right in Neil’s face. “What was that rabbit? Already starting fights?” His fist was poised against the wood of the lodge right next to Neil’s head, a silent warning. “You started it..”
Andrew’s eye twitched as he shoved off the house, a knife now in his hand. Neil heard Nicky mutter something, still restraining Kevin. “I thought we had an understanding rabbit. You don’t touch Kevin.”
Neil glared down at Andrew. “One of your people went through my things.” Andrew feigned surprise, putting a finger on his chin. “Wow so possessive.” Neil shoved off the lodge wall putting us hands in his pockets meeting Andrew’s stare head on. “Of course I am, everything I own fights in one bag.”
Andrew doesn’t react but his lip twitches, in what Neil calls an Andrew smile. He lets out a low whistle in a quick flash he lifts his hands in the air no dagger to be found. “Fair enough. You’re interesting rabbit. Don’t forget about Eden’s.” Andrew tilts his head then gives Neil a once over that brings heat to his cheeks. Neil suddenly didn’t feel as mad anymore, now he just felt mildly embarrassed for his outbursts, he glanced behind Andrew at Kevin still struggling from Nicky’s grips and Aaron trying to placate him.
Then he feels a touch in the back of his neck. Andrew had put his hand in the back of Neil’s neck just as he did during the meeting earlier that day, for some reason it grounded Neil in a way he couldn’t explain. “Look at me rabbit, now come to Eden’s tavern tomorrow night with us.”
Neil had already agreed earlier this week but found himself nodding. He felt..weird in Andrew’s presence. Something he hadn’t felt before, something that made him want to run. Andrew gave him one more look over then turned right around and walked back into the lodge. Nicky dragging Kevin in with him sends Neil an apologetic glance. Aaron doesn’t even look his way slamming the door shut behind him.