[GD] Celestia, Nyrieal, Una & Thyra

Strength Trial

Mist curled through the trees as Nyrieal picked his way along the earthy path, trying very hard not to trip over his own hooves. His long cream-colored mane clung to his neck perhaps with nervousness, perhaps not, and every strange sound made his ears twitch nervously. Somewhere ahead waited Prism, the dragon he had been assigned to meet for his trial. He had heard stories already, mostly about the biting. Nyrieal swallowed hard and stepped into a clearing lit by pale sunlight reflecting off dark water. Tiny floating lights hovered over the swamp’s surface. At the center stood Prism. Both heads turned toward him immediately, the skull-faced head gave a low growl.The darker head grinned wide enough to show every sharp tooth. “You’re late.”

“I-I don’t think I am,” Nyrieal said softly.

Prism prowled closer with heavy, deliberate steps. Her wings shifted slightly behind her while both heads inspected him from horn to tail. Nyrieal tried to stand tall despite his shaking legs.“You’re smaller than I expected,” said the skull-faced head. Nyrieal paused in thought for a moment, the comment was a little surprising considering he was bigger than her but he shrugged it off. There was a sinister undertone to the way both heads licked their lips. Before Nyrieal could respond, Prism snapped at his shoulder. He yelped and stumbled backward before she could get a grip of him. “Please don’t do that.”

“I didn’t even touch you,” the playful head replied. The second bite came moments later toward his mane. Nyrieal jerked away just in time, feathers puffing anxiously along his chest and belly. “This is part of the trial?” he asked, Prism’s two heads exchanged a glance. “Maybe.” Another quick snap came at his neck. This time Nyrieal inhaled sharply and focused. His blue eyes locked onto Prism’s darker head first, then the skull-faced one. His voice became calm and slow. “You don’t want to bite me anymore.”

Prism froze mid-step, the playful head blinked once. Twice. “Oh,” she muttered. The skull-faced head lowered slightly. “What–.” Nyrieal carefully approached, relieved when neither head lunged. “I didn’t want to force you,” he admitted, “but I’d really prefer not being bitten.” A quiet snort escaped Prism’s darker head. There was still a low growl coming from the skull-faced head but for the first time since meeting him, neither head tried to bite.

A ways away from the chaos unfolding was another pair of dragons. Celestia hated getting up for anything that wasn’t important. Unfortunately, today was apparently “important.” The cavern lake shimmered with pale crystal light as she dragged herself across the stone shelf overlooking the water. Her wings stayed folded tight against her back. Somewhere deeper in the cave came the wet scrape of claws against rock and the distinct, hollow clack-clack of beaks. Anomaly was nearby. She hadn't met him before. The strange red creature unnerved most dragons instantly, all drippy, skeletal beaks, sharp claws. Celestia had expected him to be violent. There was another sharp clacking noise, closer this time. Celestia lifted her head just enough to see him emerge from behind a crystal formation. He moved in long, smooth coils, massive claws clicking gently against stone. His pale beaks tilted toward her immediately. “Oh…” Celestia muttered. “You actually came.”

Anomaly froze, then his tail gave a tiny twitch. He lowered himself politely, foreclaws tucked beneath his chest. One beak opened slightly before snapping shut again with a nervous clack. “Oookay…” Another clack. “This should be fun.” Her tone was dry. Anomaly stared for a moment before making a strange chuffing noise that almost sounded like laughter. She tilted her head at him, she wasn’t aware she had said something funny. Regardless, Celestia stretched dramatically, making sure her wings unfurled just enough to catch the crystal light. If she was going to impress someone, she could at least use her good angles. The glowing cave reflected faintly off the stars scattered across her dark wings. Anomaly’s left beak slowly tilted upward. He was staring. Celestia tried not to look too pleased with herself. So,” she said casually, “you always make that noise?” The clacks she received as an answer echoed off the cavern walls in an eerie way. “You sound like someone dropping rocks into a bucket.” Anomaly lifted one claw and tapped it twice against the ground. Clack. Clack. “…Fair enough.”

He watched her, not as if he was expecting something but in a curious way. Like one might look at a science experiment or something like that. Celestia dragged her spiked tail across the cavern floor before an idea struck. She lifted one of her long clawed feet and tapped the floor in quick succession. Clack Clack Clack Clack! Anomaly’s entire neck jerked upright so fast one beak smacked the other with a loud CRACK. Celestia barked out a laugh. He really wasn’t as scary as he was cracked out to be.

The shoreline beyond the cavern with the lake, where Celestia had completed her trial, stretched for miles beneath a pale afternoon sky, waves rolling in steady blue lines against the sand. Una floated just beyond the deep end, enormous body drifting lazily with the tide. His golden wings glimmered every time sunlight hit the water. Meanwhile, Gizmo sat several yards inland on a flat rock. Watching or maybe not watching… It was hard to tell. The strange gray dragon looked uninterested in being there at all. His fat segmented tail curled behind him while one paw idly scratched at the rock. His forest green eyes occasionally flicked toward Una before wandering elsewhere again. Una tried not to sigh too loudly.

“So,” he began carefully, “you come to the beaches often?” No response. Gizmo blinked once, twice and then reached up to scratch his head like an animal. Una smiled anyway. “Right…” The whale dragon drifted closer to shore, letting the waves carry him naturally. Water slid across his silver tentacles as he lifted his head above the surface. “I was told you were judging my trial,” he continued gently. “Though I’m beginning to think you lost a bet instead.” One of Gizmo’s ears twitched towards him. Una supposed that was… progress. “You don’t talk much, huh?” Una received a shrug for his efforts. Una chuckled warmly. “That’s alright. I’m sure you make a good listener.” Gizmo glanced at him briefly before staring back toward the horizon. Most dragons would have gotten annoyed by now but Una didn’t seem to mind too much. The ocean breeze carried the smell of salt through the air as Una rolled onto his side, floating peacefully. “I wonder how you got roped into this.” Gizmo gave a slow blink, a loud sigh and then shrugged. Una chuckled again. For a while, neither of them spoke. Waves crashed gently between them. Seabirds cried overhead. Then Gizmo quietly scooted closer to the shoreline, just a little. Una noticed immediately but decided to pretend he hadn’t. A small smile spread across his face as he rested his chin against the water. Perhaps, silent company counted for something after all.

Then there was the last pair. Thyra stood near the edge of a clearing, paws tucked beneath her chest as her long whiskers twitched impatiently. She really did not understand why this trial had to be so vague. Impress Stardust, they had said, as if that explained anything. She didn’t even know who Stardust was or what the other dragon liked. Across from her, the pale dragon sat silently beneath the trees. Stardust’s striped and spotted legs were folded neatly beneath her,. calm as stone, patient as ever, waiting. Thyra sighed through her nose. “Alright. Let’s do this quickly.” Stardust blinked slowly, at least she wasn’t rude.

The rat-like dragon rose onto her hind paws, stretching slightly before focusing. Tiny sparks of pale gold seemed to flicker around her claws. The air shimmered. Then the clearing changed. Warm light began to spread across the grass like liquid sunlight. Small glowing shapes darted through the mist, birds first, then butterflies, then tiny drifting stars that spiraled lazily around the clearing. Very pretty illusions. Stardust lifted her head slightly. Encouraged, Thyra flicked her tail. The lights expanded outward into a moving sky overhead. Constellations formed above the trees, glowing softly despite the daylight. Thin ribbons of color drifted between them like painted auroras.

The whole illusion remained perfectly controlled. Thyra kept her expression neutral, though she noticed Stardust watching more intently now. The quiet dragon’s golden markings reflected the shifting lights beautifully. “You’re very skilled,” Stardust spoke for the first time since they met.Thyra’s ears flicked upward in surprise. “…Thanks.”

Flexibility Trial

Heat rolled endlessly across the mountain range. The stone beneath their feet or fins stayed hot even after sunset, storing the day’s brutal warmth like a forge. Jagged cliffs stretched toward a pale sky bleached nearly white by the sun, and narrow trails wound between deep ravines filled with loose rock and dry thornbrush. This route was not meant for comfort. No. It was meant for endurance. Thyra moved at the front of the group with quick, efficient steps, whiskers twitching as she scanned the rocky path ahead. Dust clung to her black fur and orange throat, but she ignored it. Behind her came Speedster, the orange fire dragon keeping pace surprisingly well despite the uneven terrain. The younger dragon’s breathing remained steady. Good. “Loose ground ahead,” Thyra warned without looking back.

Speedster nodded once. “I see it.” The rat-like dragon adjusted course immediately, leading them toward a narrower ridge where the stone looked more stable. It meant climbing higher, but it avoided the dangerous slope below. No one argued. Farther behind them, Celestia climbed in near silence through a split in the cliffs. Her massive dark wings stayed folded tightly against her back as her dark eyes swept across the canyon walls. Bagheera followed only a few steps behind, orange wings spreading occasionally to maintain balance. Unlike Celestia, Bagheera seemed entirely unaffected by the heat. Actually, she looked comfortable. “You’re conserving energy wrong,” Celestia observed suddenly. Bagheera narrowed her eyes slightly. “Excuse me?”

“You keep lifting your wings away from your body. Makes your muscles work harder.” Bagheera let out a quiet hiss that Celestia thankfully didn’t hear. “I’m using them to balance.”

“…Right.”

Ahead of them, the trail narrowed dangerously between two cliffs. Wind howled through the gap hard enough to throw pebbles down the mountainside. Celestia stopped immediately. Bagheera halted beside her. “We should cross one at a time,” Celestia said calmly. Bagheera didn’t question her, that was not her job here. She crouched and moved carefully across the narrow path, claws gripping the rock with practiced precision while the wind tugged violently at her orange wings. When she safely reached the other side safely, Celestia followed. Neither mentioned the drop below.  A roar echoed somewhere deeper in the mountains. But it wasn’t a dragon… no. What wa– Rockslide! Everyone froze. The sound thundered across the cliffs before fading into silence again. Una lifted his massive head from farther down the trail, silver tentacles swaying lightly in the dry wind. Even here, impossibly far from the ocean, he moved with calm patience. Behind him, Freya carefully climbed over a cluster of broken boulders.

The black-and-orange dragon looked intimidating enough to frighten most creatures on sight, all sharp crystals and burning colors, but her movements remained disciplined and controlled. “You alright back there?” Una asked gently. Freya gave a short nod. “Fine.” Her voice sounded rough from the dry air. Una slowed slightly so she could walk beside him instead of behind. “…Thanks.” Una smiled softly. Farther north along the trail, Nyrieal led Forester through a steep pass filled with crumbling red stone. The pale horse-like dragon walked carefully despite his long legs, blue eyes fixed ahead while his hooves searched for stable footing. Forester stayed close behind. The yellow fire dragon’s black eyes darted constantly across the cliffs surrounding them. “Nervous?” Nyrieal asked. “No.” A long pause. “Most of us can fly, so if anything happens most of us would survive.” Nyrieal paused to stare at him. Was he being rude? Pointing out that everyone had wings except for him? But he let it go, he was sure that’s not how the yellow dragon meant it.

Forester flicked his tongue briefly. “You don’t seem nervous.” Nyrieal gave a small smile. “I planned ahead.” A sharp crack split through the air, interrupting their conversation. Both dragons looked up instantly. A section of cliff above them shifted dangerously. “Move,” Nyrieal ordered. They ran. Stone exploded down the mountainside seconds later, massive chunks slamming into the trail behind them hard enough to shake the ground beneath their feet. Dust swallowed everything. Forester coughed harshly as they finally stopped beneath an overhang farther ahead. For several moments neither spoke. Then Nyrieal calmly said, “That’s why we don’t stop in narrow passes.” Forester stared at him. He… he wasn’t the one who stopped?

By midday the heat had become unbearable for anyone except the fire dragons. Even the air felt sharp and dry inside their lungs. Thyra finally called for a brief rest beneath a cluster of leaning stone pillars that offered thin strips of shade. The groups gathered quietly, each dragon too focused on conserving energy to waste words. Speedster immediately sprawled against a sun-warmed rock. “This place sucks,” she declared. “That is an unhelpful observation,” Thyra replied. The rat-like dragon received a rather nasty look in return. Nearby, Bagheera sat near the edge of the shade with her orange wings half-open behind her. The heat rolling off the stone seemed to relax her more than exhaust her. Freya appeared much the same. Forester, meanwhile, looked ready to melt into the mountain.

Una lowered himself carefully beside the exhausted yellow dragon. “I’m sure we’re close to the end.” Forester lifted his head weakly before letting out a small puff of flames as a response before collapsing back onto the cool rock. Nyrieal inspected the cliffs above them while Celestia quietly studied the map strapped against her leg. “We’re making good time,” she said eventually. “We need to keep it that way,” Thyra answered and Speedster groaned dramatically, this time it was Thyra’s turn to glance at the orange dragon nastily. They set back off before any bickering could start.

By late afternoon the mountains grew steeper. The trail twisted upward through black volcanic stone that radiated heat hard enough to blur the air above it. Wind shrieked through narrow gaps in the cliffs while distant thunder rolled somewhere beyond the peaks. Something was coming, something unpleasant but no dragon spoke up about it. “Keep moving,” Thyra ordered. No one complained. Sweat darkened Speedster’s orange scales as she climbed behind the smaller dragon. Despite her usual confidence, she had stopped making snarky retorts entirely. Celestia and Bagheera moved together across a narrow ledge barely wide enough for their claws. One wrong step would send them tumbling into the canyon below. A flash of lightning illuminated the mountains in harsh white light and all eight dragons froze, gaze snapping to the sky above. Then came thunder. Una scanned the sky grimly, “We have to hurry.”

“We’re close.” Celestia answered, voice so calm it seemed to lighten the weight on everyone's shoulder. She glanced at her map briefly. “Very close. Come on.” They began to move once again, picking up the pace at the next blast of lightning that struck a little too close for comfort. Celestia was right, of course she was, she had the map and very soon they reached the way to exit the mountains. When the exited all eight dragons seemed to collapse, perhaps from exhaustion or perhaps from relief, perhaps a bit of both?

“Cool. Let’s never do that again.” Speedster’s voice was weak, a big contrast from when they had started the journey. Some of the group gave grunts of approval.

Providence Trial

Morning mist drifted through the valley beneath the waterfall, softening the sunlight into pale gold. The river that cut through the forest below glittered brightly, full from recent rains, and the scent of wet earth lingered in the cool air. Four dragons stood near the edge of the clearing, each there for the same reason. To prove they could provide. Thyra sat atop a flat stone, tiny paws folded neatly beneath her chest while she studied the valley below with sharp black eyes. Beside her, Celestia stretched her large celestial wings with a satisfied groan. “I still think hunting is the best option,” Celestia announced.

“Hunting is most definitely not the best option for everything.” Thyra replied, an annoyed edge to her tone. Celestia’s ears pinned and she rolled her dark eyes, or what might have been an eye roll, at the tiny dragon. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say. Hunting is still the best.” Nearby, Una floated comfortably in the rather deep river, silver tentacles drifting lazily along the surface while Nyrieal stood at the shoreline with obvious uncertainty. The pale horse-like dragon glanced between the others. “Do we… compete directly?” What he wanted to ask was if they HAD to compete directly and he hoped the answer was no regardless.

“No,” Thyra answered immediately. “That would waste time and resources.” Celestia sighed dramatically and received a sharp look from the tiny dragon. Una chuckled softly from the water. “I think the point is simply to show thoughtfulness.” Nyrieal nodded faintly at that, looking relieved. Thyra stood first. “Then let’s begin before the sun gets too high.” The tiny rat dragon disappeared into the forest almost immediately. Celestia launched herself into the air seconds later with one powerful wingbeat, clearly eager to start. Leaves and loose grass scattered behind her. Nyrieal watched her vanish over the treeline.“She must really like hunting...”

Una remained in the river while Nyrieal carefully headed toward a meadow farther uphill. The valley slowly grew quiet again. Thyra hunted differently than the others. She knew perfectly well she lacked the size to overpower large prey, so she didn’t bother trying. Instead, she followed narrow game trails through the underbrush, whiskers twitching constantly while she searched for signs others might miss. Broken stems or fresh tracks. The forest floor spoke clearly if one listened properly. Eventually, she stopped beside a fallen log half-covered in ivy. Tiny claw marks lined the bark. Thyra’s ears flicked upward. Without hesitation, she squeezed beneath the log and vanished into the shadows beneath it. A moment later came rustling, then sharp squeaking protests. Thyra emerged carrying three plump river rodents carefully by their tails. Not glamorous prey but prey nonetheless. She quickly buried them beneath cool moss to preserve them while she continued searching.

Celestia, meanwhile, was having a wonderful time. The dark dragon glided silently above the forest canopy, dark eyes fixed on movement below. Hunting thrilled her in a way few things did. The chase. The focus. The precision. It made her feel alive. A flicker of motion near the riverbank caught her attention instantly. Deer. Three of them. Celestia folded her wings sharply and dove. She hit the ground with barely a sound, missing the deer she had been aiming for but that was okay. The deer scattered immediately, but Celestia was already moving. Her wings held tight to her body to avoid them being in the way as she sprinted through the trees with startling speed. The deer made a sharp turn, she followed, the deer made another but it didn’t seem to work, the animal had no hope of shaking the dragon off its trail. Then Celestia lunged, fast and precise. The hunt ended quickly and cleanly. Celestia stood over the deer, breathing hard but visibly pleased with herself. After catching her breath, she dragged the deer carefully toward a shaded area near the river. The work was heavy, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Farther downstream, Una floated peacefully near the river mouth where the current widened into the ocean. Most of his body remained above water, sunlight reflecting brilliantly off his silver fins. He preferred it that way, diving for long periods had never come naturally to him. Still, fish tended to gather deeper beneath the colder water near the ocean bed, and he knew surface catches alone wouldn’t be enough. Una inhaled deeply before finally slipping beneath the water. The world instantly became quiet, comfortably, not eerie as the ocean sometimes did. Cold currents tugged at his tentacles while silver-scaled fish darted through the shadows below. Una moved carefully despite his size, conserving breath while tracking the schools circling beneath, submerged rocks and amongst the coral.

Then he spotted it, and a large fish flashed beneath him. Una surged forward. Water exploded upward moments later as he resurfaced with the enormous fish clamped carefully in his jaws. He smiled, rather pleased with himself. Over the next hour he caught several more fish, until he had more than enough to satisfy even the greediest of dragons. By the end, he floated near the shore with an impressive collection gathered beside him.

Nyrieal struggled the most, not because he lacked skill but because he kept second-guessing himself. The pale dragon wandered carefully through a flower-filled meadow high above the valley while butterflies drifted lazily through the warm air. Small fruit trees grew along the hillsides nearby, their branches heavy with late-season fruit. Nyrieal hesitated beneath one of them. Would gathered food be enough? The others were hunting… perhaps he should hunt too…

But the thought made his stomach twist anxiously. Instead, he carefully inspected the trees. The fruit was ripe, healthy with an almost addictingly sweet scent. Food was food, no matter if it was meat, fruit or vegetable and gathering still required effort and thoughtfulness. Different dragons appreciated different things. A proper meal didn’t always need meat. So Nyrieal got to work.Using careful movements and surprising patience, he collected the best fruit he could find while avoiding bruised or overripe pieces. By the time the sun began lowering, he had assembled a surprisingly beautiful collection. Nyrieal smiled quietly to himself, he had done it. The dragons reunited near sunset beside the waterfall clearing. Celestia arrived first, dragging her deer proudly across the grass. “I win,” she announced immediately.

“You are aware this isn’t a competition?” Thyra asked while emerging from the trees and the two females exchanged rather hostile looks between them. Thyra placed her neatly gathered prey beside the larger kill with zero embarrassment. Celestia snorted but Thyra didn’t even glance at her this time. Nearby, Una gently pushed his gathered fish onto the shore. Nyrieal arrived last carrying bundles of fruit balanced carefully across his back. Celestia blinked and Nyrieal smiled shyly. This was more than enough for each dragon to prove that they could successfully provide for a potential mate. Although Celestia would most likely disagree that Thyra had hunted enough but the rat-like dragon had caught something nonetheless, so it counted. The sun had finally begun to set, orange light casting the world into eerie yet beautiful colors. One might say a perfect end to a perfect day. A successful trial.