Can't focus. Why can't I focus? <OPEN>

[metaldawn71]

Novar was exploring the village. He wandered into the forest and was lost in his thoughts. It was mid-afternoon and lunch break from class and lessons. He settled down and opened one of his class books and started to read next to a stream.

He had brought cheese, redfruit, and several meatrolls to snack on in a satchel. He relaxed as he started to munch on his snacks. That was his lunch. He hardly ate a thing, he looked scrawny enough as it was. Almost anorexic. He was border line he thought. He wanted to eat more but couldn't or wouldn't. Whichever the case maybe, he needed to eat more. He refused to go to the healer to get checked out. Yes, he went when they brought him in. That was protocol.

Novar never went to any healers, not as long as he was alive. He was stubborn like that and was being a little paranoid. He was afraid that they were going to find something wrong and he would be in the Infirmary for weeks, maybe even months. Then he would never get a dragon or maybe hid dragon would be there and he would be in the Infirmary, which meant that the baby would die.The candidate thought of the two dud eggs and the one he touched. He remembered how much anguish he felt. One of those could have been his.

He felt for those that stood and didn't impress. He felt horrible. The boy threw down his book, unable to focus on his lesson. Novar drew up his knees, put his arms across them, his head down and cried.

[Kitsuneko]

Do you want to rest for a while, Rahath? M'ril and his dragon had been flying around the island, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, but he was planning to return to their weyr soon.

The blue-silver dragoness made no outward response to his suggestion, but she answered him all the same. Sure. I am getting a little thirsty. At least water is easier to find now that the rainy season as arrived. Perhaps wild game will be easier as well.

The lazuli went into a dive, and M'ril just hung on tight for the ride. She had spotted a small stream in the forest below, and a few meters above the ground, she backwinged and came to a landing. M'ril climbed off her back while the dragon went to lap from the stream. He was momentarily distracted by a strange sound, and he frowned and went to investigate. The source of it was a boy sitting a small distance downstream of where Rahath had landed. Perhaps he had noticed them landing, though it was possible he hadn't. He certainly seemed distressed, though, and M'ril approached warily. He wasn't the best at dealing with this sort of thing. "Is...everything alright here? Rahath and I could give you a ride back to Rindell, if you need it."

[metaldawn71]

Novar looked up and saw a blue-silver dragon and a rider. With tears coming down his face, he replied to M'ril.

"I can't focus on my work. I'm a Candidate and just Stood. I saw the two eggs that were duds, I even reached out an touched one. It was.......cold. I don't understand my feeling towards this. I felt so much pain. They didn't have a chance..." he said. Novar sighed sadly as he bit into his Redfruit.

He was a passionate boy. He was an artist and a poet. Back home, he was reticuled for it and driven out of his home. He was careful not to reveal anything that would be used against him. He didn't trust anyone yet, not even the one that brought him in.

[Kitsuneko]

M'ril shifted uncomfortably when the boy's gaze met his. Ahh, a failed candidate, then. That was unfortunate, though far from unexpected, considering two of the eggs from the amethysts' clutches had been duds and another Impressed from the stands. He'd be surprised if this was the only upset candidate about.

It was something M'ril had trouble relating to himself; after all, he'd been searched and then Impressed Rahath from the first clutch he'd stood for, so he hadn't had time or inclination to dwell on whether or not he was worthy to Impress or anything of the like. He wasn't at all sure how to go about comforting someone about that, and Rahath, huddling just out of sight upstream and staring shyly at the boy with her rider, was no help either.

"Oh, well...don't worry about it too much. There'll be more eggs clutched soon enough, and I'm sure you'll have plenty more chances to Impress. You're what, fifteen, sixteen at the oldest?" That was a rough estimate based on the boy's appearance, who seemed rather on the thin side as it was, and if he wasn't already so upset, M'ril would have tried to take him back to the Infirmary for a checkup. "That just means you'll have plenty of time to attend clutches. Sometimes it can be turns before the right dragon comes along, but it's not uncommon for people to stand a dozen times or so before Impressing, from what I've heard."

A rumbling croon from Rahath preceded the lazuli adding her own opinion. It isn't good to dwell on dud eggs too much, either. It is sad, but they are a part of life.

M'ril nodded, as the lazuli spoke to both him and the candidate. "I'm M'ril, by the way. That's my dragon, lazuli Rahath."

[metaldawn71]

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An all to familiar voice came to Novar's ears. It was Setliat.

"I'm here fer ya, boy!" he threateningly said to Novar. The Candidate's eyes read absolute fear as he slowly turned his head towards the voice. The poor boy was petrified. He couldn't move. "Cat got your tongue, eh? Well, I'll have your lying tongue instead that damned cat!"

Setliat moved towards Novar and made an effort to grab him. He missed. Novar shuffled behind a tree and climbed it. "You think you're safe up there, dontcha boy?" Set said. The boy was shaking like a leaf. The candidate balled up. He was too scared to talk, to scared to do anything. The only thing going was his thoughts.

Help me, oh please, dear Farnath, help me! Make him go away, please?! he didn't know it but his thoughts were carrying.

[Kitsuneko]

M'ril was practically stunned speechless as an irate man seemed to come out of nowhere, ignoring him entirely in favor of going after the boy. Novar seemed quick enough to escape up a tree, fortunately, but still. Had this man somehow failed to notice the dragonrider's presence entirely?

Soon enough, his surprise gave way to anger. He knew nothing of the past between Novar and Setliat, but it was patently obvious the man was up to no good--he was practically assaulting a candidate of the Rebellion. M'ril had had his share of bullies in the past, and it was one thing he wasn't going to take sitting down.

M'ril looked younger than his eighteen years, but he was a full-grown, tried-and-tested dragonrider, too, and he tried his best to look intimidating as he strode over and reached out a hand to grab Setliat's shoulder. "What in Faranth's name do you think you're doing? That's a candidate you're assaulting, back off!" He shouted, voice hard with anger.

Rahath was as surprised and confused by the man's appearance as her rider, and she reared up on her hind legs and fanned her wings. Her startled bugle was ear-achingly loud and shrill.

[metaldawn71]

"You waste your life on being something that you know you may or may not have? You are most pathetic, Novar." Setliat sneered. "You take a gamble, boy! A gamble with your life. Even if you do get one of these over grown fire lizards, their colors are all wrong. Blue-silver? Pink? I mean come on,have some decency. At least be one at Telgar Weyr and waste your life there."

"It's...It's not wasting my life. I want to be a dragonrider." Novar said.

"You didn't get a dragon this time around. What makes you think you will be worthy next time around?" Setliat didn't want Novar to a dragonrider because it would mean the boy would have the upper hand.

"How did you know about that?" the candidate asked.

"Its no secret that you failed miserably. You'll amount to nothing. That's because you are nothing." Set's wicked grin curled on his lips.

"NO!! You are WRONG!!!" he climbed down and ran towards the Caverns.

"RUN, YOU COWARD!!!!!!" Setliat shouted as he started after him.