Hermes is the moodiest dragon on berk- idk what to name this

[Luna Hieler & Ayer]

Time and Date:: October, afternoon
Weather:: cold, windy, no rain
Previous Threads?:: Occupational Hazard is going on while this happens




Upon hearing the commotion outside, Luna went to the window and peeked out. She couldn't see much over the buildings other than a few flashes of a black dragon's body. Curious, she ran up the stairs and looked out the bedroom window, which had a better vantage point.

Down by Ari's house, she saw Hermes, Sven's dragon. The dragon was raging at a group of surrounding vikings, who seemed to be trying to catch and harness her. Luna knew that Berkians were capable of subduing angry dragons- it wasn't an uncommon practice. They distracted them and harnessed them before leading them to the training arena until they became calm enough to release. Usually, she stayed out of it, she had talent with dragons, but strength was something needed to catch a rampaging dragon. However, Luna knew Hermes, and she knew that she would overpower the crowding villagers at any cost and rip them to shreds- she was an unusually hostile dragon- and especially to strangers, but she wasn't a stranger. Luna realized she needed to step in- it might prevent the others from being injured.

Luna ran quickly down the steps and out the door. She sprinted toward the shaman's house and was there quickly. The crowd around Hermes was growing, as the dragon's temper heated up. Luna elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, finding someone with a harness. She snatched it from him without asking, but he let her have it when he noticed that it was the dragon healer. Someone hauled forward a bucket of water and splashed it in Hermes' eyes. With so many people trying to help, things were getting out of hand. She stepped toward the dragon and shouted to the crowd, "Step back and let me handle this!" The volume didn't go down much, but at least some of the chaos ended, hopefully everyone would keep back. She was going to try something, and if Hermes was startled while she did, things might not go well.

Hermes' head was lowered close to the ground as she tried to clear her eyes of the cold water. Luna approached her, and took a firm hold on both sides of the thick bone that formed the back of her jaw, pressing the dragon's face against her torso. It was a position she often took with dragons, because it gave her control, but allowed the dragon to smell her. As long as she didn't try to bite or throw her, Luna would be fine. Hopefully Hermes would pick up on her scent and remember that she was a friend. She struggled, so Luna dropped her weight, falling to her knees, still holding the dragon as tightly as she could without causing her pain. Pain would make her panic even more. Now that she was near the ground, Luna dropped the harness she had in her hands, letting it fall between her knees, where she could still access it quickly.

She could feel the dragon's heavy breathing as her nostrils flared hot air at her stomach and the front of Luna's shirt was covered in water from Hermes' wet head. "It's just me, Hermes...what's wrong?" she soothed, hoping the Ambassador would acknowledge her. The dragon healer tried to keep herself calm, trying to empathize the feeling to the dragon.

[Sven Vellyn]

As soon as Sven had been taken away to safety, she noticed the mass of people she had attracted. It didn't do her well. She spread her ground, making herself look bigger and puffing up her crest of scales, screaming at the surrounding vikings. They immediately backed up, creating a large space around her. Someone barked something about restraint but Hermes didn't pay attention. Right now instinct told her all these men were a threat. She had to defend the house Sven was in. She had to keep Sven safe. One viking tried to get close to subdue her, she saw him, watched him come close before lashing out at him, but his reactions were good.

Then all hell broke loose. She had managed to nip his hand and he quickly scurried away, and other vikings quickly set into motion. They tried to tackle her down, but they didn't realise that her scales were sharp, and the idea was quickly banished. Someone's protective monstrous nightmare joined the fray, and they scuffled, growling, and roaring. They were on equal terms but that crest of sharp scales and horns on the back of her head meant the other dragon couldn't pin her down without getting hurt in the mouth - a place where dragons weren't protected. She lashed out with her primary wing scales, it didn't do much on the dragon but with the dragon's agressivity, but with the callback from his owner he had to obey, against his wishes.

There was a mild ceasefire, as the Vikings pondered what to do, and Hermes staring them on, snorting angrily, snapping at those that dare get too close to the house. Someone had brought the harness, Hermes didn't know what it was for but she knew it was for her, and she didn't take it well. The harness was comprised of a restraining muzzle so the dragon couldn't bite or spit fire. There was also a body part made of thick wood that would severly limit the dragon's movement. This design was made for Nightmares, since Hermes was similar in shape and size, but they needed to get close to apply it. The Vikings tried ropes, but the attempt failed because of her sharp scales.

She began to use her fire - it wasn't devastating, her main weapon was her scales, but it was enough to get them to back off, but also instinctively start getting buckets of water thrown at her. One finally hit her face, ceasing her from being able to produce further fire. The shock of water to the face briefly stunned her, and they could almost try get in close, but she was still moving a lot. Shaking her head, trying to dispel some of the water that got in her eyes. As she blinked to try and get water out of her eyes, sh suddenly felt a firm grasp behind her jaw, firm but also gentle, her hands behind her crest so she wouldn't get cut. The flat of her head was pushed against the human's body in a firm grip. She was snorting, her back arching in response, but she smelt Luna. She had previously healed her in the past. She knew her, and Sven liked her. She was someone safe.

Water had escaped her eyes, and from the corner of them she could see viking's advancing with the wooden restraints, still unsure of their purpose, but she knew it wasn't something good. The brief calm that Luna had managed to instill on the dragon cease and she struggled, trying to lash at those advancing her from the side, but without being able to see her targets properly she didn't succeed. So Luna dropped to her knees, taking her head with her, once again subduing the angry dragon. The healer asked what was wrong. Hermes' pupils were as thin as they could get, darting around, trying to stay aware of her surroundings. She was angry, afraid and upset. Luna asked her a question in a soothing voice. What was she really supposed to be afraid of, anyway? The Vikings wouldn't harm Sven... Would they? This moment of calm managed to let her think rationally once more. She didn't see harness for her head in Luna's laps; it was in her blind spot.

Hermes managed an answer. "...Sven... Sven's dying."

(pfft OOC i was reminded of this
)

[Luna Hieler & Ayer]

Luna was glad when Hermes finally responded. What she had to say wasn't good news, but the fact that the angry dragon was willing to communicate was a very good sign. "Is that why you're here? At the healer's?" it only made sense. If there was something wrong with Sven, she was trying to guard him- it was instinct. She was tempted to ask what was wrong with him, but out of caution of triggering her fear any more, she didn't. He must have received a serious injury, because if he had been sick, she would have heard about it by now. She glanced toward Ari's house, wondering what was going on inside. Was he okay? Luna made herself stop, her own anxiety wasn't going to help her with an angry dragon.

The dragon fidgeted and Luna had to put her her head in a different position to avoid being skewered by Hermes' crest "Alright, I know you're scared, but try not hurt me please, I'm trying to help you, and if I'm hurt, then Ari will have another patient to focus on and I won't be able to help Sven when you and I are done here... Just hold still, everything's going to be okay," It was a risky thing to say given she had no idea the severity of Sven's injuries, but she had to give her something.

Luna stroked Hermes' head, attempting to further soothe her. It was time to make her move. Rubbing her hands along her jaw, Luna wrapped her fingers around the leather harness she had brought over with her. She began slipping the straps around the dragon's head as slyly as she could. If she managed to get the whole thing on, she would be ready to hand the ropes off to a stronger viking.

[Sven Vellyn]

Hermes could sense Luna's sudden anxiousness after she told her what was wrong. She tried to move but Luna had her head in a firm grip. Her wings shuffled slightly. She was so worked up she almost flinched as Luna stroked her head. Her eyes darted all over. Just out of sight, able Vikings were quietly organising the rest of the harness to cart her away to the arena. Luna was doing a good job distracting the dragon. Thankfully Hermes knew Luna, and she was willing to trust her more. She listened to what Luna had to say, but didn't say anything. She hoped she was right... But she wasn't there. She hadn't seen what kind of damage had happened! She made a noise in the back of her throat, moving her head slightly, tempting to test her strength.

But Hermes had no one else to trust right now. Luna had helped her in the past, and she was grateful for that. She obeyed Luna's command after a moment, slightly nudging her head further towards her warm body as she caught a whiff of dragon nip. Her eyes darted around, but having her head enveloped around Luna's arms almost gave her a sense of security. Slowly... Just slowly, she was starting to relax and gain more control of herself. She didn't notice her healer strapping a harness on her... yet. It was when she had heard a 'click' behind her ears that she snapped out the delusion that dragon nip was giving her. She tried to open her mouth but it had been sealed shut, feeling restraints. During her zoning out the other vikings had managed to take advantage of Sven's study saddle and attach a vareity of chains and ropes, hoping to secure the dragon. There were at least 3 burly men to a rope, in efforts to contain her.

She didn't know this yet, but her eyes turned to slits and she ripped herself from Luna's arms, and with the sudden movement she felt the restraints and realised she had fallen into a trap! She tried to make a noise but it was muffled by her muzzle. Observing her situation, her body swaying from side to side with fury, she snapped her focus back onto Luna. Hermes had trusted her, and the healer, of all people had betrayed that trust. The dragon couldn't be more mad. A shiver ran down her spine, scales raising before flattening again like a ripple. The Vikings began to tug on her constraints but she resisted. Snarling, in a burst of strength, she launched herself at Luna, taking some vikings by surprise and losing their grip on her restraints.

But before she could even do anything, something launched on her from the side, the weight and impact toppling her to the ground. She writhed, but the weight of the Tidal class dragon meant she couldn't escape! Hermes couldn't recognise the dragon until later. He had managed to get a firm grip behind her horns and skull, and the vikings had regained control. Ayer helped the VIkings put hermes into a special frame to keep her controlled, to take her to the dragon arena to cool off. The dragon released the grip when it was too late - a new cuff was attached around her neck to make it easier to keep her still. Of course Hermes was having none of this, but Ayer's intervention.

She had lost, she wasn't going to get free anymore but it didn't stop her trying. She thrashed against her constraints to no avail. It made carting her over to the arena via several dragons difficult as she swayed them about in midair. She had one thing on her mind - the healer had betrayed her. She was going to pay.