Title has nothing to do with Corpse Party, sorry CP fans. Nothing at all, only the human in the picture really likes Artery Vein. Have a listen to the song, it’s fantastic.
Hrulash: I’ve been waiting my whole life for this song, let me have it!
…yeah, he’s been like that for a few days.
Anyway, looky, looky, I painted a dragon that I can be reasonably happy with! It still needs a few tweaks – more straps on the saddle (how is Hrulash staying in his seat?) – maybe Hru should have a sword, maybe a cloak or a pack, maybe Gary could use a lot more work especially around the wings, and the sky is a bit rough.
However, I’m impatient, so here’s a pretty mostly-finished picture of Hrulash and Gary charging into… battle? Pandora no Yoru sounds pretty badass. It’s probably a battle.

Although, at some point Hrulash and Gary become commanding officers of the Littleclaws Training unit in Regalo. Tseo and Hoarwilk, hearing about this, take a leave of absence from their regular unit, of which Tseo is Centurion, and take command of the advanced Fireclaws Training unit to which all the Littleclaws graduate. It’s a six-month training in each unit, making a whole year, and recruits come in quickly to fill the demand caused by [Book 2 spoilers?]. Hrulash trains his raw kids in the basics of physical combat until they’re ready to pass out, while Gary teaches their dragons how to take care of their humans in a fight. After a month or two, dragon/human pairs finally start to fight together. Meanwhile, Tseo and Hoarwilk are refining the stuff that Hrulash and Gary hammered into the heads of the now-graduates. Both units occasionally go on field trips into the mountains to practice leadership skills.
At the end of the fourth, fifth, and sixth month, the two units meet in a practice battle – though most training is against ground-based enemies, which is far more useful against bandits and potential invading armies, there’s nothing like meeting real opponents in combat. Since the Fireclaws have simply been at the game longer, they generally win; however, occasionally someone in the Littleclaws will display exceptional leadership and combat skills and rally the junior unit to a win. (The score averages at about 66% win rate for the Fireclaws.) Hru, Gary, Tseo, and Wilkie mostly stay out of it, patrolling the edges of the battle to offer assistance and encouragement (or ‘encouragement’ :3 ) to stragglers. Blunt weapons are used, of course, and the dragons equipped with ‘waterguns’ to paint their targets.
At the end of the battle, Hrulash and Tseo pretend to pick a fight with each other, testing each other as they always have since they were kids, only now they have dragon partners (who are more than willing to spar with each other like they also did as kids before Xalphol united them in defense) and they have an audience – their confused and anxious training units, who always wonder if they ought to break up the fight (Hrulash is very good at sounding truly antagonistic)… at least, until the dragons start giggling. (Hrulash: >.< )
And then Tseo wins, the units applaud enthusiastically, and the two Centurions take their units off to the bar, where good times are had by all. More or less. : D

…And I really want to write another spin-off, ‘Tales from the Littleclaws’. XD

(One may wish to click to see more of Hrulash’s pretty face. :3 )