Riley's voice faltered as Mina spoke to him. He could hear her speak to him, but he couldn't make out what she said. He mumbled, saying he would be okay, and she moved on.

Riley fell to his knees, and instantly, Dynamis was in front of him. The white dragon's eyes glittered with rage as he stared the boy in the face. [i]'Where were you? What happened?'[/i] The dragon snarled fiercely at a rustle in the bushes, smoke billowing from his nostrils. The creatures had retreated for now, but a few of them still lingered around the camp. Dynamis' green eyes fixed back n his young rider, and was slightly startled by what he saw.

Riley looked up at his dragon, his cheeks wet with tears. His green eyes were glassy and pick, his pain evident on his face. His vision spun and he could hear his pulse in his ears. He had four long cuts across his shoulders where the canine creature had racked him with it's claws. The wound burned like fire, beyond anything the boy had felt like before. [b] “They're in my head,” [/b] Riley's voice broke when he spoke, [b] “They're so loud, Dynamis. They won't go away.” [/b]

Riley's young mind wasn't used to the exposure. The other riders would have experienced more telepathic communication, and therefore the creatures were unable to invade their minds. The boy felt violated. He could feel them sift through his thoughts, toying with his emotions and searching his memories. The hoarse voices still echoed in his head, replacing his thoughts with their own.

Dynamis growled deep in his throat, as if he could ward off the voices. He grabbed the front of Riley's shirt, lifting him back to his feet, and half dragged him into the center of the camp. When they were the furthest they were going to from the edges of the camp, Dynamis curled protectively around his rider. The only thing that kept him on the ground was the fear that the boy was to weak to hold on if he were on his back, and he didn't want to hurt him more by carrying him in his talons.

And so, the dragon resorted to remaining grounded. Riley buried his face in the dragon's side, attempting to hide his moment of weakness from his companions. 

Dynamis glared at anyone who passed near them, dragon or rider, as if daring them to come closer. He would wait long enough for Riley to recover, and then he would move on, regardless if the others were ready or not. Somewhere in his mind, Dynamis knew his rider needed some sort of help, but his pride refused to let another human touch him.