Tue, 13 Jun 2000 Tristan and Sparky ****************** by Stephni Having gotten over the shock of having her nephew join her in the castle, Steph finally comes out of her room. Wandering around for a time, she finally comes across Tristan. And Sparky. Both trying to look innocent. "All right, Just WHAT are you two up too?" She says, foot tapping. "Nothing, honest." Sparky nods in agreement. "Uh-huh!..So why don’t I believe you....? If you are not doing anything why do you have the industrial size bag of marshmellows sitting next to you?" "Just trying to teach Sparky to cook ‘em right." "Uh-huh....so how many have you gone through?" "Just a couple of bags?" "WHAT!!!!!!! Do you know how many are in a bag THAT size?" Tristan shrugs and Sparky looks smug. "Yeah well, at first I was just giving him the ones that he burnt 'cause I don’t like those. Then I figured out that he was burning them on purpose, so now he only gets one when he cooks mine just the way I like it." "UH-huh...Why do I get the feeling that that is not all you’ve been up to?"Steph looks around them and notices the mug. "Um T-man, just how many cups of coffee have you had?"She asks dreading the answer. Tristan shrugs. "Dunno, haven’t kept count." Steph takes off her glasses and rubs the bridge of her nose. "Just don’t let your mom or Jim find out okay?" And so heads back to her room shaking her head. She should have known better. Tristan in a place where coffee rules and dragons play... Well life wont be dull around here! Like it ever was. Lacriox waited for his protégé’s aunt to leave, then came and looked down at Tristan. "Would you like to tell me what you are really up to?" Tristan smiled at his mentor. "Teaching Sparky to control his flames." "May I ask why?" "'Cause then he can do cool stuff." Sparky nodded and front legs down, butt wriggling up in the air. "Such as?" Tristan looked at Sparky."....Go ahead show him." Sparky sat up and closed his eyes for a moment then lightly blew on the torches hanging on the wall. Lighting all of them. Lacriox looked at the scorch marks where obviously the dragon had missed in the past and shuddered slightly. The thoughts of an out of control fire were NOT high on his like list. He nodded his approval to the dragon and patted Tristan on the head. "Very good. Now tell me what you are really training him for." Tristan looked crestfallen for a moment that no one believed him. Then grinned up shyly at his master. "Well with two people running around carrying holy-water I figured if Sparky could control his fire then he could evaporate all of it without making mommy ‘Nay mad cause he burned something else while doing it." Lacriox tapped his forefinger against his chin for a moment thinking about this, then smiled. "Very good." "Come we have much to do tonight." Placing his hand on Tristan’s shoulder he led the boy away. Sparky watched as they left. Then looking down at all the marshmellows, quickly grabbed the bag and headed to his lair. ‘ That boy was training quite well. Better, in fact, then many of the so-called adults residing here. If only he didn’t hang around THAT Vampire so much! Well you couldn’t have everything.’ Sparky hooked a marshmellow on his forclaw, looked at it for a moment, then lightly toasted it and ate it. A smile forming,‘Yes the boy was very useful.’ Fini...for now. ===== Stephni danu40k @ rocketmail.com http://www.geocities.com/danu40k/MerryBand.html The Cowardly Realist Founding Member of the Merry Band Of Foul Up's