Chego

Bonded at Vella Crean

Chego is human, aged 19 years, approximately to same as Earth years. She is in excellent physical condition, tall in height comparable to males, and of average build. She has reddish tan skin and medium brown eyes. Her curly hair is an unusual deep violet colour unlike normal humans, and falls to her upper back. She is naturally pleasant-looking.

She lives on a farm on Vella Crean with her family, including her parents and siblings. The farm is rather isolated, although a large town is just a few hours' walk away. She dislikes the place because it is very quiet and isolated. She does her fair share of work on the farm, but is not really interested in it. Her family does not understand her way of thinking, and their relationship is quite cold.

She is bright and quick to learn, and has actually learned to read and write at the town school. Her life's goal is to leave the farm and her boring life, and wander off to explore Vella Crean and other planets. This is the source of her distraction. However she does not dare to leave on her own journey without any companion or protection.

Dimath

Story

The morning dawned bright and pleasant, neither too hot nor cold, and not so bright as to be glaring. Chego looked at the sunrise out of her window and grinned. Today was her birthday, and she was now a year older. This time, her parents would definitely take her to more exotic places.

She ran to the dining room of the farmhouse, startling her father, who looked up from his breakfast. She could hear her mother cooking in the kitchen, and apparently her siblings were still asleep.

"What's it now? You're kicking up such a fuss so early in the morning," he said, frowning.

"I'm nineteen today, and you said I could travel once I got to that age," Chego said. "So I want to go on the school field trip off-world next week."

"Off-world? Young lady, you are still far too young for that," her father replied.

"Okay, if I can't go off-world, then I'd like to go to the seaside at least. You can't say no to that," Chego announced, her happy mood only slightly dented by her father's opposition.

"That's too far," her father said, immediately causing Chego's euphoria to evaporate.

"If I can't even go to the seaside, then where can I go?" she said in a trembling voice. Disappointment and anger swirled within her.

"You can go to the town on your own. Take the day off, it's your birthday after all," her father replied, oblivious to his daughter's feelings.

Chego realized that this privilege was obviously the most she was going to get. Without a word, she went to the kitchen, packed her breakfast in a basket, and set off for town. She could not stand being at the farm a moment longer.

- - - - -

Chego walked along the road, eating her breakfast and thinking angry thoughts at the same time.

It's such a waste. Here I am, living on a world that travels on its own from place to place, and the only place I've ever been to is the town, she thought in frustration. I have the opportunity to visit so many other worlds that practically appear on my doorstep, and my stupid parents won't even let me go to the seaside.

Finally, the busy streets and buildings of the town came into view. Chego paused in the main street and wondered where to go. She was no longer an official student, since she had graduated years ago. Despite this, she still visited the school regularly to learn more things. The teachers never minded her presence, and she felt that they seemed happy to have an interested student like her.

Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to go back to the school. From a distance, she could see that there was something big and red in front of the school's main gate. Chego quickened her pace, wondering what the object could be. She stopped abruptly as she realized it was a dragon.

A young man with oddly coloured stripes in his hair exited the school building, shaking his head. He saw Chego staring at him and walked up to her.

"Looking at my Aliksi? You must be interested in dragons," he said to her cheerfully.

"Well, I've never seen one before," Chego replied politely. "Are you from off-world? I don't think there're dragons on the home world."

"Of course not, I stay on this planet, but really far away. You don't go out often, do you? One of our Searchers brought a candidate from this town a few days ago. So I decided to come and look around for more. But the school doesn't seem to have any suitable, or even interested ones," he said, then looked more closely at her. "Say, maybe you'd be suitable. Come, let Aliksi look at you."

Chego found herself led by the young man towards Aliksi, and gulped nervously as she stood in front of the big red dragon.

"Okay, she says you're candidate material. Come, let's go to Vella Crean," the man said, pulling her towards Aliksi.

"Wait, wait. I don't even know who you are, I don't know where we're going, and you expect me to follow you?" Chego cried, resisting.

"Sorry. I'm Saiwin, this is Aliksi, and Vella Crean is the place where dragons and dragonriders like us stay. You've been chosen to be a candidate to bond a dragon there," the dragonrider said, looking apologetic.

"A dragon of my own to take me all over the world and beyond," Chego said softly to herself. "All right, I'm coming with you. But can we just stop by my home and tell my family? It's very near here."

"No problem," Saiwin answered as he helped her onto Aliksi's back. Chego smiled happily to herself, thinking, They'll be so surprised to see me on a dragon.