| Vanel waited patiently with me, not making small talk as humans always feel they must do. Dragons are not particularly communal creatures, but when we choose, we show it in just being together. Zidane learned that when he was hardly able to talk. I�d let him chatter incessantly all day if it pleased him, but when night came he was to be silent, even if he wasn�t tired. That was the rule and he learned it well. He was quiet anyway, so wanting to talk was rather rare, but when he did he snuggled up to my side and laid there quietly. I have never denied him the chance to speak when he wanted. [Vanel.] She looked up at me. [Yes?] [If anything ever happens to me, will you look out for Zidane?] [Yes.] [Don�t say it if you don�t mean it.] [I mean it. I have always been told that humans were smelly and ugly and dangerous, but I know that�s not true. I�m so small . . . I know I�ll never get too big and that Mother and Father will shelter me because they think I�m too fragile. I do understand that I�m the runt of the clutch and I don�t care. Just because I�m small doesn�t mean I�m incapacitated. I want to learn how to fight and find out how the world outside the nest works.] [You have high hopes, Vanel. I�ll do all I can to help.] [Thank you.] [You should tell Zidane about your hopes. He knows about their importance too. He�ll help.] [Okay.] She snuggled up to my stomach and drifted to sleep. When I felt well enough to travel, I scooped Vanel up in my mouth and went down the path Zidane and the others had gone. I entered a large room just in time to hear: � No! The other way!� � Zidane, remember what the Treasure Hunter said? Gargants don�t like the water.� � But we have to go back and get Kiti and Vanel!� � Zidane, I�m sure they�ll be okay. They�re dragons. The three of you have an impossibly long umbilical cord attached to you. I�m sure they�ll be able to find us.� � But Kiti�s hurt!� � Zidane, she raised herself. Doesn�t that mean anything to you?� � . . . If she�s mad when she finds us, I�m not getting involved.� � Deal.� I leapt up onto the vine or root or whatever it was and crawled along it like the gargants until I realized how stupid that was and climbed up on top of it. I trotted along it, getting thoroughly drenched by the water, and followed Zidane�s scent up and down and all around, finally coming upon the gargant he was currently riding on. I moved silently above it, making sure to stay back so it didn�t smell me and panic. When they leapt off the gargant, Garnet began to wander toward a cave exit that showed brilliant sunlight. Vivi ran after her and Zidane, huffing angrily and obviously feeling like a mother with a pair of three-year-olds, gave chase. I jumped down from the trailway, using my wings to slow my descent. I landed gently and cantered out of the cave. I slowed to a walk, following Zidane as he grumbled and muttered under his breath about busy-bodies and high-energy people. I barely surpressed a chuckle. I probably could�ve followed him for hours without him knowing, but Vanel woke up and began cawling. Zidane automatically turned, leaping back away from me in surprise. � Kiti! How long have you been there?!� I laughed. � I�ve been with you most of the time. I found you on the gargant trailways and followed you here. I didn�t say anything then because I didn�t want the gargant to panic and I didn�t say anything until now because it was amusing to listen to you gripe and grouse like a mother.� As I spoke, Vanel climbed out of my mouth and up to the tip of my nose. She bounced impatiently on her front feet. [Zidane! I�m hungry!] [Can you hold on for just a little bit longer? We�re going to find out what that place]--he pointed up at a vine-covered structure--[is and if there�s nobody there, we�re gonna stay for the night. I�ll feed you when we settle.] [Why not now?] [It�s too dangerous now. There are a lot of bad things out to get us here. It might disrupt your feeding and give you a tummyache.] [Okay. But if night comes, I want food! No excuses!] [You drive a hard bargain, Vanel, but okay.] We finally made it up to the place. It seemed deserted, but upon entering it, we were greeted by strange creatures. � Rally-ho!� I sprang to the side, almost knocking Vivi over. He and Dagger replied the same way, but Zidane refused to for a long while. Finally, he broke down and said it, but he wasn�t happy about it. The creature then gazed at me curiously before dropping to his knees and placing his arms out ahead of him. � Oh, Great Empress! Welcome to our home!� Dwarves?! �What�s going on, Kiti?� Zidane asked in a creeped-out voice. �These are dwarves, Ziaden. They pay tribute to us every human month and in return we have always protected them. I didn�t recognize them because I have never seen them before, but now it all makes sense!� �So you mean they think you�re a . . . god?� �Yes, I suppose so. But if they go out of their way to treat me differently I�m going to leave.� I looked at the dwarf. � You may rise. Please treat me no different than a regular traveller. I�m not used to being worshiped.� � Whatever the Great Empress desires.� � Please, call me Kitiane.� � And your hatchling?� � Vanel.� <--Part 20 Part 22--> |
| Around every bend is an obstacle. There is always a way past it. ~Dragon's Teachings, pg. 84 Part 21 |