| He squinted. � Come here, Kiti.� I got up and went over, laying down beside him. � Yes?� � You�ve been looking really dull lately.� I shook my head. � What?� He touched a cheek scale, pulling back when it folded easily under his touch. � Huh?!� � As I said . . .� He touched the bubble again curiously, then grabbed it and ripped it off along my face. Bright, rainbowy black scales shone back at him. � What?! I don�t remember this ever happening!� � The Evil Forest always did a good job of keeping my scales clear of old skin.� � But . . . But why are you molting? Don�t reptiles only molt while they�re growing?� � Dragons are always growing, Ziaden. We just slow down a lot once we get to be ten d-age. If we live that long, we can get to be as big as grand dragons and nova dragons.� � Oh.� He tore off another strip of skin. � Doesn�t that hurt?� � No. It�s not attached to me really, just sitting on my scales. It really itches, though.� � Can you leave a body skin behind?� � I can if you stop picking at me.� He stopped, but continued to pull layers off Vanel. She was asleep now, lulled by the low hum of our voices. When he quit, he scooped her up and cradled her in the crook of his arm. Garnet came over. � Can I hold her?� Zidane placed Vanel in Garnet�s arms. � Help yourself.� Then, without thinking whatsoever, he put his arm around her waist as he leaned against the wall again and fell asleep. Garnet looked at him, decided he didn�t mean any harm and wasn�t trying anything, and leaned against him, laying her head on his shoulder. They looked like a husband and wife team who raised lone hatchlings. And I�m sure Tiovex and I looked the same way. Only we raised humans. � Oh!� I looked at the doorway. � Come in, Vivi. Don�t worry about what you see.� He entered and sat beside me. � I guess we�re staying here for the night?� � Evidently.� � Okay.� He laid down and fell asleep. I stretched my head out and settled it in Zidane�s lap. His free hand absently petted me for a bit, then quit. I closed my eyes and drifted off. When I woke, everyone was gone. I must�ve been in a coma or something. I got up and wandered out into the hall. � What do you think?� Zidane said as a proposition. � We can go if we get hitched. But there�s no way we�d actually---� � Let�s do it,� Garnet interrupted. � What?!� The dwarf agreed to wed them. As soon as he was gone, I started laughing. � Shut up!� Zidane snapped. � This isn�t funny!� � I think it is!� I howled. � Ground beings are so stupid!� � Oh yeah? How so?� � You get married. Dragons don�t do such a thing. Marriage is supposed to be everlasting with only the person you�re married to, yet half the time you run off and fool around with another human who may just be married also!� � What do dragons do, then?� � Most of the time we mate for life. Other times, those who are busy will settle down until the clutch is grown and then move on.� � Ew! So one day you meet this dragon and he�s the hottest thing you�ve ever seen and he just might be your half-brother?!� � Yes.� � Oh gross!� � Actually, it�s not that bad. Line- and in-breeding is not encouraged, but it does happen. And unlike with you ground creatures, it doesn�t cause birth defects. Dragons are immune to such things because of the time spent growing in the unchanging shape of the egg.� � Oh, yeah. That makes me feel better.� So the pair were wed under my holy eye (as the dwarves prefered to put it) and they were guaranteed neverending love from the other because of me and just about everything the dwarf said involved me. It really got on my nerves because Vanel was sitting between my front legs and kept fidgetting. �Kitiane! I�m bored!� A grin flickered across Zidane�s face. �What do you want me to do about it? You are the one who wanted to see this.� �Yeah, but I didn�t think it would be so boring!� �Look, Vanel,� Zidane put in, �I�m bored too. Once this is over with, you and I�ll do something fun, okay?� �Okay!� She was quiet for the rest of the ceremony. As promised, Zidane grabbed Vanel and took off as soon as he could do so politely. Garnet and I followed more slowly. � Dagger, would you like to see something interesting?� � Sure. I�m always up for new things.� I sat in the shade by a collapsed wall and watched Zidane play a game of tag with Vanel. Garnet sat on the wall and watched also, then turned to me. � So?� I grinned and made a slight waving motion with my hand. A feather of the purest white appeared. � I found this a while ago.� Garnet gasped. � That�s beautiful! Can I see it?� I gave it to her. � Go ahead and touch it. It�s magical. You can�t hurt it.� She stroked it, marvelling at its softness. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zidane hunch over as if he�d been gut-punched. Snickering to myself, I refocused on Garnet. Boy, was that a mistake. <--Part 22 Part 24--> |
| To not be where the action is is not unusual. You must face the repercussions of that. ~Dragon's Teachings, pg. 93 Part 23 |