| The assurance of a good party is the precious memories it leaves behind. -On Ballroom wall in Alexandria Castle Part 74 As midnight loomed, people began to leave. By twelve-ten, we were the only ones left. Garnet had chairs brought in and we all sat in a circle, one-by-one telling everyone else what we had been doing recently. It wasn�t boring, but the time and the night�s excitement had taken its toll and we were all having a hard time staying awake. The first to go was poor Vanel, who dropped to the floor with a clack of chest plates on marble and a ring of metal hitting itself and the floor. Eiko was next. She�d managed to stay awake all night, but now her energy had fallen and made her sleepy. � I insist that you all spend the night here,� Garnet said. � We can resume this tomorrow.� Tiovex got up and looked at himself. [I�m not going back there just to get this removed.] [Agreed.] I left and went straight to the garden. I just wasn�t used to sleeping inside. I always slept on the balcony under the stars. The only way I would stay inside is if a window or balcony door was open. Around twelve-thirty it started to rain. I settled deeper into my thicket nest and let the droplets bead on my scales. I was just about to go back to sleep when I heard footsteps. I watched the boots walk past my hiding spot, then turn around and come back. They stopped in front of my nest and I was suddenly surprised to see a face appear there. [Ajuk, you�re soaked!] I lifted my wing and gestured with it. [Get in here!] He squeezed in and knelt there, shivering. I made him lay down and stretched my wing over him. [What�s the matter?] � Couldn�t sleep,� he chattered through clenched teeth. � I�m not used to the silence around here.� [What are you used to?] He looked at me through drenched, stringy locks of hair. � Thousands of screaming, moaning souls begging for freedom.� I clucked softly. [You�ll get used to the quiet. To be honest, it�s very nice.] He snuggled against my side and drifted off. I followed his example a few moments later. �What happened?� I opened the eye closest to Zidane. �Couldn�t sleep. Said it was too quiet.� �Oh . . . Well geez! You two had us scared! We�ve been looking for you for four hours!� �I�m sorry.� He stood and headed off. �Come on. It�s way past breakfast and Dagger said nobody could eat until you were found.� I gently nosed Kuja�s cheek. [Wake up, Ajuk,] I whispered. [We�re late for breakfast.] He took a deep, waking breath and stretched, accompanying it with a huge yawn. His tail curled up on itself and stiffened, then relaxed and uncurled. He made a disgruntled noise at the morning sun and rubbed at his eyes. � Morning happens too early.� [Only in the mind of lazy dragons.] He snorted and crawled out of the thicket. I followed, then led him inside to the casual eating room. Everyone was there, looking very angry. The focus was completely on me, the early bird. � I was tired,� I grumbled defensively, slinking to an empty corner. � To add to that, no one told me what time to get up.� Breakfast finally began at ten a.m., much too late in my opinion. While everyone else ate, I sat in the window and stared out across the lake surrounding us. I was so lost in thought that I hadn�t realized I�d become the center of attention. In a moment of total silence, I noticed the absence of clinking dishes. � What�s wrong?� I asked. � The food poisoned?� � No,� Zidane answered, coming over to lean on the window sill. � You�re supposed to be eating with us, you know.� � Oh?� A snowy white dove landed on the tip of my nose, then walked up to my head, turned around, and laid down between my eyes. � Yeah. How did you do that?� � Birds and dragons are kin. We understand each other.� � Understand each other?� � They understand not to peck our eyes out and crack open our eggs and we understand not to eat them and their eggs.� � No wonder there are so many birds . . .� � Wonder how many there would be if a quarter of the dragon population did not care one whit about the understanding, which they don�t.� � Grands?� I shook my head. � Serps.� � Really? How?� I shrugged. � How else? They climb the trees and eat the eggs. They bury their own for protection and the venom in their fangs and tail make them vicious adversaries.� � Hm.� He shook his head to clear it and grabbed my tail, pulling back on it with all his weight. I stood and hopped down to the floor, making him pitch backwards from the force of his own pulling. � Oomph! Ow! Kiti!� I helped him up, which consisted of grabbing the waist of his pants and making him stand. � There. All better.� He glanced over at Garnet, then snarled, [My ass doesn�t think so!] Vanel giggled and Tiovex was trying had to keep from laughing. Kuja just kind of sat there, pretending he had no idea what was being said, though a smile could be found spreading on his face. Zidane annoyedly waved his hand in front of my face, then faked poking my eyes out. � Hey, are you listening to me?!� I let out a laugh disguised as a snort. � You�re asking for trouble.� � Trouble�s my middle name!� he snapped. � Now say you�re sorry!� � Why? Because you have bad balance?� He lunged, grabbing my throat and shaking my head back and forth. Kuja looked over at Tiovex. � Am I right in assuming this is what you meant yesterday?� <--Part 73 Part 75--> |