Revoric and Givjuth

Lounging beside the Caer lake now that morning chores were completed, Revoric nodded at his agitated white flitter as she paced the shore, creeling and chirping wildly. He was more intent on the delicate blades of grass that fluttered in the light breeze. Ayden had none of this greenery. It was all bare, desolate rock, almost like what he had read about the surface of Terra's moon.

These grasses, and the trees, flowers, and other plants, almost made him want to stay forever on this strange planet. The gigantic Ants here were probably nothing compared to the undead he'd face if he returned to Ayden. No challenge. Besides, if his mother was concerned enough about his well-being to practically disown him... he sighed uneasily at that thought, then why frighten her more? Alskyr was paradise.

With an angry hiss, Kiilis swatted him in the face with her wing, relaying to him an image of the tiny egg that she had found interesting during the egg-touching.

"You still can't be certain, Kiilis. Sure I felt a little more hope than the last egg, but maybe the hatchling hadn't met the other bonders. For all I know, I won't bond this time around."

Kiilis gave an exasperated sigh and twittered angrily at Revoric, swatting Bantor with her wing to get him to defend her position. After a few moments of nonstop lecturing about not challenging her intuition especially when it came to lifebonds and being a little more positive about the situation, a loud bugle pierced Kiilis's rants.

"Moment of truth, Kii. So if I don't bond, I get to mock every decision you make afterward, right?"

Kiilis merely hissed as her bonder and her older brother chuckled to themselves before they, like the other bonders for Saiayth's clutch, dashed like wildfire to the dunes in order not to miss the hatching of their hopeful bond.

Saiayth was the most at ease that Revoric had ever seen her as the bonders filed onto the Dunes, which he found a little unusual. He was expecting an irate mother hissing and snarling at anyone who dared to come close to her children.

A fragment of a former memory resurfaced in him, his last visit with Baileyn and Itorysth. It was something the tiny Thought dragoness had told Baileyn, but he caught a piece of the telepathic voice, probably because of Bantor, as sneaky as the little blue was.

...Shivath was protective of all of us, but she knew when it was time to let us go...

Well, of course. Saiayth also had the look of an experienced mother. He nodded when Saiayth bugled happily as her first child, a black, righted herself, crawling over to Elia and bonding.

Saiayth could accept it. So why couldn't his mother accept his need to bond? Bantor just gave an all-knowing chirp, relaying another portion of Itorysth's talk with Baileyn.

...Perhaps Erial will know when to let Revoric into the world of dragons just as Shivath had to watch me leave her before she even knew me.

"Emphasis on the perhaps, Bantor. We're talking about my mother here, she isn't a dragon and she's never backed down. I guess you two will never advance to Spellcasters, and my bond and I will never know magic. We'll just have to get used to the idea of fighting Ants for the rest of our lives. Just leave it to mom and dad to battle the wraiths and demons."

He barely noticed the purple hatchling that bonded or the female gold and bronze that hatched nearby. A sudden shadowy prescence gripped his mind, already enhanced by his mind lost in reverie. Images of his parents being slaughtered by a horde of laughing demons invaded his mind with frightening clarity, and try as he could, he couldn't shake the thoughts. Kiilis snarled and Bantor gave a soft warble of deep concern.

He knew. The undead could touch Alskyr just as easily as any other planet. All they needed was a hold on their target's mind...

Revoric was shot back into reality by something small with claws latching onto his leg. He gasped, nearly crying out in shock until he looked down to find a rather large brown hatchling staring up at him with loving eyes. Forgetting all the other thoughts and emotions that had plagued him since the beginning, Revoric let himself become lost in that overwhelming bright blue and trusting gaze.

Promise you won't leave me! My name is Givjuth.

Givjuth. It was perfect, absolutely perfect. Unable to find his voice or any real grip on what just happened, Revoric just nodded and chuckled softly at the reassured croon from his bondmate before leading Givjuth in the direction that the other newly bonded were taking.

Is that where the meat is, Revoric? I hope so, I'm really hungry.

Bantor and Kiilis perched on Givjuth's back, introducing themselves in rapid-fire warbles and nuzzling the newly hatched brown. With an excited trill, Kiilis waved her forepaws in front of Givjuth's face, causing flakes of rainbow glitter to dance in front of the hatchling's nose.

Your flitters tickle, Revoric. And the white one makes pretty sparkles. I didn't know flitters could make sparkles come out of their foreclaws.

"Kiilis is special, Givjuth. She's not like other flitters, she's been taught how to channel magic by a dragon back at my home."

Bantor squealed and doused Revoric with a spray of cold water just as he turned around to see if the trio was actually following.

"And of course, you can't forget Bantor, master of the Water Dominance."

Wow, that's so neat. Can I learn too, Revoric? We can learn magic together, just like the flitters.

Revoric was silent but gave Givjuth an uncertain half-smile, which was lost when the little dragon gave a happy creel and dashed with shaky legs toward the waiting bowls of meat. Hissing and spitting at each other like siblings sometimes do, Bantor and Kiilis also took to the air, hoping to catch a scrap of meat left behind by an overzealous hatchling.

Revoric couldn't help but laugh. The future would always be uncertain, but with his motley trio alongside him, at least his journey wouldn't be made alone. And it certainly would be interesting.

Content © 2001-2002 Twille. Exceptions are the background © Myrror, the draconic arrow icons © Dee Dreslough, Bantor and Kiilis images © Analyn, and Caer Brynmor and Givjuth image © Kesava. These are all used by myself with permission. All copyright violators will be pursecuted.