Uzhue Jalu

Adorably Cute, Witty

Uzhue stood among the many people at Nidus Ryslen, stunned at their differences and amazed at their similarities. He knew that he was on another planet, but that fact didn't quite sink in until he saw various non-human 'people' wandering about. Furry people, people with wings, people with ... machines on them. Just... all kinds of people.

But the fifteen year old blew that all off, in favor of attracting his own attention. He was so flexible, and always smiling, so he not only had fun while he visited this place without his troupe, he had made himself useful.

Then, perhaps within three or four short days, Uzhue was called with the other novos (what they called Aspirants on Icarus) to the hatching sands. While there were other females on the sands with their own clutches, Uzhue was very sure which he'd be finding an egg from. Certainly not the strangely mutated single-paired wingers!

Why, everyone knew draks came with four wings, how could those poor dears fly? They were pretty, but they weren't quite what Uzhue would believe he could ride.

Or, believed would want him.

And, wasn't it more traditional to have the mother of the hatchlings bring them out after they'd been named? This was getting a little weird for the youth. When two of the eggs shook open and hatched, showing off their silver colored dragonets, Uzhue watched in amazement.

Surely he'd been witness to something that very few from his planet would ever see! The actual hatching of a drak!

But the silvers, disparate male and female with different color wingsails and such, didn't seem to get along. The male with purple and black on his wings growled loudly at the female whose coloration was purple and white.

Uzhue barked out a chiding remark, and the male drak ... dragon... whatever he was, looked up and trotted over to him. His eyes did something bizarre too, they changed colors in a swirly blue-green-orange pattern!

But, Uzhue! I wanted to play! He said, directly into the boy's mind. Reeling, amazed, and now, bonded, Uzhue's chiding turned to a sudden cheer.

They were led away, and he was asked what the dragonet's name was. "Leikoytta," he replied, "but how do I know that?"

The attendant merely chuckled at them and pointed to the direction of their new denning room.

"And just what am I going to say your colors are?" Uzhue sighed, when he realized that the dragon - not drak - was hardly Icarian in nature.

You will call me Leikoytta. I am silver, perhaps I am an 'ore'.

"Ore's have gold wings! Or are gold with silver wings!" Uzhue cried.

Well what has purple and black wings? Leikoytta asked, tilting his head. He was starting to grow the distinct mane and tail bits - or perhaps some weird leg hair too - of a drak. But he sure wasn't. Uzhue was getting a little uncomfortable about it. Would his friends chide him for having bonded to a mutant?

Even one as clearly cool and colorful as Leikoytta?

Of course they will love me, they love you! And you do know that every dragon - or drak - is important. Your friends will all find drak bonds, do not worry. But you are the youngest and you will have the best!

"You think rather highly of yourself," Uzhue laughed.

When Uzhue and Leikoytta did return to Icarus, it was nearly a year later. The dragon still had a lot to grow into, for once they'd learned how to fly - and how to 'teleport' (the dragon didn't portal, apparently, it was ... different) they returned.

Oddly enough, Uzhue's mind had brought them back to their starting place unerringly. He was used to flipping through the air, catching people's hands or feet, standing in odd places and leaping. As an acrobat his sense of timing and spacial distance was exceptional.

Apparently it brought them back to a bit of time jussst a little early. The High Prince saw him, and bolted to his side.

"You're... early! You need to ... not be here!" The pale skinned man was almost in a tizzy. "No, no, don't go anywhere. Just... stay here, under cover. Just - stay!"

He made sure that the Troupe - who were inside the castle busily selecting where they were to go for their draks - didn't see the boy and his new bond. It was tough, because they were right under the awning near the racer pens, where draks passed through all the time.

But fortunately, the dragon's small size didn't attract attention from the troupe as they left. The new Uzhue gazed out, watching the bunch of riders separate with their charges, to disparate locations around the world and beyond.

"There I am," Uzhue said to his dragon, who looked up and watched, "we're going away. How did you do that anyway? Bring us here?"

It was instinct I guess... The dragon said. I can try not to do it again.

"Well yeah, try, because now I'm a year older and they won't know!"

The dragon tilted his furry head and his large ears swiveled around, while his eyes whirled in pleasant greens and bemused blues.

You are just disappointed because they have missed a birthday!