Breeders of Ablan - Megami and Aya at the sands

The place was just as their friends and relatives had described. Perhaps busier, and perhaps layered in this good coat of rain and early snow it looked a little slick and somewhat dangerous. But the two Zekiran sisters were equally thrilled to be there. Now that she was here at all, Megami had to admit that she was taken up by the thrill.

There were studies they had to complete, courses that would challenge them both. There were people to greet, the Prima and her dragon, the instructors and all. Then there were the candidates. Apparently there had been a recent hatching or two, and the candidate groups were thinned out - though it was clear that many of the prior folks were still there with their young dragons.

And the dragons. It was no wonder that Amaranth was so proud of herself for having paired with this magnificent dark-gold queen. These Ryslen dragons stood tall, regal wise, but they also had a playful spirit to them.

"I love that one," Aya said about one of the light colored queens who sat on the sands for this big Flurry event they were having. "Oh and that one too."

"We're not shopping, Aya dear," Megami reminded her with a grin.

They were at Ryslen for a number of weeks as the eggs on the sands continued to harden. Shortly before their official 'standing' there had been a very traditional clutch on the sands, and now the one which they were called to was quite different.

Not only were the queens paired off to a single rider, they had both taken two mates! Such mates they were too, ones with names so long that neither Meg nor Aya tried to pronounce them, sure that only their riders if they had any (and they weren't sure, did they even? Could they?) were the only ones to be able to.

So it was that in the evening on the fifth week since their arrival, Aya and Megami Sengihr heard the distinct crooning of dragon mothers - announcing their eggs about to hatch. It didn't take long for the eggs to stir, now that they'd been hardening for so long. Even before the last batch of onlookers were brought to their seats above the red sands, the first of the eggs broke open with force. Red gold and black, a stunning hatchling. Her burning-flame crest and oddly patterned body were an indication of things to come. A yellow hatched, and passed around the girls to bond. A lovely lavender was next, and her wings were all but missing.

That didn't surprise either Zekiran woman, because clearly the sire without wing sails himself (who knew how he flew?) was the source of that. Another yellow hatched, and then a marked black and pink. What an odd set of dragonets! Two blues hatched as one, and went to a pair of twins, predictably. Then... Another yellow, but her markings were unique from her sisters. A lovely silver hatchling found his bond, then another who was female. There was the tiniest of lulls, and thn another burst of eggshell. a forceful darkened purple and red made his way to his bond.

An elfess was happy to greet her green bond next. Another red bonded, and then a second green who bonded a dragon. Oddly marked blue and green paired off, and then orange and flame colors named Halloween for the recordbooks came with her beautiful flaming wings.

Two eggs were left, and a number of candidates still. The green and silver that hatched penultimately came up to the Zekiran sisters. She looked at Aya and spoke with a kind purr.

Patience is a virtue, she announced, and sat before Megami with pride. Ghaoikirauk is my name, Megami.

"You're... you're my bond. I can feel it," Megami said in a whisper. "How great is this?" She turned to Aya, who had not paired off with the last of the hatchlings - a stunning Starry gold who paired off with a dragon. Megami's bright eyes opened wider, as she realized that her sister was not paired off. And, there were only the special Flurry eggs on the other sands, that would not most likely be her time either.

They both seemed to know that.

Do not worry for her, your kin will pair eventually. Right now, I would like something to eat please. I think you studied how to feed me, right?

"Of course I did," Megami said. Her eyes met Aya's, and they had tears in them - both.

"I'm so happy for you..." Aya said, a whisper. "There's something amazing here, I can sense you so strongly."

"All I can sense is her, right now," Megami laughed. "Come on, you should help. You'll be better prepared for your time. Right?"

"Of course."

Ghaoikirauk nodded and walked along side her chosen.

***

The dragons all seemed to grow so fast. Before they knew it, Ghaoikirauk was trying out her wings.

And, Aya was getting a bit pensive. She liked the job of working with her sister' dragon, but there was still something missing - her own.

"I'm going to try getting into the Flurry sands, if you don't mind being hush hush about it," Aya said casually as they dressed for dinner. The dragons were sleeping, it had been a long day of exersize and working, and the days were shorter now that it was deep winter.

"Aya, those sands are supposed to be for the chosen of that clutch only!" Megami said, a whisper even though no one else was in their dorm. They'd remained room mates even though Aya hadn't bonded. Still, Megami knew that there were rules. And Aya was about to break them.

"I can't help it, Meg, I just ... I want to see them. I've been hearing that there are already some eggs ready to hatch. Can you imagine? All the parents are so lovely and you know we all have a good Breeder's Eye for such things."

"But... Well, I guess. I can't stop you, I know that much." Megami said, shrugging. Aya hugged her sister and quietly went the wrong direction when they were headed to dinner.

What is she going in there for? Asked a groggy 'Kirauk.

I don't know, my love, but I hope she doesn't get caught. It's nothing really bad, but I just hope it won't make her restricted for the next hatching or something. Megami told her bond to sleep, and was obeyed.

Aya crept around the large cavern, trying not to be seen or heard or smelled by the dragons.

She knew that was silly - they knew she was there. But still, she wasn't meant to be there without supervision.

But she was a grown woman - and a Zekiran at that, her age was more like an elderly human after all! She could handle herself.

"What are you doing here?" Asked a man's voice, and her heart lept into her throat, while her stomach crashed.

"Um, nothing. I wasn't doing anything..."Aya's mental control did not extend to human kind. She knew that. So did he, apparently, and he was one of the riders of the sires of this beautiful Flurry clutch before her eyes. He was an attractive man, but Aya sensed something clearly dangerous about him. "What... are you?"

He looked faintly offended, but then his expression shifted into a mirthful one. "You're trying to change the subject!" He said. "I'm Vari, just a rider."

"Uh huh," Aya said, "Just like I'm 'just looking around'."

Variola placed his arm over the tall Zekiran woman's shoulder and led her over to his dragon, who was a magnificent ice-pale copper rainbow. There were dazzling bits of color just barely visible to the naked eye - Aya was certain that most people couldn't even detect them. She saw more colors than humans. "He's very handsome," said Aya.

"You're very sneaky," Vari said. "But so am I."

"You're ... a genetic manipulator!" Aya said, finally noticing that his powers were creeping around her cells. Yet, she didn't try and stop him.

"You got it," he said proudly. Then a moment later, he realized, "you're not fighting it off?"

"Why should I? It's a human disease. I am hardly human. Plus," Aya said while giving his dragon a well-deserved scratching on the eyeridge, "I can fight it off any time I wanted to. I just don't mind being ... well, challenged like that."

Vari stood still for a moment, and then a broad grin went over his thin lips. "I think you should stay for the Flurry hatching. Come on outside."

"It's freezing out there!" Aya cried.

"What do you care? You're not human, remember?"

"I can still feel cold, you idiot!" She said, and refused to budge.

"Fine, fine." Vari left the sands briefly, and then reappeared a moment later, but he was doing something odd. He was dragging in a bucket.

It was filled with snow. Which he then lobbed a bit of at her.

Starting what might have been the first on-sands snowball fight in history.