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"Reznik?"
No answer.
Now where could her brother be in the middle of the night? She knew he wasn’t in the house anymore. She had woken up from a strange sensation. She and her twin brother sometimes shared the same thoughts. Not always. But this feeling was so unlike her it had to be Reznik. She and Reznik looked a lot like each other. But they acted totally different. Grenivdel was very calm and sensible, she understood everything that was told to her and felt happy just sitting somewhere to enjoy nature. Reznik however was one of those irritating people who always had to DO something to feel good. He probably hadn’t been able to sleep and had gone out to take a walk. They were 18, not children anymore. He’d be fine. Grenivdel returned to bed.
The weird feeling stayed though. Well, staying up to hear when her brother returned wasn’t that paranoid and protective. She waited in the dark of her room and let her thoughts run freely through outer space. There were other humans on other planets, would they receive her thoughts? She signalled an image of one of the beautiful Alskyr sunsets and wondered if they were as pretty on other planets. Maybe someone would come looking for her. That thought scared her just a little bit.
Her thoughts became fuzzier and she fell asleep.

SWAVE

Grenivdel awoke when Swave, her red caerlizard, pulled her hair.
"You don't need to be all grumpy Swave! I'm awake already!" She yelled, trying to make sure the caerlizard didn't scratch her eyes. Swave was still young, barely out of the egg, he was one and a half years old. Sometimes he got a bit too excited. Grenivdel got up and watched as Swave flew to the window and started pulling the hatch that opened it. This was highly unusual. Grenivdel went to the window and looked down. Below her window lay Reznik, head down into the grass. Her heart missed a beat. She almost didn't dare think it, but was he dead?
She raced down the stairs and through the hallway, putting on a bathrobe at the same time. It was a miracle she didn't fall down the stairs. She opened the door and ran through, praying.
There he was. He moved! She exhaled. He was alive! Her worries were replaced by angry thoughts: Why had he gone out? What had he done to himself? Was he totally insane? She couldn't move him on her own. The only thing she could think of was alerting her parents, but they were islands away! She couldn't leave him either.
"Swave! Come here you little red critter!"
Swave chittered at hearing his name and flew closer.
"Bring this to Eo!" She put a piece of paper in Swave's claws and thought of Eowelia's face and hoped the flitter had gotten the message. She and Eowelia had been friends for a year now, ever since she had followed Swave into Paniya Caer. He had been only a baby at that time. He had flown in and had refused to leave. He was lonely and she knew it, but she didn't think she could handle two and hope on ever realising her secret dream: bonding a dragon.
She had never shown her aspirations about dragons to anyone. Not that she would get mocked or refused to enter. She just felt she needed to wait until her brother found his purpose in life. He was her twin and she sometimes felt responsible for him. Totally illogical, but she did.
Swave blinked out and left her feeling very alone. All she wanted to do was break down and cry, but that would be useless. She went back inside and filled a big bowl with cold water. It might bring Reznik back to the world of the living. Softly she put a wet tissue on his neck, she didn't dare turn him over. Then she tried splashing water into his face. All she got was some mumbling. It felt like a victory.
It seemed hours had passed, but most likely it had only been 5 minutes when cream Cytajhik, Eowelia's dragon appeared above her head. Grenivdel waved and watched as Cytajhik landed.
"What has he done this time?" Eo asked.
"I don't know. I found him laying like this. I think this might be serious."
"Yes, he doesn't look healthy. We better get him to the Caerhealer."
"I don't want to bother the Caerhealer with my brother. Reznik will be angry when he awakes." Grenivdel tried, but Eo wouldn't budge.
"Grenivdel, he's gonna wind up dead one day if he keeps this up."
Grenivdel looked down at Reznik and knew Eo was probably right. But what difference could the Caer make?
"Agreed, but I don't see what difference it's going to make."
"You'll see when we are there."
"I can come?" Grenivdel asked hopefully.
"Sure, you might be able to calm him down and I know how you like to see the eggs when there is a clutch."
"There's a clutch?" Grenivdel almost shouted.
"Yes, didn't you know? I must have forgotten to inform you. It's a special one. You should consider being a bonder. I know you want to, I can see it in your eyes when you look at those eggs."
"I don't think I'm ready."
"We'll see." Eo  knew from experience those eggs were unavoidable.

They arrived at Caer Paniya at early evening. It had taken some time getting Reznik on Cytajhik. The Caerhealer examined him and looked at Eo in a weird way. Grenivdel hoped she hadn't gotten her friend in trouble.
"Just a huge hangover, I think. Let him sleep it off." He said.
"Thanks doc!" Eo said, "So Grenivdel, let's go see those eggs, shall we?"
"Sure." She wasn't too happy about leaving Reznik, but then, he was taken care off.
As always entering the Caer Dunes meant a weird tingly sensation all over Grenivdel's body. Hope and Excitement maybe. She walked up to the pile of eggs and was almost there when a loud voice shouted: "Noooooo!!!!" Grenivdel backed away a few steps, startled and confused. Then she saw the dark purple dragon guarding the eggs.
"That's Ksotsik, the mother." Eo said "Ksotsik, you know we wouldn't hurt your eggs. I think you even know Grenvidel."
"I might." the dragon replied, moving a paw and revealing some eggs.
Grenivdel shook her head as she saw the beautiful oval eggs. She stared at them for a long time, memorising every line and splotch.
"I told you these eggs were special." Eo chuckled.
"They are beautiful." Grenivdel managed to say.
"Yes very. And we are in need of bonders. Somehow this magical clutch isn't filling. It is almost like it's waiting for the right bonders. Ugh! See, it's even got me all mystified."
Grenivdel couldn't help, she grinned. It somehow felt better that Eo knew she wanted to bond a dragon. Maybe it was time.
"I think I'll stay."

HATCHING
Qalam walked on the dunes, talking to the dragons and their riders: Purple Ksotsik, ridden by Contedever and Black Farabak, ridden by Arnes and the 2nd surprise clutch by Gold Fayvazh and Red Maddoz when suddenly all five of the dragons in the cavern lifted their heads as one. The purple and gold on the dunes both peered at their eggs, the purple much more excited, and the gold a little more picky about what she gazed at. So instead of suggesting a sandwich and chilled coffee, Jasmine, rider of Maddoz, hinted that Qalam should start getting their potential bonders on the dunes. He in turn communed with his dragon, who noisily trumpeted from the top of the peak and soared around the entire Caer town. While they had been eager to gather candidates, this call was meant for those who would observe as well. A few of the local inhabitants had put up the visiting bonder potentials in their homes, and hustled out with them.
Two of those stood close together, though truth be told one of them was leaning heavily on the other: Grenivdel had roused her sleeping twin Reznik, and dragged him to the sands. He’d been there before, too, they both had come past the eggs on occasion. Somewhat to the distress of the dragons there, but... none the less. They were familiar faces, and though twins, they looked rather disparate with the elegant red-haired Grenivdel, and her blond brother remaining a bit disheveled at any given moment. But he steeled himself, stood straighter and brushed the sand out of his hair when he spied Qalam - and the mothers and fathers of these two nests - staring at him in judgment.
2 eggs hatched and bonded. The first a silver with seemingly reflective wings, the second a purple. Another of the eggs that the queen was guarding more protectively than the others hatched. And, she had compelling reason to glare at the boy that she just knew would be its intended bond. Out from that egg was an incredibly shiny deep red wing, which reached out and smacked its mother’s neck a few times in the effort of breaking the shell. And unlike the silver earlier, this one’s egg did seem to have remnants of goo and liquid in it, which made the sounds of that smacking quite audible. Obviously red, and this time obviously normal for its color type as a male, the body of this dragon was much brighter and speckled with what looked at first to be just sand - no, it was a pattern of very fine markings, darker at the feet and bright at the face. Those wings and crest though! They were like liquid, and to that one bonding candidate that Ksotsik glared at, it looked more like wine than blood. 
He gulped, Reznik realized that wine would be the lowest priority on his list now. It had to be. And, seemingly emboldened by the sailor’s strange speech toward the queen, Reznik inclined his own head as he approached her and the hatchling. 
“He calls himself Gedawik, and he calls to me... I can’t deny that I’ve had my share of screw-ups. It looks like I’ll have to try living up to those standards now too.” 
The other bonder Shaeen was already out of earshot, but everyone knew he meant the sailor by now. 
“No more stupid stunts, I promise, I told you that night and I will say it again.” He tried straightening and saluting but there was goo on his hand from the hatchling’s still-wet skin, and he wound up slapping himself with half a shard of shell. Egg on his face literally, even he couldn’t stop himself from laughing with the rest at that. The queen rumbled with it too - were they on equal footing at last? 
Excited for her brother, as well as his seeming to accept his new more serious lifestyle, Grenivdel hadn’t seen the one shell nearby break and chip in a careful line. It was almost a perfect halving, and delicately held mottled silver paws pushed outward to open the top of the shell as though it was a hatch. The face that poked out after determining the opening was wide enough seemed marked as well, though as with many sand-covered wet hatchlings all around the Nexus, it would be difficult saying which dark bits were sand, and which might be dragon. It became clearer that they were markings when she (clearly she, the little queen she was) stood up and out of the bottom half of the shell, as most of her body was free from any changes in color. Her wing fingers were darkly mottled, as well as the sails, though crest and tail spade seemed much lighter in color overall. And she knew she was pretty: she stood for a moment preening and caught the eye of her mother. A brief and private conversation went on between mother and daughter, and then the dragonet strode with some amount of wobble toward Grenivdel. 
The dragonet’s wings looked for all the world like plush fur, a more matte texture than her still shiny body. She started warbling for attention, which did the job more than adequately, as the red-haired girl turned in surprise. 
“Tawmak!” 
Both of them exclaimed together, the dragon working up to it beforehand, and the girl blurting it out to make sure she heard it right inside her mind. The dragon didn’t speak any further, but it was clear that she would be known for being talkative. The little red caerlizard that had been hiding under Grenivdel’s hair peeked out at their laughter, but hid again when the silver dragonet locked on to him. “Swave isn’t for you to chase,” Grenivdel asserted, “but I bet you’ll like the food they have ready!” She escorted the hatchling off the dunes, where all the siblings reunited.

FLEDGELING
Grenivdel looked out over the small blue water of the lake, felt the slight breeze stir over the expanse of water and knew coming for a swim had been a great idea. The days had been stiffling and she needed to cool down. A lot.
"But the water is dirty" Tawmak complained.
"Where are you going to find clearer water?" Grenivdel asked.
"High in the mountains?"
"That's too cold for me. I need cooling down, not freezing."
Sometimes life with an aspiring beauty queen was hard. Grenivdel had always been more of a practical soul so taking Tawmak's personality in account made for some interesting adjustments. Though it hadn't been all bad. Lately some boys had been looking back when they pased her by. And she definitely didn't mind that. As long as they didn't become too assertive.
"You had the base to be beautiful, you just didn't do anything with it. Beauty doesn't come without work." Tawmak sighed as she laid down on a warm, sun-bathed rock, "you can swim. I'm staying here."
"Fine."

ADULT
Tawmak had been insufferable lately. Nothing was right. Food was too wet or too dry. Trips were too bland or too much effort. Not even passing a reflective surface could entice her. Grenivdel was at the end of her wit. 
"What's wrong with you? You're more difficult than Reznik ever was."
"He is just a brat." Tawmak huffed.
"Well... that's true." Grenivdel said, "But he's been working hard. He even joined some extra training classes."
Tawmak flicked her tail and started tapping an annoying rhythm.
"I feel like I need to get rid of some extra energy, but I don't want to dirty myself. I want to look my best."
"We can always go for a swim after." Grenivdel tried.
"As if, I'm not bathing in that dirty lake where everyone else bathes."
"Yeah yeah, I wouldn't mind taking a trip to those mountain springs. Just let me dress appropriately." Grenivdel caved.
"Too far away... I just want to fly and leave everyone behind."
A crazy idea dawned in Grenivdel's mind... Could it be?

Lantessama Isle  -  Gineya Isle