Vu'urya pulled down her vale again. The darn thing always wound up flying into her eyes. At least her father had allowed her to wear pants on this trip. If she would take the vale off he might tell her to wear a skirt the next day. She'd be doomed to ride in the carts following the caravan. Riding a camel wearing a skirt just couldn't be done. But this vale was really annoying her.
"Sand storm approaching!"
Vu'urya looked around, trying to see who had yelled the bad news. But too many people were already seeking a place to shelter. Vu'urya scanned the horizon. She didn't see it. It was probably a false alarm.
This was her chance to go away. Wait. Had she really thought that? No-one would notice the one camel running away from the group. The thought was so daring she had gone before she had really decided whether or not she would leave. One moment she had been in the caravan, the next in the wide open desert.
Going East was her only option. There was a city to the East, an oasis. Her father had said he wanted to avoid it because it was a sure way to the gates of Hell, as he put it. That could mean anything. And without water or gold she wouldn't get far.
Suddenly a haze of sand hit her from the back. It hadn't been a false alarm! Vu'urya mounted down and pulled the leash of the camel. She'd have to lead it to safety. But the camel didn't see it that way. He pulled free and ran off as quick as his legs could carry him.
Vu'urya cursed. She was cursed! Stranded out in the desert, no water, no gold, no camel and a sandstorm raging above her! She found a rock she could hide behind and waited. On foot the trip to the oasis would take her the entire day. It's gates would close at night, like all bandit-fearing cities.
As soon as the sandstorm died down Vu'urya got up and started walking. The sun was her compass and she knew she was heading the right way. But it took her hours to get to the oasis. long hours. The sun was already setting when she saw the small black towers in the fading light. She envied her shadow for it was almost there. She'd have to get a lot closer.
Vu'urya saw it happen. The gate was closing. She would be locked out in the desert. She started to run. She dashed through the sand, nearly twisting her ankle twice when she suddenly placed her foot in a ditch that seemed to be solid enough to hold her, but really wasn't.
The gate was almost half closed, the night was falling. They wouldn't see her running. They wouldn't know she was even there. She reached the trees that surrounded the walled oasis and squirmed herself through their branches. Why oh why was she at the back side? If she had followed the road it would have been a lot easier.
The gate banged shut just before she got to it. She crashed into it. But no-one paid her any attention. Too late meant not entering.
Vu'urya sat down at the gates and wondered when she last had had a drink. That morning, she remembered, but the hot sun had made her parched again. Not to mention her long run to the oasis. It would freeze in the night. Too cold to survive without a fire or the warmth of a camel beside her. So much for her surviving on her own.
Vu'urya got up and started walking. She would need to keep warm. Even now when the cool breeze seemed a welcome change to the heat of the day. Suddenly her eye fell on a small orange gemstone. It seemed to glos up for just a second. Pretty. Maybe she could sell it in the morning. She picked it up and held it out into the sky. It was too dark to see what it was. She rubbed it with her sleeve. It shone more brightly. Red, orange, yellow, all the colours of the sun. There seemed to be a sign ingraved into it.
Vu'urya rubbed harder and suddenly saw the world shrink down to a small particle. When it became large again she wasn't at the city gates anymore. She was on an open plain. The sun still setting in the West. A stream was right beside her. She looked at it. The water looked normal, clear and sparkling, making her throat feel even worse. But she did not dare drink it.
Suddenly a noice behind her alerted her of a presence. She turned, but nothing was there. The sound came again. Harder. Something was approaching. Something big.
Vu'urya started running. She had seen a forest to the North. In the forest she would be safe. She could hide there and spend the night. But whatever was approaching had big legs and with every thud she felt it coming closer.
"Wait!" a voice yelled when she almost could feel the breath of the thing in her neck.
"Don't run!" she heard.
Vu'urya turned around. A huge creature stood before her, and on it's back a man sat. He had called out to her, for he came down and toward her.
"Sorry, to scare you, but we didn't know you were new."
"New?"
"Yes, new to Spectral Rhea. Sometimes new people get here, I thought you'd be used to dragons."
"Is that what tha animal is?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Are they friendly?"
"Very. I couldn't live without mine anymore."
"Oh." she said and looked in the eyes of the big dragon. They seemed so strong and daring.
"You can try to get one too." the man said.
"I can?"
"Yes."
The man beckoned her to follow him. He helped her on the dragon, who smelled rather nice, not like she had expected at all. She was finally getting to enjoy her ride after the first fear had passed when she had to get off again.
When Vu'urya went around the dragon she saw the eggs. Six of them. Laying there. She went toward them.
"Wait just a sec!" the man said.
"What?"
"You can't go empty handed. Take some meat, a toy, so you can lure your dragon."

Vu'urya grabbed the first two items she saw. A piece of red meat and a plushie. She was pushed to the middle of the circle of people. All of them were holding something out to lure the dragons. And there were more people than eggs waiting. Vu'urya heard a crack and stepped in fron of the hatchling before anyone else could get to it. She had braved unknown terrors, well a cold night and a bumpy ride before. Ten angry people she could manage.
Happily the little red-orange-yellow dragon started gulping down the meat. When it saw the plushie it went crazy with enthousiasm. It grabbed it out of her hands and looked at it. His claws, for the dragon was a he, pressed gently on the teddy. He then looked up into Vu'urya's eyes and waited.
"Sparken." she said, giving him the name that was just right for him...

Vu'urya and Fire Sparken
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"Vu'urya?"
"Yes Sparken?"
"Do you know yonder dragon?"
"Yonder?" Vu'urya asked, not quite sure if she should believe her own ears.
"Yes, yonder dragon. That lovely female demon that is eating some bloody meat."
"I thought fires weren't supposesd to like demons."
"They aren't. I don't like demin dragonz. For that demon I will make an exception."
"That still doesn't apply the yonder."
"She awakens the poet inside me."
It took all self control of Vu'urya not to laugh at this statement. Her dragon was smitent. He was smitent good. Vu'urya still remembered her first crush. Not long ago a man from Spectral Rhea had gotten quite close to her. Too bad Sparken didn't want to have anything to do with his dragon, a male Ice. Vu'urya still could remember the screams...
"So, will you?"
"What dear?"
"Ask her rider for a playdate."
"She looks kind of old to have a playdate."
"Than ask her for a date."
"You are too young to date."
"I won't be for much longer."
Vu'urya sighed. She shrugged and left Sparken sitting in the grass. She headed over to the demoness and asked her kindly if her rider was around. A soft grunt and a lashing of a tail were all the answers she got. Vu'urya shrugged again and walked over to the group of people the demoness had pointed to with her tail. If she had been pointing at all.
"Excuse me." she said.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to know if that demoness is free for a date."
"She is, why do you ask?"
"My dragon is smitent."
"Smitent?"
"He uses words like yonder fair dragon."
"I see."
A short silence fell as Vu'urya watched both dragons from a distance.
"Do you think she'll have problems with Sparken, my fire?"
"Hmmm... a fire. Those don't get along. I think she will manage if he is as smitent as you say. Do you think he will do everything for her?"
"If I don't stop him, he would."
"We'll see on their first date then how it goes." the woman smiled and trailed of to her dragon. Vu'urya could hear her say: "Raven, guess what! Someone likes you..."

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Chariots of Fire
 

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Vu'urya is a Candidate at Spectral Rhea
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