Jan's Dragon                        Katinka's Dragon

To Danach

"Jan!" Katinka called out when she finally saw her lover approach the hatching.
"Did I miss all of it?" he asked.
Katinka solemnly nodded, "I'm very sorry Jan... The eggs have all bonded. There were more, but they turned out to be duds."
Jan sighed. "I'm sorry." he said.
"Why would you be sorry?"
"It was my idea to go on that picnic. And now we both didn't get what we came here for. You should at least have gotten a dragon from the clutch you so wanted in."
"But, Jan... I have."
Jan looked up surprised, "But you're standing here alone."
"Small dragonesses need their rest." Katinka smiled, "I know you'll just love her from the moment you see her."
Katinka led Jan to the small quarters where most of the new dragons were sleeping. Prrt was curled up in a little ball at the base of one of the beds, her wings curled around her body and her hind legs making small faint movements as if she were dreaming. When he had heard Katinka had bonded, Jan had just felt that little bit of sadness mixed with bitter in his heart. It was a twisted sort of jealousy because he really felt she disserved to have bonded. But when he saw Prrt, a perfect image of a sleeping cat -though winged, a sight he hadn't experienced much in his life- he felt all that troubled his mind slip away. They had been made for each other... and whatever dragon had been made for him would still be out there, waiting.
I'll find you. Jan thought.

Half a year passed, day to day life slowly lulling Jan's early determination into a sleeping wish. They couldn't go anywhere without Prrt and she hadn't been at all big enough to travel. But now his wishes were stirring again... Prrt was flying her first time and she was so natural in the air, using her wings partly as arms that gave her the same grace as a butterfly.
That night he told Katinka he wanted them to leave.
"Couldn't you get a dragon here?" she asked him.
"I really would if I could, but you know as well as I do that the Soul hasn't had clutches for a long time. What if we have to wait here for years, that doesn't feel right."
Katinka sighed, "At least we'll still be together." she finally said.
"We always will be."
The next days were spend making plans and diagrams. Talking to anyone in the Nexus who knew other places they could go. Prrt as well got her say and after some squabbling they decided on Danach, the alien world with it's strange rotation leaving one half of the planet bathing in sunlight night and day, while hiding the other half in shadows. From the moment he had heard about it, Jan had felt an affiliation with the planet. Subconscious some might call it, Jan rather called it Magic, Mystery, Fate.
The trip to this new world was comfortable. Prrt delivering them perfectly on the designated landing spot. The slender dragoness made a lot of heads turn when she landed. Not all of them only looking at the strangeness of her skin and form, some actually seemed to be checking her out as mate-material. Jan recognised the gleams, even in draconic form and didn't much like it. There would be no dragon flying Prrt but his.
"Why are you so tensed?" Katinka suddenly asked.
"No reason." Jan said, putting a smile on his face that seemed to make him look relaxed though Katinka knew better, she cold still see the line of his shoulders arch back like he was ready to jump at something.
Prrt suddenly alerted both of them by running of. "Interesting..." she thought.
"What's wrong?" Jan asked.
"I... don't know." Katinka admitted dumbfounded.
As fast as they could the couple followed the dragoness who didn't seem to be in any hurry. She seemed more on the prowl, carefully and very silently approaching some prey.
"Hello!" a voice suddenly made both of them startle and jump in the air.
"I'm sorry, did I frighten you?"
"Sort off..." Katinka said, "What is out there?" pointing at the grassy fields.
"That's were Fiend resides with her eggs. You don't seem like the folk that would go there."
"How come? My dragon wants something there..."
"Well, they're evil little dragonflies. They only want to bond evil people."
"We're not evil..." Katinka said though she doubted her soul was still heading toward heaven. How much could a soul take anyway?
"Katinka, Prrt is really heading out there!" Jan said.
Not much later a loud hissing erupted from the hills. Some clouds of dust flew up. Finally Prrt came running back, but she wasn't alone, the dragoness was chasing 4 little dark-coloured dragon-like creatures. Peeping and screeching in dismay as the much larger dragon stalked them, getting ready to jump on them they raced toward Jan and Katinka, maybe picking up something in Prrt's mind.
"Prrt!" Katinka yelled... "Stop it!"
Prrt looked up in dismay, "But... but they are just like bats! Little squealy evil things." Prrt opened her mouth and smiled her toothiest grin that could be quite menacing if she wanted. The four baby flitters tried to crawl to safety in Katinka and Jan's clothes. Much to their horror little claws were already scratching very painfully in their shirts.
Without a word, just a gesture, Jan concentrated on the tiny animals and lifted them away from them, but also away from Prrt.
"What have we told you about sentient life?" he asked her.
Prrt sighed, "Bad to kill... mindless cows good."
"That's my good girl." Katinka said, "I could go for a bat myself, but these clearly don't think of themselves as bats." rather they think of themselves as something more dangerous, she thought when the green one that was lifted only metres above her nearly wrenched free to pull her eyes out. Katinka waved up her arm and carefully took it from it's hovering place.
"You really are evil, aren't you... Just remember, if you hurt me, I'll send Prrt after you." Katinka smiled feeling she meant it.
"That goes for you two also!" Jan called up. 
After some indignant chirps the 4 finally seemed to settle themselves into something approaching obediance.
"They'll be trouble." the woman that had startled them told them; shaking her head.
"I know, but I'm not the one to go give them back to their mother." Jan said, dreading the idea.
"I suppose not." the woman shrugged, "just keep them away from everyone. Anything else you need?"
"A sign in form for a clutch."
"Over there." the woman said pointing in the distance away from the hills. Jan was glad of that.

Jan's black demon flit Martyr and blue evil flit Jandero

Katinka's demon flit Burn and Green evil flit Oosa

Continue
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The Dragon Soul
Cathair Fionabhainn
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