Myan
Myan awoke to find Meryk and Marnys hastily gulping down
breakfast.
"You could have woken me you know." she said.
"Yeah, we would have, at dawn." Meryk said with an evil smile only
a brother can make.
Myan shrugged and walked out. The sun was already lighting the sky purple
and pink. Dawn would shortly come.
"Don't you need to eat?" Marnys asked.
"I made something for eating on the road." Myan smiled and started
walking towards Dun Keiba.
She waved goodbye to her sister and brother and smiled as she saw their
faces.
"You know I'm smart enough to know I wouldn't get up early enough, I
know I'm not that time-sensitive as you two." she said, she felt good
to be the first to leave, it made her feel closer to her goal already.
Of course her goal was already close. She had arranged for a boat straight
to Dun Keiba in a town only 2 days walking away. Good of Marnys to remember
the oath, she hadn't gotten a clue how to casually start about it.
She ran for a bit and then slowed down to a walk, opening her backpack and
eating her breakfast. She would need her strength to get to the boat in
time. And she didn't know where she would spent the night. Bushes didn't
seem all to appealing. Maybe she could sleep in a barn or something. Maybe
people one day away had known her father and would give her shelter. Maybe
not. That was about all she hadn't planned. Once on the boat they would sail
her as close as they could. The other passengers, a trading caravan would
take her to Dun Keiba. The caravan would slow her down, but it beat
travelling alone.
Myan had always loved planning. Everything looked good when you planned it
carefully and knew what was going to happen. Myan didn't like to be
unprepared, but she was unprepared that night. The road had taken her far
from any villages that might have been around these parts. She kept
following the road until she found some abandoned sheep-shack and thought
that was likely the best she would get that night. Not at all what she had
hoped for.
The next day took her to the village where she had reserved the boat. The
people were nice to her aboard the ship, but apparently she wasn't too good
on the sea. She spent most of her time on bed hoping it would all be over
soon. The passage would only last 1 day. And then two more days over land if
she could believe the traders. The road to Dun Keiba was good they
claimed.
Finally 5 days after
she had left her home she saw the castle and enjoyed the surroundings. It
looked calm and peaceful till they got closer. Shouts and animal-cries
sounded from the villages around the castle. Markets were being set up all
around. She would have to be judged all by herself, no more friendly traders
to help her.
She asked directions and was pointed ten times in the wrong direction before
she got to the entrance. Inside it was cool and shady. It was nicely
furnished for a castle this big. Not that she had seen many other castles,
but somehow it felt like home. Cozy.
"Yes, can I help you?" a passing man asked, he was nicely dressed
and looked like he had nothing better to do than walk around all day and
take poses to impress people.
"I'd like to be judged." she said.
The man took one long look at her and said: "Approved."
This confused her. Somehow she thought they ought to be more selective.
"Don't stand there with your mouth open, it doesn't do you justice. The
draks will pick you if they want you. It's not our job to be choosy when
aspirants throw themselves at our feet." the man said and left her.
She was in. She nearly jumped of joy when she realised that. But...where
exactly was she?
Myan slept. The
sounds of stirring feet and yelling reached her, but used as she was to
these normal morning sounds she didn't wake up. Living in a house with the
two most noisy people on Icarus was enough to give her the skill of sleeping
through anything. It was only when someone tapped her door that Myan
awoke.
"What?" she yawned.
"Aspirants report to the deep cavern for the hatching." someone
yelled and then went away.
Myan stretched herself and got out of bed. She carefully took out some
trousers and a shirt and hoped that would be enough.
She got out and ran after the only human being she could spot. Soon they
reached the deep cavern and Myan was glad she had someone to sneak in
behind. Being late on your own was never pleasant.
Inside the hatching was already proceeding at full speed and Myan could spot
at least 6 different pairs. In fact, there were only 2 draks left. A water
and a rain to be precise. Myan watched closely as the rain went to the blue
girl Myan had gotten to know as Vortex Blue. The water came her way. Relaxed
Myan awaited what was coming.
"I knew
you'd be
here. I
hoped you
would come
to me."
The drakling said, her voice soft and vibrating.
"Well, your mother told us not
to." Myan said. "So I didn't think it would be a good idea to
disobey her."
"Well ssometimess
I think
dissobeying iss
okay - but not now.
I am Zhelduar, will
you win your bet?"
"I don't know yet," Myan laughed. "But I've already won
you!"
Since Zhelduar was the last drakling to pair, Myan quickly urged her to
follow her siblings and get to the food. She was quite hungry too, she had
skipped breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Myan grinned at the
way that sentence sounded in her head.
Zhelduar
Winning a bet was not as
satisfactory as it should have been when only a couple of days later news
about the demise of astle Lav'intay swept across the planet. All the draks
lost, an entire castle ruined by illness. And her sister had been
there.
"She'll be okay." Zhelduar soothed.
But Myan worried. It took several days but finally a knight came with a
message from her brother Meryk. Myan was safe and sound and had headed for
De Corvo.
"Thank heavens." Myan sighed.
"I told you so." Zhelduar said but let her rider lean on her as
relief washed over her.
"Ready to go meet your
honorary siblings?" Myan asked.
"Will they
all be at Castle
DesCas?" Zhelduar asked.
"They certainly will be. In fact they've been asking me why I've
stayed here so long."
"Well you
are the winner of
the bet."
"And I bet they've all forgotten about that." Myan grinned.
"I do
fancy a change of
scenery." Zhelduar remarked as she looked at some of the
draks that were going about their business. She knew all of them, had
familial ties with some. She needed to go somewhere new, spread her
wings.
"I think
I'll like flying
over the desert."
Zhelduar mused, "That seems
very poetic."
"Flying is okay, it's walking and sitting that gets all that sand on
you in places... never mind."
"Oh I
do mind." Zhelduar
teased, "Let's give
it a go."
Myan paired at Dun Keiba Castle