Thirty turns before the Eleventh Pass two dragons appeared out of between above Seiryuu Weyr. The riders, Relika and Gr’zin were both knocked out long before their dragons’ landed. Their dragons’, a blue named Arocoth and a green named Fanitath, panicking at not being able to communicate with their riders immediately committed suicide between. When the two riders woke, like all who lose their lifemates, they grew greatly depressed. Yet unlike a large percentage of riders who find themselves without their dragon the duo were strong and continued to live. Turns went on and Relika and Grahzino, he changed his name back upon the death of Arocoth, though still down about being dragonless married and had a baby girl. They called her Grezka. It took them six more turns to come up with another child, and their only son, Kagriz. In another three turns their third child, Zinka, was born. Three and a half turns later Relika was once again pregnant. It was at this time that tragedy struck their growing family. Grahzino over the turns had managed to develop an unhealthy relationship with a long distant cousin of the Lady Holder of Turasake Hold. In one foul argument, the man ran the former blue rider through. Grahzino died within the hour of being stabbed and the man was banished to one of the unoccupied Eastern Islands. In dropping the man off he tried to attack the dragonrider who was charged with placing him there. The rider’s green killed him in defense of her rider. Devistated, Relika considered joining her husband and their dragons once again. It however didn’t live long as she realized that then her three already living children would grow up with no parents. And secondly she was with child and could not consciously kill her own child even if he or she was not born yet. Four months later she gave birth to her fourth and final child Ahreka. Other than wishing for her husband back she wished for only one thing for herself and her children. To return to the place from which she and Grahzino had come. You see, Relika and Gr’zin were not from the Tenth Interval. They were from Fort Weyr, in the Third Pass.
Grezka sighed balancing a puck on the blade of her hockey stick. She popped the puck into the air and caught it once again. With a sigh, she popped the puck again and then took a swipe at it in midair.
“You all right, Grezka?” a middle aged man called from the home bench. “As well as can be expected, Coach,” she smiled at him weakly. “In this situation, Grez, just call me J’nsu,” he told her seriously waving the female hockey player in, “I know your father died six turns ago today. If you need to, you know you can talk to me.” “I just wish he was here to watch this game,” Grezka sighed as she glided over, “It’s the final match for the Jackal Cup. I’d always told my dad that I’d be in it when I went into juniors. I’d always told him I’d play for the Eastern Shards. Vaquin stole those moments from me and him. And if I were to ever have revenge on him that was also stolen from me by Vaquin’s own ego.” “It was better that my Phinnth killed him,” J’nsu spoke after a time, “Then no one else would have to be hurt by that murderer.” “True, but I heard his son quit hockey shortly after that because he knew you coached the Shards,” Grezka replied as she got off the ice, seeming a bit nervous talking about the subject, “He disappeared, even his own mother didn’t know where he’d gotten off to… Maybe I’m being paranoid but I feel like he’s somewhere out there biding his time until he can come after you.” “I live with those thoughts every day,” J’nsu replied in the same quiet voice that Grezka finally realized she had been using, “Only I believe he’ll go for Phinnth, Faranth knows he’d have a hard time trying to.” “But it could still happen,” Grezka agreed as they walked down the hallway towards the Eastern Shards locker room. The forward removed her skates and wiggled her stocking clad toes. “And no offence, J’nsu, but the best way to kill a dragon is to take out their rider… least that next to having the dragon be seriously thread scorn… and since thread has a few more turns before it starts attacking us again…” she trailed off shrugging. “I see what you mean,” the coach replied, “But don’t let that worry you. Tonight will be high on security anyway, and Vaskin I think he was called, won’t be able to get anywhere near us. Aside from that, the harpers say that he was sighted two days ago on the southern continent. I believe he was being imprisoned for theft and minor assault charges. He shouldn’t be out for a turn or so.” Grezka sighed in relief of the good news, “Now I only have one question for you. Will you be able to play tonight?” “My dad may have lost his life six turns ago today,” Grezka replied in a bit of a dead tone, “But I’ll be damned if I don’t play my heart out for him tonight. He’s always been what keep me going in this game and what drives me to do better.”
Grezka looked at two Chibi Fire Lizards, a green and a blue. When both were sitting up the green could only just see over two pucks standing up on end, while the blue could see over those same two with a third sitting perpendicular to them. In short, even for Chibi Flits they were small, but they were full grown, and they were Grezka’s pets. Both chittered and cooed at their mistress who smiled.
As the green Trixy and the blue Pucker took off to take up their positions for the game, Grezka found her team heading for the goal for the final roundup peptalk. “Com’on, Grez,” one of the young men on her team called out, “We can’t win without every dressed team member in this gather.” The duo touched their glove covered clenched right hands together in a time old hockey greeting, while another teammate threw an arm over Grezka’s shoulder drawing her into the group that made up the current Eastern Shards Hockey Team. “Let’s hope the VCDs are still backing us,” one of the co-captains smiled weakly, his face having gone quite pail because of nerves though like everyone his adrenalin was running in over time. “Shards, let’s shatter ‘em!” the other co-captain grinned putting his blocker glove in the air from his position below everyone and in the goal (he was the goalie after all). “SHARDS!” With the last yell, nineteen players separated from their goalie. Five of the nineteen stayed on the ice while the rest went to their home bench. Grezka was one of the benchwarmers, though her excitement at the game going to start any second caused her to lean on the boards to watch the drop of the puck. She grinned and her hazel eyes glittered in anticipation, “Here we go, I hope your watching, Papa. I mean to make you proud!”
Grezka found herself on the ice with five minutes left to play in the third period. She would be aching all over if not for the adrenalin in her blood. She had already taken a puck hard to her right shoulder and a player checking her from behind knocking the wind out of her for two minutes. She’d been in the penalty box two times already tonight and J’nsu was questioning her on the bench if she was thinking she was a defenseman now. In answer to her green riding Coach’s remark she assisted on the game-tying goal five minutes into the third period. The score was now 2-2. Both teams offence and defense were working overtime to get a goal, make a save, or steal the puck. On the sidelines, the fire lizards and the fans were going crazy. What was even more amazing, the Seiryuu Flits had just arrived home from their latest game against their century old rivals at Ryslen and the dragons of those players who were also riders trilled and thrummed like there was a hatching going on instead of a game. “COME ON, SHARDS!” “YOU CAN WIN THIS!” “THEIR GOALIE’S NOTHIN’ BUT A SIEVE!” “JAC-KAL CU-UP!” CLAP! CLAP! CLAPCLAPCLAP! “JAC-KAL CU-UP!” CLAP! CLAP! CLAPCLAPCLAP!“JAC-KAL CU-UP!” CLAP! CLAP! CLAPCLAPCLAP! Grezka like the rest of the Shards surged forward on the attack. The female hockey player made a pass towards the center who crossed the blue line and made for the goal. From there, multiple passing ensued between the forwards and defensemen of the Shards. For a good three minutes they worked hard to get a clean shot but the goalie was not willing to give up in the last few minutes of play. Finally one of the rebounds came to a Turasake Racers’ defenseman. Within seconds the man streaked by. Shells! We got over confident! D was too far in! Grezka chased after the defender. He was fast but she was gaining. Not fast enough! she growled as she realized the man was going to pretty much just walk in and score if she didn’t do something quick. Without much thought to the act she reached out with her stick and yanked. A smirk hit her features as he hit the ice and she retrieved the puck. No sooner had she touched the puck than she heard the sharp blast of the referee’s whistle. “In the box, Grezka,” the referee told her firmly though she knew well that she had to go, “two minutes for tripping.” “Got it, Ref,” she replied and looked up at the clock as she sat down in the penalty box, it was then that she lost her temper, “Of all the…! I got a penalty in the last minute-thirty!” Her green helmet didn’t stay on her head long as it was thrown into the glass of the penalty box. The head referee looked at her out of the corner of his eye and before she could apologize, she heard the words that she had never heard a referee call on her, “Ten minutes for un-sportsmen like conduct.” “WHAT?!?!” Grezka shouted but the head referee skated away before she could protest… however the crowd did so for her. Words that would make a sailor blush and even some hockey players poured from the crowd with smatters of cheers from apposing fans. Both of the co-captains from the Shards were questioning the referee who was firm about sending the goalie back to his net, but neither left until they understood what was the reason for the extra ten. The goalie looked over at her with some sympathy while the defenseman glared at her for making the mistake. “Just great,” she grumbled with a blush. She hated disappointing anybody, but even more disappointing Keirose. She didn’t like to admit it to anybody but she did have a bit of a crush on the heartthrob of the Shards. He however did have a jerky attitude when it came to things that may or may not have been his or the teams fault; which was the one thing that kept her from thinking too hard about making a move… But he’s still cute, she winced and slipped her helmet back on before anybody caught her look. It was fairly common for a team member to have the hots for another one but Grezka was not going to be be called on it unless there was something happening between them, and last she’d checked he was a slight friend and a great player. It was also common knowledge that hockey players, more the men than the women, would play the field more so than a green or blue rider. The cheers of the fan brought the forward back to her senses as the puck was dropped. At the same moment Grezka’s flits dropped into the penalty box to sit with her as most flits did with their owners when they were in the penalty box. She stroked the two of them as she watched, hoping dearly that the Turasake Racers wouldn’t get past their Penalty Kill (PK) team and if nothing more that the Shards goalie would be able to stop anything thrown at him. Keep aleart, Patarik. Don’t let that puck in! It was as she was trying to will the puck to stay out that the crowd started up a chant that was known well to Shards and Flits fans alike as well as one of the dreaded cheers for any opposing team to come Seiryuu Weyr to play either team. “IF YOU DON’T SHOOT, YOU DON’T SCORE! IF YOU DON’T SCORE, YOU DON’T WIN! IF YOU DON’T WIN, YOU DON’T GET LAID! SO SHOOT, SHARD IT, SHOOT!” As the cheer continued Patarik made a stick save and quickly sent the puck out of the Shards’ end of the ice and through neutral ice. Keirose and two others were after the puck in seconds. The tall defenseman shouldered one of the Racers off the puck and went in for a shorthanded goal. With three seconds on the clock Keirose took a slap shot while charging the net. The Racer’s goalie had little time to react as the puck flew by his out stretched glove and into the net. Keirose soon followed sliding into the net as he lost his footing while he screamed with joy. In the penalty box Grezka was going crazy with the fans. Kei got a shorty! Music that was older than possibly any fire lizard found on Pern was sifted through the sound system. Meanwhile on the ice however Keirose was getting into a fight with the Racer’s goalie and a small fight ensued as a few members from each team that were still out on the ice came over to help their team out or separate the duo; it wasn’t quite clear at points. In the end, the goal was counted but Keirose was placed in the box with Grezka with a five minute major for essentially egging the goalie on to fight him more. “Nice goal and fight,” Grezka smiled greeting him. “We’re lucky I got that goal when I did or we’d be facing over time on the PK for ten and a half minutes because of you,” Keirose replied with a biting tone though he was still grinning about the flight he’d just finished. “If I hadn’t tripped up Caplin, we might not be celebrating a victory in five seconds,” Grezka shot back annoyed that he would blame her sacrifice. “You didn’t need to loose your temper and throw your helmet into the glass when Yason is reefing. You know he unofficially hates the Shards enough to try and make us lose for small things,” he shot back at her, his smirk now replaced with a thin line. “Forget it, there’s no way they can get a puck past Patarik before the horn,” Grezka replied giving him a wiry smile, “We have the Jackal Cup, that’s what we worked for since we started to play for the Shards, right?” “Yes, that’s true,” the defenseman gave a slight smile and the both watched as the clock ticked down to zero. When the horn sounded the duo came out of the penalty box like the rest of their team did from the bench, hooting and hollering. The group charged Patarik who had his fists ungloved and raised in the air in victory. Within seconds both Patarik and Keirose split from their teammates and retrieved the Jackal Cup from, both holding the cup high over their heads. In the same moment they brought the cup down and kissed the side closest to them. The crowd was still going wild. Grezka could hear nothing but the jubilation of her team and the crowd. So in a way, it was a big surprise that she was given the Jackal Cup right after Patarik and Keirose. She was amazed by the large polished silver. Despite the names of every team to win the Jackal Cup in the last century written on the cup she could see her hazel eyes shining back at her, reminding her of her father. This one’s for you, Papa! she smiled raising the Jackal Cup high over her head. She spun around on the ice showing the team’s prize to all proudly, and finally stopped in a position so one of her biggest fans could see; her mother. After a few seconds of showing her the well sought after Cup, Grezka turned to hand the trophy off to the next player on the team. Had she not turned away at that moment, she would have seen a young man approaching her mother, and Relika’s reaction…
Ar’wen cheered heartily at the victory of the Shards over the Racers. He knew both teams’ had a history older than even the Seiryuu Flits. Yet unlike everyone else, he could tell a person that there was a three turn difference between when they started. He could even give one the names of the first three rosters and coaching staffs. But then that was because the blue rider was from that time frame. “Aisu and C’rter will be pleased with the results,” he chuckled softly to himself, “The games are more like they look when the Dragons play together. And won’t Jackal be surprised that they named the trophy after her?” They are quite good, my rider, Ar’wen’s blue Camoth rumbled plesently and then his mental presense seemed to be leaning over his rider’s shoulder, The one with the trophy now is particularly good. If you know what I mean… Cammy, this may be our Weyr, but it is not our time, the residents of this time would notice if we searched for them when they don’t even know us. That is why you did not paint me and “borrowed” K’roohan’s Dragonhope Weyr Searchrider’s Knots... That was a good one, his rider replied mischieviously as he remembered picking up the badge just before he left the Weyr earlier that day while the brown rider had been trying to sweet talk a green rider. He’d only needed to change the brown thread that denoted the knots belonging to a brown rider to blue and he was well undercover. As I was saying, my rider, Camoth mentally growled at Ar’wen’s reminiscing, though even he thought the plan had been funny, I mean to search for the next clutch now that Garretth has impressed to Gr’ant. “Hmm, you’re right,” Ar’wen replied aloud, though no one around him heard, “S’xon would be very pleased and Kira might get off my back about those ‘lizard eggs.” Not likely, rider mine… Look, the girl is singling someone out! The blue rider was quick to find where the young woman’s eyes were fixed, beaming proudly. Her mother? Seems so. She reminds me of an old friend. Maybe she’s related to someone we know from our time, Ar’wen commented as he made his way over to the women he was sure the girl with the number twenty five on her jersey has been looking at. It’s very likely… we are twenty five hundred turns in the future after all. She could be related to many people we’ve known, know, or will come to know. You should see what she thinks about her daughter standing at Dragonhope. With a nod, Ar’wen was on his way to do as his blue suggested. He was only an arm’s length away when the older woman turned with a large smile on her face. It was apparent when she saw the blue rider as she went pale. But what she said surprised him; a hard feet for anyone to achieve with the Weyrartist and Searchrider of Seiryuu Weyr. “Ar’wen?!?!” Oh my! Now how did she get here…? I don’t sense my green sister! The blue rider blinked, thoroughly taken aback, “Relika?!” “It is you then!” the women replied, “How did you ger here…? And why are you wearing Dragonhope’s colors…? not to mention Searchriding knots?” “That’s a bit of a tale,” Ar’wen replied before gently asking his own question, “What happened to your green, Fanitath? Cammy says he doesn’t sense her.” By the hurt look in the former green rider’s eyes, Ar’wen didn’t even need a vocal answer. “I’m sorry… How?” “Gr’zin and I accidently timed it here and became unconscious from the strain… we had been fighting Thread at the time. Fanitath and Arocoth believed us dead when we could not answer them,” she paused knowing the searchrider would realize the rest, then turned damp eyes upon him, “Cammy? So you and your Camoth lived through the jump?” “Obviously,” Ar’wen smiled weakly, “We made the jump by accident the first time as well. We’re in this time on business this time acttualy.” “To bring Grahzino and my children back to our proper time?” “That’s now been added to my list if you’d like,” Ar’wen smiled. “We have not even been noticed as being gone?” “You must have made the jump just after one of the times I jumped here,” Ar’wen replied a bit sheepishly and then remembered what he was there to talk to his old friend about, “You said you had children with Gr’zin.” “Yes, after Arocoth went between he returned to being called Grahzino,” she replied so Ar’wen would not be confused by the longer name instead of the dragonrider’s name, “Our eldest plays for the Shards. She wears the number twenty five jersey.” “I thought so when she stopped to show you the Jackal Cup,” Ar’wen couldn’t help but chuckle, “Jackal will just flip when she finds out that they named the Junior’s Cup after her.” “That’s what the Jackal Cup is named after,” Relika questioned the rider, “After someone from our time.” “A Goalie by the name of Jacqueline Karnel,” Ar’wen snickered, “fiery temper that woman has. She goes by the name of Jackal most of the time. She played on the Victory College Dragons Hockey team before coming to Pern with the other VCDs and started up hockey with them.” “So that’s what the VCDs are, Victory College Dragons?” the women asked with much interest. “We better talk about that another time in private,” Ar’wen replied in a whisper, “I don’t need these people looking at me suspiciously. Some of the more educated ones might remember their history and realize that I’m not from this time… I don’t want to find out too much of my future from people who consider it’s past… wouldn’t be as much fun to know it right off the bat… to know a few things yeah, but to know all the details… I wouldn’t want to live that life.” “That is understandable,” Relika replied as they moved to recede to the lower levels to congratulate the players in person, “What brought you to me anyway? You’re not easily caught by surprise and I seemed to do that well since you didn’t seem to recognize me.” “It’s about your daughter acttualy,” Ar’wen started slowly realizing this might be a touchy subject now. “Grezka?” “I guess that’s her name,” Ar’wen replied as he caught a glimpse of the player’s jersey to confirm it before he stepped out of sight, “I know this is probably a delicate subject with you but I won’t beat around the bush too much. I was sent here with a candidate to have impress at Dragonhope Weyr. He’s impressed and I was truthfully just taking in a game before I would leave for our time. I’ve become a searchrider at Seiryuu Weyr in our time. I brought one of the first player of the Seiryuu Flits’ team here to impress.” “Get to the point Ar’wen,” the women replied a bit irritated. “Camoth thinks that Grezka would make a great candidate for the next clutch to grace Dragonhope’s sands,” Ar’wen finished in a rush; he’d suddenly remembered the women’s old temper. Relika went silent. She’d never thought that her children would ever have the chance to be searched even though they lived in a Weyr. She’d at times hoped for such a thing, but then feared that they would go through what she and Grahzino had gone through. No rider should ever have to go through life without their dragon. “I thought you said you searched for Seiryuu,” she shot at him avoiding the question. “I do,” Ar’wen replied running a hand through his stiff dark red, almost brown short curly hair, “I’ve just been working to get more riders for Seiryuu by sending some candidates to Dragonhope to get their dragons and come back as full riders within a few days of leaving our time.” “What about what happened to us,” Relika asked with some venom, “I don’t want my children to feel what Grahzino and I went through with losing our dragons.” “Seiryuu Weyr riders are strong,” Ar’wen stated in all seriousness, almost as if he was insulted that she would think otherwise, “our candidates are strong as well. They will live through it. Their dragons will not leave them. They will understand what happened to you and Gr’zin might happen to their riders. Plus we have many strong willed dragons which will keep their dragons from trying to jump between before their time. Trust me.” “I don’t want her to feel that loneliness that I feel still in my heart,” Relika cried. “She won’t,” Ar’wen assured her and smiled coyly as he put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, “Are you beating around the bush in saying that you’ll give you’re consent?” The women nodded with a sad chuckle and a hiccup. “Good, then let’s find this fine hockey playing daughter of yours.”
Grezka’s celebration bubble was popped slightly only a few minutes before her mother and Ar’wen found her. Not a minute after they got off the ice, Keirose had taken a random girl into his arms and kissed her hard. Needless to say it didn’t settle well with the forward and she didn’t have to listen to know that Keirose was already making plans with the girl for the night. “He’s not worth it, ya’ know?” a voice told her from behind. Grezka was already blushing when she turned to find Patarik behind her. She was slightly surprised that his smile had been subdued and she was sure it was because of what he’d seen in her face just a second earlier. “Yeah, I know,” Grezka replied with a half smile at the goalie, “For all I know I’m related to the guy anyway.” For a moment Patarik looked confused but then he remembered what she had once told him in confidence. “True, there’s no way of really knowing,” Patarik replied, “For all you know every one of us on this team is a long distance cousin of yours… you could always go back, couldn’t you? To the time your mother was from?” “I could, but that would risk the life of somebody else’s dragon,” Grezka replied in a hushed tone as she refused to look at Keirose who was now making out with a new girl the moment the one he’d made plans with had left to get ready, “If I had my own dragon and the right quadrants in my head I’d try. But I’m not sure I could leave friends like you behind.” “Ah, maybe I’d come with ya’ if you did find a way to go back,” Patarik winked, “I don’t have a girl here nor family, it would be interesting to live in the past and not be scolded about it.” “It would, wouldn’t it?” Grezka chuckled along with her friend, “Now all I’d need to make it come true was to be a searchrider tell me that I’ve been searched.” “Ask and ye shall receive,” an unfamiliar voice addressed the hockey player. Both she and Patarik turned around to find Relika standing there beside a much younger dragonrider who neither had seen in their whole lives. “What?” “You said all you need was a searchrider to search you,” Ar’wen grinned, “Well I’m a searchrider, and I’ve been informed that’s what I should do for you… and Relika has agreed to it already.” “You’re a searchrider and you know my mother?” Grezka blinked. Behind her Patarik started to move away as he felt he didn’t need to be around for the conversation. Don’t let the goalie get away, he would be good to stand too, I think. “Yes, we impressed in the same clutch actually. And where do you think you’re going?” Ar’wen addressed the retreating goalie, for the moment ignoring Grezka’s gawking stare. “What’s your name, boy?” “Patarik… and I thought I’d make myself scarce since you seemed to only be talking to Grez,” Patarik smiled apologetically to his friend. “Well my blue seems to think you should be in on this conversation,” Ar’wen replied, “he seems to think you’d make a fair candidate at Dragonhope Weyr as well.” “Wait you just searched both of us for Dragonhope Weyr?” Grezka finally found her voice, this day seemed to be getting better once more… until she realized that she’d seen all of the searchrider from Dragonhope before, “Are you a new searchrider there? I know the others but I’ve never seen you.” “Of course you haven’t, I’m only visiting,” Ar’wen replied with a smirk, “As I said before, I did impress my blue in the same clutch as your mother and father.” “You timed it?” “Yep!” “And you didn’t faint and your dragon survived?” “I’m standing her aren’t I?” “I accept,” Patarik stated stopping everyone in their tracks. The goalie raised an eyebrow right back at them, “You said we were searched but you never asked if we accepted… I’m saying that I do before you even ask… as crazy as this conversation is sounding.” “Same goes for me with my mom’s approval,” Grezka replied, “When do we leave?” “When you’re ready,” Ar’wen replied, “I suggest you bring your own hockey gear. There isn’t even a peewee team at Dragonhope but I know there’s a two Seiryuu Flits players there who will be looking for people to practice… hmm you could probably talk to the coach herself and she’d let you have a private tryout for the team if you’d like.” “But we’re still a few years shy of being able to go pro,” Patarik replied, “Aside from that, why would Hazort look at us there instead of right here?” “Because it’s not Hazort’s Flits that you’d be trying out for,” Ar’wen replied. “What…?” “Don’t ask you to, just go get ready,” Relika shoed the two away towards the team barracks. Within a few hours they were taking their victory party to Dragonhope Weyr even if they didn’t really have a hockey team… yet.
If you wish to adopt Fire Lizards like Trixy and Shard visit Aisu’s Office at Seiryuu Weyr |