He was known as 'twelve' by his creator. The Animal Master who tended these weird Clockwork ferilons never stopped trying new things, and therefore Twelve was left to his own devices shortly after he'd been created. He knew there was something different about himself... Well, many things were different.

He was smarter than a lot of other Ferilons, that was certain. He stood upright, and could manipulate things (with difficulty) with his wing-hands. Twelve could fly, almost from the moment he could open his eyes. But he hungered for things that he couldn't have. He knew for instance that he was infertile - sterile because he'd simply been thrown together from genetics by the Animal Master. So he - like One through Eleven - would never be able to have offspring. He also had trouble being in the light, but so long as he was careful and didn't stay out to look at the sun he'd be all right under a shade. The spikes on his back were another little problem - they made it slightly hard to find a seat somewhere, that didn't come along with him when he wanted to leave it.

But all that said, Twelve had the run of the Animal Master's whole estate in Fi'ir. He'd heard the others, the friends of this mad genetic scientist, say that the place was out in the boonies - whatever that meant. But what it meant to Twelve was he had a lot of places to explore. At no time did he stray beyond the fencing of the estate - though it was a huge place, he'd come across one or two of the places where it met the neighbors, and he was surprised to find himself mentally compelled to come back home. By his creator, no less - who had an intimate control over creatures such as himself.

Twelve spent hours exploring the rocky hills that overlooked the estate, as well as the house and barns, he walked along on his two little feet. Every once in a while one of the Animal Master's slaves would comment about how cute he was, how adorable the color of his fur was, or something else. He wasn't sickened by it, but perhaps if he'd been a tiny bit bigger (he was only the size of a normal Ferilon after all, and came up to their mid-waist at most even bipedally) he would have had some nasty things to say.

Yes, Twelve could speak. But he didn't, at least not often. There was one little Slave child who he liked, she fed him sweets and allowed him to rest in her bunk while the Master was out. He worried for the little girl, because she was a bit slower than the other Zekiran children, and that meant that she might be sold off if she didn't learn more quickly. She was only expected to clean cages and make sure there was water in each one, so it might not happen that way. Twelve worried anyway, because he'd seen how others treated their servants.

One evening, Twelve was up on the rocks, watching the night-time flights that happened this time of year. The Steed racing circuit was in town while it was warm and clear, the only time of year that anyone in their right mind would race a steed over the huge snow-covered peaks of Fi'ir. The Steeds frighened some ferilons, but not him. He couldn't keep up with them, but he could imagine himself doing so. If he were bigger...

Oddly though, late in the night, there was a shape that blotted out the stars that wasn't feather-winged, didn't snort and have hooves. It was another flier of a different type, one which the ferilon had heard tales of but never thought he'd see. A dragon. A large brown one, who carefully folded his big curved wings and sniffed at the little creature.

I think you should come see something, said a voice in Twelve's head. It was the dragon, a smooth kind voice.

"I will come," Twelve said, "but what is it? And can I keep it? Will I get in trouble?"

I do not think it will get you in trouble, little one.

Wavkokith, dragon to Haesh Chanay, dipped his head down low and allowed the ferilon to hitch a ride on his shoulder. They soared into the air, much higher than Twelve had ever gone. He was not afraid, he kept telling himself he was not afraid.

It will be very cold, for a moment. Cling to me and do not panic.

Twelve did as he was asked, and wondered why he hadn't yet felt his master-maker's mind touching his - oh yes, the master was out, down in Kiran for something in the desert...

They went through the Nexus, and came out momentarily though it could have been days later. Twelve chittered, his teeth clattering he was chilled to the bone. "I ... see-see what you m-mean..."

They had arrived at a place far from Zekira, but known to the dragons because, well, dragons gossip constantly.

Ihalthi, it is called. ... There are dragons here you should meet. I think they will like you. Wavkokith bespoke again, and they landed carefully among a number of other dragons and riders. None of the others were like him, the ferilon had to be very careful as he made his way around. With wide eyes (even in the sunlight) this was all so strange. (and, it was daytime here? it had been night! he was confused!)

But eventually someone found him, apparently the brown Ryslenese dragon asked for someone to attend to him.

Once they did, his whole world changed...

***

They were big, these dragon things. And furry, where Wavkokith was smooth with bare hide. They were colorful - marked in bright patterns like Ferilons were. There was a staggering number of them too.

And one particularly large fellow who latched on to Twelve the moment they met. His scarlet faced blue-bodied visage peered close in, looming over Twelve. The little ferilon was suddenly glad that he had a bony plate on his head protecting him. He wasn't sure whether this gigantic dragon wanted to play with his food or what...

Instead, he felt a warm sensation inside his mind. Almost like the Master's mental command but ... different. Flowing, more eager. More insistant too.

And then the creature spoke. "I think you're adorable too, but don't you think you could stand up for yourself? Get it? Stand up? You're ... bipedal!"

The dragon chuckled, his green and red feathery frills bobbing up and down in front of Twelve. Stunned, Twelve realized that this - this monster of a dragon had chosen him!

What would he possibly do now? The thing was easily three times the height of the biggest Steed anyone had ever bred! Where could he hide him?

"I don't want to be hidden," the dragon said. "I, by the way, am Kaun'Xo Gredelle. And I would like to go back to your world, see the sights. Wouldn't you like to see the sights too?"

"I ... I suppose I do, but..." Twelve said, quietly. "But you're ... I mean, huge! I can't keep up with you, and what would the Master think?"

The dragon ran his paw over his face, ears back. "Pfah, no one is your master now, not even me! Why, if you want to stay here you know you can, and it would be just as fun."

"But I - I like it there!" Twelve was dumbfounded. Here was a dragon who clearly understood what could be, what might be... But didn't see what really was. "My master made me, I belong to him."

"You belong to no one, you're here aren't you?" Kaun nudged the ferilon with his paw, nearly tumbling him over. "Well, you belong to me, sort of. As much as I belong to you. We're bonds now! Isn't that nice?"

Kaun seemed to ignore any further protests that Twelve made. He chatted about how the weather was where Twelve lived (chilly and sunny), what about the storms (every year, huge), was it really that cold in the winter (yes, really), and why live that far up a mountainside when the whole world was down at ground level?

Twelve couldn't answer that one. He'd never really been down at what the Slaves and other visitors to the estate called 'sea level', he wondered what it was like himself. Even here at this dragonry it wasn't sea level, after all dragons of most types seemed likely to roost in high spots in mountainsides.

"I can make water for us in the desert," Kaun bragged, "and fires to keep us warm in the winter. We should see the world." He nodded, his feathery bobbers doing that jumpy dance again. "If you tell me your master will be angry, I won't listen, la-la-la!" He pressed his paws into his huge ears, ears which were all but the size of Twelve's whole upright self.

"I guess we could go back and ... and ... well, say good bye?" Twelve said.

"Have you ever said hello?" Kaun asked, and Twelve stood dead still with that question. He had never spoken to the Master, it was very possible that the Animal Master didn't even know he could speak. Only the girl...

"Well bring the girl then!" Kaun said cheerily. "If you like her, and she's nice, maybe she'll be helpful."

"But that would be stealing a Slave! That's not allowed! She belongs to him - because he bought her! He made me, I could see calling me his creation, but he invested money in that Slave!"

"Now you're just defending him again," Kaun said, "is it right to own someone?"

"When you live in my world, you would understand more," Twelve said. "They do that. It isn't usually cruel, it isn't usually bad. If she had to..." Twelve gulped, "if she had to live alone, she would probably get hurt. I am glad she is with a Master who senses that. Isn't that all right? To take care of someone when they are dull?"

In the course of the afternoon the pair spoke of philosophy and ethics, neither of them quite able to sway the other. But one thing was certain, Wavkukith would have to be taking them both home. And then... Then what?

Then they would have to confront this Master person, or just not show up there. Kaun could feel the pangs of guilt in Twelve, he really felt bad about abandoning this person. But control wasn't Kaun's thing. (At least, not control by anyone else!) Maybe the girl would come in handy but maybe Twelve was right: if she couldn't really take care of herself, she wasn't going to be of much use to a dragon and a ferilon.

Perhaps the other Ferilons...

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