Aseradric was out cold. He’d never been the muscular, strong type and the candidate lessons left him more than ready for his bed at night. His dreams were troubling too. They were always the same.
It was a bright day and he was walking along the cliffside that over looked the ocean at Adanuk Weyr, the cliffs that overlooked the shore where he washed up many turns ago. He could see the seabirds flying in the air, and a few little flits danced in the sunlight as well. Aseradric felt happy to be alive, happy to be at Adanuk. In fact, everything about the dream was perfect, until he looked at the sea. The sky could have been from the prettiest day of the summer, but the sea was exactly the same as it had been the day the Shining Path sunk. It was dark, black, turbulent and evil. Aseradric could feel a chill run down his back, and the terror begin to build in his stomach. He would begin to repeat to himself how it was only water, and he was safe on the ground, it was only water, and he was safe on the ground....and then he’d hear the roar....and then he’d see the flash of a bright orange....and then he’d hear Mala yelling orders....and then he’d see him.....Sarusur......drowned.
With a flash of lightening and a deafening roar a storm would come up from nowhere as Aseradric slowly backed away from the cliff edge and the vision of his friend cold and dead on the rapidly darkening shore. Mala would yell for him, and he wouldn’t answer. She would yell again, and, gathering all his courage to him, Aseradric would approach the cliffside again. Mala was crying and screaming on the shore line beside the dead feline. She was screaching at him, but the wind stole his words. Aseradric saw the dark water rising to take her and screamed a warning. She couldn’t hear....she was washed out to sea.....she was lost.
But Aseradric was still safe. He would run back to the Weyr. Surely they could find Mala, surely they could resuscitate Sarusur. He turned around, running for the Weyr, but the rain was coming down hard now and the cliff was slippery. His foot slipped and gravity grabbed him. He was swept off the edge of the cliff, swept downwards, plummeting into the dark, churning, laughing water...
Aseradric sat straight up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat. The sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon and Aseradric was still dead tired, but he wouldn’t have returned to his bed for all the marks on the planet. He walked quietly, so as not to wake the other men he was sharing the candidate bunk with, and entered the Weyrbowl. The morning was a little nippy, but it was looking like it would warm up quickly. The dream still haunting him, he wandered aimlessly, debating with himself whether he should send another message to Adanuk to make sure everything was okay. Mala was beginning to think he was crazy. He sighed and flopped down on a bench in the Dining Hall. It was oddly empty, even for this early in the morning. Normally one or two of the dragonriders were up and at it at sunup, but the hall was completely empty. Even the drudges were gone. Aseradric had a moment of panic where he was sure everyone had been drowned and were all lying out dead somewhere, but he put the thought out of his head. There had to be a more reasonable explanation...and there was, he just hadn’t heard the dragons as he milled about in his misery.
Annoyed and breathless, Weyrling Master Roki ran into the Dining Hall. "Hiding from the eggs or just to annoy me?"
Aseradric went white in shock then red in embarrassment. He set several new sprinting records on his way to his room and then to the Hatching Ground, arriving near last, but not completely. Aseradric smiled to himself in anticipation. I’m just fashionably late.
Moments after his breathless arrival, the eggs began to hatch. The looks of wonder, excitement, anticipation, disappointment and fear were plastered to the candidates faces, save one. One candidate stood there in his white robe realizing that he was starving, tired and very light-headed. One candidate stood there determined not to pass out. One candidate almost managed to fall asleep standing up. That one candidate, missed the first part of the hatching. Leaning against the wall, stars bursting in front of his eyes, Aseradric was having a new nightmare. Now, the sea was rushing into the hatching grounds, filling it with water, drowning all the hatchlings. The vision was so vivid, he could barely tear himself away from it and was amazingly surprised when a quiet, yet powerful voice touched his mind.
You think the sea wished to have you dead? HA! I’d like to see it try with me around, A’dric. The bronze dragon’s eyes whirled a fiery red as he sat up as straight as he could manage and roared.
To A’dric’s amazement the nightmare left and the dragon filled his vision. He felt everyone’s eyes upon him. "His name’s Katzeth!!" The bronzrider fell to his knees and threw his arms around the hatchling. "His name’s Katzeth! And he’s mine!!"
The dragonet was pleased with itself. I knew that’d get your attention. Let’s eat!! The dragon disentangled itself from it’s rider’s arms and headed off to the Feeding Grounds alone. A’dric followed.
Halfway there, both rider and dragon almost lost their lives when a large tiger stripped feline attacked them. Bravely the new rider and dragon team stood up to the fearful beast and beat it back, rescuing a young visiting Jr. Headwoman who immediately fell into the daring bronzerider’s arms in thankfulness. At least, that’s how Seiryuu tells the story.
"SARUSUR DOWN!!!" A’dric had just had the breath knocked ingloriously from his lungs as the large cat pounced him. The cat was purring loud enough to rattle the doorframes, had there been any doorframes, and playfully gnawed on his master’s shoulder. "Ow..." A’dric tried to knock the cat off of him with no success.
Mala giggled. "I thought you’d be happy to see him. He was as depressed as anything back at Adanuk without you....and then there’s the fact that no one who is brave enough to give him the attention he wants is around to give him the attention he wants.....You’re just lucky Celeste could reattach flit tails." A look of pure terror crossed A’dric’s face. Mala giggled. "Just kidding. Here Sar." The cat obeyed the Jr. Headwoman’s command.
KATZETH!!! ME!!!! LOOK AT MEE!!!! The bronze dragon creeled loudly, causing the cat to whine and lower it’s head.
A’dric just smiled. "This is Katzeth. My lifemate."
Mala gasped, she hadn’t seen the tiny creature and had assumed that the hatching hadn’t happened yet. "Oh Asera....A’dric." She corrected herself just in time. "He’s amazing!! Gorgeous!!!" She dropped to her knees and rubbed the newly hatched dragon’s head. "Wonderful."
Katzeth was pleased. I like her.
I knew you would. A’dric rubbed Sarusur’s head to placate the slightly jealous feline. "Let’s go eat."
The young dragons were fed, Sarusur attempted to eat only one of the other hatchlings, and A’dric earned his name as feline-tamer.
* * * "NOOO!!!!" A’dric stood helplessly on the cliff face as the water grabbed Mala and pulled her back down. She came up gasping for breath, but disappeared too quickly...far too quickly. "No..." A’dric collapsed on the ground, unsure of what do to. He couldn’t swim, he couldn’t save her. He turned to run for the Weyr, they could save her, they could save both of them, the mud was too slippery though....
Katzeth raised his head, awakened by his rider’s violent dream. Without thinking twice, the bronze dragonet climbed onto the bed and lay across his rider’s chest. Stop it rider-mine, you’re scaring me.
The voice was oddly placed in the dark and drearly storm-blasted landscape. A’dric couldn’t place it. In his moment of confusion, he slipped from the cliff edge, fell towards the dark, chill water.
Rider-mine....I’ll catch you. I’ll grow big and strong and I’ll catch you. You’ve got me forever and ever and ever. Please stop now.... The dragon whimpered.
He felt the waves closing over his head, he felt his lungs burn for air, he felt the current keeping him down he felt...
Forever and ever...
He felt dragon wings lifting him above the clouds. He saw the sun above the storm. He felt the loneliness fade. He was safe. Mala was safe. Sarusur was safe and the Weyr was safe.
Katzeth yawned and rested his head on A’dric’s chest. Rider-mine. The bronze returned to sleep.
A’dric was amazed at how beautiful the water looked on a bright summer’s day from high above. He was amazed how beautiful Mala looked playing with the shipfish. He was amazed at how beautiful the flits looked diving in and out of the ocean for fish. But mostly, he was amazed how beautiful the water looked, dripping of gleaming bronze wings.
See Katzeth at weryling training!!
* * *
A’dric impressed Katzeth at Seiryuu Weyr.
Background is from Myrror Images.
