[Zera]

Zera woke up suddenly, sweat rolling off of her as she forcibly pulled
herself away from the hideous memory of her parent's death.  She didn't
dream of it often, but when she did, it was a terrible thing.

<I am sorry you miss your sire and dam so much.>

<<It's nothing, beloved.  They are long dead.>>

<It is not nothing if it scares you so much.>

<<The dream always ends with me not being fast enough to save myself, or
with more Wraiths than were there that morning.  Who wouldn't be afraid,
waking from that?>>

Mazel didn't answer.

Zera got up and ran down the hall to the bathing room, scrubbing down
quickly as she felt Mazel's hunger grow.

<I'm hungry!>

<<I'm coming, beloved.>>

She threw on some clothes, a faded teal tunic and some gray-green leggings
that she rarely wore since working in the Med Center frequently meant
getting spattered with small amounts of blood.

<Perhaps you should wear red...>

Zera laughed.  <<Maybe.>>

She went out, goggling slightly at T'grat, who should, by rights, have been
snuggled up with his new wife.  Zera wondered, vaguely, how Greta felt
about the whole thing, but decided it wasn't really any of her business. 
She spotted Galen, apparently fresh from sparring with Talesin, and waved
cheerfully to him.  The night's sleep seemed to have done the man some
good.

T'grat began to speak, and Zera concentrated on his words.  She would need
to know all of these things to fly her beloved Mazel, but there was a part
of her that was distracted.  Over the last few days, she had definitely
come to the conclusion that she didn't really want to become a combat
rider, but she wasn't sure what to do about that.

<It will be alright, Zera.>

<<Yes.  Of course.  I still need to talk to Lilliana...  Do you suppose
that you could *not* demand food long enough for me to do that?>>

<That's not fair...>

<<Oh, probably not.>>  Zera hugged her dragon.  T'grat came along, checking
the saddle and harness and finding it to his satisfaction.

"Ready to fly?"

"Oh, yes."  Zera grinned.  "Ready to get out of the Barracks, anyway --"

T'grat laughed.  "One of the best parts of being able to fly...  Getting to
choose an apartment..."

The trainer moved on and Zera took her place in Mazel's saddle.  When
T'grat gave the word they launched, flying low to the ground and learning
control.

<<This is wonderful, beloved...  We can go anywhere...>>

Mazel's mental laughter was a balm.  Suddenly she heard a dragon scream and
looked up to see Lyric, a white-faced Domaia on her back, dive toward the
ground, her wings snapping out as they reached the critical point just
above the ground.

<What is she *doing*!?!>  Mazel's voice was slightly offended as Lyric
climbed again.

<<Showing off, I imagine...>>

<But, her human...>

Zera nodded to herself, Domaia had looked slightly ill.  She and the others
landed -- Mazel got huffy, and Zera was almost certain that the order to
land had not been made kindly.  Adult dragons all over the warren were
bugeling now as Lyric sped on a collision course for the cliffs.

Lyric landed, Domaia slumped over her back.  Instinctively, Zera ran over
to check the girl.

"Are you alright, Domaia?"

The girl's skin was deadly pale, her eyes dilated in shock, but she was
conscious.  Zera had to give her credit.  If Mazel had done something
similar to her, she'd have been gibbering.

"I -- I -- I think so."

"Zera, let her get off of Lyric's back."  T'grat's voice was stern.

Zera moved back.  Without looking around, T'grat said, "Class dismissed --
we'll discuss this after lunch.  Domaia -- Lyric -- I would like to have a
little chat with you..."

T'grat's voice faded as Zera seized on the opportunity to get out of the
way.  Somehow, she didn't think that the Hatchling Trainer was amused by
Lyric's antics...

<<Dearling, I'm going to talk to Lilliana.>>

<Okay.  Oil me after?>

Zera laughed.  <<Hedonist.  Bath and oil, I promise.>>

<What's a hedonist?>

Laughing, Zera took off at a trot for the Med Center.  <<Someone who lives
for pleasure...>>

<Well, what's wrong with that?>

----
[Med Center]

Zera walked in and headed for Lilliana's office.  She knocked perfunctorily
before poking her head in.

"Hey, Lilliana."

"Good morning, Zera!  Training over so soon for the morning?"

"Umm... Lyric was doing some fancy flying that I don't think she was
supposed to be doing..."

Lilliana laughed.  "There's always one of those.  What can I do for you... 
Thanks for all of the work you put in during the party, last night, by the
way..."

Zera shrugged.  "I wasn't in much of a party mood.  Anyway...  I was
thinking that I would like to keep working here, instead of riding patrol,
but I don't know if that's allowed...."

[Tag, Les]

------
NRPG -- Les, Paula, hope you don't mind, but I'd assume that T'grat would
want to talk to Domaia and Lyric about those antics... *grins*

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Zera and Mazel

Assistant Director, X-Files                Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
Sterling A. Kincaid, TL, ECHO, X-Files     Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA, X-Files       Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
Xan X. Xavier, T1, X-Files                 Zera and Mazel       *Norwall*

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			      Vasaris, the Fuzzy Dragon
       Jill E. Flansburg	    |		            vasaris@az.com
       CS HMC 1994	          |		jflansbu@muddcs.cs.hmc.edu
       History, WWU 199?          |		vasaris@divcom.umop-ap.com
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