"Home sweet home!" Ackray-est shouted happily.      'Kida giggled gleefully. ~Yup!~ she said, and hopped up and over the charging dragontaur. They frolicked for a long moment, each having just about as much fun as the other, until it was time to go.      The trip back home was really rather short and uneventful. A simple portal into the Valley, but once there, Ackray squealed with delight and pranced around before settling down in the grass under a shady tree with a flop. "It's nice here." She said contentedly.      The other saa of the Valley were gathering around the newcomer (and welcoming Eikida back with obvious relief, but hatchlings receive more attention as a rule), fussing and cooing and playing with her, until the hatchling was worn out, albeit happily. In the past, there might have been some trouble finding something for a hungry, carnivorous hatchling to eat in the Valley of the Sky, since saa are herbivores by nature, but they were used to accommodating large, outsider dragons now. There would be plenty, and to spare.      Eikida went back to being The Shield, but that didn't mean she couldn't play with Ackray. Which she did. Almost every free moment she had. The two were nigh on inseparable.      And then came 'Kida's flight. She was practically glowing the morning it was to be held, and Ackray was all wide eyes and curiosity. She didn't really understand much of what was going on, what with being an innocent hatchling (especially since 'Kida herself is almost as innocent and hatchling-like), but something fun was about to happen, she could tell.      She couldn't really see much of the flight, either, and that made her sad. They looked like they were having fun up there, chasing each other around in circles. Must be a great game of tag. Eikida was having fun, at least. She could tell.      When it was all over and everyone was tired from their game, she watched them wander off to whatever they would do for the rest of the day. Adults were strange that way, doing such boring things all day. She wished she'd never grow up. Well, at least never be a boring grownup. 'Kida was fun, and she was a grownup. So maybe they weren't all like that.      "Did you have a fun game?" Ackray asked when Eikida came back down, and the little saa grinned hugely.      ~Of course! I always have fun.~ she said smugly.      "Good," Ackray nodded, and then wiggled. "Siyavan wants to teach me how to fly, when my wings are big enough!" she said then, remembering the talk she'd had with the young saa while watching the flight and wishing she could join in.      ~Yay! Then you could come up and play in the air! It's so much more fun up here than it is down there.~ 'Kida did a loop in the air to prove her point, and grinned. ~I would teach you myself, but I don't know how to fly. At least, not with wings...~ she said, and looked a little embarrassed.      "That's okay," Ackray chirped, "I like Siya. She's fun." There was a short (very short) pause, and then the little hatchling asked "How long do you think it will take my wings to grow big enough to fly with?"      Eikida shrugged. ~I don't know.. I've never raised a Darkling before.~      Ackray giggled at the nickname the saa had collectively given her when they had first learned her mother's name. It was sort of silly, since she was a bright teal all over and not dark in temperament at all. But she liked it.      "I hope it's soon." She said with a wistful little sigh. "I can't wait to be able to fly and play tag in the sky like you did today. Is that a special thing that happens, or does it happen all the time? Do you take turns? Who decides who gets to play?"      She was an inquisitive little hatchling. | Back | Next |