Getting Out


Chapter 1: A Nudge in the Right Direction
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It had been quite a while since Sehmei had last left the flat that he shared with his close friend, Vyly, and her mate, the Avengaean named Aedelian Landwerlen. The reason for this--his reluctance to leave the dragoner suite--was the same as it had been for all of his other prolonged stays: he simply had no need or desire to leave. He was the kind of dragon that could just curl himself up over his pile of found treasures and meditate, hibernate, or put himself in whatever state it was that kept him from moving for such long periods of time.

This wasn't to say that he was a lazy dragon. He was, at heart, a philosopher, and everything that occurred in his life required heavy, impartial thought. His early years, for example, spent at Shivran Aerd behind cold metal bars with no one but a sneaky green like Vyly to keep him company... now that he had the freedom to compare it with, Sehmei believed that very serious thought should be put into his captivity. Their escape as well, using a portal kept open for an unsuspecting Wyld hunter... their subsequent arrival at Star City, the station they'd made their home in, now, and all of the events there after.

Recently, he had taken up the contemplation of relationships, their significance and their setbacks, what with Vyly meeting with Aedelian, and with the impending hatching of their many offspring. It was peculiar... he'd spent his entire life with the green dragoness, and had become closer to her then he believed any romantic relationship would have allowed, even though he had no inclination (and neither did she) for that kind of relationship.

And now she spent a great portion of her time with another dragon. Sehmei was not jealous, as he understood his friend's desires, her need for company that interacted with her more then his basking silently in the heat of her hot-headed ranting. He had, however, become rather lonely without the bursts of chatter that he had come to expect, whenever he had fallen into deep thought. Now that Vyly had taken to the public hatching bay, and Aedelian with her, Sehmei felt a deep silence in the flat that he hadn't expected. He wasn't sure he liked it, and so... so he left his room, and left the apartment entirely.

Shifting into the air like a ribbon caught on a strong wind, Sehmei fluttered from his home to the nearest lift on the residential deck. He would go to the hatching bay, visit Vyly and Aedelian, and perhaps find some peace in their familiar voices.

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When the blue dragon found himself in the hatching bay, he was treated to one of the more unusual scenarios he'd ever experienced. Down on the floor proper, Vyly had curled herself around what must have been over a dozen eggs, each of which was perhaps a foot or two tall. The green dragon did not look pleased, not that Sehmei had expected her to. He'd never seen her as the mothering type, considering that she found more joy in sneaking around, spying with some level of immaturity on the unsuspecting, than in taking any kind of responsibility. Then again, with Aedelian always close at hand (he appeared to be speaking with one of the bipeds that always showed up around here, looking for potential bonds), Sehmei supposed that Vyly would be able to tolerate being kept in one place.

The blue dragon wound his way down the rows of audience-tiers, then onto the mossy ground of the hatching-bay floor. He'd cheer up Vyly, he decided. At least, help her take her mind off of the eggs she guarded.

~It took you long enough to get up here and visit, string-bean!~ the green dragoness had apparently noticed him. ~It's been a month, and this is the first I see of you? How dare you!~ She harumphed and curled her tail about the mini-horde at her side.

~Many apologies, sister,~ the blue said as he came to a stop a few feet away from her. He bowed in greeting as he continued, ~I have been in deep meditation--~

~Hah! I thought you were looking even skinnier then usual! I don't know how you survive down there without anyone to bring you your food and make sure you don't go into a real coma!~ She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him, then fluffed her head crest and turned her nose up at him. ~Well, if you can't take the time to talk with me, I don't see why I should be bothered talking to you.~ Vyly smirked at the blue dragon as he lowered his head a little, then frowned. Aedelian had finished interviewing the candidate, and now he was starting back to them. Her expression had gone sour again, broody. ~Then again,~ she said, ~if I have to spend one more minute strapped down with him, I think I'll scream!~ she wasn't completely serious, of course... but then again, she was a broody mother. ~Do me a favor, stick-legs, and go distract him for me.~

Sehmei bowed low, enough for his whiskers to touch the bay's ground briefly. ~Yes, mistress,~ he said, only a hint of amused sarcasm in his reply. Well, he could speak to the Air dragon about his meditations, and help his good friend. It seemed like the proper thing to do.

The blue turned in that liquid way that he tended to move, and streamed towards Vyly's mate, who gave him a polite smile. "Hello, Sehmei," the Avengaean greeted him, and the snake-like blue gave a shallow bow.

~Greetings, master Aedelian,~ he said, his voice a center of stillness. May I speak with you for a moment?~

"Of course," the yellow dragon replied, taken a bit by surprise. "What would you like to talk about?"

~I have been thinking,~ Sehmei said, ~About relationships.~ This he said with utter seriousness, causing the larger dragon to blink with even more surprise.

::Relationships?:: Aedelian asked, this time psionically instead of vocally. ::Well, that's certainly a worthwhile passtime. What kind of relationships?::

Sehmei lowered his eyelids slowly, as he replied, ~Many kinds.~ Again, he focused his mercurial eyes on the Air dragon. ~However, I have mostly been devoting my time to relationships such as those between you and Vyly, as well as those that you propose to subject your offspring to. 'Bonding', is the term?~ The blue now lowered his head, and in a very quiet mind-voice, he said, ~I believe that I am lonely.~

Aedelian settled down a bit, smiling sympathetically. ::I'm sure we'd be glad to let you stay with us, here, if you thought that would help,:: he offered, ::but that might not be a very good fix--especially with my poor mate as broody as she is.:: Not that Sehmei would mind; however, the Air dragon didn't seem entirely comfortable with the little blue hanging around all the time. Aedelian continued on, the thought of bonding on his mind. ::Maybe you could find yourself a clutch that you'd like to stand for. There are probably hundreds of them out there.::

For a few moments, Sehmei simply sat and pondered the yellow dragon's words. In the mean time, Aedelian passed the blue and, carefully staying out of snapping range from Vyly, began to turn eggs. Finally, Sehmei nodded agreement. ~This is true. But... I don't believe that there are any I would wish to stand for, here.~

Aedelian had turned his attention back on the little blue, settling for resting one paw on the nearest shell. ::Well, them Ministry of Flights and Hatchings keeps records of clutches on other worlds,:: he pointed out. ::Just find any computer terminal and you can look them up. Or if you can pin down one of the Ministry officials, I'm sure they'd be glad to help you find information.::

~I think I might do that,~ Sehmei replied, lifting his head to give the Air a slow, thankful nod. ~Thank you, master Aedelian.~

::It's my pleasure,:: the larger dragon told Sehmei with a smile. ::Good luck.::

Sehmei nodded once more, bowed, and flowed up and out of the hatching bay.

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It wasn't long thereafter that the snake-like dragon found a public terminal, and not long after that before he was skimming available hatchings. Briefly he pondered how the Ministry managed to gather such wide-spread information into one place... but the task at paw called his attention back.

Aedelian had been right: there were literally hundreds of clutches on other worlds, spread all throughout the nexus and beyond! Sehmei spent nearly the rest of the day simply accessing the different worlds, different clutches--before something really caught his attention. Fukeru Ukuure was a relatively new establishment, found by the Ministry only a few months ago. Sehmei called up the holos of the place: rolling farmland, clear skies, a peaceful place, though it hardly seemed real to him. He had, after all, never been anywhere but the frigid reaches of Shivran Aerd, and the disinfected cold of Star City...

The Fedras, themselves, were intriguing. Small, but not as small as the flits that he'd seen at the station, four-limbed, and with feathery wings like his... Sehmei wasn't quite sure if they were pets, or more intelligent at that. Searching through all of the information yielded mixed results: apparently some Fedra were more intelligent then others, though that was much like any species.

What really interested Sehmei was that they could master various elemental abilities--much like his very basic control over water and lightning. Now, it would be interesting to see this in person... and perhaps to help train a potential bond throughout its life? If there was anything that the little blue dragon enjoyed, it was tinkering with magic, especially with that of the elemental kind. Perhaps having a companion who was also versed with a certain element... it seemed perfect.

For once, Sehmei did not need to spend the next few days in contemplation. He would stand at the Ukuure, and if he managed to bond a Fedra, he would bring it back with him. At the very least, he would have a companion aside from Vyly. Perhaps he'd bond to something that he could share his thoughts and horde with... and maybe even help train, with magic? Well, he would see.



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Star City Dragonry is copyright (c) Terry Lynn Massey.