Miriratha

The Flurry hatching was the best so far - at least according to those who hatched at it! While there were full sized dragons aplenty, there had also been a number of full and partial hybrid Lians, mini-dragons which were colorful and shiny. They attracted the attention they deserved, in Miri's mind. He had a strong memory of the hatching, even now. He had broken shell beside another, and they watched from the sands as others took their bonds. They didn't much feel like they needed to actually insert themselves into someone's life forever and always.

There were actually quite a few unbonded, Miriratha joined them after they showed him where to eat, and they were gathered up by the organizers of the whole event, to figure out what to do with them all. Certain people caught the eyes of some dragonets, and the sponsoring folks happily chatted as they led the others away.

Baeris was most interested in studying the quadre/bipedal changing hips that the bronzy-white male Miriratha had. Curiousity was bad for cats, but always good for doctors of every type. Most definitely she wanted this one to come back to the Healing Den “for a little while” so she could check that phenomenon out more fully. Ryslen-born zappy blue Umpteenth had popped into the hatching grounds with his rider on a nostalgic whim, and they joined the little crowd.

“If you don’t like it at the Healing Den, there are lots of other places where you’d be welcome.” Doc Sanger told the young dragon. “Like Carramba High.” He seemed to like that idea.

He did indeed like it. They took him back to the expansive Healing Den - and he got to play on things like 'treadmills' and hang in the air with a harness over his chest while he walked in front of scanning devices. Slowly but surely the young dragonet grew up old enough that he could flap and try flying a bit. And once that occurred, Baeris cornered him with a big smile on her normally serious face.

"Remember when Van asked if you'd like to come to Carramba with him?"

He nodded quickly, "I do," his voice was getting bigger, Baeris noticed. The booming voice of his sire would surely be part of his future. Thankfully it was tempered by the young dragonet's relaxed attitude and high patience. "Does this mean it's time?"

"It does!" Baeris said. "And, I've got a special project I'd like you to do, if you wouldn't mind, while you're there."

"I thought you taught there too," Miriratha asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, but... That's a confusing story. Sometimes I'm there, and sometimes I'm here. It's not one time line, you know. I kind of bounce around."

"That's what Kalkin says you do," Miriratha said, and didn't quite understand why Baeris turned that red color and started muttering about the dirty old man.

***

The project turned out to be: watch the other dragons! Check up on which of them shapeshifted, and to what degree. See who had a bond, and who was there of their own accord. Count wings, feet, tailtips. Who has horns, who has fur, who claims to have hatched and which might be live born. In other words, spy on his fellow dragon kind, for the sake of SCIENCE!

Kalkin openly encouraged him to yell SCIENCE! at the top of his lungs, before darting back around a corner and vanishing as Baeris wondered what the hell that guy was teaching this impressionable dragonet...