Shreeah and Lapinus turned the zero grav cells in the huge chamber to a different setting, first guiding the rider into their little ledge overlooking the main portion of the chamber, and then giving the whole place a standard gravity well. The dragon seemed relieved to be on the 'ground' again.

The rider's name was Voren, and his big brown dragon was called Ummidvarth. The dragon was sleek, with strong claws and lines that Shreeah swore were just right for hunting. She spent more time standing and looking at the dragon, than she did with Lapinus and Voren.

"I think this is the right time to tell you that both of you would be good candidates for dragons yourselves," Voren said. "That's what we do, we search out new riders."

"But... We just got this ship!" Lapinus said.

"And we just teleported into it, without hurting ourselves. And let me tell you, Ummidvarth isn't a small dragon - he's rather large. So if he's comfortable here, I'm sure that you'd even be able to bring your ship and conserve your dragons' energies for... whatever it is that you'd be doing."

"Hunting for things!" Shreeah laughed loudly, "hunting for my bunny!"

Lapinus rolled his red-pink eyes. He noticed that while Voren and he shared almost the same skin and hair color, Voren wasn't an albino, he had these eerie grey eyes. They were actually pretty cool.

"Looking for things," Lapinus said, after a moment, "maybe even searching. I mean, wasn't there some kind of old earth myth about eggs and rabbits?"

"Eastra, the spring goddes brought life into the world after winter," Voren said. "I've heard of it." He eyeballed the pair, "I'd never have thought that you would be in on that, but whatever floats your boat. I've seen some strange habits on people, believe me."

"So you think we could get dragons, but ... where? Do you know the coordinates?" Lapinus asked. The big brown rose a bit, and lifted Shreeah off the ground as he did so, because she was hanging onto his neck at the time.

I think you should see the stars I would bring you to. Will that do for your coordinates? The dragon spoke into Lapinus' head. Shreeah was still a little giggly for him to really reward with this gift.

"... Yes, yes it would," Lapinus said, and Shreeah looked at him oddly.

"What would?" She asked, "what! Tell me!"

"My dragon decided to tell him directly where to go," Voren said, "you can smack him if you didn't hear him as well."

I do not take lightly to strangers smacking me, rider-mine... Ummidvarth announced, to everyone. So he avoided the smacking, but he then thought hard about the location of two places that he thought would be good for the pair.

"But... two ... I suppose." Lapinus said. "Now, I can see these coordinates, they match I think. What's this place called?" He matched a series of stars on a grid, and several locations popped up. One of them was Cy Dragonstake's world of Dracania. The other, a place listed as Lantessama Isle, had a special clutch that Lapinus groaned at.

"It's an Easter clutch - I have to wonder how in the world that's going to turn out?" He said.

"It'll be great. I bet you have to go hunting for the eggs!" Shreeah said.

"Well what if I don't find them? I'm not all stalky-huntery like you are." Lapinus said.

"I'm sure it'll be like a regular clutch," Voren said, but they both ignored him.

"I'll teach you," Shreeah said, snuggling up to him. Her snugglebunny was getting rather embarrassed. Shreeah's hormones were starting to get a bit hot. "I can find an egg anywhere. Specially if I know how it smells first..."

"Well I think you'd be best off at Cy Dragonstake," Voren said, and almost regretted interrupting her. Her emerald eyes swung onto him and glared. But, she relaxed and sighed.

"Well why, what's so special about them?" She said, crossing her arms and wondering if Voren had anything fun or shiny on him that she could somehow acquire.

"There are some special parents with a small clutch of eggs," Voren announced, "so there is a good chance that all the offspring will be intriguing in some way. They often happen that way."

"You are special," Lapinus said, smiling.

"I am," Shreeah replied, with confidence and a grin.

"Then since I've got the ship under control, I should take you there first - then what?" Lapinus said.

"Well," Voren said, "I would say either bring the ship with you, or wait until she bonds if she does. At that point, you could head to Lantessama."

"But you said it's important to be there when the eggs hatch," Shreeah said, plopping down onto Lapinus' lap. "So wouldn't he miss the hatching, maybe? If I have to wait?"

Voren nodded, "there's that. You can't teleport a ship through time the same way that dragons can go through the Nexus. Hyperspace doesn't work that way I guess."

"No," Lapinus said, intrigued by this notion of time travel as well as space? "But I think we could work around it. If I drop you off, you'll be all right without me for a bit, won't you?" Lapinus asked Shreeah who nuzzled him.

"I will, but I'll miss you. And you'll miss me."

Of that there was no doubt.

So the pair of Kin and Not Quite Kin went first to Cy Dragonstake, announced by Voren and Ummidvarth as friendly. Shreeah waved frantically as they took off again, but then she was fascinated by the sands, the dragons, and the hunting nearby.

Lapinus and Voren went off to Lantessama and since everyone assumed he was there for the Easter egg clutch (because of course, he was a bunny - where else would he be going?) Lapinus was brought directly to the special sands there, and signed up.

Now - they wait!