Immortal's Beginning - Viridia's Breeding House

It is late in the Zekiran night.

And I am ready to die.

My grandson, Darkhanis, comes to my side. As he offers me his cool, grey colored hands, I hold them tightly as I can. This body fails me.

All but my voice.

And I whisper to him the secret of our line, the secret which he must preserve and pass along to another trusted family member when he too passes beyond.

With a sigh, he holds the knowledge and keeps it the way he always had: private.

As I expire, it is as if the world's supply of butterflies explodes into the air all at once.

It is a glorious feeling!

And when I wake again, it is to a screaming sound which I recognize only later as my own voice.

There are others here in this white place, a place after the death and the soft, cool grace of the Zekiran afterlife.

How we miss it!

I can sense them, beyond the walls. But I am not to remain with them, the other Outsiders still do not know of my existence. I shall remain with my daughter and be silent.

It is hard. Oh, I know it will be a life forever, with Viaan and the others at my side eventually... but for now, it is full of pain and dark thoughts.

One shining pleasant fact remains: though Darkhanis died nearly eight hundred years before I was brought back to life (much later than the other Outsiders, in fact), our secrets have maintained. His grandson Risk moved the secret to another granddaughter, and she to her neice's son. In all this time, I wonder who else has known our secrets?

But I return to my dark thoughts. When I was alive, the world did not weigh so heavily on me! Now, all I feel is the flesh of this body which I was not born into. This body given form by my own ex-lover Etan, my beautiful yellow-haired enemy. The father of my most important child Viaan. He and the wretched Archeria had the nerve to compete with one another about bringing us back to life, though when I came back, he was obviously not interested in showing me off to her.

Viaan arrived shortly and saved me from a life with a man I dispise.

Now, I collect my wits, and my children, and I wait.

Over the long years between the leave-taking from Zekira, and the Outsiders eventual settling, most of the inhabitants, including myself, found small (or huge) companions to bring along.

Since many of us had been Breeders or Animal Masters in our lives on Zekira, we all had good ideas of how to make these new life forms adjust better to life either on the generation ship, or on their new home.

However, some times we spent their whole lives -- and the lives of their offspring -- on their own home world, as visitors. (Or seen as invaders, Outsiders, or aliens...)

One of the kinds of creatures which I found of personal interest were the Dracae, found among Hydee's Dragons. They were smaller, and in my opinion more beautiful than the full sized dragons which roamed that world.

I spent time looking for the right Dracae to bring along when we left the place, but instead I found some beautiful companions who have remained by my side since they were hatched.

...

These two eggs came from Hydee's, they are the first stage of our beautiful Dracae!

When they hatch, you will be the first to know what comes out of them! I am so excited about these!

...

They've hatched! A wonderous moment! Out of the beautiful tiger-eye shell came Romarlen and from the amethyst one sprang another male, named Firlen!

We are so happy to have these beautiful creatures emerge! Now, we wait again until they are grown!

...

Look at these little wonders! They are so tired, but so hungry all the time! Firlen and Romarlen make a great couple of friends, they are both quite sweet. I cannot wait until they are large enough to fly about the ship on their own!

Of course, I must remind the others that have large, predatory friends (and some of my large, predatory friends too) that they are NOT to be hunted or eaten! Even by accident!

...

The little Dracae are now Fledglings! Their wings have unfolded and are gaining strength every day! I find them out in the ship now, on a regular basis. They certainly give some of the hunters a run for their money, but my warnings have not gone unheeded. Even when one of the pouncers, gryphons or others (even one of our own people) gets close to Firlen or Romarlen, they always let the little dracae flit off back to my quarters.

How I love watching these wonderful little boys grow!

...

My Dracae have almost reached their adult size! They both love to flit about the ship, and I occasionally find them trying to reside in someone else's hair! Imagine my embarrassment!

I am certain they would like a female companion or two... Perhaps we will see about that!

...

Firlen and Romarlen are now adults! I am so proud of them! They are so amazingly sweet. Just today they attempted to help me make a pie... With predictable results!

We will be headed off of this world soon, so I am going to see if anyone would like to try getting a female for them, perhaps we will get new little Dracae on board! ((This is very sad to announce, but Karaley and Firlen were paired, and obviously, only Firlen has survived until now. There are also no records that I can find of their partnership being productive. :/ ))

I was entranced by the antics of this little gryphon! He was one of many that we could have taken on, but I decided that only this one would come. He has plenty of friends, of course, all of the gryphons aboard our ship are so similar in nature and genetics that I do not doubt they will provide our settling world with generations to come.

His name is Tomi, after the Emosah town which rested in the middle of a huge grass plain. He would have blended in perfectly with the grasses!

Takes place on Planet Twenty after landing!

Though Viridia kept pets over the years, kept watch over many folks who had dragons bonded to them, or even herds of little semi-wild creatures like ferilons and egyptans, Viridia never really thought she was much cut out for dragon 'riding'. Even once they'd reached Planet Twenty, and begun settling the place, she felt happy to just be around people who felt good about living again.

With the return of Mirage, especially, and with the very permanent and very unusual bonds that the birth of Cirrus made, even more so. Dragons were in their blood, and therefore, one might assume that since Viridia was the ancestress of nearly everyone aboard the Zekiran colony ship... she had that blood too.

It didn't just appear out of nowhere, at any rate.

As she was walking across a long stone-shaped pathway overlooking the sheltered city of Zekira on the side of their mountain, Viridia felt something at the edge of her mind. Her mind was quite powerful, though one might say not so much as Mirage or Engell or perhaps even Etan's in true psionics. Devastatingly intelligent, Viridia sorted out her own thoughts and figured out what it was out there.

A dragon, but unlike any that she'd ever encountered aboard their ship. She flew through the air gracefully but without wings. Her long tail twisted in the air, whipping behind her, like her feathered antennae danced as though there was nary a breeze over her face.

"Well hello," Viridia said, as the dragoness lit onto the pathway and folded her legs below her.

"Greetings," the dragoness said. "I am Halcyon. May I stay here with you for a while?"

Viridia took it in stride. This wasn't truly a bonding, it wasn't mental at all. "Of course you may, my name is --"

"Viridia, I know, the Nexus informs us of such things... Perhaps it would be to our advantage, to be here."

"When you say 'our' are you referring to yourself?" Viridia asked, and watched the odd dragon's pierced ears twitch and move.

"Oh, no, no," Halcyon laughed, her voice musical even though she was a dragon and they were often rather gruff in voice. "Our - the Raylom dragon breed. Not nearly enough of us. But here, perhaps, is a good place to set down a colony as well."

"We've got a number of those started up already," Viridia said, waving her hand toward the north east, "there are Glenn dragons here, Old-worlds, all manner of creatures we've found through our travels."

Halcyon explained where she was from, as they traveled across the walkway and into the stone shelter beyond. Viridia learned much in those minutes, indeed...

Halcyon lifted her head, and gave off a chuffling call. "There are dragons, in need. Come along, Viridia."

The woman had never been summoned like that, even in the far-too-long life that she'd had. But Halcyon hadn't asked for her to come for no reason. They had been on Planet Twenty for a while now, and the Colony was thriving. But what about other colonies? Dragon ones? The Glenn dragons that lived nearby were holding their own, but they'd sent out this call. Some of their kind were in need.

So Viridia heeded the call. She was after all the sort of ambassador for the whole colony, all the Zekirans looked to her for guidance. She humbly took that function on now, as she straddled Halcyon's furry back. It had been a long while indeed, since she'd actually ridden anything... Least of all a dragon! Even though there were dozens in the colony, she usually watched them from below.

Halcyon's flight took her quickly from one world to another, Viridia's ears popped with the pressure change of suddenly being in a lower altitude. "I am sorry, I should have warned you this was in another place..." Halcyon said. But Viridia waved that off. She'd had much worse happen to her in her immortal life, what more could happen anyway?

"They need help," Halcyon said, and waved with her one paw at a group of sad, sometimes hard-looking dragons. Glenn dragons. This was the Isle of Mirrors, and they'd apparently come here out of desperation. ((they were originally not an IoM dragon, they had been clutched at Indy's page before then))

With her gut wrenching, Viridia remembered when Wisterlia had come to their ship - bedraggled and more than half dead. She'd responded very well to the care she got on the ship and was now the proud mother of eggs in the colony at Planet Twenty. All she'd needed was some care and kindness.

Viridia wondered - what would these dragons need? How many of them would come with her to another Glenn colony where they would be safe? She decided to ask around what to do next. Halcyon waited for her, knowing that the possibility that these dragons teleported was slim - they would have found a home by now.

There was a list of names, readable only because Viridia had a similar savant to her descendant Vanya's, in addition to her genetic knowledge she seemed able to understand languages quickly. One name stood out to her. Marad. A crystal fire dragon, male.

Marad. Viridia's heart swelled and nearly shattered at the same time. Such an old name, such an intriguing man. With so many children sired by him, it was a wonder that the world hadn't overpopulated itself. But it hadn't - yet some of his children still survived even today. Mirage, Star, both immortals but only one by natural means. Their own offspring were fine people.

Marad. It would have to be him, Mirage would want to see this, because even though Viridia's people had never been particularly superstitious, and they knew that their psionic powers were the only thing that was left after death? Sometimes... it really did seem like people were reborn. Mad composer Dulath for instance, now that Viridia thought about it, actually was inhabiting the immortal body of Java Sengihr, that weird kid that Vanya had made between he and another (immortal, vampiric) man. (Mirage's son Juvon in fact..) So.

Perhaps it was no mistake, perhaps it was not just a coincidence that Marad was really named this. That she'd been summoned here by the dragoness, to see this group. Viridia was going to talk to the locals about what to do, she was unsure of the rules around here.

She knew for certain though, that Marad would have to have his own space. He was fully grown, after all, and Viridia didn't have the room for a full grown Glenn dragon. The colony would take him in, but she'd want to attend to him personally at least until he got settled.

That weird tightness in Viridia's throat said volumes. What if he didn't want to come? What if he wasn't really Marad the famously hyperfertile Zekiran man who'd sired over two hundred children? Viridia put her foot down - it was not necessary that he really be Marad. It was okay if he chose not to come. But... then what? She glanced around and saw many dragons in need.

But it was Marad that she would champion. It was he that would find a home... If she could help it.

(( Had been on marad.htm but I will put him here because he definitely is Viridia's Glenn dragon))

Marad was not the most pleasant of dragons, when it came down to meeting and greeting. However, Viridia knew well that these things took time. If she'd brought one of her descendants that had a stronger empathic power than herself she might have been able to exert some power and calm him straight off. But she had none, and the way he was pacing about she wasn't sure it would be a good idea anyway.

"I understand, you've been waiting for a real place to go, a real person to feel that love from," Viridia said.

The dragon spat and a plume of dust rose from where he'd done so.

"I need no people, no love." His voice was hard, like the crystal which he supposedly loved.

"Well, you still need a place to stay, this place is not fit for a dragon as large and powerful as yourself."

"Do not waste flattery on me, female," the dragon said. But his tone was weary, his presence here at the Isle was like many others, about ready to end. "I will come with you, but I will not request you to be my 'friend'."

That was all Viridia needed to know, she summoned Halcyon and they headed back to Planet Twenty. Halcyon landed them atop the peak where the colony lived, building their city below. She turned her long neck, and said, "well, there are other Glenn breed dragons down there," she indicated the far valley on the eastern side of the mountains. "But you should fly around here to see if there is a place you'd rather stay. There are many passages through the mountain."

Marad didn't quite know what to say, so he said nothing and merely stared at her. Finally the pair, Halcyon and Viridia, left for the lower altitudes. Up here it was clear, bright, chilly without being frozen. The peak was covered in snow, and would be all year around by his estimation.

Perhaps he would fly around and see what might befit him. It had been too long since he had a ... friend, and he was now stinging with that terrible answer that he'd given the woman. But it would take him days to find Viridia again and ask her forgiveness for his rudeness.

Her laughter was music, she smiled and carefully put her hand on his leg. She only came up to about the middle of his forelimb, though he was not the biggest Glenn dragon, he certainly was not small either. "It's all right Marad. You are welcome down here or wherever, all the dragons are. Though you might watch out for Neres and her bunch of males, I doubt that you'd want to get caught up with her."

Of course that only made him curious...

** Parents
** Had a mate, Sparks, and is the sire of Ref's Glimmer who resides in several timelines, with Taiji (DMZ)