A dragon is having an egg in sun city and Arta goes because she is from his father's stables.

Disclaimer: not mine.

Rating: PG-ish, maybe 13?

Warnings: slight crossover, not in this part though and taking dragon city seriously, OCs

Characters: so far? Parm, Artha, and Beau

Title: From The Stars and of The Stars

Artha Penn spent most of his time in Mid City. That place of eternal twilight was where most people lived, and in Down City’s darkness is where light was always needed. Thus, the Dragon Booster was normally only seen in those two parts of Dragon City, and were the main parts Arta was most familiar with. In the top of Dragon City where there was day and night, the streets were clean and there was no need for the Dragon Booster because the light blinded everyone to all the darkness around—it was the only conceivable reason why Word Paynn had escaped notice for so long.

Artha’s first trip to Sun City was as himself, not as the Dragon Booster, and oddly enough, not as an Elite class racer. It was because of his father, actually. Penn Stables had been famous throughout the city for the dragons his father had bred. Several of them, probably related to Beau, were actually elite class racers, and one was going to drop an egg soon.

*~*~*

Parm was leading him though the lifts and ramps that led to Sun City, and Artha had complained the entire way. “Look, Penn Stables is closed, and we don’t have the time to foster an egg! Yeah it’s cool to get to meet elite class racers and all, but what was he doing letting his Dragon get with egg? I mean I know for a fact dragons can control that, I caught dad often enough pleading with your mom, Beau.” He teased the dragon, who glanced up at him and whumphed. “Yeah yeah, I’ll shut up, for now. It might not be so hard on them as it is for girls,” he vividly remembered mom being pregnant with Lance and shuddered at the memory, “But it slows them down some, and that’s something an elite class racer can’t afford.”

“You really should be more soft hearted about this, Artha. I mean it was the dragon’s choice after all, and racing with a cranky dragon can be just as bad as racing with a pregnant one, and it lasts longer. Sun City is just ahead,” he pointed at the brightly lit room a few lengths up, “I gotta go meet my mom, down there,” a gesture at one of the branching corridors. “I’ll meet up with you at the Sytar Sky racing stables and lead you back down, okay?”

“Yeah, sure Parm.”

“Artha,” Parm stood up on the foot rests and leaned over to place his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “It’s really good of you to bring the contact list to them yourself instead of just viding it over. It’s probably his first egg. And don’t worry, you’ll be up here as a racer in no time at all.”

He sighed and relaxed, “Yeah, Thanks Parm.” He clapped his friend back and waved as he turned down the hall.

Parm called back over his shoulder, “At least Beau won’t have to lay the eggs himself!”

Beau froze up and Artha threw his head back and laughed.



End, Part One

Kool!! I would like to know what comes next!

One little comment, it is ARTHA, instead of ARTA ^^

Edited! Thanks for the heads up. I'm working on the next part as we speak. Albeit mentally, not typing-ly.

The next part is actually going to have one of the inspiring scenes in it that made me write this. It occured to me that this would be the first time Arta and Beau have been in unadulturated, direct, sunlight, and so a little bit of freaking

Part Two.


The room was just ahead, probably a lift or something to take them up to Sun City. As Artha understood it that almost anyone coming down from Sun City to Mid City or lower left their own dragons behind for fear of them being stolen, and maintained other, less desirable dragons in Mid City. Artha had heard that rather than take a taxi-dragon people even rented dragons for the day, which was ridiculous.

“Gah that lift’s bright, can’t they turn down the lights?” Beau nodded with an agreeable sound, squinting as he walked forward, then promptly jerked back. “Beau? What’s wrong boy?” He leaned down and patted his friend’s neck, “you okay, Beau?”

He snorted and gave his head a little shake, careful not to dislodge Artha and stuck the tip of his snout out into the light again, extending his neck to do so. When the light touched his nostrils up near his eyes he promptly sneezed, dislodging his feet from their rooted positions.

“Comeon, Boy, Parm wouldn’t steer us wrong.” Artha squinted into the light and he was starting to make out shapes as his eyes adapted to something he had never seen before. He slapped the comm line panel when Beau wouldn’t move and he deciphered what his eyes were telling him. “Parm! You didn’t tell me the sun was so bright!”

“Oh calm down Artha!” Parm exclaimed and winced, he had forgot how that his friend had never had a clear view of the sky before and should have known better. “Look, just don’t look directly at the sun, that’s the big bright thing in the sky during the day time, and--”

“Oh quit it you don’t have to get like that, just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean me an’ Beau don’t know what it is.” At Beau’s glance up wards and definite prideful ‘uh huh’ sound Artha grinned, “See, even Beau agrees.”

“Be that as it may, don’t worry, you’re covered up very well so you don’t have to worry about getting burned and just ask directions if you get lost.”

“Wait! Parm! Parm you didn’t tell me that thing could burn me!”

“Calm down Artha, the worst that could happen is that your skin would be red, or end up looking like mine for a while.”

“Now that’s a weird image, my friend. Thanks for the advice.”

“Sure thing, and try not to get offended by people, okay?”

“Yeah yeah, level head here. Bye”

“Bye.”

And the line was cut. “Okay, Beau, you ready? Good!” Artha tried not to slouch or hunch his shoulders as Beau confidently strode out into the sunlight.

*~*~*

Artha had never felt so self-conscious in his life. Everyone around here was clean and perfect and gave his jacket, and him(!) looks. One guy he had asked directions from had took one look at his pale face and called him a cheap courier brat and said he wouldn’t tell him how to do his ‘job.’

Beau was little better, yes, he had changed himself into a nice specimen of dragon heritage, but he still wasn’t nearly as fanciful or as sleek as the other dragons around. He was a racing dragon and a working dragon, he was the dragon of legend, these things around him were pets mostly. Shiney, pretty ways to get around town and show off wealth and match outfits like accessories. The races went by so fast he couldn’t compare himself to them. And, he was dirty. Clean, but not pristine—he almost wanted to duck his head and drag his tail! Artha was going to buff and polish him tonight even if he had to bite him to make him do it!

Eventually they made it to the correct stables, after a few stops in the wrong stables, but the racers there had been mostly nice and friendly, and one recognized him from when he had lead everyone on the Leap of Lorius--he was just happy no one remembered him from the bad comericials he did. Beau had been complimented.

Heads held much higher they entered the Sytar Sky Racing stables.

Sounds good so far! Nice view into something that we haven't seen much in the show.

Can't wait to read more!! :D

Thank you! I endevor to have my work legible and descriptive. It's really hard to write Beau though, because he doesn't actually talk, even though he makes 'uh huh' sounds and such. Humans just don't have the words for what dragons do.

And your avatar is going to bite mine in half it looks like

Can't wait for the rest!!!

*falls of chair laughing*

I endevour to please. *takes a bow* How's my Parmon, and Athra characterizations? They feel right to me, but I'm afraid of making Athra too mature and Parmon..well, less freaking.

I have some scenes for the next part tacked up in my head, I just need to work out the inbetween stuff and characters for the Sytar Sky racing team

*bows again and dofts her hat*

:lol: Nah, he's got another dragon he's currently after.

I completely missed that my first time reading through!!! I love that part!!!

They seemed pretty good to me as well! :D

Part Three

Warning: allusions and more to…husbandry methods, and lots of information

Can any of you spot the puns?


Artha and Beau knew, instinctively, that what was in front of them was a stable building. But, instinct was all that told them it was a stable, the decorations were outrageous, but tasteful somehow, the size was immense, and the luxuries and convinces inside were unheard of in Mid city. Everyone had running water, but who heard of a dragon sized troth and temperature controls for the dragons? Inside would be one thing, but it was right there on the side of the building. There was also a large, dragon sized cubby hole that it took Artha a few moments to figure out it was a dragon potty, for running water instead of just a chute.

As they entered under the awning Artha shoved his hand up under his visor and rubbed his eyes. “Aww man, it’s too bright out there.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. You’re Artha right? I recognize your old man’s racing jacket. Heard about what happened.”

“Thanks,” he jumped down from the saddle, “This is Beau, and you’re..!”

“Sendancy Stone. Yeah, obviously it’s not my dragon that you’re going to check out.” The tall, well muscled woman was dressed in his Sytar Sky team uniform of blues and whites. It had more in common with the Dragon Booster armor than it did in typical street and all city racing gear. Sendancy Stone was famous because she rode a bull class dragon for the Sytar Sky—and it could use Areo Gear, well. Seeing that thing in the air was like seeing a rock sprout wings. Seeing that mammoth out maneuver smaller dragons was like seeing that same rock turn into a boulder and fly around.

Beau snorted and Artha shut his mouth, “I should hope not,” a smile cracked the stiffness of his cheeks. “Otherwise Parm would be wrong about Beau not having to carry Eggs! Ahh! BEAU!” He held the back of his head where his dragon had smacked him with his tail. “Yeah yeah, laugh it up.” A glare back at the snickering dragon he carefully pulled his helmet off and got his first look at a Sun City resident without any barriers.

She was…dark. Not as dark as Parmon, but she had what was called a tan. It was weird to see such an aristocratic feature on such a common face. She smiled at him, “Come on, I’ll show you where Thmeay is nesting with two of our couches.”

“I know all about that! One of our dragons stole my bed and ripped it all up, when we finally sold that…uh, dragon,” he glanced back at Beau covertly, ready to duck at a moment’s notice, “I made dad buy me a new mattress.”

She laughed and clapped him on the back, “I like you kid. Espay is with her right now.”

“I remember Themay! No offence or anything but you guys had the doctors do the,” he blushed and made a sort of scooping motion with his arm, leading up with his hand and wiggled his fingers at the end, “Tests and er…stuff.”

“…Not quite. Themay isn’t letting anyone but Eespay near her right now, and no one wants to use trapping gear or sedatives on her right now.” A deep breath, “And she hasn’t pointed out the father.”

Artha groaned, “Awww, scales!” Mortis had put together the list of stable referrals for the egg, and then both he and Parmon had drilled him in dragon care he had forgotten and never learned in the first place. He remembered all about the egg positions from when he was a kid, and knew checking the parentage was important, but never knew why. They had informed him it was because chromatic dragons could be born from certain bone unions. And no one wanted to put down a baby dragon, even if it was a monster. It was rare to see them in Mid city or lower, but in Sun city where having a large variety of gear or just having a certain look was vital they popped up with distressing rates.

“Look, maybe Beau can talk her into it. Beau?” A look back and the dragon nodded eagerly. “Beau’s good at getting other dragons to do what he wants, don’t worry. And she’ll recognize me, I hope. I can at least tell you somethings.”

“Thanks, Eespay will fill you in on the rest, they’re right though there.”

“Gotcha, Beau, wait here until I say, okay? No need to startle her.” Beau gave him a look, clearly questioning his rider’s intelligence for having to even say that and nodded.

He pushed the sliding door slightly open and slid in though the crack sideways.

“Artha! I haven’t seen you since you were a kid, thanks for coming!”

“No problem Eespay. Hey, Themay, do you remember me?” He took a few steps closer to the pile of fluff and maimed furniture, holding out his hand.

“Hey, Artha? Can you keep this quiet? Outside. Moodiness isn’t looked too well on breeding records, even if it’s only while they are with egg. Add in the nesting and… Well it will make it harder to get a good price on the egg if we don’t keep it”

Artha nodded in understanding. In general dragons were currently bred to not care about their eggs, and the young were socialized with people and less with each other. They were also bred to be docile and not maim anyone. “I understand completely, but her mood is probably only because the egg is turning, Eespay. C’mon, Themay, comeon, I won’t hurt you, girl. You remember me, right?” He walked a bit closer to her, inch by inch.

Until she tried to bite off his hand, at least. He jerked his hand back and Beau wedged his head inside to roar at her.

“Whoa! Ow, my ears. Beau, everyone, calm down. Calm. She’s just cranky Beau, she didn’t mean anything by that. Everyone, calm down…”

Beau continued to snarl lowly, and she growled right back.

:lol: Gotta love grumpy dragons!
Nice work!!

Can't wait to read the next part!!!

Part Four

Warnings: even more husbandry referances that make even the dragons go ew.

Apologies: for taking so long, but I had classes and work

Happiness causing things: It starts from the dragons POV, and it's extra long


Do not harm my human! Came his bellow, stronger than an Alpha’s, with the golden power to command and the blue on blue female still hissed back defiantly.

I will not let a human near me besides my rider! Another told me what they would do! She protested, baring her teeth at him. Because he was so close their Mag-fields were touching and he was using his power, his place to demand, she could see him. Gold bone, golden power shining at the surface in a line. The humans, of course, had no eye for it, color and power blind as they were, she herself only saw a faint haze this close to him. She saw him once, just as a baby in Connor’s arms in the human’s living area. Protectively she pulled her feet up to guard her stomach and tail base, claws splayed.

I do not care. He is mine and he wishes to help you to make sure the egg is safe, and you are just being foolish resisting them when they have hands to help us and we don’t.

They want to put their hands up inside of me! A Matron told me before she could finish The Stories and they took her away! She pulled her head back and breathed though it was hard. I don’t see the Use of it anyways. My body is fine for my Egg.

Beau reared back as if someone rapped his snout. Inside, the thought was beyond crazed. …That’s repulsive, what use does it have?

Finally, he saw the light, stupid males, I don’t know, it’s just what the elder told me. And they keep asking about the sire. I was just going to run away until the egg was laid and then bring it back. But they were annoying and caught me, but I do get a nice nest though, humans make good things for nests.

Yes, they do, they are useful friends to have. Beau nudged Artha affectionately, But still, inside? He shuddered in disgust and being generally creeped out.

Why do you think I’m keeping them away? Stupid stupid male, she snorted and jerked her head away in repugnance.

“Hey, Beau?” Artha pat the side of the big guy’s head, “Tell her I just want to touch her stomach some, and we got to know who the father is, boy, because if it’s a color too far from hers then it could come out a chromatic dragon.”

That got the two dragon’s attention. Beau shook his head as if to clear it, It figures humans would know the patterns, they have memories almost as long as mine.

What are chromatic dragons? She demanded.

When the bone colors are wrong and don’t fit. A dragon without use except destruction. A misborn.

They can tell? So this Egg won’t be a waste?

I think they can start to tell, at least tell us if the chance is not at all or there is a possibility.

I cannot tell, they do not know how to understand us, and the pictures they have shown are not he. He was strong, and I had never seen him before. His body spoke to me that his blood would make a strong dragon from our union so I approached him to mate with me and he agreed.

Beau grunted this would be a difficult thing to communicate to the humans. But..! After my human examines you can you take the humans to where you met him? Maybe he will be there? I promise I will not allow my human to do...that with his hands.

Perhaps, I can mag my saddle, but what if they touch my nest?

Get one of the others to guard it for you, Beau suggested.

I concent, but do you know The Story? If you do I wish to know it and have it known to my child. The Stories were things, dragon knowledge. All dragons in the city knew some of The Stories, what racing is and the feel of gear, what could be eaten and what could not be. Some of The Stories were things a human could teach, and things a dragon could learn for themselves (though it was often better to be forewarned.) But The Story was something they had never even attempted to communicate to the humans. Now, most dragons did not know The Story, but once they started to hear it they knew knowing the rest to be incredibly important.

Beau was stumped, he could remember things from before, but he did not remember it as he remembered this life. He had not recalled Furox until the name had been said. I know it and I do not. In the distant past yes. But! Should I ever recall it I will tell it to you and seek out your children and tell them, you have my word.

Then I agree. And she laid back in the nest and relaxed her legs, letting them fall away from her stomach.

Artha looked at Beau, who nodded and nudged him forward. “That’s some dragon you got there kid, should have known it.”

“Yeah, he’s great, Thanks boy.”

When are you going to post more?! can't wait!!

This is getting very interesting! :D

I especially like the fact that you're developing the dragons' culture. It makes them seem more like the sentient beings there supposed to be, but that we seldom see.

Yeah. It occured to me that dragons can't write so their history would all have to be verbally comunicated, or through the bones in Beau's case. And if you have humans seperating the eggs form the mothers and such is that you destroy their culture.

Also, I think they put high value on use and utility. To fit their enviroments and do their jobs, and why they listen to humans because they have so many uses and only one shape.

If you think about it that way it starts making more sence how the dragons were not duped once, but twice by the humans into being bred into weird shapes and serving them, they don't know there was a time when everything was diffrent, and they are BETTER in their enviroments and at what they do.

There definetly is a level of Bone Comunication going on, which is why all the blue dragons recognized Sammrox, and why in the Stand the stampede stopped for Beau. But I think it only flows from the stronger to the weaker mostly--probably used to establish pack leadership or something. And I think they might use some symbols in 'the wild' for basic things, but nothing like an alphabet or pictograms.

cool story. I like how Beau can talk! That is awesome! Keep it up and put more!

Well, I guess it's only proper that my first post on this forum, would be for this exceptionally well written piece of fanfiction. Very detailed, and expanding on the limited knowledge of the world of Dragon Booster. Not to mention, giving some insight on often overlooked aspects of that world.

Looking foward to your next post, Nemi!

Yes exelent work of fan fiction. I am just reading it for the first time.. I love it. I can't wait to see more of this story:D I hope you post more soon.

This chapter gets a touch of inuuendo, maybe bringing the whole thing up to PG

In other notes: thank you everyone who reviewed! And thank you Anarki for Reccing me!

Also WOO! My Hundreth Post!


Part Five


Artha took careful steps forward and knelt in front of the dragon, “There now girl, easy, easy.” It was not easy for Artha, however, to resist the instinctual urge to raise his arm to shield himself. One, it wasn’t as if a puny, thin, calcium based bones of his human arm would be protection worth dragon Dung against Draconium bone and infused flesh. Two, and more importantly, raising his arm could look like he ment to bring his fist down on her stomach. Draconium in her blood and in her flesh or not, he could probably kill her if he shattered the egg inside. So he resisted every instinct hardwired into the primitive part of his human brain to shield himself from the hormonally imbalanced female dragon who might take it into her head to kill him, and kept his hands down and unclenched.

“There’s a good dragon, a lovely dragon, too. You remember me, don’t you? You don’t hurt people you know, right?” He smiled shakily up at her and put his hand on her white stomach. Briefly he reflected that his words were true. She was bipedal, with blue, light blue and white as her only colors, blurring together in places. As she stuck her nose into his hair and snuffed around he ignored her and lightly put his hands on her belly to feel the egg. He started to talk to distract and remind himself.

“Dragons have special bags in the back of their lungs that fill up when they inhale, so when they exhale they get a fresh breath of air, too. It’s not a problem usually because the fat end of the egg rests in the cradle of their hips,” Artha sketched an inverted ‘u’ shape under the ribs, twitching as the dragon drew her head back suddenly, then smelled him again. “It leaves lots of room on both sides for the lung bags, but it had to flip around so the egg can be laid, on its side and upside down the egg squishes the lungs, and sometimes other internal organs. Hey, I’d be cranky too if all of a sudden my spleen was being squished.” He smiled up at the dragon and rider, laughing a little. She apparently approved, and recognized him (he didn’t blame her, he was lance’s size when she last saw him) and the rider was just finishing up a call on his comm. device.

“So it’s probably not hormonal? That’s great! But I should have known, your dad bred incredible dragons. Great gear range, but their mag energy is still so easy to control, I don’t know how he did it.”

Artha realized with a start she must have been part of his father’s breeding program for Beau. The blue draconium of the original dragons had fractured into several different blood lines, interbreeding with other colors, but the direct descendants were blue, white, and light blue draconium dragons. The colors were still mostly fractured in her, but one of her sisters or nephews or nieces might be perfect combination. Despite all her other color influences, she was still pure blue, or near it.

“Neither do I.” He looked up at her and relaxed, a lot of the danger, for him, had passed, “I’m going to push now, a bit, okay?” Fair warning and he lowered his head and prodded the swell even as she nodded. “Yeah, I think the egg is on its side. And I think there might be more than one egg.”

“Don’t worry about details, Artha, we’ll know them soon enough, you just keep her calm and see if you can get her to point out which of her stable mates is the father, kay?”

“Uh yeah, hey, who are you? What are you doing here? She might hurt you!”

“Relax Artha,” Espay said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I called him, since you seemed to be getting Themay calmed down wonderfully.”

“B-b-butbut!” He reached and held his arm, “I don’t think she’s ready yet! A-and I don’t want to be here when you do the tests!”

“Calm down young man, I’m just going to sit here, and you’re going to tell me what you think while the girl gets used to me,” and the doctor sat down, waving to the dragon. “So, what do you think?”

Artha flushed, “Uhm, I think she might have a couple of eggs, and I’m no expert on dragons, but I think they are turning and are squishing her spleen I guess,” really, he couldn’t think of another organ at the moment for squishing. “Uhm, uhm, oh yeah, she doesn’t seem to be having any trouble breathing.”

“That’s very good, now here, I want you to put my hands on her stomach, so she won’t get twitchy,” he held out his hands and Artha took them.

“It’ll be okay girl.” A smile and together they felt and pushed lightly.

“Hmn, you seem to have a knack for diagnosis. You can’t stay a dragon racer forever, especially if you manage to get elite class. If you ever feel the need you have a spot in my dragon first aide class, and who knows, maybe you’ll be a doctor like me.”

“I’m sorry sir, I intend to race all my life, then maybe I guess I could follow my dad’s footsteps…” Artha had really never given it any thought, actually. First his life was Vidd Games, now it was Racing and Lance and being the Dragon Booster, oh, and Vidd Games.

“Good boy! There’s honor in that. Now you’re right about the eggs putting pressure on her organs, though I’d wager it’s her liver,” he rummaged though the bag and pulled out the long device he had hopped not to see. Even the dragon reacted badly to it.

“Uh, uh, I gotta go. Mmm,” he glanced both ways as Beau pulled his head out of the room, “Traitor! Coward! Come back here Beau!”

The doctor was laughing at him, rocking back and fourth despite the truly evil glares the dragon was sending his way. “My that dragon has character, then most dragons from your father do. Now sit back down.” He grabbed Artha and forced him back into his seat. He turned to the dragon, “Now then, young Miss, Themay, you are undoubtedly aware of the fact your eggs are quiet uncomfortable.”

Taken aback at being directly talked to Themay nodded slowly, blinking hugely.

“Good then, we understand each other. Now, I understand it’s a bit daunting and looks uncomfortable.” Artha was the one looking uncomfortable. “But it’s for the best. I have a patent pending on the alterations I put on this, and it’s an old one so you’re welcome to steal it, it wouldn’t be the first time,” he sniggered. “But you see, this will tell me how many eggs you have, and!” he held up a finger, “It will turn your eggs so you won’t be so uncomfortable. And Look! If you’re a good girl you get a steak!” He pulled a raw one out of his bag.

Themay seemed to be thinking it over and tried to pull the stake out of his hands. “Ah, want it now? Sure.” He released it.

“Grk! Uhm, Doc? Can I get out of here before you use that thing?”

“Run along then. Children,” he snorted and released him.

Artha ran out of the room like a shot, but he still heard the thing start buzzing. “Eeeewwww….”

“Uh huh!” Beau Agreed, nodding empathetically.

“So, you’re Connor Penn’s boy,” a new voice called out and Artha snapped his head up to meet the newcomer’s eyes.

GREAT!!!! I love this fic!!!!

Great work!!! KEEP IT UP!! :)

Agreed, Please post more soon. :P :D :)

What can I say? I'm glad you all enjoy my story so much, but can I ask why? If there was a specific point, or story element you espically epreciated maybe I can add more of it, or concentrate on it. And don't forget to tell me why you like the specific thing because if you don't I might bugger it up next time!

And I'm sorry for the longer and longer times between updates. I hope you've noted that the parts are longer to make up for it. This one would have gotten up sooner but I wanted to make it my hundreth post.

As always, great story and good use of humor to break up the moods. Lookin' foward to your next part and plots.


And in reference to the rec; no problem!

Wow...

That's some story. Keep it up! :)

I'm glad to see you have addes more up here!
I just noticed one little spelling error in this sentence,

I think you meant steak and not stake, but other than that it was wonderful! :D

Part Six



He immediately and immodestly focused on the man who had spoken, dimly noting he was atop a vaguely familiar blue dragon. Though Artha did not recognize him, and quiet plainly did not know what to make of him, the visual draw was clear. The man was familer and he might have once been, perhaps, handsome. Part of Artha wanted to say ‘when he was younger,’ but that didn’t seem right. The man’s hair was slightly wavy brushed into a common hair style (though in need of a trim) and brown—mostly. It was all gray and white on his left side. His face was drastically marked by shiny white and crinkly scars that obscured his true age on the left side of his face. The tightness of the scars pulled the skin, adding wrinkles to the right side of his face to prematurely age him.

“W-what happened to you?” Artha blurted before he could think and immediately looked contrite. “Uh! Sorry! Didn’t mean that.”

The man laughed and slid off the side of his Blue Dragon slowly, somehow making Artha more certain he had seen this man, catching himself with one foot and his cane. “It’s okay, young man. I was in an accident three years ago on the track. But ten years was a good run for anyone.”

“Uh--” was the intelligible reply Artha started with before the Themay started growling and grunting loudly in her stall and Espay stumbled out for both Artha and Beau to gape at.

Espay’s narrow face easily contorted to give an impression of disgust and amusement, “I think Themay is good with the doctor now.” He laughed self consciously and walked forward past Artha.

“So he took care of our little problem? Good!” He clapped his thigh and grinned.

“Yeah, talked her right out of it,” Espay replied, looking bemused.

“I told you so Espay, you just got to talk to your dragon more, and listen to them too. By the way, where’s Sendancy? She said she was taking out Buldyr for a run on the diagnostic track today.”

“Yeah, short-switching it though because she thinks Buldyr is hurt, so she’ll be in any minute. That dragon’s not old enough in the head yet to judge himself well.” Young dragons often got hurt romping around, and exacerbated their injuries by continuing to do so. Older dragons could better judge their injuries and avoided compounding it. “I told her to let him grow up another year before racing him.”

“Espay, if you had your way she’d have waited a year before having him accelerated, and you know as well as I that Smyth was a good girl but not a good enough dragon for elite class, she wasn’t strong enough and didn’t have the gear range! Sendancy wouldn’t be a benefit to the team if she waited.”

Beau continued to stare at the stall door, mouth open, while Artha looked between both men, hanging on every word. This was Elite racers talking shop! Right in front of him! Sure he didn’t get all the jargon but still!

“I know, I still don’t like it. Sendancy would get an experienced dragon injured, never mind Buldyr.”

“She’s been taking good care of him, and she’s beaten the betting pool and you haven’t,” the scared man teased leaning against his dragon’s flank.

“That’s because they said she’d slam too hard into a wall years ago—I still have five years to go,” Espay insisted lifting his arms up.

“Three actually—course they don’t let me bet.” He grinned, “We’ll take good care of Themay for you though.”

“Shut up,” he said, smiling and turned to a far door that banged and clanked. “Ah good, Sendancy is back.”

The tall woman in light Elite riding armor came. “Hi Boss.”

“He’s your Boss?!” Artha was flabbergasted. But…He remembered Kwake. Stupid Artha, he thought to himself, didn’t you learn your lesson the first time? Stop being an idiot!

“It’s not like he could be a racer, kid. Well Sytar is fine. Boss is the idiot who took thrusting gear to the face,” she casually gestured at the dragon and the boss.

“B-but--!”

“What? You thought I could race? Hah! Nice of you, brat.”

He blushed, “Well, Kwake is a really good Dragball player but he can’t walk at all.”

“Kwake,” Sendancy queried as her dragon lumbered over and nuzzled her. “Whoa there big guy.” She shoved his head away.

“Yeah, he leads Will of the Dragon Crew, nice guy.”

“I remember them,” the boss said snapping his fingers. “Real nice brown dragons. But in Elite Racing the racer needs to fight more too, even kick people in the head.” He smiled at Artha and then turned, “How’s Buldyr, Sendancy?”

Buldyr looked up and when it was apparent his attention wasn’t needed he went to Themay’s stall, where she had stopped growling.

“A slight sprain in his right hind leg I think, if that. He always favors pushing off on his right so that’s why his gait’s all off. If we can set up a generator wheel like down in Worktown we can strengthen his left side. We always had to switch the dragons around from time to time otherwise they wouldn’t be able to walk straight and wouldn’t be useful for anything else.”

“It’s a good idea,” Espay acknowledged. “We can always use a bit of an advantage on the turns.”

Themay butted her head out of her chambers and growled a little at Buldyr, who, as soon as the other dragon and the doctor came out disappeared into the nesting area. Themay now had a noticeable bulge just under her ribcage, which went down to nothing the further away it got. She gave herself a shake, whipping her tail carefully. Beau wouldn’t look at her.

“She’s alright now, Espay. The bill is in the mail, Lorius, it was a pleasure.”

“You’re Lorius!?” That exclamation brought even Beau’s head whipping around, and the doctor laughed.

“That’s right kiddo. Got into the Academy right after that bit. But we can talk later since it seems like Themay wants to go somewhere.” He looked at the dragon who was currently fitting her saddle to her head and yanking her rider in mid air with two simultaneous mag streams.

Wow that is really good and you have added Lorius wow you don't see that much in fic great job keep it up!! :D
~Shearkin

Part Seven

Notes: dragon words in brakets mean that it's not a universal word. The sound that dragons use for their rider's name, for instance is one they have to make up, and so is only known to them. Likewise, a dragon in suncity will have a word for sunny and cloudy that they don't have in down city.



As Beau and Artha gaped at Lorius, Sendancy hummed amusedly as Themay took delight in flipping her rider over and over in the air with at least two mag streams. “Espay!” She called out to him grinning, “You ride a Blue Dragon, not a Green one, so stop looking that way!”

He tried to balance on a mag stream even as Themay slid it out from under him and held him with a second. “Shut up, and your dragon is the only one that tumbles like that!” Espay cursed a little as his dragon rolled him as he would a drackel coin over his fingers. But at least she was setting him down, however slowly.

“Do you mind if I come along,” Sendancy asked, peeling off the flexible plates of her armor from the clingy one piece favored by female racers. “I’ll ride Smyth, I feel so guilty I haven’t been able to take her out at all recently.”

“Sure, I think Themay is leading us to where she met her light of love, and an extra set of eyes will be helpful.”

“Guh” The armor had…hidden quiet a bit, the bulky pads eradicating almost all sign of curves in the upper body. “I mean, yeah! I’m sure she’s doing that, right Beau?” He looked down at his dragon so he wouldn’t be staring, the only thing she had in common with all the other girls he had met was an X chromosome, she had bigger—uh, curves than Kitt, but she could also probably break him in half. He flushed a little and patted Beau cheek to hide it.

“Uhhuh!” Beau smiled and nodded his head, glancing up at him and sniggering.

Espay reached out lightning quick for the handles on the saddle. He jerked them out and pushed them down, the base becoming unhinged and moving in a circle. Theymay gave a roar of surprise and suddenly sagged a little amidst the audible sound of energy drain. Espay smiled, “You give her too much credit, now that she’s feeling better she probably just wants to find him again.”

Themay growled and tried to shake him off a little, irritably snapping at the air. Beau’s eyes bulged out in shock. “Hey! What did you do?!”

Lorius spoke, frowning, "Level ten Dragon Control gear in the saddle. It’s illegal for an elite class dragon to not have it in the saddle because of the damage the dragon could do. It restricts their mag field so they can’t make themselves as light as usual. Espay, you better not have it past three or…”

“I’m not stupid boss. You don’t like the things but I know what I’m doing.”

Lorius sighed, “Artha, come here, why don’t you ride at my side, I can give you tips about my exploits in AllCity.” A pathetic attempt to break the sudden tenseness sin the air, but Artha was all over the chance, Beau was growling and that was never a good sign.

“I’ll go get Smyth,” Sendancy too brightly said even as she jogged away.

Espay didn’t notice this, patting the back of Themay’s jaw to calm and sooth her as she lowered her head.

I hate it when My rider is this way. [/]She raged.[i] He is kind and good, though with odd words. Then he does this to me! The [saddle restrictor] makes my outside parts so heavy. Her tail was drooping nearer the end, and she had to let her fore claws hang down.

“Espay is a SunCity Brat,” Lorius whispered. “None of them know how to respect their dragons. But he’s a good racer, I just hope he can learn.”

[Saddle restrictor]? Beau queried with a low musical tone instead of how Themay had growled it out.

What he did. Makes my mag field smaller, makes head heavy and tail heavy and legs heavy and fore claws heavy. Can’t mag it off, can’t run!

Please be calm! Beau didn’t know what to do for her, this had obviously happened before, but she was angry, and Artha wasn’t doing anything. But what the blue one’s rider had said. He didn’t want a saddle like that if he got into the Elites! What was he supposed to do!?

“Back,” she rode in on the top of a Green Bull class dragon only a little bit larger than Cyrano, but with heavy calloused grooves on both shoulders near the head.

HO! I’ll come, we’ll run. Do you think [Sendancy] will let me fly again finally?!

I don’t think [Sendancy] will let you even run, you’re too slow, Themay snorted, still upset.

Still, outside with the funny stupid dragons, oh, hello.

Hello. Beau dipped his head.

“Senda, come over here with us and talk to Artha, since it looks like Espay is going to be stuck calming Themay down the entire trip.”

You heard [Lorius], get in line, brats, or we’ll never be out in the sun!

There was nudging and slightly jockeying for the perfect position next to each other. “Alright Espay, let Themay have the lead, or I’ll ride her and let her and do it!”

“Yessir! Comeon, girl.” He flicked the controls forward, and Themay went, her steps heavier than Beau’s. “Take us to your boyfriend.”

I must admit, I'm getting more and more curious about who the father is. :D
Nice addition, I can't wait to read more!

Thank you! *feels the love* Sometimes I feel like no one is reading what I write , or they don't like it.. It makes me eek and dither about if I should bother writing the next part.

I have some questions though. What do you think of Espay's behavior?

A/N: I’m considering reposting this since it’s grown and mutated in my own mind to be bigger than the original scope of the story, going far beyond this one egg we are now investigating with the characters. All the plotting and reasoning is part of the reason why it’s taken me so long to update since here (being this and the next few parts of the story) is where I lay the foundations of the next story line and perhaps some subplots. If I do repost this I will first be going over it and making the entire thing, hopefully, better.

For instance originally I hadn’t planed on having the dragons talk to each other, it just developed. So I could put them talking to each other earlier in the story instead of it just happening in one part. I could smooth out the conversations—because to me they sound scripted. And maybe, hopefully, tighten the whole thing up from its current bloated eight parts and growing to something more reasonable. And I would probably put it on FNN simply because I hate having to put HTML tags into the text for my italics and such—I always forget some.

What do you think? And what do you think can be cut out?

Part Eight

Beau felt a pleasant tingle on his skin as they exited the stable. The sun—No. Something whispered in the front of his head where memories he didn’t remember, because they were not his own, lay. The sky felt good, and the sun as well. But the sky was supreme, and better at night. (Whywhywhy? He had been outside at night on the ground of the canyon amongst the ruins, even away from the thick clouds that covered the sky—he had seen the moons.)

He felt a strange anger? No, repulsion (a new word, words that others wouldn’t understand unless he explained it to them, usually he had the new words, here, under the sun, he had been taught). He was repulsed that there was an edifice (a word he had learned long ago but had problems explaining to the other dragons so he had stopped trying) that was so high it blotted out that (which that?) place in the sky, even if it was only during certain times of the year. He was angry too. Angry that the sky was kept from so many dragons whom had never seen it (that was why the ruins went on for so long, because they would not build so high up) and kept from him (others were more important that he but the sky was a right).

He didn’t know why he was angry (righteously angry) about the sky and besides, he could not do anything about it so he released the anger and what he could not release he ignored.

Beau liked the sky, he did even though it made him angry (no it didn’t), but he was not enjoying his visit here as much as he thought he should. He had to pay attention and he was not used to that, most dragons weren’t. You didn’t have to think about where to go or when to stop, your rider signaled you. And it was just as well that they put all their trust in their rider because when you raced you couldn’t see anything else. Going full speed your feet weren’t on the ground, you were running on the memory of what you saw less than a second ago. You were blind in front because there was no time to react or dare waver, you just went faster if you trusted your rider instead of trying to think of everyone and everything else. (Training and trust could conquer that, came a coil of thought, intelligence).

Most dragons, even the ones who didn’t race, blindly did what their riders told them to do, with out a second, or even first, thought. Why think when you didn’t have to? Here though he had to pay attention, and it was a bit irritating to change things. Artha knew what he was doing and how to do things so he let Artha take care of things. Here there was too much happening and the dragons next to him chatted to distract Themay from the gear used on her. Beau felt the sun and followed Artha’s lead.

*-*-*-*

Traffic was slow in SunCity. Everyone had dragons and used them extensively. Now that he wasn’t navigating Artha had time to gawk and actually see the sheer variety of dragons. Whites and blues were the most common, or at least he thought they were whites and blues. The colors made the dragon-breeder inside Artha flinch and think of chromaticism. Blues bred and refined so the rare yellow color was predominate instead of a highlight. Some had feet that made him wince, he knew with a glance that there was no way those dragons could ever run. Yet others had piercing and gems placed into their skin. People in SunCity had dragons so they didn’t have to let their too-good-for-this-planet feet touch the ground, and to show off. Show off how much money they could waste trying to get the perfect dragon, black and white stripes, yellows, dragons to match their clothing.

If Espay came from a life where this was normal he could understand how he could be so cruel and stupid about his dragon. Artha was saved from gagging by Lorius and Sendancy who tried to capture his attention with stories, and further engage him with questions so he’d lift his eyes from the deformed dragons.

It didn’t work until Kitt came up.

*-*-*-*

He doesn’t know. Saddness twisting to the others through the ether, the story she had known and told forgotten. They saw the land and so many didn’t know their history.

So? We can’t expect him to remember everything. It was his choice. Consolation, and a touch of scolding to remind her.

His choice to surrender wisdom. One of the oldest presenting the truth.

And yet you do not say it is foolish. Attention and a hint of curiosity.

Of course he doesn’t. She shed the sadness, after all she had been one of the supporters of the sealing. One becomes strong because you struggle. And while he could comeback, he could not, they grow together.

Or they should have. Should be.

Silence in the group. They could only see actions and not into the minds, and even of the actions they could not see them all for though they were so far above they were yet mortal minded. What they had seen of their distant comrade made them sad because he was not what he once was.

We were all children once. All young all foolish. The Eldest spoke, he rarely did, and this time he looked hard at the youngest of the first who was angry at the one far below. He is young again. Strength is important, growth as well. But wisdom must be gained and cannot be taught. And that was why the Eldest did not often speak.

Even we, can barely peer into the future, we don’t know what’s to come, perhaps he will become better. An attempt to rouse hope, knowing it was futile.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. If he is not what should be, not what he was, he will have to be removed. Bitterness at the cruel necessity, but if he needed to be removed, impeached, then how could he have sympathy for him?

Can we not help him?

A small twist and he will return to our full sight in short time. We can make him recall the story then.

Ah. That brings peace to my heart. I would love to see him strong and kind once more.

As would I. But even if he becomes so there are things to be done. If we need to be rid of him so be it, but there are other things that mean we have to go down.

Hesitation. Will we be rid of him?

No. The Eldest again, this surely was a record. He has earned his place amongst us and it cannot be striped from him since he was once amongst us. Even as he is now the hero is still within.

Relief and contentment spread out amongst them and tension that they should not be able to have released.

Summon The Last and his Knight. Amusement. Then let us look for our other Heralds.

Very nice update. :) The Beau-->Artha POV change was a bit sudden, and an Artha far more perceptive and sensitive than I'd ever peg him, but aside from that the writing was exceptional. You had some very profoundly expressed observations, and this was a real pleasure to read. Your writing is luminous, corucscating, I think; it makes me feel I'm walking through a stone cathedral or atop a green mountain, a sense of something noble and beautiful.

I don't think it's bloated, but obviously it'd be even better if you edited. I'd like to see it posted on FF.Net, though you'd have to include a link here and maybe update the thread if you wanted to attract people on the board to the updates. (Would that count as double posting? I hope not.)

I read your new addition to your story a while back and I completely forgot to reply. I am liking the new direction you decided to take with this. It definately seems more grandiose. Please continue. :D

great chapter !!! I was wondering when you would post another one!!
~Shearkin