| Fae raises her arms above her head, summoning the magic it will take to create a gateway. She murrers the incatations of magical words. You strain your ears hard to understand the litting, flowing words, but they pass by you, leaving impressions in your mind that are swiftly gone, but nothing more. The air infront of the elf beings to shimmer, lightly at first, so light that you are not sure if you are seeing it. You belive your sight when Fae's words increase in strenght, and so does the shimmering. Soon the large patch of air infront of yourself and the elf is boiling with magic. Then, the boiling air beings to drip away. As it falls, it takes the background with it, replacing it with a new background. It was as if Fae was opening a portal through distances. "Come, let us go." Fae says, lightly tapping your back with her fingers to get you to move forward, for you had been so shocked by the opening of the gateway that you stand frozen, staring at it. Once you are though the gateway, Fae follows you through, standing by your side. "Welcome," She says, sweeping her hand out to encompass the surrounding area. "To the Savannah." You taken in the sights, breathing in the land with your sight. The Savannah is a vast, spralling plane. It streaches as far as the eye can see in three directions. In the fourth, a thick forest ends the wide open area. The trees in the forest, though far away, are helty looking, and you can see a few creatures moving about in them. The grass is long and dry. You asume that summer monsunes are yet to come, so untill they do, the grass will remain dry and brown. Opposite to the forest you can see a great glimmering in the sun. You peer closer at the spot, and discover it to be a large watering hole. Dotted around the watering hole you can see a good number of large heards of prey animals. You think to yourself that any dragon living here will be well fed. A sudden movent in the corner of your eye catches your attention. You gasp in fear as a cat like creature streaks through the grass straight twords you. With a deadly silence, the cat thing pounces, and you find yourself on your back, the creature standing over you hissing in laughter. |
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| Name: Ryuuko Gender: Female Age: Adult Color: Tiger Mate: ? Parents: Aurora and Mirage Adoption Date: 6/16/02 Birth Date: 6/25/02 |
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| "Such eaisy prey, you humans are." It, no, she, hisses. "You won't last two minuets out here." She hisses her laughter again, giving you time to work out what she is. At first glance, she appears to be cat, but a second glance will tell you she is not, or at least not full cat. Her body is covered in short, dark fur. She has a long tail, spotted, with a black tip. Her hair is brown, and cut short around her face. Two ears, on black, one tan, stick up out of her hair. As she smiles at you, you can see her teath are wickedly sharp and long. She stands now on two legs, but you remember all too well her frightening speen on all fours." "Come now, don't lie there like I have already killed you, becuase if you do, the scavangers will start to come, and I'm not sure if I could fend them offfff." She purrs the last word which turns into her hissing laugh as you scramble to your feet. You ask, a little shaken, if the cat girl is the Keeper for the dragon. A small purr, then. "Yess. I am Craya, Keeper of the dragon Ryuuko, while Deborah is away." You ask to hear about the dragon. "Ah, so you wish to hear the tale? Good! Sit over there on those out cropping of rocks. We will speak there." When you are settled, Craya begins her story... Carful... quiet... sneek... The huntress crept slowly twords the prey. They were quick, and in great numbers. Not the eaisest of prey, but the huntress was will to try for anything. Carful... quiet... creep... |
| Almost there... The prey was but just a few short yards away from the huntress. Maybe she would eat tonight. The winds, which she had been standing so that they blew her sent away from the prey, shifted. The cruel wind carried the huntress's sent to the prey. They spooked, and bolted in a swarming mass of confusion. The hutress relaxed, and let out a very human sigh. There would be no meal for her tonight. Again. "Hello!" A human girl's voice rang out over the grassland. The huntress spun around, growling low in her throat. Standing before her was a human girl. "My name is Deborah. Rotten luck about that." The huntress nodded, and stood. "My name is Craya. The wind decied my fate was not to kill today." "Well, wold you care to share a meal with me?" Craya stiffened, a battle had begun inside of her. She did not want to take food from this human. She was strong, and could catch her own meal. But her stomach would happly welcome the food, no matter who the giver. In the end. her stomach won. "I thank you. It has been many a day since I last ate." Craya said as she sat down next to the girl and accepted the large portion of meat. "So you are not having much luck hunting? Maybe I could help with that." Craya looked up suspiciously. "How?" "There is a place called Sapphire Dreams. They give dragons out to people who prove themselves worthy, and have a good home for the dragon. The dragon I hope to get would be a great hunter, rivled by no others except those of it's kind." Craya's ears pirked up, now very intrested. "The dragon will be my bondmate, and I will care for it when I am able. But while I am gone, that is where you come in. You will be it's protector and caretaker while I am gone, which will not be a lot of the time." Craya could hardly belive her ears. A partner in the hunt. And a good one at that. "Deal." She said, and Deborah and Craya shook hands. Over the next week, Craya and Deborah worked together. Deborah instructed Craya on how to care for an egg, and also how to care for the dragon when it hatched. Craya learned quickly, like all of her kind, and soon, she was ready to care for the egg in those short times when Deborah was away. One day, Deborah came back in a fluster. She was flushed in excitment. "Craya! Guess what? Sapphire Dreams just opened a clutch of dragons for adoption. I applied! If we are lucky enough, we will be chosen to care for one of the five eggs that are avaible in this clutch." "Good! I am eager to get back into the hunt." The cat girl said with a hiss. "I know you are. We should know within the week if we are to get one." Craya nodded. "Oh, and also, there is supposed to be a special dragon given out with this clutch as well. It goes to the best home. I wonder who will get it...?" "I have no idea, but I am not going to worry about it." Craya said, picking meat off a bone with her teath. A few days later Deborah and Craya were sitting under one of the few trees that the Sahvanna held, with the exception of the forest. The sound of distant beating wings reached Craya's ears first. She sat up, knowing that this was no creature that she had ever heard before. The sound finally reached Deborah's ears and she jumped to her feet. "What is that?" Craya asked, peering into the sky. "That is Crystiana, the leader of Sapphire Dreams." Just as the girl finishes speaking, a large dragon lands before them. Crystiana is dark blue, black, with white stripes. A large sapphire gem hangs from a chain around her neck. In her forpaws, she carried a large basket. She reached inside and pulled out two large eggs, and handed them to Deborah. "Congratulations." The dragon said with a little bow. "You have been accepted to care for one of the dragon eggs. And, you have won the special dragon in this clutch." Deborah's mouth droped open in suprise. "Me...?" She stuttered. Crystiana nodded. "Yes, you have the best home. That is why you were given two eggs. You will need to find a home for the special one as well." Deborah nodded and turned her gaze back to the beautiful dragon eggs in her arms. "Thank you..." She whispered, holding the eggs close. Later, after Crystiana had left, Deborah and Craya sat under a tree, the two dragon eggs between them. "What shall you do with the second one? Will it be as good in the hunt as the first?" Deborah shook her head. "I don't know, I'm sorry." "The dragon and I cannot have a distraction that will not aid in the hunt." Craya said, growing angry. "I know, I know. I want these two to be close though..." She trailed off, look about her. Her eyes came to rest on the forest that was not too far from the heart of the Sahavana. A smile spread across her lips. "I know. I shall keep the special littling in that forest. That way, they can be close." Craya nodded, that would allow her and the dragon to hunt. "Perfect..." A little more than a week passed, and both eggs were doing fine. The egg Deborah had won was moved to the forest nearby. Deborah came running into the Sahavanna and skidded to a stop in front of Craya. "Hes hatched! He hatched!!!" She yelled. "Who has hatched?" Craya hissed as Deborah knelt down by the egg. "Yuki!!" Craya just stared at her. "Yuki, sorry, hes the special littling! He hatched into the most beautiful green coloring ever!" "Thats great. When is this one to hatch?" "Thats why I can down. It should be hatching right now!!" They sat down next to the egg, watching it closly. A few minuets later, Craya looked up. "Why isn't it hatching?" "I don.." She started to say, but was cut off by a loud cracking noise. A large crack ran down the side of the egg. With no warning, the egg exploded into a shower of fragments. Sitting where the egg had been was a little hatchling dragon. The dragon was orange all over, with black strips all over it's body. The little hatchling gazed up at the two of them with fearce eyes. "A female.." Deborah breathed. "A tiger! She is a rare." The girl gathered the hatchling up into her arms, where the hatchling snuggled next to her. "A tiger? Is she not a dragon? Why do you call her tiger?" Deborah giggled. "Tiger is the color. They call these types of dragons tigers because they have the black stripes and wonderful hunting abilities." Craya nodded. "She needs a name, does she not?" "Yes..." Deborah trailed off. "I know! Her name can be Ryuuko. It means tiger and dragon. Perfect, since she is both!" Craya nodded. "It is a good name, for a little huntress." Craya took Ryuuko out of her bondmates' arms. "Thee shall be a great huntress, and all shall know thy name. Ryuuko..." Yet another week passed, and Ryuuko was growing into a wonderful little dragon. Craya was sitting with little Ryuuko. A few days after Ryuuko hatched, she had expressed intrest in Craya's hunting. It was just the thing the cat-woman had been hoping for. Ever since that day Craya had taught the little creature simple things about hunting. How to move fast, when to be silent, such things like that. Ryuuko was yet a baby, so her physical abilities were limited. To Craya's constant pleasure, this seemed to bother the little dragon, who would then try twice as hard. She would make a fine huntress. A flash of light, and Deborah stepped through a gateway, which instantly closed behind her. "Hello Craya!" Deborah called, Craya nodded in responce. Deborah walked over to the dragon hatchling who let out a little cry and ran over to greet her bondmate. "Hello littling. Are you well?" The little dragon cooed happly while hugging her bondmate's legs. "Its nice to see you too littling." To Craya: "How is she coming along?" "Good, she is getting a little better at pouncing, but I think that she won't be able to do much untill she is olderrrr." She said, drawing out the last word into a hiss. They sat in silence for some time, and little Ryuuko feel asleep between them. Then, a shadow flittled across the ground. Both Craya and Deborah look to the skies. Soaring above them was Crystiana, in all her splendor. The two ran out from under the trees, leaving the sleeping Ryuuko to finish her nap. Crystiana landed before them on the open plain. The adult dragon gave the two girls a small smile. "Hello Deborah, Craya." They nodded their greetings to the agency leader. "What a nice suprise! Its good to see you Crystiana. What brings you to our little home?" Deborah asked. "I was wondering if I might see your little Ryuuko?" "Of course Crystiana, she is right under those trees, napping." Deborah led the way with Craya behind her, and Crystiana padding behind. When they got to the clump of trees, Deborah gasped, and Crystiana smiled. Sitting where the hatchling had been was a much larger dragon. "She grew! Oh Ryuuko! Wake up! You've grown!" Ryuuko shook her head and blinked at the three. Crystiana moved forward and nuzzled the sub-adult, then turned back to Deborah. "You've done very well! The hatchling has grown into a subadult. Make sure to take good care of her. I will be back in a week to make sure that you've done your job." Deborah nodded, and Crystiana launched into the air, and was gone. Ryuuko learned amazingly fast once she grew into a sub-adult. Craya only had to show her once, and the young dragon picked it up instantly. Her wings were to small yet to allow her to fly, but she could move quick on the ground. She also picked up speach from Deborah in a matter of minuets. After a few days of honing her skills, Craya was confident that Ryuuko was ready for her first real hunt. "What would you sayy to a hunt, Ryuuko?" The striped dragon looked up with inteligent black eyes, then turned to Deborah, who was sitting with her arms around her drawn up knees. "Do you approve Deborah?" She said, her voice soft. The dragon's bondmate nodded, her eyes sparkling with joy. "If I could watch?" Craya nodded, and then the two slipped into the grass, and where gone. They croutched low in the dried grass, Craya just a little behind Ryuuko. Craya wanted to stay out of this hunt, to let the little dragon try it on her own. Ryuuko slipped forward, and angled to the right, to keep her sent upwind of the prey, which happened to be a few hundred yards away. The young dragon slipped forward a few feet, paused, and slipped forward again. Soon, she was within pouncing distance. With a great leap she tackled the prey, and it died with no pain. Craya sat up and smiled. This tiger-dragon truly was the greatest hunter of all. "And that is how it happened." You thank Craya for the story, and ask if you can see exactally where the dragon is living. Craya looks suprised and confused. "Is this a trick question or something?" You shake your head no. "Why, this place is her home. The whole thing." You look out at the vast expance of the land, and smile. It is a good home indeed. You ask if you can see her then. "Yesss. Follow me." Craya walks over to a clump of tall grass and calls out: "Ryuuko." The grass parts aside and the dragon steps out. She is orange and striped like a tiger. You comment breathlessly on how beautiful she is. The dragon smiles. "Thank you, human. That pleases me." You smile at the dragon. "Shall we walk you back?" You nod, and follow the two huntresses. |
| Background made by me. Do not use without my permission. |
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