"Listen, hon," snarled a very frustrated Tytula, "if you don't cooperate right now I will just leave you here!"
The little blue still wouldn't move. Her legs locked, she stayed firmly in place.
"All right, fine," Tytula said. "I'll carry you again." She gently lifted the blue into her arms. The hatchling relaxed immediately, yawning and snuggling in. Tytula rolled her eyes. This is what Tolethven had meant about her hatching being 'fussy and demanding.'
Finally, Tytula reached her portal. She slipped through, and landed on her hard stone floor. The female blue was immediately scenting the air and struggling to get out of Tytula's grasp. The girl was glad to release the Drakkin, and it darted several feet forward, doing a little happy dance.
"How cute!" Kody cried as he, Per, and Cris stepped into view. "He's adorable!"
"Yes," Tytula replied slyly. "SHE is cute, isn't SHE?"
"Yes, she...SHE?" Kody clapped a hand over his mouth, and knelt down beside the blue. The youngling regarded the Drow boy with an arrogant stare.
Per stepped foreward, and delicately sniffed the blue. She bared her teeth, and snapped at the elder dragon's nose. Per pulled his head back, surprised, and whimpered at Tytula.
"Ty-ty-ty-tyty," he said, confused, as he walked over to his keeper. Suddenly, the blue dove between the two and hissed at Per. Per growled back.
"Guys!" Tytula yelled sharply, causing both Drakkins to look up at her. "Stop it, would you? Young lady, come here."
The blue trotted innocently over to her keeper, and blinked her big green eyes as if to ask, "Yes? What?"
"Listen," Tytula said firmly. "You need to be nice to Per and Cris and Kody and me. Understand?"
The blue blinked again.
"I need to name you," Tytula continued.
"How about Blue-Deamon?" Kody suggested, having watched the whole ordeal. Per nodded in agreement.
You stupid, Cris said indignantly. Lady should have pretty name. Like Pretty-Name, see?
Per cocked his head, seeming to realize for the first time that the little hatchling would grow up to be a *lady*. He abruptly nodded in agreement with Cris, and entered his own suggestion.
"Ty-ty-t-ty."
"No," Tytula said quickly. "I am Ty-ty-t-ty. Let me see...hmm...Serau-ra. I think it means 'Gold Sister,'" she added, nodding toward the blue's golden anklet. "I guess we can call her Sera."
The blue, who had been listening intently the entire time, seemed to have no comment. Tytula took this to mean she was fine with the name.
"Okay, then," Tytula said simply. "Serau-ra it is. Now, Sera, go apologize to Per."
Sera sauntered over to Per, and chirped a quick note. Per replied with a myriad of consoling phrases that seemed to nearly knock the female over. She scurried back to Tytula and hid behind her.
"Glad you see me as a wall and not an enemy," Tytula said weakly.
* * *
"It is three in the morning, Sera, what is it?" Tytula muttered sleepily, putting on her night-vision goggles. Sera was sitting in the middle of the room, whimpering loudly. Per was standing beside her, and calling for Tytula as well.
"Per, go to bed, you're not helping," Tytula scolded. Per trotted back to his pillow bed and watched with anxious eyes as his keeper attended to the Drakkin that was becoming Ty's keeper.
"Are you hungry again?" Tytula groaned. "You're always hungry."
Hungry, Serau-ra said miserably. It had been two weeks since the arrival of Sera, and her telepathy skills had greatly improved. Tytula's hours of sleep had greatly diminished.
"Tolethven must have spoiled you rotten," Tytula sighed, opening a can of Drakkin pellets. She poured about 1/3 of a cup into Sera's bowl. "Well, you're a growing girl, I guess. You can have this for now."
Tytula began to lower the bowl, and stopped when Sera lept to her feet. The Drakkin stopped, gave Tytula the Look, and sat down again.
"What do you say?" Tytula said sternly.
Please, Sera growled.
"That's right," Tytula said gently. "Here you go. What do you say?"
Thank you! Sera said quickly as she began to devour the pellets.
"You are very welcome," Tytula replied, yawning. "Now, eat those and go to bed. If you call again, no breakfast tomorrow. Then you'll really be hungry. Good night, Serau-ra-ra."
Good night, Tytula-la, Sera called, still munching on a mouthfull of pellets. Tytula put away the can, and crawled back into bed.
She had to do something about Sera's attitude towards her, and fast. Every night, she was summoned into the kitchen to feed the blue female at least once. Sometimes she didn't go, and Sera would come in and get her. Sera's method usually involved pulling her partially out of bed by her feet and slobbering on her face until she complied with the female's wishes.
Tytula decided she would start to 'do something' about the problem in the morning. For now, she had to sleep. She rolled over, and was about to doze off, when something stopped her.
HUNGRY!!
**To Be Continued**
