Nukalin

"Wanna come closer and say that again?" Nukalin smirked as the older man sneered.

"I’ll say it where ever you want me to fruit." The man took a step forward, so he was within 2 inches of the younger holdbrat. He towered over the shorter youth. He bent so his face was right in Nukalin’s. "You chase boys."

Nukalin smirked again, hating this man more than he let on. "That’s what I thought you said." He quickly brought his knee up, incapacitating the older bully. He then clasped his hands together and brought them down on the doubled over man’s back. He then quickly dashed for the door. Jackass... He ducked ran for a few seconds, hearing others behind him giving chase. He turned down an empty corridor and into a storage room, hearing his pursuers charging past. Deserves everything he got. He stayed still, hiding behind some boxes waiting for them to give up the chase and disappear. Why can’t they leave me alone? A small mouse like creature skittered around his feet. He smiled and stroked it’s back. Amazingly the animal didn’t run scared. Although outwardly violent and self-confident, inwardly Nukalin was a gentle soul...he didn’t even like swatting bugs. Animals seemed to pick up on that, and were more friendly towards him.

He smirked, remembering Anata’s comment earlier that year, a few days after he’d arrived at the mining Hold. Nukalin’s first day had proved rather eventful, as two of the older minors thought to put him in his place. They thought because of his smaller size he’d be a push over, they didn’t count on the fact that he’d grown up with six older brothers. After that display, the few women at the Hold avoided him, scared that he’d be like all the other tough burly men and try to take advantage of them. That was until they found him sneaking into the kitchens, stealing milk for a kitten whose family had been crushed by falling rocks. Anata had swatted him and told him that he was sandstone, he looked like a rock, but he crumbled when faced with the uncaring test.

"Nukalin!"

The 18-turn minor smirked. Speak of the devil...

"You shardin’ son of a tunnelsnake! If you don’t get your sorry hide out here right now I’ll threadscar you!"

Or his mistress... "I’m right here Anata. Keep your skirt on." He stepped out of the room, brushing dust from his hair.

"Hiding?" She put her hands on her hips and smirked. "Never mind. I don’t want to hear about it. Heru just came storming into the kitchens and informed me that he finally killed you. For some reason I was worried about your sorry hide."

Nukalin grinned and put his arm around her waist. "Aww...you love me."

"Nice try." Anata slipped out of his grasp. "You’ve got chores." She walked off quickly, obviously having left her chores to search for the remains of her friend.

Nukalin grinned. Anata was his best friend in this excuse for a Hold, she was also a nice girl. She was like him, tough on the outside, butter inside. She had to be that way though, with all the minors making passes at her. All the minors, except Nukalin. He sighed and started walking towards the entrance to the mines. Which brings me to the original reason for hiding with the mice and dust... He checked in with the master on duty, found a wheelbarrow and began hauling the worthless rocks and debris out of the way. Unlike all the other idiots under here with me... He dumped the rubble into a cart to be wheeled away by somebody else. ...I’m not trying to get into bed with all the girls here. He ran his dusty hands through his blond hair. Maybe there’s something wrong with me.>

There’s nothing wrong with you. Serenth, a blue who was here for a few days bespoke him. My M’thew didn’t chase a lot of girls, and he still found Feena.

"That’s not really the problem Ser." Nukalin liked talking to the dragon. He’d been able to talk to Serenth ever since the blue arrived at the mining hold. He had no idea why, a dragon had never spoken to him before this, but he liked his conversation’s with the dragon and the dragon’s rider, M’thew, was a pretty decent guy. "The problem is," He grunted and continued whispering under his breath. He could speak to Serenth with his mind, but he had to really concentrate and while you’re hauling rocks it’s hard to really concentrate. Luckily the noise of the men working around him drowned out his voice. "...I’m not really attracted to any of the girls here." He heard whistles as one of the few women who actually worked in the mines walked by. She was covered in sweat and not wearing a lot of clothing. Nukalin noted her passing with indifference. "And I’m beginning to think I’m supposed to be."

Maybe the girl for you just isn’t here.

"Then I’m gonna have some trouble finding her, seeing as I’m stuck here for a while." Nukalin flopped down, resting for a moment.

"Maybe the person for you will find you." M’thew grinned and sat down beside him. "Tired?"

Nukalin grinned. "A little. I don’t think this hauling rocks thing is for me."

"Why’d you come here anyways? I could have told you you weren’t cut out for heavy lifting." M’thew grinned. "You may be tall, but your not built like the other men."

Nukalin sniffled, faking deep hurt. "Go and injure my self-confidence. I don’t mind." He yawned and stretched. "Besides, that’s why my father sent me here. To get some muscle on my bones."

"Doesn’t seem to be working." M’thew raised a brow.

"That’s because he isn’t working." Anata stood before the two, hands on her hips. "Shards’ sake Nukalin. If I’m sent looking for you one more time, when I find you you’ll regret it."

"Why am I wanted now?" Nukalin sighed and stood up.

"Dinner. You’re welcome to join us blue-rider." Anata finally recognized the dust covered figure beside her friend.

"That’s okay. I was only stopping by to say see ya. Serenth and I are leaving in under a candlemark. Just gotta talk to the Lord Holder." M’thew stood up and stretched, his back sore from leaning against the hard rock, if only for a few minutes.

"Oh." Nukalin was going to miss the blue-rider and Serenth. "See ya then."

"And I wanted to give you a heads up Nukalin." M’thew brushed his hands together to get the dust off of them. "A way to get out of here."

Nukalin smirked, thinking that his friend was joking. "Really?"

"There’s a Searchdragon riding tomorrow. I've told her to stop here." M’thew wasn’t joking.

"You’re serious?"

"I think you stand a chance." M’thew clasped his friend’s hand. "Good luck."

You do stand a chance. At least try. Serenth added his thoughts to the conversation. I hope we meet again someday.

"Yeah..." Nukalin was too shocked by the dragonriders declaration to bid either of his departing friends a proper good-bye. He’d regret it later, but for the moment he simply mulled over their words as he stared at his dinner.

* * *

*Meow.* The kitten jumped from the bed and began to circle Nukalin’s legs. *Meow*

Nukalin grinned. "I have your milk. Calm down." He picked up the grey/white kitten and rubbed it’s head. "I think you’ve grown since last I saw you."

The feline began to purr as he lapped the milk from the bowl that Nukalin was carrying. The minor laughed. "You certainly eat enough." He set both the kitten and the milk down and watched the creature finish it’s meal. "So Lucky," Nukalin addressed the kitten once it was finished. "What do you think about me being possibly Searched?"

*Meow* Lucky leapt into Nukalin’s lap and began purring. He playfully nipped at his adopted ‘mother’s’ fingers. Anata had named the kitten after hearing the story of how Nukalin found it. The mother cat had figured that a tiny nest of rock was a wonderful place to raise her children. Unfortunately, the minors on the level above had another plan. They began to knock through the ceiling, crushing the mother cat and all her three-week old kittens, save one. Nukalin had heard the meowing and rushed to the rescue. Lucky had been his since then.

"Is that a yes I should try, or a no stay home and pet me?" Nukalin wiggled his fingers, making it harder for the feline to grab. Lucky decided to solve this new problem by digging his claws into Nukalin’s forearm.

The minor resisted the urge to toss the kitten across the room. "OW!" He tried to get his arm out by pulling it back, but had no luck. The kitten simply dug his claws in farther and his teeth into Nukalin’s fingers. The youth cringed. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow..."

Anata laughed, having snuck up without his noticing once again. "I think that’s a go away or I’ll eat you."

"Lucky would never eat me, would you boy?" The kitten bit harder. Nukalin winced. "Maybe you would."

"He’s just playing." Anata sat down on the bed beside him and lifted the kitten off his lap and out of his arm. "Don’t be such a wimp."

"I’m not a wimp!" Nukalin whined. "It hurt. He’s a violent monster"

Anata rubbed the kitten’s back and Lucky curled up and fell asleep. "Violent monster eh?"

"He likes you better." Nukalin pouted, over dramatising the entire affair.

Anata stuck her tongue out at him and turned her attention back to the kitten. "I think you should go Lin." She was the only one in the entire Hold who called him by his nickname.

"You think I got a chance?"

"I think Serenth think’s you have a chance." She handed the kitten back. "And no offence, but you’re not exactly fitting in here."

Nukalin sighed. "I know. And no offence taken. You come all the way here just to tell me that?" The girls’ rooms were on the opposite side of the Hold.

"Naw." Anata smirked. "Heru seems to have discovered that you survived his brutal threats and wants to reassure his position as dominant male by pounding you into sand."

Nukalin laughed, for some reason the thought of himself as sand was funny. "So that’s why you want to get rid of me."

She punched him in the shoulder. "I’ve been trying to get rid of you forever."

Nukalin grabbed her wrist and flattened her against the wall. "Then maybe I’ll just stay here forever to bug you."

There was a moment of silence as Nukalin realized how close he was to Anata. Anata smiled. "You can kiss me if you want Lin."

Do I want to kiss her? Nukalin felt all the saliva leave his mouth. Because it’s fairly obvious that she wants me to kiss her... Nukalin made his decision and leaned towards his friend. He kissed her softly on the cheek. "You’re my best friend Anata. Let’s not ruin that."

Unfortunately the girl didn’t take that so well. She was used to the minors begging to kiss her, she finally asks one to them to and he refused. Anata stormed out, leaving Nukalin leaning, face-first, against the wall. His head hurt.

*Meow* Lucky sat in front of him and looked up.

"Guess I screwed that up." Nukalin crouched and picked up the kitten, giving it the attention it demanded. "I just don’t get girls."

* * *

Anata was still ignoring him the next morning as all the minors who wanted a chance at being Searched crowded into the field outside the Hold. Being a hold entirely populated by minors, most of the building was underground, leaving only a small entrance and a landing field above ground to mark it’s existence to those passing above. Nukalin was in a bad mood, and showed it by pointedly ignoring her. After the first few minutes of waiting, he realized that ignoring her when she was ignoring him may not be that obvious or effective after all. He sighed and watched the skies as all the others were doing, but he kept stealing glances at his friend.

How do I make her not hate me without making her think we’re a couple? He crossed his arms and leaned against a boulder. The entire landscape wasn’t much to look at, a few shrubs and a lot of sand. Boulders dotted the landscape, trying vainly to make it look more interesting. What did, quite suddenly, make the whole place look amazing was the appearance of a beautiful green dragon bursting in from between. The dragon bugled while her eyes whirled an angry red. The eager candidate-want-to-be’s had flooded her landing space.

Nukalin pulled himself onto the boulder and smirked. Hope she crushes them. Nukalin wasn’t exactly sure how the rest of the Hold had discovered the fact that a Searchdragon was actually bothering to visit them, but he didn’t care. If the dragon wanted him, the dragon would take him, despite the presence of several other people.

The dragoness finally found a spot to land without crushing any of the minors and her rider dismounted. She was immediately rushed by the minors. She quickly returned to the safety of her dragon’s back. A roar from the green quieted the crowd and sent them scurrying back a few paces.

Nukalin couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud, shattering the silence. The dragonrider gave him an angry look and he laughed harder, doubled over he almost fell from his perch.

"What, pray-tell, do you find so funny?" Her words were harsh, but her tone wasn’t. She obviously wasn’t as angry as she appeared.

"The fact that no one here seems to know how to address a dragonrider." He continued to snicker. "And the fact that the dragonrider’s ingenious solution is to retreat. Never seen a Search by dragonback."

The rider cocked a brow. "And your greeting is so much more befitting someone of my position?"

Nukalin knew he should be more respectful, but he just wasn’t in the mood. "I said no one here dragon-rider. I meant it."

"How did you know I was coming..." The green-rider smirked. "I didn’t exactly announce it to everyone."

"My friend, a blue-rider, told me. I don’t know how everyone else found out." Suddenly, he did know. "Unless of course Anata told them all." He smacked his hand into his forehead, amazed that he hadn’t thought of that before. That is so like a woman. Do something like this to screw me over just because I wouldn’t kiss her. Dratted female.

Hey! I’ll have you know I’m female. So’s my rider. The green snorted at him. Once Nukalin turned his attention to her, her realized how beautiful she really was. He tried not to stare in awe at the first dragon he’d seen in his life.

"I thought you said your friend was a blue-rider." The green-rider’s mount had obviously conveyed his thoughts to her.

"I stayed in the mines, he came down. Serenth wouldn’t fit." He smirked. "I never saw the blue, but he did talk to me."

"Makes sense." The dragon walked over to his rock, ignoring the other minors out there. Stopped beside it, Nukalin’s head, if he’d been standing, would have been even with her back. "I’m Searchrider Rubiae by the way. My green is Maoith"

"Nukalin." He identified himself. He remained sitting, but reached out a hand to touch the Searchdragon’s hide.

Maoith let him touch her, but snorted. Insults our sex than turns into a presumptuous man. Thinks he can just touch me. On second thought Rubiae, don’t search him.

Nukalin’s mouth dropped open. "You’re Searching me?"

Rubiae grinned. "Nope. You heard Maoith." The dragon took a few steps away from the rock and began to beat her wings.

"WAIT!!" Nukalin leapt from the boulder, spraining his ankle and swearing. "Don’t go!"

"Why not?" Rubiae called back.

Searching his mind desperately for an answer to keep his only shot out of this hole here, Nukalin finally yelled the first thing that came to his mind. "Because I’ll behave!"

Rubiae laughed and Maoith stopped flapping. She walked back to where Nukalin was sitting crouched on the ground holding his sore foot. "If you want to be a dragonrider that badly...I Search you. You’ll be standing for at Cathair Utopian." She dismounted and helped him to stand. "You will need both feet considering I can’t lift you."

"I can." Anata approached and to Nukalin’s undying embarrassment, lifted him to her shoulder and helped him onto the green’s back. She handed him a pack of his clothes once he was up, including Lucky. The feline stuck his head out of the pack and meowed. Nukalin couldn’t have been redder.

"Thanks...I think." Nukalin wasn’t sure why she was suddenly okay with him again.

"Look. I’m sorry. I acted stupid last night..." She looked at all the other youths crowded around the dragon. "Twice. Forgive me?"

"Yes." Nukalin hugged his friend. "Sorry I’m not your man."

"You’ll find the person for you Lin, don’t worry." Anata dismounted and dusted off her skirt. "And with luck you’ll find the dragon for you too. Luck!" She waved as Maoith leapt into the air and disappeared between.

Nukalin waved back, feeling only slightly stupid when they appeared over the Cathair and he was still waving. As Rubiae called some people to help the injured youth dismount, Nukalin felt his face reddening again. Lucky meowed. "I should have called you Meow."

Finally turning on her as well? Maoith was being amazingly patient, letting these people on her to get him off.

"Her?" Nukalin wondered as the drudges began to carry him to the healers.

The feline’s female. He could hear the amusement in the green’s voice. You may not like us candidate, but I think you’re stuck with us.

Nukalin smiled and shook his head as he stroked Lucky’s back. "Guess that’s why you talk so much." Rubiae swatted him.

* * *
Nukalin is a candidate at Cathair Utopian.
Lucky’s picture from White River Weyr.
Nukalin’s picture from Dead Chick’s Dollz.
Background from Enchanted Backgrounds.