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• Kishi-Chikoa: Ryslen's Flurry 2003 • the continuing stories of the Taratus Clan Ryslen was a-bustle with the excitement of preparing for it's latest Flurry festival. Kishi-Chickoa had learned all they needed to know about it, a celebration of winter, kicked off with a gigantic dragon mating flight, or frenzy. This year there had been nearly one hundred participating dragons plus their riders, called draconars, and various stand-ins. The sands, where the eggs had been lain, had contained close to twice that many eggs, and their mothers. Kishi-Chickoa and their family House H'thraai had missed the first wave of bondings, in which about fifty candidates for bonding, known as Novos, had walked away with hatchlings. Two women in fact had two each. Yes, Ryslen was quite busy. So busy in fact, Capios like Minaeya and Auspexeth, who Searched for new candidates, had little time to make newcomers into official Novos. Today was their day. And it's about time, Kishi growled to her sister. We've been her all of about what -- two days? Why couldn't it have been done when they picked us up? The taratus twins lay in bed, waiting for the others to awaken. Normally they did not rise this early, but neither could sleep for all of their excitement. So they remained curled up talking quietly amongst themselves until it was time to arise, and attend their appointment with Minaeya and the woman in charge, the Prima Jeyann. Chickoa chuckled at her sister. We were in a little bit of a hurry, don't you think? Don't worry about it too much. I just…want one of those dragons, so we can hurry up and get out of here. Kishi, you know it takes about two years to fully train a young dragon, don't you? You were paying attention… Of course I was, bit out the darker twin. I was there same as you. That's true, but sometimes we don't hear all the same things. Which is why it's great having two heads. Don't worry, I was listening. I take being a Novo very seriously. And besides, I've heard what they say about Minaeya, that she reads auras or something. She knows when people bond a dragon just by reading their aura. Chickoa nodded. I find that fascinating. I wonder if it's a gift of hers, or if others can learn it. It is probably just a natural talent of hers, Chickoa, like dragons. Some have it in them to be… she paused, looking for the word. They had a new vocabulary to learn in order to be able to function in this new society, and so far Kishi did not quite have it down. Capios, Chickoa supplied softly. Yes, I think you are probably right. It would be an interesting thing to study. Kind of like, whether you and I will bond to one dragon or two. I wouldn't mind either way, but… I know. Sometimes we are of one body, sometimes of two. When you and I are in our human form, somehow we are two girls. When we are fully wolf-formed, we are of one body with one head. And as we are now, we are of one body with two heads. Kishi nodded. But always, as we are two separate entities, we are always as one. We must be. Chickoa nodded and smiled. I don't mind that. Even when we are separate we are together. It seems strange being apart. Do you feel the same way? Of course. Do you really need to ask? Chickoa laughed. I guess not! I guess I just need to be reminded sometimes. Reassured. Kishi nodded. As different as you and I are, I don't know that I could handle being separated for long. With two dragons though… I would expect that we should remain in our human form. In fact…I think for the sense of well-being of the inhabitants, you and I should from now on be in our human forms. Chickoa sighed. It will be difficult, but there is a strong undercurrent of…hatred…toward dragons with multiple heads. I think the same would go for us. The looks… Chickoa sighed deeply, close to tears. Kishi nodded and brought her sister's cheek against hers, and closed her eyes. It's all right. I told them what-for. I know. You did excellent. But it's fear. They were afraid of us-- As they should be! Kishi's eyes flared angrily. We inspire as much fear as we should, as dangerous as we are. Surely…surely we could make this a gentler transition. We can inspire all the fear and respect as you want. But later, when they have no choice but to accept us for what we are. Well…if you insist. I don't like it… but I understand. Chickoa looked up at her sister, who smiled. There was nothing but sincerity in her face. The lighter sister nodded. Thank you. Maybe we can get adjoining Niduli. Or hell, maybe we could share one. There's an idea. Later that morning, Kishi-Chickoa sat in the Prima's office, along with the Headwoman, a woman by the name of Ikara. The twins were neither the first nor the last of the tarati to be interviewed, and so far no one had been turned away. Not that this fact meant anything. They asked the sisters to shift, from wolf through tarat, and on to human. "You see the issue," Minaeya said. The Prima and Headwoman both looked pensive for a moment. "Well what to your instincts tell you, Min?" "Both separate and apart their auras show a propensity for draconity. All members of their House, as you've seen, are tough individuals, and could withstand the rigors of training. It's their auras…" The twins gazed at her with varying expressions of intensity: a sharp glare from Kishi and a puzzlement from Chickoa. "They are distinct individuals. They are separate part of the time, and I would say their personalities are nearly opposite. One is ruthless and angry by nature, the other gentle and compassionate. While both are capable of feeling those things, these are their inclinations." Minaeya sighed. "But when they are together the overall feeling I get is…darkness." She shook her head. "I don't think they should be Novos for the Flurry. So far the hatchlings have chosen candidates who are innately good." Prima Jeyann frowned. "The one sibling is definitely good though isn't she?" "And what about the hydra--" began the Headwoman. Chickoa gasped and shuddered. Nothing she had heard thus far about them had promoted any other feeling but fear. Kishi on the other hand knit her brows in thought. She liked the idea. To bond a dragon just like them, with two distinct personalities. Doesn't that sound just right for us? Twins stuck in the same body. No…I want a nice dragon. One who's more like me. Kishi frowned and growled softly. You really want to be separate on this, don't you? No, I-- Suddenly, before everyone's eyes, the wolf-creature split in two, two teenage girls sharing the same chair. The darker of the pair stood and crossed her arms, glaring down at the blond sister. "There, now you can't complain. You have yourself a sissy little pink or purple dragon. I know they've hatched here before. You don't care what I want, so I won't care what you want!" She spun around on her heel and eyed the others, who sat watching in surprise. "Well? Are we in or not? I wanna know so I can get ready…or leave." "Yes, I think we all agree that you would both make capable riders. Whether you want to try for the Flurry is your decision. There will be others…" the Prima trailed off. The others may have had misgivings, but problems that arose could always be dealt with. Together or separate the sisters would make good riders. "Good." Without another word, Kishi left the room, without so much as a glance at her sister. Chickoa sat in the chair, hugging a chair pillow. Tears curtained her eyes like gauze drapes. "I only meant…maybe we would end up with two dragons…" Tears finally ran down her cheeks, staining them with their wetness. Her pale skin was flushed with grief. Ikara knelt her largish frame in front of the girl. "It is difficult to make such a drastic change, girl. Don't worry, things will work out. You two have fought before, haven't you?" Chickoa nodded wordlessly. Jeyann broke in. "And sometimes it's best to distance yourself from your siblings. Independence is a good thing when you're a rider. It can be difficult, but sometimes you're going to find that you must be apart from your sister. It's better to start early and get used to it than to find yourself scared and alone." The girl sighed. "Like now…" The Prima nodded, looking almost regretful. She must have had similar experiences in her lifetime. Well of course she has. Doesn't she have several siblings that are Draconars too? Finally she nodded and smiled, feeling stronger. "You're right. Thank you all." Several comments conveyed joy to be of assistance. "I'll send in the next one…" Chickoa did not find her sister waiting for her with the others. "Where did she go?" Several people shook their heads. "She just stormed off… it was like she didn't even see us," a caribou named Xue said. Istas smirked. "What, didn't she make the cut?" "No! She did!" Chickoa flared. "In fact, we both passed with flying colors. We were just special is all, because there's both one and two of us. Stop being such a jerk, Istas!" Unaccustomed to the fairer twin's anger, the polar-bear shifter shrunk back and said not another word. When she asked, no one seemed to have any idea where her sister might be. Despondent, Chickoa was unsure where to go, but finally headed back…to pack her bags for the Novo barracks. She found Gannon there; he had already been officially Searched. She asked him if he had seen Kishi and was met with a negative shake of the head. "I'm sorry, another argument?" Chickoa sighed. "Yeah… It was so stupid too! We were arguing over which kind of dragon we would bond." "Well no one knows, really. Minaeya can sometimes tell, but not always. Did she give you an idea?" "No," Chickoa said with a shake of the head. "She couldn't figure it out, actually, since our auras kind of mix or something." "Then why the worry?" "Like I said, it was stupid…" Gannon nickered a soft affectionate laugh. He reached up to touch the soft blond ringlets that fell like a mane at the sides of her face. "Just let her cool off for a while. You two are really close, she won't be angry with you for long." Chickoa grinned, wrapping her arms around his back and leaning into his tall, muscular frame. Doing so made her feel safe and comfortable. "Thanks, Gannon, I don't know what I'd do without you." "You would be so lost without me," he murmured into her ear, his long mane tickling her face. • • • Kishi was determined to get herself a hydra. She wasn't sure why, but something whose reputation was as dark as hers deserved her attention. She was on an information-gathering mission. Her travels brought her down the halls of Ryslen, into the dining hall and the Tiro barracks. Of the two hydras that had hatched thus far, only one remained. The other had caused such a disturbance as to be banished to Azon to be raised by the HyKings and HyQueens there. This news pleased Kishi greatly; she welcomed the challenge. The other hatchling was in an area inhabited by several vampires. Apparently this flurry hydra had been easily tamed by the female vampire, Syrana, but something about this area of the Nidus made her want to leave. She never interviewed the vampire. But she was happy with what she had learned. So far a two-headed and a three-headed had been hatched, both of dark coloration. She couldn't wait to tell her sister. Surely there was something in there that Chickoa would be attracted to. She walked through the hallway with an unsettling grin spread across her dark skin, glittering in her deep steel-blue eyes. Most people cleared the way, flattening themselves against the wall as she passed. She confronted Istas, L'eot, Hielo, and a hare-shifter named V'etrie. The hare-tarat had moved to block her way, holding up his hands. "Where've you been, Kishi? We've been--" "Outta my way, pipsqueak!" Kishi growled, and when he didn't move she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and deposited him unceremoniously into the arms of the polar bear. "I'm busy!" She had hardly slowed her pace, swiveling her hips in a sweeping gesture to move the obstacle out of her way. The barracks. She was almost there. In her single-mindedness, she began to only see the barracks' door. Her smile widened into a Cheshire-cat's grin. She passed through the doorway, about to cry, "Chic--" And stopped short. There, sitting on their bed was Chickoa … and Gannon. He was petting her hair, arms encircled around her protectively. Kissing the top of her hair. And she was snuggled up against his chest, arms closed, curled up and happy. Kishi ground her teeth and performed an about face, storming out of the barracks. How dare she turn to Gannon. Kishi was her protector, Kishi! There were no other words, only rage. Damn him. Damn her! This time around, the group of tarati she had passed before knew better than to stand in her way. She didn't see them. She was growling constantly at this point. It seemed unnatural that a human should growl constantly under their breath, but she managed it. Her eyes glinted with blue fire and her fists were balled, hard as stones. She continued at her juggernaut pace until she ran into something solid. "Get out of my way!" she yelled, trying to shove her way past. "I will not." The voice was calm and neutral, somehow clearing the red haze from her vision. Kishi stopped in her tracks and looked up at Wauna. She took a deep breath, forcing civility into her voice. "What do you want?" "I want to prevent you from making a mistake," he said evenly, a hand on each of her arms. His elegant face sat perched on a long, graceful neck. His expression was a little more than neutral, which forced her to stay put more than anything. It was an expression of mild concern as opposed to his usually cool aloofness. "I'm fine," she said stubbornly. "No, you're not." He inclined his head staring at her seriously. "All right. I'm mad, downright pissed. I need to go blow off some steam before I wring somebody's neck." She lifted an eyebrow. "Care to be my punching bag?" "I don't think you want to do that. There are other ways of 'blowing off steam.'" Kishi grunted. "Oh, like talking it over," she said as if its mention was an insult to her intelligence. "Something like that." He waved a feathered hand. "Care to have a drink with me? Maybe then we'll talk it over." "You," she said, standing on the balls of her feet pointing at him, "you…" "Yes?" He hadn't even flinched. She curled a lip in a snarl that carried little disdain. "You're too damned suave you know that?" Wauna smiled. "Not possible." • • • That evening, though she was not quite as angry, Kishi had great difficulty moving past her stubbornness. She requested separate beds. This was a huge step as well as devastating because it was the first time in many years the sisters had slept in any other form, let alone in separate beds. But whenever Chickoa came near her, Kishi snarled at her, forcing her back into the arms of the one person she most hated at the moment: Gannon. It enraged her to no end that her sister should run to him instead of Kishi. It was irrational, that she had established whilst in the company of the goose-shifter, then in the form of a young man with mousy-blonde hair. But she could not help her reaction. It was jealousy plain and simple but at the same time it tore her up in so many ways. It was not simple at all. She could not just apologize, nor could she allow her sister to do the same. So they slept apart. Kishi felt cold in more ways than one. There wasn't the heat of two bodies to keep them warm. There wasn't the company, the security, the companionship that she was so used to. The cold made her lonely, and if she had been anyone else, she would have whimpered. But she was Kishi, the strong one, the one who had instigated this separation. No, it had been Chickoa. She was the one that wanted something else. She didn't want the same dragon as she, she wanted Gannon to comfort her instead of her own sister. She felt anger like a furnace well up from inside, heating her chest with fiery rage. But her feet were so cold, and she was so alone… • • • The pain enveloped Chickoa, it was the intense grief of this afternoon all over again. She lay curled in upon herself feeling a cool blackness settle within herself. It was as if the empty hole left by her sister's abandonment was being filled by a chilly ball of goo. She shivered uncontrollably, cradling herself, rocking herself slightly in her fetal ball. She could have whimpered, and once or twice a sound escaped her throat, but she refused to let anything else out. With her teeth clenched in determination, she sealed her throat tight with the back of her tongue. But then the tears came, unbidden and sobs fluttered up and down her rib cage like butterfly wings. When the pain was too great, she found herself out of bed, wandering, then hovering over Kishi's bed. Like a child having risen from a nightmare, sniffling over her parents' bed she stood hugging her elbows. Her sister rolled over and seemed to regard her for a moment, then folded back the covers for her. Chickoa curled up next to Kishi, who enveloped her with her strong embrace. "Kishi…" Chickoa began, voice barely a whisper. "Shh. Say nothing." They lay there for the longest time, twins together as they were meant to be. But something had changed, and they did not shift the entire night. • • • Kishi-Chickoa | Novo | Tiro | Paro | Draconar |