Getting to the Abstract Destiny, which Shishayair called a "space ship" and said was docked on Star City's flight deck, was easy enough. Shishayair carried Uecoss on his back-- they had long since decided that having Proquess carry her was not only inappropriate for her supposedly higher rank, but it usually resulted in attempts at drawing acid blood on Uecoss's part-- and Proquess trailed after them, contentedly enough, for the moment. There were no guards or officials at the ship's entrance, no locks or, as far as they could tell, security cameras. They just walked right in, doors opened for them, and they peeked into hatching bays until they found the right one. It didn't take long, as there were only two hatching bays.

When the first bay was proven to hold a massive clutch of furry dragon eggs-- Avengaeans, Shishayair called them-- and the mother below cast them a startled look when all six heads peeked inside, they turned promptly and approached the second bay. Shishayair read the name off the door for Proquess and Uecoss who, without eyes, could not read. It was called "Bravo Bay", though Proquess didn't know what that meant; "Alpha Bay", the previous one, hadn't made a lot of sense, either. However, as the doors slid open to admit them, at least "Bravo Bay" proved to have Dread Corollary and her eggs within.

The snake-maned feline dragon was crouched over them, either keeping them warm, hiding them, or both. Even from the top of the stairs leading down into the bay, Proquess could count the barely-formed minds within the shells, but as she didn't really care about them, she didn't bother. Rather, she let Shishayair start sedately down the stairs with Uecoss on board, and she crawled up the side-wall, out of his way and not particularly interested in the eggs or the dragoness. All she cared about was that Shishayair was still hers, not Dread Corollary's or Toryt-Mow's. Though she did feel an unfamiliar sensation of anticipation, centered around that Dark person. It was strange, but she actually hoped she'd see her again. They were, after all, attending the hatching on her invitation. Even if horrible little Uecoss had come from her, she still vaguely liked Dark. Besides, surely she hadn't intended for her to be horrible.

Shishayair, however, didn't really seem to care much about Dark. Rather, he was focused on Dread Corollary, who was watching him with suspicious eyes and lashing tail. She had obviously never expected to see him again, and he was all she saw: she didn't look up at Proquess except for a brief glance, she didn't look at Uecoss on his shoulders, she just watched Shishayair. If she was going to go ballistic on her bond again, Proquess, at least, would be ready this time. Shishayair usually protected her, but right now, she felt like she would certainly take revenge for any mark left on her bond's coat. The thought that she could protect anyone from anything was almost enough to make her nervous, but Shishayair was her bond.

::I see you finally got to drop all those eggs,:: Shishayair purred, now at the bottom of the stairs, at the edge of the substance-- it seemed, in shape, much like the loops and whorls of resin Proquess decorated with, only it was soft, almost fuzzy, and radiating heat-- that coated the floor.

"I didn't realize you cared," Dread Corollary replied carefully. "You aren't the father." She was uncomfortable, confused, and unhappy, obviously so to someone like Proquess, and Shishayair probably could tell, as well, though he didn't say as much.

::Of course I care,:: he answered, voice laced lightly with hurt. ::You were the first lady I ever chased. Did you know? I am... quite curious... to see what those others produced with you.::

"And what does that mean?" Dread Corollary asked warily. "You'll not harm my babies, I don't care how much I embarrassed you--"

She broke off as Shishayair started to chuckle, a dry, windy sound, and coming from all four throats, it sounded ghostly, like tree branches rattling together in a breeze. When he took a step closer, she got protectively to her feet, and Proquess tensed, clinging to the wall, poised at the shortest jump possible to the catdragon, ready. Just in case.

::Hold it!::

Proquess nearly fell off the wall in a panic at the authoritative, threatening mind-voice. As it was, she scrambled, frightened, farther from the stairs and door at the top-- and the source of the authoritative, threatening mind-voice. She'd gotten herself entirely turned around, much preferring to be facing an enemy, and what she saw was a bipedal creature, nearly twice her size, blazing with righteous fury and bristling with weaponry, natural and decidedly not-natural. He was stalking down the stairs, a round slip of chill metal in one hand and two blades of the same extended from another. He didn't seem to have eyes-- which wasn't particularly strange, as she didn't, either-- or a mouth-- which was much stranger-- or, really, any facial features at all. It was all a strange, smooth blur that radiated anger. The blood running through him smelled strange, dangerous even, and she could hear a suppressed rumbling in his chest as he approached. She hadn't any idea what he was, but he terrified her. If it hadn't meant getting closer to the thing, she would have promptly raced behind Shishayair for protection.

Because, of course, nothing frightened Shishayair. He merely turned his head around to look over his shoulder, giving the monster a cool, unperturbed look. Uecoss, on his back, hissed menacingly, mentally muttering some very obscene things.

::Now, now, Uecoss, be polite,:: he chided her lightly, and she fell silent, or at least kept her thoughts to herself.

The monster didn't stop, and directed its next thought-words at Dread Corollary, though they were open for all to hear: ::Are these-- creatures-- bothering you, ma'am?::

Shishayair answered, anyway. ::I wasn't aware that investigating a clutch one intends to attend constituted "bothering",:: he said innocently, his main head tilting and tongue lolling in a very dog-like manner. ::Do not candidates and sponsors do this all the time?::

"Candidates and sponsors?" Dread Corollary sputtered. Proquess, if she could speak aloud, might have sputtered, too. She'd known they were invited to the hatching-- but she hadn't known they were supposed to be doing that!

::Not if that investigation bothers the mother,:: the monster replied coldly.

::I did nothing threatening,:: Shishayair defended himself haughtily. ::Merely approached her and the eggs, shared a little conversation about events in the past....::

The monster ignored Shishayair, faceless face turned to Dread Corollary, who looked flustered and didn't answer.

::We were invited here by the lady Dark,:: Shishayair continued smoothly in the silence. ::Is she in? You could ask her.::

There was a long pause after that before the monster with all its weapons grunted. ::She isn't here, so I cannot. But I will have to ask you to leave, if you continue discomforting miss Dread.::

::We certainly can't have that,:: Shishayair murmured dryly. ::Very well,:: he sighed, with a trace of exaggeration to his regretful tone, ::if I am so unwelcome, I will take my leave. And as I doubt leaving my bond here would be particularly safe for her, I suppose we will all depart. Though I expect we will return, whether you and your, ah, kind are comfortable with that or not.::

The idea of being left behind with that monster with the weapons, without his protection, was enough to make Proquess wholeheartedly agree-- especially with how his anger surged impotently at the barbs in her bond's words.

Shishayair cast a glance at Proquess, and added, ::Perhaps if your mother arrives in the next couple days, madam Corollary, you can let her know my bond would like to see her. For some reason, she likes her.::

Proquess shrank against the wall, feeling very silly and more than a little embarrassed. Dread Corollary didn't look much better, to her secret satisfaction, radiating tangled guilt, confusion, and obvious relief.

::On your way, then,:: the monster growled, and at a four-fold nod from Shishayair, Proquess scrambled meekly past the monster and scurried up the stairs. Shishayair followed more sedately, swishing his great plume of a tail mockingly in the following monster-thing's face.

As they left the ship entirely, Proquess dared ask, ::What was that?::

::A yautjadragon,:: Shishayair answered readily. ::Born and bred to hate your kind and mine. But we weren't breaking any rules, or threatening anyone, or even being too annoying, so he couldn't do a single thing about us being in his territory. How entertaining. I think we shall have to visit again.::

Proquess heaved a small sigh, but didn't protest. If they were lucky, they'd show up when Dark was there, and she'd have someone friendly to talk to.

The Hatching - Chapter Eight

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