Getting into the boarding school's campus was not difficult, as apparently, as long as they weren't causing trouble, they were free to explore. Rythrys' story-- and thankfully they spoke enough of the Nexus trade-tongue to be understood!-- that they were interested in attending got more attention than they'd wanted, however, and they'd eventually had to employ a combination of begging for a chance to look around unaided, and their own eerie identicalness to chase the administrators, teachers, and well-wishers off. None of them, after all, had even a drop of sythyn blood in them: they seemed largely dragons and mixed-heritage humans.

Exploring the complex didn't take very long, at all, not compared to how long it was taking the other two portions of the team to Search two halves of the city itself. Rythrys subjected them afterwards to first walking up and down the halls full of classrooms and day cares, all of which were currently in session as lunchtime had only just past, and listening in through the doors. Rythrys seemed genuinely curious about what went on behind those doors, and Ssubyrsyn was interested in most anything, at least at a surface level, so under the guise of sniffing out possible hybrid sythyn, they investigated classes and nurseries.

Ssothrysaa, however, didn't like the place much; everything was dry and dead-seeming, and though it was built on such a large scale that there was no way to feel claustrophobic, everything seemed so... well, he didn't know what it seemed like. He just didn't like it.

Then again, in a moment of brutal honesty, Ssothrysaa could admit that he simply wasn't in much of a mood, to begin with, what with being sent on the "kiddie" mission. Never mind that they did look like children, never mind that they didn't actually know their true ages; they could certainly take care of themselves well enough. The school obviously didn't have anyone to be Searched, so he wanted to get their taxi and go back up to the ship to wait for the others. Or, better yet, forget about the taxi for a while and go outside. He'd sensed a river running out past the complex, and it would be nice to dip his feet in and listen to the water for a while.

In fact, he decided, all three of them probably would like the opportunity to relax someplace outside and relatively natural. He'd bring up the suggestion after they'd finished this hall full of classrooms, and then they'd all go outside for a while. Sythwyr and the rest could poke around the city all they liked while they relaxed.

That in mind, Ssothrysaa endured the rest of the "Search" with a better attitude, and he'd been right: both Rythrys and Ssubyrsyn liked the idea of going outside for a while.

As they crossed out into the courtyard at the front of the complex, aiming for the river Ssothrysaa could all but hear bubbling past the western wall, however, they discovered that not all the students and children were in class all the time. A small knot of them came surging around the gate and inside, most of them damp, most of them laughing, followed by a positively huge, fish-like creature, hovering as if swimming in the air itself, and followed by one of those dragons wandering around the complex, this one blue and green with scales and webbing everywhere.

Both groups-- large, mixed group, and small, strangely identical group-- stopped to look at each other. There was a pause as everyone looked each other over with expressions varying from nervous to curious: Ssothrysaa and his brothers mostly possessing the former, and the highly mixed species group of "children" largely the latter. The "children", after all, included humans, animal-people, and, in the main, dragons.

"Who're you?" asked one of the dragon-children.

"Why do you all look the same?" asked another.

A human-looking one whapped that particular dragon lightly. "Haven't you ever heard of twins, stupid? Same thing, just with three of them!"

"I'm not stupid, and of course I have!" the dragon pouted, to the laughs of many of the others.

"But who're you?" the first dragon-child repeated.

"Are you new students?" another interjected.

"Are you lost?" one of the animal-people asked sympathetically. "I got lost my first time here."

"Um, no, we're not lost," Rythrys answered, finally finding a place to interrupt the flood of questions.

"We're just looking around," Ssubyrsyn continued, right on the tail of their eldest brother's words.

Ssothrysaa finished the thought, "And we were on our way out to the river."

"We just came from there!" one of the dragons, a snaky little thing, giggled, before shaking herself off and grinning at them.

"We can tell that," Ssubyrsyn giggled, back. Ssothrysaa made an effort not to frown at him. He wanted to get to the river, not chat with other kids.

::Do you three have names?:: a not-quite-voice interrupted the conversation. It sounded like when Ryruraan spoke inside their heads, almost, or like when they spoke inside each other's heads-- it just wasn't a voice Ssothrysaa, or the other two, recognized! The children all glanced over their shoulders, though, as if they knew exactly who it was. Following their gaze, Ssothrysaa guessed it must be the fish. The giant, purple, striped fish, floating in mid-air.

A glance aside at Ssubyrsyn showed his brother trying not to laugh. He caught his eye, and it was clear as a mountain lake what he was thinking: A sentient fish! The others will love this! Ssothrysaa had to make an effort not to smile, then, as the humor was contagious.

Then Rythrys caught his eye, smirked just a little, and nodded. Humor turned into wicked amusement, and this time he didn't hide his half a smile: Rythrys was feeling mischievous, and wanted to show off a little. Well, Ssothrysaa wouldn't mind that, and Ssubyrsyn never minded showing off a little.

Just a little touch of mind to mind to mind, and it was almost automatic to say in unison: "Of course we have names. We're--"

"Rythrys Wyvryn--"

"Ssubyrsyn Wyvryn--"

"And Ssothrysaa Wyvryn."

All three grinned, and said together, "Those mean...."

"Ice...." Rythrys dropped the temperature over the group startlingly quickly, and there were gasps and giggles from the group, a couple of which started shivering.

"Wind...." Ssubyrsyn stirred up the wind, twirling it around the students playfully: wet hair flew up, fur ruffled, and towels and clothes flapped. There were more giggles and laughter, and a couple squeals.

"And Snow," Ssothrysaa finished, also finishing the magic he'd set in motion, which took longer than his brothers' in a desert like this. Clouds formed above the group of students-- and, because he couldn't control it that closely, over the fish and the bigger dragon behind him-- and sluggishly started dropping snowflakes. Ssothrysaa smiled despite the effort it took to create snow in the desert at the ooohs and aaahs it elicited. He didn't often get to impress anyone-- especially being babied all the time!

"We're brothers," he chimed in when Rythrys and Ssubyrsyn put the finishing touches on the "show", swirling the snow up around the group before letting the clouds, breeze, and chill dissipate.

The little group applauded-- including the scaly-finny dragon at the back-- and Ssubyrsyn, looking quite pleased with himself, actually gave a little bow. Ssothrysaa rolled his eyes, giving his brother an elbow to the ribs, while Rythrys grinned apologetically to the fishy one, who was looking decidedly annoyed by the show.

::Well, now that you've had your quota of fun for the day, maybe you won't complain about having to cram the last half of the lesson into ten minutes,:: he sent sourly, broadcast to everyone. ::Back inside, children.::

Faces fell, and the group trudged past Ssothrysaa and his brothers obediently, followed by the fish and the bigger dragon-- the latter of which actually winked at them as he passed. Though there were a few glares from the students for annoying their teacher and, supposedly, wasting their time, they were outnumbered by enough grins and cheerful whispers as the group shuffled past that Ssothrysaa refused to feel guilty. Rythrys obviously didn't refuse any such thing, for he looked after the group with one of those stricken expressions he wore when he felt really bad for something.

"That was fun," Ssubyrsyn commented happily. "We should introduce ourselves like that more often!"

"And then get called attention-hogs," Ssothrysaa pointed out logically, with a sage nod. "Only every now and then is enough for me. Come on, we were going to the river!"

"Oh, right," Ssubyrsyn blinked, and looped his arm around Rythrys's shoulders. "To the river!"

Ssothrysaa did the same, and they led their bother out of the courtyard.

Chapter Seven

Back