Breath of Fresh Air

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Mr. Harn blushed and smiled, averting his gaze back to the egg while he gave a soft chuckle and followed behind Malia. "Well, I - I do really enjoy studying all sorts of aspects about dragons." It was one of the hobbies he and Anna had had in common. And now, he and Malia had it in common, too.

Then Malia gently took his hand, and with her other, brushed a few locks of hair out of his eyes. He blinked and swallowed. "Oh! C - certainly. I'd gladly miss sleep for the chance to watch a dragon egg. Ah . . . wh - what time of day should we take?"

Noah nodded thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. "Makes sense. I really hope this was the only one. I'd feel terrible if there was another egg still in the water." He shifted uncomfortably and rubbed his arm. ". . . Should Chaital and I go back to check? Just in case?"

Opal nodded at Nel and beamed. "Yes, she's very clever! She tried splattering, making lines, doodling - I rather think she'll get writing down very quickly." All at once, he caught sight of Naga out of the corner of his eye and giggled. "Aww! Naga, are you helping keep the egg warm? What a good girl!" he announced cheerfully.
 
Malia smiled at the nerves in his voice, having mercy on him by picking up her book instead and turning him to a small counter to look at it with her. "I have a few things to take care of so I'll have to retrieve someone to take first watch," she explained as she flipped through pages, looking at the colored sketches of dragon eggs to find the right match, "but say we come back around 9? Then someone will come to relieve us a few hours later."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a look. . ." Lily said thoughtfully, "but if she found the first one you'd think Chaital would've seen others, too."

Nel made a soft, impressed sound, letting Tima have her tail back. "That's so strange. I'd love to see her trying it out some time, if she'd up to playing again."

Jasper turned when Opal said Naga's name, eyes narrowing immediately as he spotted her on the nest. "Oh, fuck - not good girl, bad girl. Bad. Hold this." He passed Nobu off to Nel, the chubby dragon giving a disgruntled squawk at being handed over, and stepped up onto the brickwork to get closer to where the egg lay. "Naga, get out of there!"

She only curled tighter around the egg, screeching at him and scrabbling clawed paws around it as if holding on to it would keep him from taking it away.

"Ah-ah, that's not yours." Jasper insisted, and made an affronted sound at the way she snapped her jaws when he reached for her. "Hey! Don't you dare."
 
"Nine. That sounds like a good time," Axle agreed, sighing in relief when the conversation returned to something more normal and he didn't have to think about the soft touch of Malia's hand in his hair - except he was. He smiled and moved a little closer to her, peering over her shoulder at the book. "So, ah - hm. That book's in very fine condition," he announced at last. He wanted to talk to her, but he was a bit rusty at deep, personal conversations.

The group turned collectively when Jasper swore. Noah held a hand to his mouth and winced, but Opal only blinked and tilted his head. "I don't understand. Why can't Naga help warm the egg?" he asked softly.

"I don't know enough to explain it to you, but I can tell you it's not ideal," Noah admitted at last. "If I had to guess - if the hatchling needs help, we wouldn't be able to get to them easily with Naga guarding them. I think that's what the problem is. Jasper, any way we can help get her off?"
 
Malia only hummed a soft, acknowledging note, flipping carefully and skimming over pages as she looked for the right details to compare. "Having a book copied takes a great deal more time and effort than I would like to put into it," she said with some amusement in her voice, leaning her shoulder gently against his for a moment as she looked. "It's better to take care of the things you have than to constantly replace them - ah, here. Felucian eggs. It looks rather accurate to me. Do you concur?"

When Jasper made a fuss she glanced back at him, but other than a little shake of her head left his dragons to him. "You'd best get it away from her before she gets more attached."

"Tch." Jasper rolled his eyes at her mostly because he knew she was right, only glancing at Noah and Opal as he tried to figure a way around the problem that didn't involve getting scratched to death. "The problem is she's a greedy little bastard and needs to learn to take no for an answer."

Nel gave soft sigh, shifting Nobu to a better position in his arms. "If she thinks the egg is hers, she won't let anyone touch it. I'm sure it would be all right for a while, but we'll need to be hands-on when it hatches."

"No, I do not need help," Jasper grouched with a shake of his head. "If she's gonna bite somebody over it, it should be me." Heaving a sigh of his own, he crouched down near the nest and kept his hands where she could see, dropping his voice into something more soothing. "Naga, that isn't yours. Look at me. Have I ever taken anything away that was safe for you to have? Let me see it, and I'll let you sit next to it. But you have to let go." She was rumbling a bit still, half content and half upset, but getting gradually quieter. If he talked to her enough, he hoped she wouldn't shred his hands as he tried to get it back.
 
Axle smiled and nodded when she landed on the page about the Felucian dragon egg. "Yes, that's the one! Oh, I hope it is that sort of dragon. Those butterfly patterned wings are just beautiful, and they're such gorgeous creatures. And those antennae!"

Pumpkin flopped onto the table and sniffed at the page, as though curious about the new dragon himself. He sniffed at the page. Then he glanced back at the egg and chuffed.

"That's right, Pumpkin. We're learning about your new friend," Axle told him with a smile. "Malia, would it be all right for him to join us on our watch? He's very gentle around small dragons. I think he'll be okay around the egg unless you say otherwise."

Noah went quiet, watching the way Jasper softly and slowly talked Naga down into more of a relaxed state. It was a good idea. And if the group carried on like nothing was wrong, it might help Naga relax further. Noah let out a breath and straightened his shoulders. "Right. Well, while you do that, I think I'll take Chaital and go check for other eggs. Anyone else want to come with?" he offered.
 
"You talk about it like it's a fashion accessory." Malia said with a laugh, patting him lightly on the arm. "Remember this accessory has teeth, and will scream and cry for a while just like a baby. Remember those days?" His little baby was all grown up now.

"I'll meet you out there in a little while," Nel said to Noah with a smile, holding Nobu up a bit. "I'm babysitting, and I need to find someone else to take first shift with the egg."

"I'll go!" Lily said with a smile, and took Noah's hand to follow him out. "I don't want to get in the water if I don't have to, but maybe Fern will want to go with a swim."

"Come here," Jasper urged, gentle still and patient, moving forward in only small increments and sure not to threaten her by reaching out with his hands. "I'll make sure they take good care of the egg, and you can sit in the room if you let it go."

Naga was insistent, clinging on with two limbs at first, but as he talked to her gently and she looked at the egg again, giving it a few licks like a cat grooming its kitten, she started gradually to relax. Daring to get closer, Jasper reached slowly out to wrap his hands around her middle, and despite making protesting noises and clinging for a moment, she did eventually drop the egg back into its nest and let him pull her away.

Sighing, Jasper set her down on the bricks a few feet away and gave her an affectionate rub behind the horns. "Atta girl. I'll get you something you can destroy later."
 
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Axle snorted and laughed, shaking his head. "Nonsense. A baby dragon is far more exciting! And of course I remember those days. Very fondly, for the most part," he added, running a hand along Pumpkin's back. When Pumpkin squeaked and rolled over, he smiled warmly and scooped the dragon into his arms. "Heh. Speaking of, I think I ought to go prepare a few things for the shift tonight. Should I bring anything in particular?"

"I'll come along with Nel," Opal decided. "Still need to catch my breath a bit from the trip over here." Then he watched while Jasper patiently got Naga to give up the egg. He smiled and nodded. ". . . You've certainly got a way with your dragons, Jasper. How did you meet them?"


Noah gently held Lily's hand and went outside with her, where Chaital immediately licked his cheek and rumbled. "Chaital! Hey!" he greeted. "It's going good in there, we think. Want to head back with Lily, Infernus, and me to check for more eggs?"

Chaital chuffed and immediately lowered her wing. When Noah started climbing up on it, she lifted it and let him slide straight onto her back.

His quick reflexes let him land right in the saddle. "Oh! Efficient. Pretty cool trick, Chaital!" He buckled himself in, and then glanced over to wait for Lily to mount up.
 
Malia shook her head and closed the book, giving him a little smile as she put it away. "Clothes you don't mind getting dirty, maybe a little snack in case you get hungry - but a small one, mind. And maybe a cushion for Pumpkin to lie on. He'll need his rest too."

While Tima observed with very little interest from Opal's shoulder, Naga was transfixed, sitting at first and then eventually laying down on the bricks to stare at the egg shining in the firelight. Jasper kept a hand on her back, but only lightly, just letting her know he was there and that he wouldn't let anyone take the egg away from her sight.

"She's just territorial," he said with a shake of his head, settled next to her but doing his best to brush off the praise and ignore the way Nel was looking all sunny and pleased about it. "I found her in a junk heap - I was looking for scrap metal and she stole my fucking gloves. Found her holed up in a crate full of trash, trying to eat them. She just never had someone to look out for her before, is all. Once she knows she can have things without them being taken away, she gets better. Shes a hoarder."

Food, shelter, toys, affection - she'd grown up scrounging and fighting for everything. It took more training than he could give her to completely let go of that instinct, but she'd come a long way since he'd found her.

"Nobu came from the Dragonry." Nel added with a smile, giving the rounder dragon's belly a rub where he held him. "I wasn't here then, but Malia said we had a lot of eggs that year that needed homes."

Jasper shook his head at that, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "I was a kid, and Gramps thought I needed something to look after. He did a lot of work here, and dogs aren't as hardy as dragons. Besides, they're good little welders. Better than any furnace."


Lily laughed at the way Chaital made a slide with her wings, clambering up onto Infernus' back with practiced steps off his offered leg and the muscle to pull herself up after doing it over and over for all the years they'd been together. "You guys are so fancy about it!" She said with an amused little shake of her head, reaching for her tow line to attach it to her belt. "Whatever happened to good ol' Jump and Pull?"
 
"Those can be arranged," Axle agreed at once. "I'll bring Pumpkin's favorite blanket, too. He enjoys having it during bed time."

Pumpkin chirped in agreement. Then he flew up into the air, glided over to Malia, and preened her hair for a few moments.

Axle chuckled. "Ah. You don't mind if Pumpkin stays with you while I go get the supplies, do you?"

Opal listened quietly, a soft smile on his face while Jasper described how he'd found Naga - and then eventually had taken in Nobu as well. "Hm. You're really a very caring person, you know that?" he asked. "Thank you for telling me. I'm glad to know they both have you looking after them." He reached up and petted Tima's horns. ". . . Do you want to help me feed Tima tonight? Then she'll get more used to you."


Noah scoffed and waved a hand. "Well, sure, jump and pull works great! But it's fun trying out different things and learning how much we can get away with safely." He chuckled and patted Chaital's neck, and she spread her wings. "Besides, then we can show off a bit later, too. You both ready to fly?" he added.
 
When Pumpkin hopped his way over to her Malia hardly reacted beyond idly pulling her hair out of the way so he wouldn't sit on it, thinking on the text in the book a bit longer before reaching up to put it away in the cabinet once more. "Spoiled rotten." She said with a gentle tap of her head against the little dragon's muzzle, reaching up to give him a few gentle pats. "I don't mind having his company. Hes been quite the little helper lately." She gave a quiet laugh at that, resting a hand on Axle's arm almost as if she needed the balance. "Feels as if we're beginning to have shared custody."

Jasper only gave a little scoff and shook his head at the idea of himself being 'caring', eyes on the fire rather than anyone he was speaking to when he couldn't formulate an actual response. That was his problem, wasn't it? Even his own grandfather had told him before. He cared too deeply about too many things. Each one was another reason to get angry, until he could hardly see through it.

"You don't have to force it," he said with a shake of his head, latching on to quite literally anything else anyone wanted to soeak about. "I don't want to scare her."

Nel shrugged as much as he could while holding Nobu, though thinking of the way they'd fought still made him frown in distaste. "Shes rather calm now. . . If she doesn't like it, I'm sure she'll let you know."


"'Get away with safely' still sounds like something you'd get in trouble for," Lily said with a laugh, shaking her head at him and settling her legs in proper position on the saddle. "We're ready. Race you there?"

Infernus gave a chuff at the idea and walked away from the building, putting distance between himself and it, as well as Chaital, in case they were taking off quickly. Used to running on deadlines with Lily as they delivered mail, he was always ready to go fast.
 
Axle smiled gently and set a hand on Malia's, pretending to help her keep her balance even though he really just wanted an excuse to be close to her. "I'm not surprised," he murmured. "Pumpkin loves me, but - he was always Anna's dragon. We never quite clicked the same way those two did. I suppose now he'll need both of us to fill that void," he added.

Opal chuckled a little. "I'm not forcing it. Look, she's on my shoulder right now, right next to you, and she's completely fine. And she really enjoys food, like the rest of us. I really think you feeding her would help you both get closer." He ran a hand down her spines and then fixed his hair slightly. "Eventually, I'd want her to be comfortable enough to stay with you for a brief period. I don't think the salon I get my hair done in allows dragons," he added with a smirk.


"That's the fun of it," Noah admitted, his eyes sparkling. "And you want a race, huh? Hell yeah! Let's go! C'mon, Chaital!"

Chaital rumbled and tensed - and once the dragons were in the air, she shot forward, doing her best to keep up with Infernus.
 
There was something sad about the explanation, even if Malia was sure it wasn't meant to be. There was nothing that could replace the yawning hole that loss left behind. Just as Nel and the others didn't truly take the place of her son who lived but was lost to her, she wouldn't take the place of Axle's late wife. She understood, and no part of her wished to truly replace the woman, but thinking of the pain left behind in her absence left a ripple of sympathetic sadness in her chest.

"Is that so?" She murmured softly to Pumpkin, one hand remaining with Axle and the other guiding the little dragon's face closer to hers to give him a gentle nuzzle. "You're a needy one, for being such an old man." She teased, but did give him a small kiss before leaving him be. "Pumpkin is an excellent little helper. I wouldn't mind having him by my side some days." She had missed being more hands on with dragons lately. Having him around was somewhat refreshing, even though he was much smaller than what she was used to.

Tima only gave a soft warble at the sound of her name, looking curiously between the three of them. She didn't particularly care for Jasper after what had happened, but before and after their fight the young man had given off a gentle, caring aura. He made her nervous, when he grew too close, but she wasn't afraid.

Jasper shook his head a little, running his hand back through his hair with an almost annoyed little sigh. "If I say yes, will you drop it?" He asked, though with no venom in his voice. "You're real pushy for being so mellow, y' know."

Nel only gave a little smile and moved away to check on the egg, knowing Naga was watching both it and Nobu in his arms, but also that she trusted him. He might not have been as soothing to her as Jasper was, but he had cared for her health needs many times over the years, and did feed or entertain her whenever she wandered the Dragonry on her own.

"If you're all right to take Nobu back," he offered after a moment, "I'd like to take Soot out for a short trip after the others." It seemed Opal wanted to go as well, so it was probably best if they walked.


"Ready? Set. Go!"

Lily cried their start and held on as Infernus took off at a looking gate, pressing her body down against his even as she pulled on her goggles one-handed and let him guide them up and forward into the best air currents before starting to steer. Chaital was powerful and agile, and in a shorter race or one with more obstacles would likely come out on top, but in a straight shot of pure speed Infernus largely always came out on top.

When they got back to the lake, she and Infernus landed in the grass rather than directly in the water, and she gave Noah a triumphant grin when he and Chaital made it down. "That one was close!"

Infernus did take an occasional dip but was not, exactly, a water dragon, and she didn't want to soak her clothes right then, so they would probably just wait to see if Noah found anything and help ferry it back if he did.
 
Pumpkin grumbled playfully and licked her hair a few more times, making himself right at home on her shoulder.

"Him, or me?" Axle joked, leaning against one of the nearby walls with his arms crossed. "Well, in any case - as long as he's with one of us, I think he'll be pretty happy. He loves attention." He cleared his throat and waved, smiling. "I'll go get the supplies. You all have fun now, eh?"

"Boulder an' I will take you back," Grandpa Jenkins told him, patting his shoulder and turning to walk with him. "I need a nap after all that excitement."

Opal snorted. ". . . I can't make any promises. But we'll wait to eat until you get back," he decided. He glanced over at Nel and grinned. "Can I ride with you and Soot? If you're going by ground, that is."


Chaital and Noah at least landed safely this time and slowed to a stop in the grass near the lake. Chaital chuffed happily and shook her wings and tail, glad for the extra exercise. Then she ambled into the lake water and glanced around.

"Yeah! It was pretty close," Noah agreed. He leaned over Chaital's sides as she went, looking for unusual colors or sparkles. But much to his relief, there was nothing in the water. He sighed deeply and waved at Lily a few minutes later. "All clear in the water so far! See anything in the grass nearby?"
 
Malia made a soft pff and gave his arm a slap at the joke, shaking her head at him but letting him go. "Take your time. Pumpkin and I will find someone to take first watch in the meantime." It would be all right for Jasper to keep watch just for the ten minutes or so it might take.

Jasper, for his part, only rolled his eyes and waved them off, focused more on Naga as Opal and Nel made their way out. After setting Nobu gently nearby, Nel led the other young man out and went to Soot to reassure him that everything was all right. "Of course." He reassured with a little smile. "Do you want to ride, or would you rather we walk? I don't have a second tow line, so we'll stay grounded either way." He was not confident enough to be like Lily and take people for joy rides on Infernus with only herself as the safety belt.


Lily had taken to searching around the edge of the lake while Noah looked, and only held up her hands when he looked at her. "I don't see any where they might have rolled in on accident. Since it's such a little dragon egg, maybe there was only one? Theres only so much room in the dragon Mama's tummy, after all."

Infenrus had caught a bit of a scent during a short shift of the breeze, but had no desire to have her move towards it and didn't try to go towards it. It was possible it was just the local wildlife.
 
Soot chirped happily when Nel returned, stretching out his neck to give the boy a lick on the cheek.

"I'd love to ride. Especially if we're staying on the ground," Opal agreed with a smile. "Ah - how do I get up on Soot's back?" The dark dragon lowered one wing, chuffing and craning his neck around to nudge Opal forward, much to Opal's surprise. "Oh! Soot, I'm not sure if - Nel, what's he doing?"


Noah relaxed further the more time they spent searching. There were no other eggs. And the one they had found had a very good chance of hatching safely, and -

He blinked when Chaital wrinkled her nose suddenly and sneezed. Then he chuckled. "Bless you!"

Chaital licked her lips with a grimace at something in the nearby bushes. But then she went back to searching the water, not wanting to mess with the dead animal she'd caught a whiff of. It was too far gone to even be considered a snack - and besides, it smelled like a dragon. She was pretty sure there was a second egg that hadn't made it.
 
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Nel was a little distracted greeting Soot, but turned to see Opal as the young man expressed his confusion. "Oh, here, I'll show you so I can help pull you up. I think if you put your foot out just a little, Soot - just like that. Thank you, my friend. It's easiest to just step here, and here, then pull up."

He demonstrated by putting one foot on Soot's leg while reaching up to his back, than the next foot on his wing, then pulled himself up to swing his leg over the saddle and settle in. Once he was in place, he held a hand down to Opal with an easy smile. "Give me your hand, I'll help you keep your balance."

Tima, feeling the motion as Opal started to comply, sunk down to curl flat around his shoulders, trying to make herself less in the way without letting him go. The big dragons had been nice so far, but their size still made her wary.


After a while of looking around, Lily finally sat down next to Infernus in the grass and gave a big shrug. "I don't see anything around, but Nel said he was going to meet us so we might as well rest a while. It's really pretty out here."

As much as she knew they should eventually go back, she was beginning to enjoy not having to don a mask every time she went home. Being out in the fresh air, out from underneath the upper city, was a refreshing break from living the large part of most of her days in the crowded lower city.
 
Opal watched carefully while Nel climbed up on Soot's leg and made his way onto the saddle, and he smiled. It seemed easy enough. So when Nel offered a hand to help him up, he took it, copying Nel's motions and carefully climbing up onto the dragon's back. Then he settled down on the saddle and reached up to pet Tima. "Good girl, Tima! Look how high up we are, hm?"

She seemed tense, so he relaxed his voice and posture and smiled. "Don't you worry. We're safe up here. Soot and Nel will keep us safe," he promised.


"Sounds good to me," Noah said with a grin. He unbuckled himself from Chaital's saddle but stayed on her back, petting her neck. "All right, Chaital. Let's take a break from searching, huh? We've more than earned a bit of relaxation."

Chaital sniffed towards the bushes once or twice with a soft rumble, but eventually she ambled over to Infernus and Lily, settling down in the grass beside them and curling her tail around herself.
 
Tima dug claws into Opal's shirt as they moved up, but they had been filed down enough that they didn't cut him. She let go the moment they were settled, sitting herself up to put a paw on his head and look around from the new height with an interested coo as they started moving. They hadn't hit the large dragon or anything. Was he just being nice and carrying them around?

"Perfectly safe." Nel agreed with a smile, turning where he sat to look at them. "Soot's still learning how to fly with passengers, though he's been very good at it so far, so we'll just walk. He's got big legs, so it won't take so long."


Infernus chuffed at Chaital a couple of times as she came closer, nudging at her with his muzzle to convince her they shouldn't follow the scent. It wouldn't lead to good things, and it was already dead. Better to just lay peacefully in the grass.

Lily smiled when they joined her, waving a hand at Noah like he was too far away from her still. "We've all been working hard! Besides, you should rest a little if you're gonna help watch the egg later."
 
Opal smiled back at him and settled down further against the saddle. "I appreciate you both walking with us. I - I think sometime I'd maybe like to try flying, but just a little bit at a time. Heights are still kind of scary," he admitted with a shudder.

There were still times at night when he had nightmares of being dropped out of the sky.

But he was safe now, and he was going to teach Tima she was safe, too. He ran his hand down her scales and leaned back in the saddle. "What do you think, Tima? Do you like riding with Soot and Nel? They're really gentle, huh?"


"Heh, true," Noah agreed. He flopped down against Chaital, petting her side gently with a smile. Then he glanced over at Lily and tilted his head. "You're going to help me watch the egg, right? Wouldn't be very much fun all by myself," he pointed out.
 
"That's all right." Nel acknowledged, smiling a bit. "It can be scary, starting out, especially if you don't know the dragon well. Soot and I are still learning, but I know most of the riders from the Dragonry, if you have one you like most. Noah is a little daring for your first time, but Lily has been riding for most of her life, and there are plenty of others, too."

It was probably better to start with a person he knew, though. Infernus liked to fly fast but he was mellow, and Lily was caring. They would slow down for Opal if he wanted to try flying but was nervous.

Tima, intrigued by getting to ride along, climbed carefully up to flop on top of Opal's head and let her wings relax. With the breeze that blew by while they walked, it was almost a little like flying. In good spirits, she leaned forward to look at Opal upside down and gave a soft, pleased little trill. She was with him, so she was safe, and the big dragons seemed okay. Being carried by someone other than Opal was a new experience.


Lily laughed softly but good naturedly at his insistence, giving him a big smile. "I'll try my best, but I don't know if I'll make the list. Maybe if it's on Nel's shift he mind us crowding him, but I don't have much experience with hatchlings. We'd need an egg chaperone."
 
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