Alright, if I mix these with the other… oh, what's the use!" Rose said, flopping back down on the ground. "I'll never be able to get this right in time for the invasion unless something changes fast!" Rose complained, flopping to the side.
"Hey, do you mind if I come in there?" Rose heard a voice from above say from above.
"Skull, is that you?" Rose asked, looking up. "Because if that's someone else who's trying to wake me up, you're in for an unpleasant surprise." She said.
"Well, it really is me. Can I come in?" he asked, and this time, Rose was content.
"Sure, you can come down here. I have a few books that aren't quite legal for you to see, but feel free to look over my shoulder at your own risk." Rose said, smiling. Some company would be a nice change.
"Ok, I'll just take that as a yes." Skull said, jumping down. "What is it that you're doing up?"
"I could ask you the same thing, but I bet the answer would either be similar in at least one respect. Even though I no longer absolutely have to do something with my power really often, I still enjoy doing some more mundane things with it. Right now, I'm multiplying my physical energy and mental calmness so that I can work on a project. If I tell you any more, you might be subject to a mind wipe, but go ahead and as if you want to. I wouldn't be the one giving the mind wipe either way." Rose said, smirking as she moved over.
"Ok. What are you working on?" Skull asked, "Unless you don't want to spill whatever grey aria you're talking about now."
"No, I really do want to work on it." Rose said, rolling her eyes. "And I would like a set of fresh eyes. I'm trying to figure out a way that I can teach my pet how to let me ride her."
"Cool. Is she some sort of reptile?" Skull asked, frowning. "You know, it's really strange that-"
"The only reason that I'm allowed to show her to you is that no one will be able to know what species she is. Needless to say, she's extremely dangerous and I'm only getting to cross the red tape about her species because of connections." Rose said, smirking.
"You're saying that you have connections while you're trapped here? Most of the new recruits end up dying on their first battle, yet you think that you have people who can change that?" Skull asked, curious.
"Well, it's complicated." Rose admitted, settling down. "I have all sorts of connections and influence, but it's all limited to a secret society that my parents were a part of. I have the means to step over all sorts of rules that they have, but it comes at a cost. The person who's handing out that favor thinks that blood should stick together regardless of circumstance, and they absolutely will not hear anything about me or Dudley being separated from Vernon. I didn't even bring it up, but I have some very compelling evidence that he has some idea what I'm going through right now. Assuming that I survive and get back to school next year, I'll go back to all of the influence and fame I had to leave." Rose said, frowning.
"Sounds an awful lot like someone is trying to make sure that you in particular stay." Skull noted, empathy growing. "By letting you see the supposed worst that this world, or at least whatever it is they think you're doing right now, most people would forever associate the good and bad parts on a scale where you're weighted against here." Skull said, understanding.
"I guess that could be his intention." Rose said, shrugging. "I'm not really sure. What I do know is that he already has threatened to go after my pet. When he first handed her to me, he could have taken her away just by revoking my special treatment. Right now, though, the only thing that could take Snapdragon away would be death or my license running out."
"Boy, that sucks. Hey, do you want any tips on how I ride Ocado?" Skull asked.
"Well, I think that your octopus is a little small for anyone to ride, but you just showed me yesterday how you can change that." Rose said, shrugging.
"Exactly. I still think that your Gigantica trick was overkill, but you can do you." Skull said, shuddering. "I think that the boss would be very angry at you if it wasn't so intimidating."
"That and how wealthy all the meat that I'm propagating for him makes the guy look." Rose said, smiling.
"Hey, I've never met anyone with enough precision not to leave traces of their flames in things that they use flames on before you." Skull said, bumping her shoulder. "Still, do you want some tips?" he asked.
"I would, actually. There's no way that I could get a saddle made for her, as Snapdragon's still a juvenile, but some tips on riding her and not falling off would be good." Rose said, setting aside her theory work.
"Well, what is it that she can do?" Skull asked, "And I'm totally not doubting how wonderful your pet is." He added quickly.
"I know that you wouldn't." Rose said, smiling. "Well, I've made a few makeshift bits for her and tugged her around with them enough for her to get the basic idea of steering. I've been looking into a few methods of trying to stay on and lead her around, but I'd like some guarantee that she isn't going to get hurt by however I try and stay on." Rose said, frown taking over her joy. "I would never want to hurt her, but my death would be the worst thing that could happen to her."
"Well, let's see what you have to work with first." Skull said, trying to be optimistic.
"I was able to bring this wire, and I have some leather strips leftover that I could pad them with. Other than that, I just have Snapdragon." Rose said, frowning as she rubbed her dragon's side.
"Well, it's a good thing that you didn't try anything with just those." Skull said, frowning. "if you got her where she was delicate, I but this could cut of circulation. Well, why don't you try watching how I move around on Ocado for a little before we think about you actually riding your creature." Skull said, picking up a small jar from practically no-were. Waking the creature up, Skull carefully fed just enough flames into Ocado for him to be big enough to ride on. "Now, see?" Skull asked, moving from one end of the room to the other carefully. "Ocado holds me around the middle with one appendage and already has an idea where I want him to go. Is that in any way possible for you're creature?" Skull asked.
"Listen, the identity masking trinket is very specific. If you try and identify her, your brain will get redirected until you go crazy. As long as you don't try to guess what she is, you'll be able to enjoy the full experience of being near her. Now, if you can keep your thoughts on point, go ahead and rub her down and see whether I'd want to risk getting carried off." Rose suggested, wanting to get impossibilities out of Skull's head as soon as possible.
"Well, if you're sure." Skull agreed, going closer and fallowing Rose's assistance and direction. "Thick scales, forelegs, ouch- those are claws. Yeah, no carrying would be for the best. Shoulders, I think, and wings. Wings! What kind of-"
"You don't want to know." Rose said, and Skull got himself back under control.
"Right. I don't want to know. She's jot, wings right between the shoulder blades and neck, but they don't seem very big."
"Very good. Her wings won't start growing until she's hit the big end of the juvenile age." Rose said. "Once those legs of hers are settled, the ball-socket joints of her wings will fuse with the ball-socket joints of her forelimbs. Once that's attached, and it's going to be a very painful prosses for my darling, the shoulder blades will reform as loose protrusions that are a fixed place on her spine. They'll be a lot thicker, and they'll be the only fully solid bone in her body. Everything else will hallow out and reinforce, but the shoulder blades will become an essential point of attachment and nothing else." Rose said, smiling.
"How would she actually move her limbs after that?" Skull asked.
"Magnetic deposits on ball-and-socket joints, a similar mechanism to a door with a handle on both sides for the shoulder blades, and I'm hoping that her spine fuses and reinforces in time for me to really rid her." Rose said, daydreaming about the possibilities.
"Well, I know a way that you could get around that, but it might end up messing with her development." Skull said, torn between two very different urges: the long term and short-term ways for Rose to thrive. It was a delicate balance, making sure that Rose had a tomorrow versus making sure it would be a bright tomorrow. "If you temporarily make the bones solidify and fuse, then Snapdragon will be able to bear your weight better. On the flip side, if you solidify the wrong things, she'll get her range of motion severely limited." Skull said, frowning.
"I'd be willing to risk it for up to five vertebrae, but with how long she should get I wouldn't do more." Rose said, frowning.
"That would be more than big enough for you to secure one pair of stirrups, but you wouldn't get a saddle ever." Skull said, trying to make sure that she knew the risks involved.
"If I'm just doing stirrups, then I could cut that number down to three." Rose said, tracing Snapdragon's upper back. "I wouldn't go anywhere near her shoulders, because she'll need that maneuverability for flight, but right here isn't needed for anything but more elaborate courtship displays."
"So, she isn't neutered?" Skull asked.
"Goodness no. Nesting instincts are the only way that they can be corralled at all. The only natural instincts observed in this whole genus are fighting, hunting, playing, and protecting. If I get rid of the protection instinct, then I'll just have an overgrown lap-dog that won't be able to understand the concept of anyone being off the menu." Rose said, frowning.
"Yeah, that would be kind of bad." Skull said, only half understanding. "Well, I could help you make some stirrups for that one spot and fasten them, but I couldn't make them stick on." He said, frowning.
"Is there any shielding or cloaking mechanisms for the place that we're invading?" Rose asked suddenly, a thought occurring to her.
"Yeah. Nothing can reach satellite, radio, or any number of tracking devices in there." Skull said, smiling. "I don't see where you're heading with that, however." He said, frowning.
"If I could make some stirrups, just something that I could stick my feet in and stand on safely, then I could attach it to Snapdragon just as soon as we enter the island and have a sudden surprise ace." Rose said, smiling as she scratched her familiar behind the ear. Snapdragon sighed, content, and a tendril of fire coursed out of her nostril.
"You taught you're pet how to channel your sky flame?!" Skull asked, startled. He went for the most obvious explanation that didn't assign a species to Snapdragon he could think of. "This makes it so much easier!" he said, talking fast to try and convince himself of it. "If she's already getting a constant stream of your flames, and all flame familiars get that, then if you can figure out the sky flying trick then you can ride her without either of you feeling your weight." Skull said, relaxing. Yeah, that was possible. "Let's get to work on the stirrups right now, and then you can test how you can made things fly with your flame immediately after." Skull said, very determined to go with that explanation. He never did notice the pattern drawn in blood on the floor next to him.
