Author's Note: For those of you who were wondering about Æseri's name, the
Æ character can be typed with the keyboard command Alt + 0198. It also
sounds like the word "I".
~~~~~~~~~~~
"I wanna get out of here!" Æseri whined. "I'm bored! I want to get something done!" he climbed out of his bed and paced up and down between the beds.
"And the *rest* of us want to get a little peace and quiet!" Fang snapped. "Keep it down!"
"Why?" Æseri grumbled. "You're trying to squelch my ambition, aren't you?"
"No," Fang growled, "I want a little peace and quiet! Some of us are trying to rest here, Æseri." He glared. "Now shut up before I go over there and actually show you what a dragon—even an injured one—can do when irked!" He snorted, and steam rose from his face. "Got it?"
"Whatever." Æseri rolled his eyes. "I'll figure out how to get around you one of these days." He walked over to his bed and climbed back in. "Think I'll ever outrank you? Or Jen?"
Fang sighed. "I sincerely doubt it, my feisty little friend. I doubt it very, very much."
"I'm sure you do." Æseri told him. "So I'll just have to work that much harder to prove you wrong. Whatcha say? Think I'm up for it?"
"Just shut up and you'll have my support." Fang sighed again. "I really just want to get some rest. You're a rookie, so they'll be lenient with you, but they want me back at work in four days. I want to heal up as much as possible between now and then."
"All right. I'll do my best." Æseri lay down on his bed and did his best not to stir up a commotion.
**********
"I have to run the reserve defensive troops for HOW long?" Jen spluttered. "I'm not set up for that kind of stuff! Why?" she gave Sir Frostbit a glare that could freeze a person's blood in his veins.
Sir Frostbit was glad he didn't have any blood for Jen to freeze, but somehow he managed to smirk. "Fang's estimated recovery time is four more days. Right now we need regulation for the troops more than we need regulation for the Special Service. And from now on, if you put Fang out of business, you'll be filling in for him, unless we need your job done more than we need his."
"Four days…" Jen muttered under her breath. "I thought you were a good administrator, Sir Frostbit. Guess I was wrong…"
Sir Frostbit blinked. "Why do you say that?"
"After four days, I'll have done more harm than good for those troops."
"Well, the real reason we're putting *you* on the job instead of someone else is that some of the troops have been complaining about Fang's roughness with them. They say that he's 'savage' and 'unnecessarily rough' with them." Sir Frostbit smiled. "We—meaning the central triangle—would like them to know just how lucky they are."
"What's *that* supposed to mean?" Jen's icy stare grew stronger.
"You're not exactly known for your compassion."
"That's an understatement."
"Of course. But that's why we chose you, instead of some useless, softbellied twerp like Falon."
"He's not *that* bad." Jen shrugged. "But as long as I manage okay, I'll sleep easy?"
"As easy as anyone who runs the defensive troops through their exercises can sleep."
"For the next four days."
"Right."
"I suppose I'll live." Jen sighed. "When do I start?"
"Tomorrow."
"See ya later then, Sir Frostbit." Jen gave him a mocking smile and flew off.
Sir Frostbit sighed. "That woman will be the death of me if I'm not careful… even if I am." He shrugged. "Oh well. I could do worse."
**********
"Get out! OUT!" Falon zipped into the infirmary and began trying to swat Æseri out of the room. "You're more than healthy enough! You're causing a disturbance! Get out of here!"
"Sure *you* aren't causing them to lose more sleep than I was, *Professor Falon*?" Æseri sneered. "I haven't been *that* bad lately."
"Get OUT, damn you!" Falon shouted. "We don't have all day, and the sooner Fang gets out of here the better!"
"Why do you say that?" Fang asked mildly. "I've been a good boy while I've been in here. Why do you want me out so badly?"
"Because until you get out, Jen's drilling the reserve defensive troops. I wouldn't wish *her* on my worst enemy, let alone the softies in reserve." Falon sighed. "I was a defense troop once, you know. Jen's going to kill half of them and incarcerate the other half for stupidity."
"Naw, she'll more likely kill 'em." Æseri pulled himself up.
"What would *you* know about Jen's temper?" Falon snapped.
Æseri shrugged. "Not much, but she *is* the one who put me here."
"Tree?" Falon let himself smile a little.
"Yeah… that *and* a Gray-boosted Lightning attack."
"Oh, get out!" Falon chuckled slightly. "You're going to want to get some training in. maybe you'll be an active part of the gang by next year. I'd say yes if you survived *that*."
"You think it'll take that long?" Æseri looked hurt. "Don't you have *any* faith in me?"
"I only think it'll take that long because you have potential," Falon said gravely. "It took me two and a half years to get in, and then another two to get into the medical service where I wanted to be. I only run the department now by default because I was the highest ranking medical worker when the old boss was murdered."
"Ouch."
"Well, killed in a raid if you want to be exact. It's tough going, kid. Good luck."
"Thanks, Falon." Æseri grinned. "I'm going to need it."
"Don't get too cocky," Fang called. "If you do, I'll plant a tree for you!"
"I thought you were my friend, Fang!"
"I said nothing of the sort!" Fang smirked at him. "I think you have a chance, kid. And I think that maybe, if you do well, we can be friends. But not yet. Give it time."
"All right, all right." Æseri rolled his eyes. "Adults… I thought I'd get away from them sooner or later."
"You'll never escape the likes of us," Fang called after him, as if reading his thoughts. "We'll always be here, and by the time we aren't, you'll be one of us."
"That's an unsettling thought," Æseri muttered. "What *really* scares me is that it doesn't sound so bad anymore." he shrugged. "Oh well. Not a problem. I'll get over it sooner or later."
**********
Jen glided down over the gorge that the reserve defensive troops used for training. It didn't look too formidable to her. "It's not that bad." She laughed. "At least, it doesn't look half as bad as it did when I started here… but I suppose it'll do. How can I put it to use to actually *help* those misfits?"
"Well, you could get the drills from Lord Fang," said a voice from behind her. "And if you want to, make them more difficult." A Hound Knight stepped from the shadows. His Amber medallion glittered in the light.
"Who are you?" Jen sneered. "Sir Frostbit's baby brother? I haven't seen you around here before." She shielded herself with her Gray strength. "What's your name?"
"Varon," came the reply. "Actually, I'm older than Sir Frostbit and we aren't related at all. I'm an immigrant from the outside world. So's my brother, Fenrik."
"Right, right." Another Hound Knight (also wearing Amber) walked up to them. "How goes your suck-up routine, big brother?" he grinned at Jen. "He's always like this with new instructors."
Jen arched an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yup." Fenrik grinned.
"Shut up, Fenrik," Varon growled.
"No, you shut up, Varon. I know you're still jealous that I got promoted after the raid and you didn't, since that's the reason we're the same rank now DESPITE the fact that it was several years ago, but don't let that cloud what little judgment you have."
"It was twenty years," Varon snapped. "Twenty years and I still won't forgive you."
"Both of you shut up," Jen said coldly. "Varon, I'll consider your idea, and Fenrik, stop teasing your brother. But that goes for you too, Varon. I don't want you picking on him just because you're older. Personally, I think you're both acting like children, fighting over something that happened twenty years ago."
"It was actually thirty years," Fenrik told him. "And she's right, we are being stupid. That's probably the reason that we're still at Amber after all of these years."
"Probably," Jen agreed. "I think that you should learn to trust in your superiors if you want things in your little world to go right. You're grown men, start acting like it."
"*I* trust 'em." Fenrik grinned again. "Wonderful meeting you Miss… what did you say your name was?"
"I didn't," Jen snapped. "It's Jen."
"Well, it was wonderful meeting you, Miss Jen."
"And you accuse *me* of being a suck up?" Varon snarled, whirling on Fenrik. "You're accusing ME?"
Jen flew off. The brothers' conversation faded from her mind and she rolled her eyes. She'd show them all just what they were up against. She was Jen… the invincible warrior who'd been given a really stupid job and was very, VERY bad-tempered. Hercules had nothing on her.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"I wanna get out of here!" Æseri whined. "I'm bored! I want to get something done!" he climbed out of his bed and paced up and down between the beds.
"And the *rest* of us want to get a little peace and quiet!" Fang snapped. "Keep it down!"
"Why?" Æseri grumbled. "You're trying to squelch my ambition, aren't you?"
"No," Fang growled, "I want a little peace and quiet! Some of us are trying to rest here, Æseri." He glared. "Now shut up before I go over there and actually show you what a dragon—even an injured one—can do when irked!" He snorted, and steam rose from his face. "Got it?"
"Whatever." Æseri rolled his eyes. "I'll figure out how to get around you one of these days." He walked over to his bed and climbed back in. "Think I'll ever outrank you? Or Jen?"
Fang sighed. "I sincerely doubt it, my feisty little friend. I doubt it very, very much."
"I'm sure you do." Æseri told him. "So I'll just have to work that much harder to prove you wrong. Whatcha say? Think I'm up for it?"
"Just shut up and you'll have my support." Fang sighed again. "I really just want to get some rest. You're a rookie, so they'll be lenient with you, but they want me back at work in four days. I want to heal up as much as possible between now and then."
"All right. I'll do my best." Æseri lay down on his bed and did his best not to stir up a commotion.
**********
"I have to run the reserve defensive troops for HOW long?" Jen spluttered. "I'm not set up for that kind of stuff! Why?" she gave Sir Frostbit a glare that could freeze a person's blood in his veins.
Sir Frostbit was glad he didn't have any blood for Jen to freeze, but somehow he managed to smirk. "Fang's estimated recovery time is four more days. Right now we need regulation for the troops more than we need regulation for the Special Service. And from now on, if you put Fang out of business, you'll be filling in for him, unless we need your job done more than we need his."
"Four days…" Jen muttered under her breath. "I thought you were a good administrator, Sir Frostbit. Guess I was wrong…"
Sir Frostbit blinked. "Why do you say that?"
"After four days, I'll have done more harm than good for those troops."
"Well, the real reason we're putting *you* on the job instead of someone else is that some of the troops have been complaining about Fang's roughness with them. They say that he's 'savage' and 'unnecessarily rough' with them." Sir Frostbit smiled. "We—meaning the central triangle—would like them to know just how lucky they are."
"What's *that* supposed to mean?" Jen's icy stare grew stronger.
"You're not exactly known for your compassion."
"That's an understatement."
"Of course. But that's why we chose you, instead of some useless, softbellied twerp like Falon."
"He's not *that* bad." Jen shrugged. "But as long as I manage okay, I'll sleep easy?"
"As easy as anyone who runs the defensive troops through their exercises can sleep."
"For the next four days."
"Right."
"I suppose I'll live." Jen sighed. "When do I start?"
"Tomorrow."
"See ya later then, Sir Frostbit." Jen gave him a mocking smile and flew off.
Sir Frostbit sighed. "That woman will be the death of me if I'm not careful… even if I am." He shrugged. "Oh well. I could do worse."
**********
"Get out! OUT!" Falon zipped into the infirmary and began trying to swat Æseri out of the room. "You're more than healthy enough! You're causing a disturbance! Get out of here!"
"Sure *you* aren't causing them to lose more sleep than I was, *Professor Falon*?" Æseri sneered. "I haven't been *that* bad lately."
"Get OUT, damn you!" Falon shouted. "We don't have all day, and the sooner Fang gets out of here the better!"
"Why do you say that?" Fang asked mildly. "I've been a good boy while I've been in here. Why do you want me out so badly?"
"Because until you get out, Jen's drilling the reserve defensive troops. I wouldn't wish *her* on my worst enemy, let alone the softies in reserve." Falon sighed. "I was a defense troop once, you know. Jen's going to kill half of them and incarcerate the other half for stupidity."
"Naw, she'll more likely kill 'em." Æseri pulled himself up.
"What would *you* know about Jen's temper?" Falon snapped.
Æseri shrugged. "Not much, but she *is* the one who put me here."
"Tree?" Falon let himself smile a little.
"Yeah… that *and* a Gray-boosted Lightning attack."
"Oh, get out!" Falon chuckled slightly. "You're going to want to get some training in. maybe you'll be an active part of the gang by next year. I'd say yes if you survived *that*."
"You think it'll take that long?" Æseri looked hurt. "Don't you have *any* faith in me?"
"I only think it'll take that long because you have potential," Falon said gravely. "It took me two and a half years to get in, and then another two to get into the medical service where I wanted to be. I only run the department now by default because I was the highest ranking medical worker when the old boss was murdered."
"Ouch."
"Well, killed in a raid if you want to be exact. It's tough going, kid. Good luck."
"Thanks, Falon." Æseri grinned. "I'm going to need it."
"Don't get too cocky," Fang called. "If you do, I'll plant a tree for you!"
"I thought you were my friend, Fang!"
"I said nothing of the sort!" Fang smirked at him. "I think you have a chance, kid. And I think that maybe, if you do well, we can be friends. But not yet. Give it time."
"All right, all right." Æseri rolled his eyes. "Adults… I thought I'd get away from them sooner or later."
"You'll never escape the likes of us," Fang called after him, as if reading his thoughts. "We'll always be here, and by the time we aren't, you'll be one of us."
"That's an unsettling thought," Æseri muttered. "What *really* scares me is that it doesn't sound so bad anymore." he shrugged. "Oh well. Not a problem. I'll get over it sooner or later."
**********
Jen glided down over the gorge that the reserve defensive troops used for training. It didn't look too formidable to her. "It's not that bad." She laughed. "At least, it doesn't look half as bad as it did when I started here… but I suppose it'll do. How can I put it to use to actually *help* those misfits?"
"Well, you could get the drills from Lord Fang," said a voice from behind her. "And if you want to, make them more difficult." A Hound Knight stepped from the shadows. His Amber medallion glittered in the light.
"Who are you?" Jen sneered. "Sir Frostbit's baby brother? I haven't seen you around here before." She shielded herself with her Gray strength. "What's your name?"
"Varon," came the reply. "Actually, I'm older than Sir Frostbit and we aren't related at all. I'm an immigrant from the outside world. So's my brother, Fenrik."
"Right, right." Another Hound Knight (also wearing Amber) walked up to them. "How goes your suck-up routine, big brother?" he grinned at Jen. "He's always like this with new instructors."
Jen arched an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yup." Fenrik grinned.
"Shut up, Fenrik," Varon growled.
"No, you shut up, Varon. I know you're still jealous that I got promoted after the raid and you didn't, since that's the reason we're the same rank now DESPITE the fact that it was several years ago, but don't let that cloud what little judgment you have."
"It was twenty years," Varon snapped. "Twenty years and I still won't forgive you."
"Both of you shut up," Jen said coldly. "Varon, I'll consider your idea, and Fenrik, stop teasing your brother. But that goes for you too, Varon. I don't want you picking on him just because you're older. Personally, I think you're both acting like children, fighting over something that happened twenty years ago."
"It was actually thirty years," Fenrik told him. "And she's right, we are being stupid. That's probably the reason that we're still at Amber after all of these years."
"Probably," Jen agreed. "I think that you should learn to trust in your superiors if you want things in your little world to go right. You're grown men, start acting like it."
"*I* trust 'em." Fenrik grinned again. "Wonderful meeting you Miss… what did you say your name was?"
"I didn't," Jen snapped. "It's Jen."
"Well, it was wonderful meeting you, Miss Jen."
"And you accuse *me* of being a suck up?" Varon snarled, whirling on Fenrik. "You're accusing ME?"
Jen flew off. The brothers' conversation faded from her mind and she rolled her eyes. She'd show them all just what they were up against. She was Jen… the invincible warrior who'd been given a really stupid job and was very, VERY bad-tempered. Hercules had nothing on her.