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Ethalas Tuath'an: They can't react the same to everything. Besides, he is nearly as curious as they are.

Chapter 25 – Dragonmeet

If any outsider had been watching, they likely would have thought the group an odd assortment. Two quiet humans, one calm and proper dragon, one chattering dragon and a small inky thing. Of course there was another darking. Jelly was keeping a low profile. Leaf had popped its head out to squeak angrily at Scamp after the smaller dragon had pelted them with questions that made it clear she thought humans were war-loving barbarians. Once Leaf appeared the questioning turned to what a darking was and how it had come to be with Daine and Numair.

Numair had to admit that the constant curiosity was a little annoying, but then he could see its purpose also. Dragons could count on being around for centuries. Without curiosity to drive them, they might become complacent and lose the ability to organize their minds in the way the creatures had for centuries. It was one of things that he supposed truly separated them from wyverns and it was why they considered themselves cousins to basilisks, who improved themselves by means of the same thirst for knowledge.

And despite all he had learned of dragons from Tkaa and Kitten, Numair found that he was vastly ignorant on such things as social structure. He made the mistake of asking if the grandfather both Scamp and Grizzle referred to was the king. Scamp had no notion of what a king was and though Grizzle seemed to know basically, both dragons had a misconception that all mortals were ruled by a king. Numair didn't correct it. Although he was certain that the two would find the information fascinating, he could envision being barraged with questions until mid-winter.

--I wouldn't like to be mortal – Scamp was saying after Daine confirmed for her that mortals had to change leaders regularly because of their lifespan. –Uncle Moonwind has been teaching me about mortality. It sounds uncomfortable –

--He's not really our uncle – Grizzle corrected. –Just like Grandsire isn't our grandfather, exactly. He's our great-great-great… I don't remember how many greats. There are a lot of them. Grandfather. He's the oldest –

--No,—interrupted Scamp. –Moonwind, Rainbow, and Cometfern are older.— Numair was struggling not to laugh. It had just dawned on him why people were so irritated by his lists.

--He's the biggest,-- Grizzle continued impatiently. --Now what are you looking ?—demanded the older dragon: Scamp was staring at the sky. When she did not answer, Grizzle looked up. –Uh-oh.—

They could see something enormous cresting over a hill. It could only be another dragon – this one blue-green. As it grew closer they could make out giant, batlike wings outlined in silver.

"Is there a problem?" Numair asked.

--It's Jewelclaw,-- replied Grizzle. –He's not very nice.—

--He can't do anything, -- Scamp said, but she trembled obviously. Waves of pink, the color that Kitten always exhibited when she was frightened washed over her body. Turning to Grizzle, Numair saw that her gray scales seemed to be slightly rose tinted as well. –They're here to see Grandsire, not him.—

Jewelclaw lit on the ground in front of them and strode ominously forward. Numair suspected the intention was intimidation as the air shimmered slightly around the large dragon. That was similar to the tactics he had used to keep Volney Rain from gossiping about the portrait of Daine that Numair had commissioned from him. This dragon was larger than he had ever imagined. He had once seen an adult dragon. Kit's mother was about twenty feet long. This dragon was probably twice that with a tail of about twenty feet. His emerald colored eyes fixed on them with a cold stare. Lightning began to jump over his scales. Whatever this dragon knew of mortals had been enough to make him prejudiced to their presence here.

--Who let mortals into the Dragonlands?—his mind-voice roared. You two will find this to be far more serious than your usual pranks! He ruffled his scales indignantly and the grass under his talons began to scorch.

Grizzle jumped between Jewelclaw and the humans crying, –You can't touch them--. She behaved bravely but was clearly afraid. Her scales no longer showed any gray – they were puce. Scamp had also turned completely pink, but scrambled to stand next to Grizzle in shoulder-to-shoulder defiance of the larger dragon. Grizzle added, ­--They are under Grandsire's protection.—

--Then Diamondflame will answer to the Dragonmeet! Out of my way!—Jewelclaw commanded. –They will be my captives!—

--No! She's the one who's raising Skysong!—Scamp's voice was shrill, but firm.

--Raising? Or imprisoning?—

Numair felt his temper surge and crossed his arms. He kept his voice calm and said, "If you know anything about the young members of your race, you know that captivity is not an issue. I do not believe there is a cage that could hold Kit – Skysong – if she wished to get out." This was mostly true, although Ozorne had managed to cage the young dragon for a time. Numair didn't doubt she would have found a way out eventually.

Numair heard Leaf begin to chitter angrily at Jewelclaw from Daine's shoulder and then to his surprise, Jelly thrust its head from his shirt and added its own squeaks to the tirade.

--Must we tell Grandsire you took them from us?— Grizzle asked threateningly.

--The old newt has gone senile—snarled Jewelclaw. He flew off abruptly, creating so much wind with his wings that the whole party staggered.

--He is not senile!—Scamp shouted, but it got no reaction. Then the smaller dragon grumbled, --I'll bet his mother was a wyvern.— Clearly it was an insult in poor taste, but Numair had to struggle not to snigger at it.

--Scamp!—Grizzle chastised.

--I don't care. He's mean. He's always rotten. Come on,-- Scamp said, motioning to Numair and Daine. –Before anyone else comes after us.—

Their path took them to a bridge that looked like it was made from spun glass. The two dragons raced across it fearlessly, but Daine and Numair were hesitant. It looked like mere humans might slide right off. They tested the bridge gingerly with their feet. At that moment a crackling filled the air. Grizzle and Scamp halted abruptly and reared up to look around. Numair felt Jelly skitter back to hide in his shirt.

-There has been a change.—The voice boomed in Numair's head from every direction. He turned to Daine and saw her wince. He knew she could hear it too.

--Grandsire, Jewelclaw came and yelled,-- Scamp cried indignantly.

--I know it. He and the other Separatists have been dinning my ears since our guests came through the portal. They have called the Dragonmeet.—

Whatever the Dragonmeet was, it must not be a good thing. Scamp seemed to shrink back and turned a nauseating color of pinkish-green. Grizzle simply said, -Uh-oh.-

--Take them to the amphitheatre,-- ordered the voice. –Do not enter the floor with them, mind. Sit among our people. The voice and the presence faded from their surroundings.

--Turn back,-- Grizzle said, dropping to all fours. –At least it isn't far to go.—

Numair and Daine carried on a brief discussion with their eyes. She looked as nervous as he felt. "May we get a drink?" he heard her ask. "And I need to relieve myself." The dragons nodded and Daine slipped behind the bushes. Numair turned to the guides and said, "These separatists aren't fond of humans are they?"

Grizzle said, --That's an understatement.--

He went to the stream to drink and wash his face and Daine soon joined him.

"What do you think?" he asked her in a whisper.

"We have to go. We can't force dragons, only persuade."

He smiled to her reassuringly. Inside, however, he felt anything but sure about what they would face in the coming moments.

Scamp and Grizzle looked at them anxiously from where they stood on the stream bank. –Are you finished?—Grizzle asked. –It's a bad idea to keep a Dragonmeet waiting.—

They followed the dragons uphill from the bridge on a broad track through tall grass. At the top of the hill they found themselves looking into a deep, tiered oval in the earth. Though it was landscaped to seem as natural as possible, it clearly wasn't. A huge blue formation that vaguely resembled a dragon lay at one end of the arena. Numair wondered if it was an artist rendition of a great historical figure or was merely aesthetically pleasing to dragons in some strange way.

The tiers looked like they were built as seating for dragons and many of the creatures had already gathered. Numair saw Jewelclaw on the western ramp. Miniature lightning still played over his scales and he glared angrily at them before returning to his conversation with a sixty-foot dragon with pearl-white scales. That dragon had fire dancing intermittently along his scales as well.

--The pearly one – that's Moonwind,-- Grizzle introduced. –She's one of the oldest. Her grandson Summerwing was the last dragon to willingly visit the mortal realms. That was before the Dragonmet put a ban on visits. Umm… --

--Stay away from Moonwind,-- Scamp advised. –She isn't even nice to people she likes.—

"Just how old is this dragon?" Numair asked.

Scamp cocked her head, --Fifty-five centuries, I think—

--Fifty-nine,-- corrected Grizzle. –Come on. This way.—The gray and black dragon began to lead them toward the arena floor.

"Your grandsire said you weren't to come with us," Daine reminded quietly.

Numair looked around the room. There were dragons of all colors and sizes here. The amassed knowledge in this room must be staggering.

Suddenly seven young dragons barreled toward them, swarming around Daine and Numair with such evident curiousity in their eyes that he found it almost comical. One was nearly as small as Kit while others were as big or bigger than Scamp and Grizzle. A handful of Dragons fifteen and twenty feet long, walked majestically behind them. Numair was reminded of the young ladies of court as they were introduced each season – noses in the air as if they were too perfect to be bothered by lesser persons, but stealing glances at everyone and everything around them.

--We'll all escort you,-- Grizzle announced proudly. Numair and Daine found themselves being swept along to the arena floor by an entourage of young dragons.

They were treated to a swarm of questions from every direction. It was hard to tell who had asked what. --Are you mortals?-- -Of course they are stupid. How long do you live?--- --What are the mortal realms like?—Do you spend all your time killing each other?-- --Why do you spend all your time killing each other-- --What do you eat?-- --Have you ever met any of the Great Gods?-- --What precisely is a catapult used for?-- --Why don't humans have wings?-- --Where do you go when you die?-- --How many humans are there?-- Numair kept trying to answer each politely, but it was like trying to bail water from a sinking ship with a soup spoon. And suddenly the air seemed to explode near them as a sixty-foot dragon appeared out of thin air.

--Aunt Nightbreath!—Grizzle exclaimed. –You're not supposed to materialize so close to everyone else!—

--Oh, tut,-- the dragon replied, --I haven't fouled anyone in a materialization since I was your age. I was in a hurry. This may be my only chance to see humans before these two are made into fertilizer for Moonwind's rosebushes.—Numair sized her up, slightly irritated. She looked mischievous and was obviously trying to scare them. He could see the end of the spell gathering into her flesh with another spiral twist.

And suddenly he understood something for the first time about dragon magic that was the kind of epiphany that might just help them if it came down to it. Dragon magic was not that much different than the gift. But they used their power differently, building into each spell another spell to recharge them. It was brilliant really. Unlike himself, they could recharge endlessly. Humans couldn't use the same kind of recharging spell, but he could gather the power from them. He felt Daine's hand reach for his own and laced his fingers with hers, squeezing lightly to reassure her. They walked hand-in-hand to the center of the amphitheatre floor and they and their escort stopped there. "It will be alright," he told Daine, but she didn't seem to be able to hear him.

Three dragons materialized on the highest part of the arena. The blast of air cause by their arrival made Numair and Daine stagger and Numair felt Daine's hand tighten in his own. All three of those new arrivals were at least 100 feet in length. The biggest one was easily 120 feet long and colored a delicate, pale green.

--That's Wingjade. My father.—Scamp introduced.

"Biiiig," commented Leaf.

"Too big," squeaked Jelly from the V in Numair's shirt.

--We start,-- boomed a golden dragon directly across the amphitheatre from where they stood. –Diamondflame is charged with ignoring the will of the Dragonmeet, and with permitting humans to enter the Dragonlands. Humans, the question is asked: Why have you come here?—

Numair looked to Daine, who was pale and nervous. As much as loved her, he wasn't officially anything to Kit, and had no right to speak. "You should do the talking," he said softly. "You're Kitten's guardian."

She opened her mouth as if to reply but a mind-voice interrupted with –No one cares what they want! Kill them!—Searching for the speaker, Numair saw a mottled black and white dragon sit up. Then they heard it again. –Kill them and bring Skysong home!—

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I hate to leave it here. It has gotten so long that I need to break. Sadly I did not get to the part that is extremely different. Hopefully you can bear with me for some magical explanations and what happens when Daine was knocked out.