Temeraire shifted and flapped his wings vigorously trying to loosen his wing muscles, in a few short hours the newly made ornamental cherry wood gates to what was now being called a Dragon park, zoo and breeding grounds would open, and they would be inundated with the first of their now expected daily visitors. Carefully he made his way back up the hill side, walking instead of flying, the armor was bulky and cumbersome, restricting the movement of his wings, and in places it even cut into the softer flesh near the joints of his wings. The soft skin was already beginning toughen and callous under the constant scrape of the leather and jointed metal.

He missed Laurence, he missed having someone take off his harness daily, and he missed the soft caress of a moistened rag running across his hide as his captain carefully helped him to clean up after a meal. These where all the everyday little things, Laurence had preformed until age stole the ability to do so from him, never once complaining or making him feel like he was little more the a time consuming exotic pet.

He missed the companionship dearly.

Finally after reaching the cave he'd long ago claimed as his own, he lowered his head stretching out his neck so that it was almost parallel to the ground and tucked his wings tightly against his back. The cave had seemed roomy enough when he'd first moved into it, but now the entrance was a bit snug, with only 6 feat of clearance on any side.

Before the announcement of the reintroduction of dragons to the world he'd been considering enlarging the cave or possibly even moving as the inner chamber while larger was becoming a bit snug, actually it was only just large enough to stand up in – assuming he didn't hold his head up proudly while he was standing.

Now he was determined to endure it until he had the chance to leave and return to his native China, where the large population – should mean that the chances where high he would find Laurence there. If his captain wasn't in China he would move on until he reached Brittan from there he would press on – if he had to he would search the entire world.

Almost reverently he arranged his gold chain, talon sheaths, and Laurence's sword, to his liking his own breastplate was crushed against his breast bone by the armor he was currently wearing, rather unpleasantly, but he had refused to let them take it off.

For now he would endure – but as soon as they took off the armor he would find a way to leave. However since he was stuck here, he would watch the throngs of visitors to see if he could find his captain.

The sound of drums told him that the park was opening and that it was time for him to perform like a damned dancing bear. With an annoyed snarl that had more in common with water striking white hot stone then a growl he left his cave determined to at least search for his captain. Still he paused at his entryway and had to steel himself for the aggravation to come.

For the chance to find you again Laurence, I will endure this.

~~~***~~~

Conrart Laurence Weller sighed as he stood amidst the many other park visitors waiting to be admitted. He kept a practiced eye on his godson and the Great Sage Ken Murata, while at the same time looking out for the two other boys in his charge. In some ways his apparent youth was working against him. The two boys he was supervising where of the opinion that he wasn't going to keep them in line since he was only a year or two their senior. They'd already found out they were wrong last night at the hotel when he'd caught them Trying to sneak into the girls hotel rooms, and again a few hours later when he caught them trying to sneak out of the window.

He'd been so annoyed he'd stood them in opposite corners like little boys.

They were lucky he couldn't deal with them in the same way he could deal with his cadets.

To make matters worse he'd twice been mistaken for a boy, it was a bit annoying – but nothing he couldn't handle. He was physically the youngest of the chaperones although in truth he'd seem more in terms of years and in the case of one military father, military engagements. The man – a captain in his own right, had the tendency to call him cadet.

That actually was the most difficult to handle.

However the man had seen the 'Military in his demeanor' and had decided that do to his youth he had to be a cadet. So he'd taken the time to tell him tails his past engagements and the glorious things he could look forward to in his future Career as a man of the military. The most embarrassing part of it all came when the man asked him what his fastest time was for assembling some odd bit of Earth technology or another. He'd been forced to admit that he'd never even heard of what he was talking about, the man had then gone off on a rather long winded tangent about something called a Raffle. Conrad's only response to that one had been to nod and finally lean over and enquire – in his own language just what a Raffle was. Yuri bless him had managed not to laugh (much) at his predicament and explained that a Rifle was apparently the current earth equivalent of a crossbow – but a lot faster and more deadly.

Beyond that since all of the other chaperones where in their late 30's to middle 40's, well so far he'd had his hair ruffled, his back patted and had been pronounced 'cute' on several occasions. It was humiliating! It took every ounce of his will power not to go find the nearest body of water and stand in it until Yuri, Murata or the grate one himself sent him home where he wasn't in imminent danger of having his cheeks pinched again.

Finally after what seemed like hours the gates began to open and they all filed in. first they were lead into a huge chamber with rice paper walls and told a story of how the first Japanese Samurai had befriended and cared for a young dragon with an injured wing. In return for his kindness the dragon had later saved his life in battle. Over the years their friendship had grown and the dragon had consented to carrying him into battle. That dragon had later given her eggs to the man's clan, and they had taken to the air, eventually becoming the Kaze Samurai, and the dragon Breeders, who's decedents still occupied the different Japanese preserves.

It was an interesting story.

Finally after what seemed like 5 minutes but was really 3 hours, they had moved through the interior sections of the park past glass covered enclosures where the Kaze Samurai – as they still thought of themselves) where busily tending to the eggs of their charges, and other areas where hatchlings where being fed, and taught by a small but apparently fully grown dragon that was hardly larger then a boar hound. First they were led outside and introduced to the hatchlings of the different Japanese species; there were only 7 of them.

They were cute little things long and sinuous. Nothing like the dragons from his own world, or even like Temeraire - who he remembered as a hatchling in his dreams; however they were a lot closer to Temmy then anything on his world cold ever possibly be. The dragonets chirped at them as they gently petted the soft, silky, warm hide, and most amazingly of all spoke a few scattered words of Japanese.

It made him think.

If these Dragons could speak any human language, then it was possible for his dreams of Laurence and Temeraire to be true. Although he still didn't know what it meant. He bit his bottom lip in an old gesture of disquiet . after a few minutes he turned and asked Yuri in a quiet undertone, "Heika, does the name Napoleon mean anything to You?"

Yuri, who was buisy petting a small blue dragon, looked up at him. "Is that a name from one of your dreams?" the boy asked quietly.

Conrart nodded

"He was a dictator that lived in the 1800's; he tried to take over much of the European world. He was -" Yuri told him quietly.

"French no he was Co -." Conrart finished for him when the young king broke off, but he couldn't for the life of him pronounce the name of the place of Neapolitan's birth. Finally he just gave up.

Yuri offered him a small smile, "Right."

Somehow that, made him feel a lot better. Just knowing that at least here someone had heard of some part of his dreams as a recognizable part of history, made him feel less like his sanity wasn't teetering on the edge of a knife's blade. At length they moved into another area of the park, Young Children where clambering up and down the back of a few enormous dragons.

Somehow he could tell that these Animals where past their prime, each scale was tinged with red, because age had sapped the color from them until each gleaming scale was almost translucent. Their eyes were almost milky from cataracts. Idly he wondered whether the poor things where arthritic as well. Regardless he hoped that these people had given thought to the ailments of age before setting their youngsters to scrambling across the poor dragon's backs, as if they were nothing more than a living, breathing obstacle course and jungle gym to be traversed.

Even if they had, the inattentive parents of the boisterous children in the seething mass of visitors had little thought to the geriatric dragons comfort. They however did seem eager to be rid of their overly energetic offspring and the park itself had allowed them to forget – however briefly – the raw lethal power of the creatures their children where clambering all over.

Their guild cast an uncaring glance over in the general direction of the elder dragons with their happily squealing burdens of immature human flesh, when one dragon snorted in annoyance. The hard soul of one booted young foot stuck into his nostril because several young souls had taken it upon themselves to scale his face rather than his harness. Their guild raised an eyebrow at the sight, but turned away and kept right on talking.

For Conrart – who had grown up in a land where dragons were protected under law and were all but revered in lore and in life – it was inconceivable.

One child, determined to climb up the dragon's face, stuck his foot into the poor creature's eye and grabbed hold of one of the spines jetting up from the Animal's brow. The small child who he realized was hardly older than 4 attempted to haul himself up, Causing the dragon to hiss in pain.

The boy it seemed didn't quite have the upper body strength to pull off the move without the use of his feet, which where flailing precariously close to the Dragon's eye, as he attempted to find another toehold.

The second hiss of pain was more than Conrart could endure, if the boy's parents weren't going to do something to help the poor dragon – he certainly would! Without thinking he left his spot by Yuri's side and forced his way through the crowd, past their guild and made his way to the dragon's side. Gently he lifted the small child, who he now realized was in fact a girl, up onto the dragon's head. He kept his voice soft and gentle as he admonished the child to be careful; lest he hurt the dragon who was being kind enough to let him climb on top of his head so that he might have a better view of the world.

Conrad managed not to jump in surprise when the dragon's deep rumbling voice thanked him in flawless Japanese.

"Thank you for your assistance, it is nice to find a Hatchling who was taught manners, tell me child what is your name?" the Dragon rumbled.

Conrart blinked, not sure if he was being asked his name or if the young girl was, however since the address had started out being directed at him he answered anyway – mildly amused by the dragon's use of the term hatchling. "I am Conrart Laurence Weller, with whom do I have the honor of conversing?"

The dragon snorted, steam billowing forth from the great bluish, silver nostrils. "it is rare that I find one who is so proper, I am Called Mashimizu. Tell me Conrart, where is your dragon? Your soul cries out at the loss, as if begging for the one to who the bond was originally formed."

Conrart honestly didn't know how to take that bit of information. "I have no dragon Companion, I was born outside the preserve, in a different land."

"However?" Mashimizu prompted mildly.

Conrart flushed, "I have seen the land from the skies, in my dreams since I was in swaddling- cloths, and often in my dreams I spoke with a great dragon who spoke back. I had begun to fear for my sanity before my … before a member of my family found out about this place and brought me here."

The dragon raised his head causing the child seated on top of him to squeal in delight. "it is sadly a reality faced by many humans who should have been reunited with their companions these long years of isolation. Young Conrart I hope the sands of time smile on you and that your Companion is on these grounds. You are not mine, nor my mate's but there are a few others here who saw the first closing of the great gates. Perhaps your companion is among them. You should go your group is moving, again. Will you see to it that this hatchling upon my head is brought back to the group safely?"

Conrart bowed, and waited for the great dragon to lower his head, and he reached up to take the child down. He had no illusions; he'd just spent a few minutes talking with a dragon that likely could have swallowed him whole without much trouble.

It was a humbling experience.

He handed the girl back to her parents to her father's thanks and pushed his way back through the crowd to his godson's side feeling lighter somehow. Idly he glanced around, taking in the faces around him wondering how many people here shared his silent almost nightly torment of longing and loss he couldn't place.

Murata gave him a knowing look, the light flashing off his glasses as they finally emerged into the open air.

"We'll see a few fighting formations, and some dragon's in the armor used during the various historical battles before we proceed on to where the dragon rides will be given, however we will be ferried their on dragon-back." Their guild told them mildly. "so turn your eyes to the sky."

~~~***~~~

Temeraire flew quietly over the heads of the gathered crowd feeling the burning ach in his chest getting stronger and stronger with each group he flew for. He didn't know what it was he was feeling. However he flew proudly, each stroke of his wings sure and graceful, as he preformed aerobatic maneuvers along the fringes of his formation. Mashimizu, had told him to fly with courage today. He told him to fly as if he flew for his beloved captain, to show the colors of his wings with pride and not to forget that he had seen battles unlike the youngsters he flew beside. If he flew like this he would be saving more then he could possibly know. Mashimizu was a seer so he followed his instructions. He was beginning to suspect what he was saving was his own pride and his spirit.

However he could handle that.

Someday soon he would leave to find his captain again, unlike the other's who had had a captain before the breeding grounds had closed he could still fly off to find his captain in this life, and he would have the chance to spend more than just his dying days with them again.

They were just finishing their display, when he heard it. a soft voice he'd never heard before with a strange accent he couldn't place whispering a single word.

"Temeraire?"

~~~***~~~~

A.N. Okay so I lied, there will be more than 5 chapters. Still sick but getting better.

Mashimizu means clear water in Japanese

Temeraire ironicly means rash or reckless I don't think that was what Laurence was going for when he first named the dragonet that hatched on his ship.