Vallendels Hatching

The Falas Genetic Program Centers Last Clutch

# 17

It was weeks after he had first passionately told the Scientist and the searchrider what color he wanted when hatching time came around, unfortunately, Val hadnt bargained with the computer classes.

Coming from an abusive home like he had, Val hadnt been on the technological bandwagon, so everything that the FGPC candidates were taught was totally foreign to him, and frankly, he struggled. It also hadnt helped when the previous week, at least twenty new candidates had come in, along with a new girl named Aura.

It wasnt as if the girl was a nuisance like so many others, as a matter of fact she only nodded her head at him as greeting once in a while when they sat together in their classes, but she always seemed to be there. She had also noticed his apparent illiteracy regarding computers, and had offered to tutor him. And, being the dummy he was, he had accepted.

So now he was stuck, after class, all alone, with a female of his species(which had always notoriously made him nervous) fighting with a computer, and losing miserably. Ah how kind the fates can be...

Sighing in frustration he leaned back and winced when his back cracked rather loudly, while in front of him the program that supposedly taught him to type faster flashed in reds and yellows, scattered with greens...and those greens(check marks in fact) where only there cause those had been the times Aura had done a exercise or two for him to show him how to do the rest. Next to him Aura smiled and patted his shoulder sympathetically, her green eyes dancing with held back laughter. Seeing the look he harumphed moodily and glared at the computer monitor, his silver eyes flashing angrily, though not at her, more at himself.

That of course, only made the girls grin widen until she actually giggled. He turned his glare on her to no avail, the laughter intensified until she was gasping for breath. He huffed and turned back to the screen, and angrily started typing while Aura stifled her laughter to give him a pointer or two, then fell silent as he punched out different sequences with amazing speed. Suddenly the screen lit up with green checks and Val sat back startled, his mouth somewhat hanging open in shock at the amount of green and the little note of the bottom saying that he passed and was ready to go on to the next lesson.

"Well then Val, I guess we know how to get you through this stuff, have someone sit next to you and laugh." the girl said, then grinned broadly and cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. Val was speechless and just stared at the passing grade in amazement, only getting out a dazed, "yeah..I guess so.."Obviously his expression amused her for she broke out in laughter again, this time doubled over. "Hey, whats so funny" he asked grumpily, pushing his chair back and closing the computer down, then he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. She looked up, still laughing, took one look at his face, and started laughing with more enthusiasm.

"Hey! Come on now Aura, whats with this, I thought you were going to help me, not laugh your sharding head off!"he grumbled, standing and pushing his chair in. Still giggling, Aura did the same and followed him to the door. "Oh but I did help you, you finally passed that part after deqing it out with it for two days, and as to whats so funny, "she paused and grinned, shaking her head, "it was your expression, I almost never see any emotion on your face except anger or intense pain, and I must say, your incredible impression of a landed fish was quite a shocker."

He stopped and just stared at her, feeling somewhat out of sorts. "Am I always like that Aura? As cold as you say?" he asked, changing the subject to something that had been gnawing at his insides every since he had started to warm towards this girl. She stopped with him and her smile faded and her forest green eyes became serious. "Yeah Val, sometimes I wonder what could have happed to you to make you that way, but hey, thats none of my business, and I am actually really glad to see you act somewhat human for once." She turned away and looked thoughtfully at a picture that hung somewhat off center on the wall across from them. "But I do want to know something, why, out of all the people here, did you come to me? I mean, Im new here, not exactly an exemplary citizen, being a thief and all, and at the moment, Im not even a true candidate."

He only shrugged and continued walking, pondering the question. However she took his silence the wrong way. Catching up to him after being left behind she spoke to him in a rush, as if trying to apologize fro something, "Look Val, its ok, you dont need to answer..." but she trailed off when he shook his head and smiled at her slowly, "No its ok, I kinda started this conversation, and Ill answer you truthfully, I just have to come up with an answer first." he said softly and thought some more, absently glancing at various pictures they passed on their way to the main cafeteria for dinner. Aura only nodded and a look of relief passed across her features before she fell into step next to him as the walked through the long corridor.

It wasnt until they had actually come to the dinner hall and had their food and were actually eating it, that Val had his answer. "Youre a good person Aura, no matter what you did, and you dont want anything from me, in any way. And believe me when I tell you, I pick up on everything, no matter how small, that people want, and most of the people here, especially some of the other girls, like what they see on my outside. Sometimes I wish I were plain, so I could be left alone." Aura looked up from her food surprised, then looked around them. The place was packed, with 130 plus candidates, not to mention the riders, visitors, guests, and scientists that might want to eat with the crowd, and every table was loaded, except theirs, they were the only ones sitting there, and there was room for at least ten more people. "Val, look around, how much more alone can you get?"

Vallendel looked up at her shocked, and glanced around quickly, and slowly his silver eyes widened with understanding. "Gods Aura, Ive brought this on myself havent I?" she didnt know what to say, it was as if the floodgates had opened, for weeks she had watched him carefully, and never had he opened up as much as he had this one night. "You could say that Val, sorry to be so blunt." he only shrugged, then slowly grinned. "Thats another thing Aura, I like your honesty, its another reason I can never picture you as a thief." Blushing hotly Aura picked up her empty tray and took it to the trash cans, Vallendel following with his own tray. After disposing of them, the two quickly exited the cafeteria, both on their way to the barracks.

Without words, Vallendel stopped at the junction where the barracks went off into different directions. His was in the east wing which he shared with one other roommate, whom he rarely saw, while hers was in the west, and from what she had told him, she had three other girls rooming with her, and they annoyed her greatly from her sometimes moody days. They stood their quietly for what seemed forever before Aura looked up at him shyly, then before he could utter a word, she reached up and kissed him, and he surprised himself by responding to it, leaning down and burying his hands in her silky auburn hair, relishing the feel of her body against his, and wishing this moment would never end.

But all things do end, and when they both heard voices coming from down the hall, they broke apart hurriedly. There was an awkward silence between them as three girls came into view on their way back to their room after dinner, they fell silent as they passed Val and Aura, and picked up their pace, hurrying off into the western corridor whispering amongst themselves.

Aura was blushing uncontrollably, and Val was startled to find himself growing warm as well, and quickly he turned away. "Well, um, have a good night Aura, and Ill see you tomorrow. Same time after class?"he asked, his voice low and husky. When she didnt answer, he turned and found her nodding her head furiously. "Sure Val, seeya then, bye." she finally gasped, then stopped, and just looked at him, her eyes bright. "Val, did we really just do that? Please tell me that wasnt a dream?"

Without words he stepped closer to her and cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again in answer, surprising himself to no end. By Faranth, what AM I doing? But it just felt so good, and when she didnt resist, he held her slim body against him tighter. Finally they broke apart again when air was necessary, and not sure what words to say, he just smiled to at her and waved his hand in farewell then quickly took off at a fast walk down the hall leading to his room.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

It had been two weeks since their kiss, and while it had now become a regular occurrence at bedtime, Val wasnt sure what to do from there, and from her expression at times, neither did Aura. Val was sad to see that their computer classes were over with, that all classes were over at that, for those were the times when he spent quiet time with her, just listening to their teachers, just taking comfort from her prescence. And while Aura had finally been searched, the FGPC clutch was closed, there simply werent enough eggs. So it seemed, their little paradise was over, and the apocalypse came to their world in the form of the Lord Warder of Bavaria, also Auras guardian.

At first it had seemed to Val like she had just disappeared, she wasnt at any of the lounging areas, couldnt be found at any meals, the clinics were empty, and upon finally gathering the guts to ask her roommates, he found out that all of her stuff was gone as well. A cold feeling had settled in his stomach when he finally went to the person in charge of room assignments. After several uncomfortable hours waiting for a time to see the man, Val finally got the answer he needed. Aura had been called back to the Southern Continent, to her home hold of Bavaria, where she had been the successor. Saddened and lonely, Val had quietly thanked the man and left, his face impassive to any who saw him.

It was at that time that he went to see Seneca for the first time in weeks. The white wolf was genuinely happy to see him, and had hurriedly told him the happy news, of other visiting wolves from Alskyr, and Rerir, including her brother Emger. So at first she didnt notice the distant look in his eyes, and he didnt care, he was happy she was seeing her family again, and told her so.

After sharing news, with Val leaving his relationship with Aura out of the gossip, Val bid his older friend good night and left. After making his way towards the barracks, something finally filtered through his self contemplation, something Seneca had told him sadly, and he had figured was something regarding her family.

Oh no, Pmir... Having finally sunk in that the kind searchrider he had first met at the Silver Dragon had passed on, along with his blue, Val had to stop and use the wall for support against the grief he was feeling. No, it cant be... and Blyzska too, oh gods, this place. Aura, Seneca, the dragons, what has happened to me that I suddenly care so much...

Tears streamed unchecked down his handsome face as he thought of the two searchriders, of Pmir, especially when the man had stood by him during his emotional trial when his empathic Gift had run wild, then told him to stand for a clutch, and later recommended him for the famed FGPC. So engrossed was he in grief, that he didnt notice when two young men, a young woman, and a boy just out of his early teens came down the hall he was standing in. The woman and one of the older boys with spiky white-blond hair and thin glasses hurried to his side, the woman asking him what was wrong while the young man took one of his arms and helped him stand when he almost collapsed.

The other two stood off to the side, then the oldest of the entire bunch, a man with black hair and maroon eyes, stepped forward and pressed a wineskin into Vals hand, telling him in a deep voice to drink. Without thinking he did, and was almost knocked off his feet again by the sheer power of the drink. Being a bartender for two years, he knew his stuff, and he hadnt thought such a powerful beverage was in existence, and was about to take another swig of the stuff when if was quietly taken from him. He didnt protest, deep down some part of his rational self was still in order, though not in charge.

When the woman, a girl with bright emerald green eyes and mouse brown hair, asked him again what was wrong, he just startled babbling his life story to these strangers like some drunk. But when he thought about it, he was drunk, drunk on grief, of loss, and that sharding alchohol. Ive got to find out what that stuff it, tis good....