Chapter Twenty-Two

Thankfully she didn't have to go through the ceremony she already had. She watched as the newly graduating trainees started to file into their formation.

Because of Loola's size they left her and her clutch in the stable as opposed to moving it to the secured room MeiAnne had seen before. She wondered when she found out if that was a part of why Loola's clutches weren't as successful by such a large margin, but kept it to herself.

After clearing the eggs that were not fertilized and the ones that didn't make it all the way there were only eight eggs hatching.

She had to count over them again as she had seen more trainees in formation than seven.

Before she could question an officer by her she was called in by Raba.

"Why are there so many trainees outside?" MeiAnne asked Raba.

He shifted and tilted his head so he could look past MeiAnne.

"I have no idea. I only selected enough people for who she has eggs for. Give me a second."

Raba stepped outside and headed over to the training officers. As he stood there talking with them MeiAnne felt Loola's eyes on her.

"You made it, Loola." MeiAnne put her hand up to try and reach Loola's snout. Loola leaned to meet her halfway and closed her eyes as she allowed MeiAnne to comfort her.

Raba returned and seemed frustrated again. "Apparently they are using this as a demonstration for other trainees. Another general approved it without talking to me." He waved a paper with orders before shoving it in his pocket.

Loola huffs at him leaving Raba looking up at her confused as he has all of his silver hair swept back.

"Okay. I get it."

MeiAnne couldn't help but to laugh at their interactions. They acted more like siblings than most partners do. Even the way that they sometimes glare at each other as if they know someone is about to do something they won't like.

"Not you too." Raba tried to keep a straight face, but it was clear he was holding back a laugh.

Their moment was cut short when they heard the officers outside starting. Loola seemed hesitant as she looked over her eggs. MeiAnne knew that getting the eggs this far was very important to her. She wondered what it would be like to watch Loola see one of her offspring grow up so close to her.

One of the eight eggs rolled closer to her as she noticed Loola nosing it her way. The egg was much denser than the one Molis hatched from. It was only a little larger and yet it was much harder to carry in her arms. She had to lean back from the weight of it as she moved out from the stable.

She felt the eyes of the trainees that were standing there as she passed them with the first egg. She didn't dare look as she hoped the eyes she felt burning into her were only in her head and she wanted to keep it that way.

It felt like she had walked these steps before. The weight in her arms up against her chest, the steps to an empty stable, the strange bond feeling forming, all something she had already gone through once and didn't realize she missed.

Thankfully because Raba's Flight is so small there were plenty of open stables she could be assigned to, so she didn't have to be in the same one she raised Molis.

She tried as hard as she could to not look as she passed, but her eyes drew to it like a magnet. The stable was dark and devoid of anything it once held to MeiAnne. It felt like she was falling as her stomach dropped, but something reminded her to keep moving.

She felt the small dragon inside the egg she was holding move. It pried her eyes away from the bittersweet memories found in a stable and into her arms.

Her feet were able to return to moving forward as she stared at the egg instead of an old, empty stable. She was going to be in the stable next to Truis, the partner of Tifus. He had already said he would be keeping an eye on her to make sure Yama or Elan didn't try to harass her. MeiAnne figured the pair would still find a way, but she appreciated the support.

Once again the stable had been set up before she got there so all she had to do was set the egg down and help it settle into the bedding.

She ran her hand down the exterior of the egg. The shell felt harder than the one Molis hatched from. It felt warm under her skin. She even got to feel the small creature inside move around again.

As she sat with the egg, happy that this time she didn't have two barging in on her, she finally figured out a good name. The egg caused her to push forward when she got caught up by her past with Molis.

Soman. It was the ancient word for push, as in push forward. It was a word that carried a positive and hopeful connotation. It would be a perfect name for her new partner. And, with luck, it would ring true so she could finally get past the loss she endured.

That night she didn't sleep. Thankfully not from nightmares or images of the past twisting around in her head. That night it was her mind filled with peaceful what ifs. Of course she would regret another sleepless night, but that didn't stop her. She wished it did when she had to see the bags under her eyes that next morning.