[Statistics] [Boy] [Mage] [Candidate] [Hatchling] [Adult]

The beach was silent, except for the gentle lapping of the waves against the golden beach. The suns were high overhead and no clouds were visible in the crystalline sky. The perfect day.

Running along the gritty sand joyfully, was a young man. His pale blond hair shone in the bright light, cornflower blue eyes a lovely contrast to the milky skin that never burned. His innocent child-like face was as perfect as the day he ran through.

Around the boy’s neck was worn a leather strap, on it hung a beautifully carved wooden amulet, leaf-shaped. As he stumbled, laughing along the strand, a small bright emerald firelizard appeared above his head and cheeped a greeting.

"Kimiya!" Illiaen yelled, giving the green a good eye-ridge-rub.

She chirruped happily. Illiaen giggled.

"Why are you so cheery today?" he asked, knowing the answer before he asked the question. Kimiya’s mating flight was fast approaching, and her hide was glowing in anticipation. Illi had noticed a few of the local males hanging subtly around her. He grinned. "It will be a grand day."

Picture of every firelizard on Pern chasing after Kimiya, she sent, just slightly exaggerating the truth.

"Yes, of course, my beauty," Illiaen chuckled.

Illi and Kimiya meandered down the beach, the firelizard occasionally flitting in and out of the crystalline waves. As they reached the end of the cove, Illiaen sighed.

"Come on, we’d better go home." 

Kimiya squawked in annoyance, but as Illi turned to enter the sparse vegetation at the western end of the beach, she followed without protest.

They trudged through the foliage to the house where Illi was staying on Pern. He'd been on the planet for a month or so - long enough to Impress three firelizards and make a few friends. He was a tall boy and had no trouble climbing the trees to get to the top of the cliff where the house was situated. As he reached the front yard, his other two flits, bronze Ophel and green Phyra, whizzed out from behind a rock where goodness knows what mischief they were up to. 

Illi greeted them with a laugh and a question of "What have you been up to?"

They replied simultaneously, Fishing, Sleeping. Glancing at each other in alarm, they reversed the ‘explanations’ and got caught out again. With one final laugh, Illiaen left them to their playful bickering and entered the cool house.

"Ah, Illi, you’re home," came the voice of the house-mother. She was seated on the couch, reading a volume on something or other. Putting a length of string at the page, she closed the book and rose. Her expression changed suddenly to one of regret, touched with anger. "Now, Illi," she began, "I want you to tell me the truth."

Uhoh, Illiaen thought suddenly, and instinctively grasped the charm around his neck.

"Yesterday evening, you and that rascal friend of yours," she groped for a name until Illi supplied her with one. "Yes, Jenef. You and Jenef were seen by numerous people using old Sedon’s row-boat to go on a little trip! Now, I am sure that Sedon did not give you permission to do so, and you must be aware of how he feel about thievery. How exactly do you explain this?" Her voice was almost dead calm - with Ryqua, that was worse than shouting.

He looked up at her using his soft blue eyes to his advantage. Batting his eyes as if he were about to cry, he said softly, "I’m sorry, Ma'am. I didn't mean to do anything wrong. Really I didn't." Of course, he had known very well that what he was doing was wrong, but he wasn't going to come out and admit that was he?

Ryqua’s expression changed once more to that pose she always took when her charge was working his subtle magick on her. Illiaen had had the gift of ‘persuasion’ since a very young age, possibly all his life. His own parents were quite unaware that they were being ‘persuaded’ to do or say things, or not to, by their ‘innocent’ son - this poor woman had no chance. Illi’s innocent, sweet looks only added to his power. She breathed in three times, sat on the sofa once more, smiled up at him and said, "That’s alright, Illi. I still love you." Returning to her reading, she forgot all about the incident with old Sedon’s boat.

Grinning, Illiaen let go of his wooden pendant and let it drop against his neck. Pleased with himself, he trotted off to play with his firelizards.