Phoenix Phire

****Author\'s Note*****

At least two more chapters, maybe three or four to wrap things up properly.

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Hours later, most of the fallen had been returned to their homes. Raine sat across the kitchen island from Del; the two of them talked quietly in the Turtle House.

"I guess a lot has changed in six years." Raine sighed heavily, her eyes drifting to Del\'s stomach. "You live here now?"

Del nodded. "Yes. I stay at the Ranch sometimes, but it can get so crowded there. So you should stay here with me."

Raine smile slightly. "If Del Tali is inviting me to stay, then a lot has changed while I was dead."

Del returned the smile. "Of course, you\'ll have to make yourself scarce when Nix visits me."

Raine laughed loudly; the situation was too far removed from what she considered normal. "What if he is visiting me?"

Del\'s smile could melt butter. "Then... I\'ll interfere however I can."

"You two getting along?" Nix came down the stairs; his dark hair still wet from the shower."

"Yes," Del smiled pleasantly.

"Sure," Raine agreed.

The Ain\'Dhassi ranger morphed into her Slayer form and padded toward the door. "Don\'t forget, fishing in the morning with Junie and Semmi."

Nix nodded. "Heading out, Del?"

"Yes, my family is expecting me in Ain\'Dhassi. I should be back tomorrow before dinner."

"Be careful." Raine waited until Del disappeared through the door before turning her gaze onto Nix. "Did you miss me while I was gone?"

Nix shook his head. "Not really... I barely remembered your name. But, fortunately, Semmi reminded me this morning."

"Hmm?" Raine stood up from her chair and walked around the island toward the Inferno Leader. "Semmi told me that a certain someone picked fresh flowers for my pavilion every morning for the last six years."

Nix shrugged slightly. "First I\'ve heard of it, there are all sorts of riff-raff hanging around Haven nowadays."

"And that same person built my pavilion with their own hands. She stepped into his arms, wrapping him up while burying her face in his neck. "I don\'t get along with Del."

"Me neither," Nix agreed.

"Hmm?" The barest hint of a smile played on the dhassi\'s lips. "How\'d she manage to get in that condition if the two of you don\'t get along."

"Well..." Nix scratched his chin while considering the question. "Want a verbal answer or a demonstration?"

Raine laughed against his neck; her lips brushed against Nix\'s warm skin. "You are a shameless man, Nix."

Nix stepped away, fixing her with a yellow-eyed stare. "Demonstration then?"

Raine nodded, her pale cheeks flushing red.

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/Go Fish: Jun Li: Nansu and Chael want to join the fishing club.

/Go Fish: Semmi: No couples allowed... Denied.

/Go Fish: Nix: Veto!

Nix leaned back against the slumbering Titan bear and cast his line into the water. A handful of drakes circled high overhead, teaching Aerial maneuvers to Haven\'s younger generation of fliers. Hyai and Fajii were already setting up for a lunch banquet nearby.

/Go Fish: Nix: How many are coming to this banquet?

/Go Fish: Semmi: Started at two dozen close friends; I am guessing it\'s triple that by now.

/Go Fish: Jun Li: Nihlus hasn\'t returned from the Tembai Academy yet; perhaps we should make an inquiry.

Nix\'s sour face brightened considerably. "Nihlus? What\'s that have to do with us? He\'s part of the Lion Titan Clan."

[Whisper: Semmi to Nix] Don\'t tease Junie too much.

Jun Li reeled in her line, her pale face flushing slightly. "I know, but they are important allies."

Nix shared a smile with Semmi, pausing his train of thought when he felt a small tug on the end of his line. The tip of the rod dipped suddenly; he jerked back on the reel, setting the hook. "Got ya!"

The whirling of the line being pulled out whined loudly in the quiet morning. Nix jumped to his feet and moved into the river\'s shallows while Semmi and Jun Li brought in their lines.

/Go Fish: Jun Li: I\'ll grab the landing net!

A few minutes later, the fish surfaced in a flash of gold before diving back into the depths.

/Go Fish: Jun Li: It\'s one of those carp dragon things.

/Go Fish: Semmi: A predessor? Cut the line, Nix; you remember how shitty those things are.

Nix shook his head, laughing as he brought the tip of his rod up. "No way! Deidra asked me to find another one for her!"

[Whisper: Nix to Deidra] I caught another one of those predecessor things.

On the far side of Haven, near the Temple grounds, Deidra studied her four students for a moment. The three dragonlings were struggling to stay awake while their instructor went over the basic mechanics of flying. Her only dralamander student hadn\'t even bothered to struggle; she\'d been sleeping soundly for half of the class.

"Sigh... Wake up at once." Deidra used the same tone that normally sent the younger generation scurrying for cover. Although normal salamanders like Shae weren\'t flying creatures, the dralamander hybrid was born with exquisitely refined wings. And unlike either dragons or salamanders, Sigh was able to assume a human form almost immediately.

Sigh opened her eyes, stretching slowly before standing. "I\'m sorry, Instructor. I stayed up too late again; please forgive me."

Deidra nodded slightly. "Of course, please take good care of yourself. The young need their rest."

The three dragonlings sitting nearby all stared in disbelief; had they done the same thing, their fates would have been disastrous.

"Sigh is blatantly disrespectful, Mother!" Dune growled in frustration. "Make an example of her!"

Sigh turned her head, looking up at the larger dragonling. "Why are you speaking, Meat? Didn\'t I warn you not to say my name?"

"Enough!" Deidra shook her head slightly. "We\'ll race to the river where Nix has found a predecessor. The winner gets to keep it as a pet."

Dune\'s muscles rippled beneath his scaled skin. "It\'s mine! You three shouldn\'t even consider trying for it."

Deidra bit down on her lip to keep from smiling. Dune displayed all the characteristics of a black dragon, the strongest of their kind. However, the color of dragons wasn\'t discernable until they were past adolescence. "Do your best."

Deidra changed into her dragon form a moment later and shot into the clouds; her four students immediately responded by giving chase!

Back at the river, Jun Li approached the predecessor with her landing net. She scooped it up easily while steeling herself against the upcoming insults.

The gold-colored fish was nearly a meter in length; its short legs hung limply in defeat when it was pulled from the water. "Well done, you have caught me, fair maiden."

"Huh?" Jun Li glanced at Semmi, who leaned closer to examine their catch. Unlike the last predecessor Nix had caught, this one\'s voice sounded feminine. "You are a female?"

"Yes, could you release me for a few minutes? My egg-laying time is near; I promise to return once I\'ve finished."

/Go Fish: Nix: You two aren\'t buying this, right? It\'s obviously conning us. The last one was rude, but this one is clever.

/Go Fish: Jun Li: She just wants to lay her eggs. We should release her.

/Go Fish: Semmi: Agreed. Remove the hook, Nix.

Nix scowled at his fishing buddies but complied by removing the hook. "I\'ll consider releasing you; give me a minute to think about it."

"Thank you. May I ask your name?"

"Nix..." The Inferno Leader walked toward the bank, followed by Jun Li, who was still holding the fish in the landing net.

/Go Fish: Semmi: Looks like Deidra is coming!

Nix turned toward the east, where a large dragon could be seen flying toward them; she was followed closely by Sigh. The three dragonlings were so far behind that they seemed like tiny specks.

Deidra slowed herself down by angling her wings; she touched down softly and changed into her human form. "Greetings Consort."

"Deidra..." Nix spoke her name politely; after the dragon eggs hatched, all three dragons started calling him that. Tai only did it in the presence of others; when they were alone, she still called him Nix.

The dralamander swooped at them, diving at the riverbank before banking sharply into a steep climb. When she was about ten meters over the water, she morphed into her human shape and tucked her knees against her chest. "CANNONBALL!"

A wave of water washed over the fishing club members as four sets of eyes stared into the depths of the river. Then, a moment later, the young redhead surfaced and slicked her hair back with both hands.

/Go Fish: Semmi: For sure, that\'s your kid.

/Go Fish: Jun Li: No doubt.

Sigh, waded out of the water, smiling at the group. "How was it?"

"Nine out of ten." Nix\'s hands glowed as he cycled air through his flames. The young girl held her arms out, letting the superheated air dry her clothes.

"What kind of landing was that?" Deidra did her best not to frown.

"Cannonball... You should see what happens when Chevalier Morti does it." Sigh approached Jun Li, who was holding the predecessor. "This my new fish?"

Jun Li shook her head slightly. "This one is an egg-bearing female; we should let her go."

Sigh raised an eyebrow, the doubt written clearly on her young face. "Only the male predecessors have legs."

Deidra\'s cold demeanor warmed considerably as she studied the golden fish. "Sigh is right, of course; this one is male."

"Son of a bitch!" The predecessor\'s voice deepened considerably. "I was seconds away from freedom!"

"You lying snake!" Jun Li poked the fish\'s head.

The predecessor swiped at Jun Li with its long tail, barely missing her face. "Pfft... You\'re an easy mark. I\'m going to make a guess and say you aren\'t the smart one of this group?"

/Go Fish: Jun Li: Warm up the pan; we\'re eating this guy.

"Instructor Deidra has promised me this predecessor if I won the race." Sigh smiled at Jun Li, her small hand gripping the older woman\'s free hand. "Can I have him, Aunt Junie?"

"NO FAIR!" Dune\'s deep voice shouted from the clearing moments after he landed nearby. "She cheated! There\'s no way she could have caught up with Mother."

Deidra shook her head while smiling at the young girl. "You can have it, Sigh. But first... tell your brothers how you did it."

Sigh frowned at the troublesome dragonling and made a mental note to visit him later. "I used the thermals to gain altitude; then I went into a full dive until I managed to get into Instructor\'s air stream. Additionally, I\'m just superior to you."

/Go Fish: Semmi: She drafted behind Deidra... Damn, is she really six?