A youth runs past you, skidding around a corner of the structure, shouting ahead, "Dotali'ra?!" You blink, then turn, and dart after the fleeing figure, wondering who- what? -Dotali'ra could be, and who the youth was. Down the stone curridor, you race, only able to see the shadow ahead of you, rounding corners and swiftly climbing up and down stairwells. You pause to catch your breath, sure that its hopeless, then sigh, and start running again. Gradually the scenery around you changes. The stone wall grows more and more old, falling apart in some places, as the wind whistles around you through the cracks. The grass grows taller, and wild flowers bloom along the edges of the stone wall. You run around a bend in the stone, and pause suddenly, lurching to a stop. The stone forms an ancient ruin around you, the pattern in rock splayed across its hard surface. Their shadows overlap each other, and you climb gently over the crumbling stone, sure that they'll collapse under you at any second.

The sound of gentle scolding comes from the side, and you make your way towards it. There, in the small sunlight left not covered by shadows, is a figure. It throughs its arms back, enunciating the words said, then places its hands on its hips, staring into the shadows behind a large stone, the angle making it so you see nothing there. It keeps scolding, a frown on its face, but you can't seem to make out the words! Its almost as if they were in a different language. Caustiosly, you clear your throat, hoping to catch the attention of the figure.

Sure enough, it does. The figure whirls, a startled look on its face. You see that it is a teenage boy, shoulderlength brown hair tied back in the fashion of the area. A few whisps seem to have escaped, and fly across his face, covering his eyes. He mutters in the same language as before, then steps forward, extending a hand, brightly. "Siah! Yye Noma ly Shon! Ro?" He doesn't wait for you to answer, but goes on. "Hy ly ro?!" His grin fades as you say nothing in return, and he blinks, thinking. Suddenly he grins again, and forms words that you can understand. "Hello, traveller, and welcome! I'm Shon, Kinshipper to Dotali'ra!" There it is! That name again! You nod quickly, and ask who Dotali'ra is?

He smiles slightly, and runs his hand through his hair, then turns and calls out, "Dothali'ra, come here!" A face peeks out from behind the stone, and glances at Shon. Seeing that he obviously isn't annoyed any more, and Dotali'ra grins and steps out.

You step back in astonishment. Its a dragon! The red eyes shine, and large black wings flutter. Biting your lip, you turn to Shon, unbelieving. A proud look is on the teenagers face, as he stares at the tigerstriped dragon. The red reflects in the light, the black still dark. Shon turns back to you, smiling. "Ra Dotali'ra, Tanitan'rath!" You blink, there he goes again! Shon frowns, thinking, then speaks, "He is Dotali'ra, a Tanitan'rath dragon!!" You nod and he goes on, apoligizing. "Sorry, its just so much easier to speak this way, in Tanitan'rathic! Yae bya Kinshipped!" His voice lowers, and he smiles happily. "We have Kinshipped, Dotali'ra and I.... Dotali'ra is full grown now, a Tani'Ma Ra!" Dotali'ra raises his head, eyes bright with happiness.

You hesitate, then ask why Shon was angry earlier. He gives a halfsmile. "Dotali'ra has always liked to sneak away and fly down here... He always forgets to tell me when and where he's going, so I get worried! I mean, I don't want to be Separated from him." The word implies more meaning than you first think, and you glance at the pair. The tall youth, his tied back hair escaping everywhere, and the composed yearling dragon, a glint of mischief hidden in his eyes. You smile, they go well together, and look around you. The rainforest, unending, waits for you to continue through. The open grasslands lie ahead.