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The Cohen Icosahedron

Chapter 23

copyright comidacomida 2022

Kaiden's introduction to sharing a condo with his Roost was relatively calm and relaxed for the first day. Unlike in class, most of his Viddin group were relatively low key and relaxed in one another's presence, almost as if they didn't want to overstep their bounds as it related to time with him. They were polite-- almost formally so in their common areas, and each of them took their cues from Kaiden himself; it was as though he was the ultimate arbiter in all matters.

Despite their deferment and polite interactions when they were at home, however, all of the chaos, boisterous noise and bombastic camaraderie returned in full force when classes began. As with any other day in the Programme, his Roost was vibrant, engaged and animated. Their active involvement in class was a good thing, helping to keep Kaiden on his toes and focused on the lesson plans, which were incredibly extensive. Rather than the 60% review and 40% new of their prior lesson plans, Tier 7 was the opposite with more than half of it being new to him-- and well over that for his Viddin classmates.

The class continued from the jumping off point that had started with the introduction of Kathleen and Kahs'kin's child; Visla had been quite the surprise during class but, as they continued with their studies she became quite the amazing case study. The class focused even more on interactions between Humans and Viddin, but the exploration went beyond sociology and they began to explore the similarities physiologically, including the combining of DNA through sexual reproduction-- but also genetic modification.

Combining the technology of Humans and Phins, the utilization of genetic sequencing of Oolau in hybrid trans-portation studies and the almost Ikali-like haphazard application of theoretical science into applicable utilization, the Unity Programme was on the cusp of not only some amazing discoveries, but some unparalleled advancements. It was the penultimate presentation of what Dr Nathan Cohen had wished for: the union of races creating an amalgam that was greater than the sum of its parts.

Kaiden remembered ending that lesson with a twinge of regret; he had been an amazing man, but hadn't lived to see the culmination of his dream. Considering the speed at which the class progressed, however, the young man didn't have time to wax poetic-- not while helping to guide his seven Viddin classmates! All of that and they had barely made it through the first week of class... and on the fourth day they had another guest: his name was Wren. Wren was another Human/Viddin Hybrid, a Viddinur/Human combo, who appeared to be roughly Kaiden's age; the Human, having had so much time among the Viddin couldn't deny that their special guest was handsome in all the ways either species would consider appealing-- or so he presumed. Judging from the looks he got from the hens (and a few males), that was likely the case.

Wren stayed the entire day for the class, joining Instructor Kahs'kin for a discussion on comparative biology. Like the Viddin, Wren was covered in fur and feathers but, like Humans, he wore clothing. Wren, in fact, had a Unity Centre uniform on which was custom tailored to include room for his wings. Once the instructional portion of the class, Instructor Kahs'kin left the afternoon open for dialogue, allowing the students to ask questions of their guest. Wren was just over twelve years old and genetically equivalent to somewhere between eighteen and twenty in Human years.

His telomere scans revealed that he matured between the speed of a Human and Viddin, but his life expectancy was closer to that of a Human who, on the whole, usually lived fifteen or twenty years longer than the gryphons. That was, the class learned, was fairly consistent among all Viddin hybrids... and, in fact, all of the Phin, Oolau and Ikali hybrids as well. Not only were Humans the only species among all Many-Earth sapients, they also seemed to be the longest lived-- excluding the Ilsit, of course. That transitioned the discussion onto Ilsit, which was where the following class began.

The focus on class during the day was whole and all-encompassing, but the evenings, which were surprisingly short on homework, were all about Kaiden and his roost-mates. The HuuStook remained well-organized and, by the end of the first day, the Roost had figured out a suitable rotation: each of the Viddin would get one night with Kaiden all to themselves every other day, and alternating days would be Kaiden's to use as he pleased and, whether that be just catching up on solo activities or spending time with the Roost as a group, it'd be up to him.

It worked out well, especially since the Viddin all agreed that he got to choose who he wanted to be with every other night, just so long as they all had a chance to be with him once every two weeks. Despite how much Kaiden used to value alone time, it was the one-on-one time with his Roost-mates that he came to enjoy and, more often then not he elected to spend his 'free days' with his study group, hanging out in the common area watching videos from Earth, playing games, or just relaxing. They also got into early discussions about planning a trip as a Roost to celebrate the year end vacation.

The second week of class went straight back to the sociological roots of the Unity Programme, discussing the importance of social order for Humans, the fragmented approach Land Earth used in political coexistence, and the importance of democratic and republic governmental types among humanity. Presented in contract was the Viddin order: finely curated nations with defined borders, painstakingly detailed traditional hunting grounds or travel lanes, and carefully crafted social order. Part way into the second week, Instructor Kahs'kin even discussed some similarities and differences between each of the Viddin subspecies, including things like lineage and mate selection. That got Kaiden's attention in a big way.

The Viddian and Viddinur tended to be relatively free in their adoration. Of all subspecies they were most likely to have polygamous relationships, either sequentially or congruently, and it wasn't abnormal for blended families to create large cadres cohabiting in a single area. Viddinek and Viddinis had a more pragmatic approach to relationships, where females tended to live in extended family units while males were either sole bachelors moving from settlement to settlement, or else lived in sattelite colonies built up around the home of the great matriarch of the family.

Viddinich had incredibly structured family units where most decisions were made by the eldest mated couple and the lives of their offspring and their offspring's offspring were measured and judged by their elders in accordance with the venerable generation's vision of their bloodline. Kaiden was surprised to hear about such structured living, especially since Sokkas almost seemed like the antithesis to such an upbringing or, perhaps, his outlook was the side effect to being raised in such a regimented way.

The Viddinire, largest of all Viddin, structured their society around the patriarch of a family unit. Sons were cared for by their parents until they took a mate, at which point the young male would become the head of their own family unit. Kaiden had noted that Tral looked quite uncomfortable during that discussion, especially when the flip-side of that discussion was addressed: if the father of a family passed before his son took a mate then the eldest son would be expected to take over the responsibilities of head of household and, rather than start his own family, he would instead become the surrogate father-- any future mates he took would remain a part of their own family and his offspring would join the female's house.

Kaiden didn't have a lot of time to dwell on Tral's discomfort since his attention was wholly captured the moment Instructor Kahs'kin brought up the Vidday family units. The most diverse of all Viddin, apparently, Vidday filial expectations differed a lot depending on the social standing of the household. Commoner Vidday functioned much like the Viddinire while the 'nobility' among the Vidday the families functioned more like the Viddian and Viddinur, although they followed a patriarchal line rather than matriarchal. Kaiden had heard plenty of times that Vetlyk was someone of importance, but it wasn't until the instructor brought up "families like Vetlyk's" that it was really driven home.

According to their instructor, "The Royal Saklosin clan and, specifically those of the White Tail Aerie such as Vetlyk Tek'Hoklas here" had vastly different requirements for selecting a mate. Not only were they expected to take a mate by a specific age, but their mate must be approved by the Holruk-- the ruler of the Vidday and, in the case of the White Tail Aerie, the Grand Arbiter for the Viddin Nations. It was a revealing time for Kaiden and Vetlyk looked at least as uncomfortable as Tral had-- or perhaps more.

Beyond just discussing the social aspects of expectations set forth by the selection of mates by various subspecies, Instructor Kahs'kin went a step further and discussed the six cases of Viddin/Human unions-- specifically the four which resulted in offspring. He started with himself and his wife Kathleen. Specifically focused on individual cases, the instructor repeated the word 'wife'-- he and his human mate were formally married as they both preferred the significance of a joint partnership in the form of a monogamous relationship.

This, he readily acknowledged, was due in part to the life they'd chosen as part of the Unity Programme rather than settling in his family's lands, but also because he was far more interested in calling his wife and child his rather than his clan's. In fact, he acknowledged, most Viddin/Human couplings resulted in an arrangement that usually leaned toward the Human cultures. One exception was Wren's fathers, who lived among the Viddinur.

Wren's Human father, a Unity Programme graduate from Leeds in the UK lived with his mates (plural) in their Viddinur settlement and Wren had a younger sister named Robin, who was born to one of the hens taking part in the polygamous relationship. In addition to his other hybrid sibling, Wren had six other Viddin siblings, sired by his Viddin father. Wren was then given the opportunity to talk, which he did quite clearly, eloquently and with an English accent. Kaiden had always enjoyed the sound of an English accent, but his interest was just a passing fancy; the young man already had an entire study group to care for. No-- he certainly didn't need an eighth gryphon to worry about.

By the end of the first two weeks of class Kaiden had learned far more than he knew was available to know when it came to Human and Viddin relationships-- from both a scholastic and applied perspective. Despite that, however, Kaiden still found himself often feeling like he was just looking at the tip of the iceberg. He was a valuable commodity to each of his classmates and every one of his study group were eager for their time with him as part of the HuuStook. With the night-on-night-off schedule, by the end of the second week he'd had a night with each of his classmates

Even though he was technically set to maintain the same order with which he'd spent time with his classmates since his first night was with Vetlyk, Kaiden wasn't sure he wanted that to be the permanent schedule and so he switched it up a bit. Having enjoyed the close, intimate, physical, emotional and deep connection with Vetlyk on the first night, the young man chose his next HuuStook night to be spent with Kytskir. The two of them spent their time doing some extra studying-- first of the course material, and then of one another.

Although Kyt was scholarly with his learning there was still something sensual about it-- especially since the cheetah/owl's more scholarly side began to fade away as they got into things hot and heavy; the transformation was enticing and, when he got Kytskir worked up enough, the Viddin was every bit as passionate and eager as any of his other classmates. By the time their night was over the two were snuggling closely, Kyt declaring that he looked forward to many more study sessions.

The following HuuStook night, Kaiden chose to spend his time with Prirn. The Viddinur snuggled him all night along, never losing physical contact with the Human. Much of their time was spent lounging together, talking, whispering, and laughing together about nothing of any real importance; Prirn was naturally an uplifting presence and his smiles were infectious. More than any other Viddin, Prirn seemed enraptured with the idea of not just mating, but of 'making love'.

Still as eager and capable of repeat performances as any other Viddin, he still tempered it, lovingly stroking, holding, caressing and snuggling all night long, napping between long bouts of slow, sensual sex after watching the sun set, and during the sunrise... followed by more cuddling until the alarm went off. There was something serious in the way that Prirn held him-- a commitment of something more-than-physical, and Kaiden had to admit that it felt really good. There was significance to Prirn's intimacy, and he truly enjoyed not only getting to know the Viddinur, but also getting to be known by him. The all-night closeness was a conduit of that, combining physical and emotional intimacy.

With the serious depth of Prirn mid-week, Kaiden closed out the first week with his third HuuStook night selecting Nittik as his Viddin of choice. Energetic as always, and as randy as their first night together, Nittik was all about showing off. The Viddin rutted his Jiyjah multiple times in front of Kaiden, eager to present what young man would be in for but, at the same time, promising the Human that he'd get the 'worst of it' out of his system so Kaiden wouldn't get hurt. Smiling to himself, the young man didn't have the heart to remind the Viddian that he'd already tackled MUCH larger Viddin.

Nittik DID eventually mount Kaiden, seemingly with as much verve and enthusiasm as he'd taken the Jiykaj (eleven times). During one of their several breaks, the Human finally had a chance to realize something: Nittik REALLY enjoyed showing off, and all of the coupling with the inanimate object was, despite getting off while doing it, foreplay for the viddin. While Kaiden recovered, in fact, Nittik had another two goes with the Jiyjah, and then went right back into things when the Human was ready to continue. It was a lengthy, sex-filled night, making Kaiden glad that he had all of Sunday to recover-- and he needed it.

Seeking something quieter and more subdued for Monday night, Kaiden selected to spend time with Sokkas; he was not disappointed. The dark-furred-and-feathered Viddinich was content to spend time quietly in his room with just Kaiden. Sokkas had, with the assistance of his Ilsit decorated his selected room in dark, cool colors and the floor was covered in thick, lush carpet, muting the sounds and making traversing from one side to the other without shoes a strange exercise in luxury.

Rather than pushing anything on Kaiden, Sokkas was content to enjoy there evening quietly, talking about casual-but-meaningful topics, locked away in the Viddin's room together. They went to bed late, but didn't fall asleep for a lot longer-- once they were close together physically it wasn't long before Kaiden was reaching for the Xys and, exactly as Sokkas seemed to prefer, asked the Viddin for what he wanted; Sokkas was only too happy to give it to him in abundance.

Mid week it was time for Hahn's HuuStook night with Kaiden. Considering the flighty, chaotic and pragmatic method with which Hahn approached everything, the Human had no idea what to expect but he was surprised anyway when Hahn suggested they start with a shower; it had been a hot day and the entire Roost had been developing a 'musky' scent so Kaiden readily agreed. The shower was taken jointly, and involved just as much getting dirty as getting clean. It was followed by a big movie night wherein Kaiden showed his classmate some really old movies which had become something of cultural defining, age-defying pieces of cinema. They hadn't specifically aged well, but they were still so very worthwhile to share.

Over a hundred and fifty years old, the space opera continued to hold a presence in popular culture for many nations on Land Earth. Kaiden didn't quite realize just how much his classmate would enjoy it once he learned that he shared a name with one of the characters (different spelling, but Hahn didn't seem to care). After watching the fourth, fifth and sixth episodes back-to-back, the two ended up getting messy again, necessitating another shower; Kaiden accused Hahn of planning it and the Viddin did not show any indication that the Human was wrong.

As Friday came around, the final HuuStook night was reserved for Tral-- not specifically because Kaiden planned on putting him last, rather, it was Tral's request... something about not wanting to throw his weight around but, when the night finally arrived, the big Viddinire admitted that it was because he specifically wanted a Friday night with Kaiden. Not only would they be able to stay up late with no class the following day, but he remembered hearing something about Friday night 'dates' being really important to Humans. It also apparently gave him time to plan things out because, in Kaiden's opinion, Tral had done just that.

As with their first afternoon together, Tral flew Kaiden out to his private plateau. They hung out longer than the first time, listening to music-- Tral even sang along a few times and Kaiden was honestly surprised how beautiful the Viddin's rich bass sounded... not to mention that the Viddinire's voice control allowed him to manage some mid Tenor ranges as well. Then, of course, there was the dancing. Kaiden had to admit it was getting better, especially with Tral's constant attention. By the time the sun had set, Tral had Kaiden smiling and laughing... and blushing.

They flew back to the Centre, Kaiden wrapping his body close around the enormous Viddin so as to absorb as much body heat as possible to ward off the cold night air. As with before, Tral did not pressure Kaiden for anything and, as the night came to a close with the sun just starting to light the horizon to the east, the Human's classmate wished him a good night and gave him a soft peck on the cheek-- even going so far as to mimick the sound of a kiss as he did so. Smiling in his carefree, beaky way, Tral concluded their night together in a gentlemanly way. "Sleep well, Hasst. I look forward to my next HuuStook time with you." Even after two weeks of being so sexually active it was starting to hurt, Kaiden couldn't remember the time when he felt so frustrated that he hadn't made a move.

To say that Kaiden spent lots of time with his Viddin classmates would be an understatement, but he also had ample opportunity to interact with the various Ilsit with whom he shared the penthouse. It was a strange juxtaposition-- first having been told that Humans weren't allowed to interact with Ilsit only to find himself surrounded by them. Just like his Viddin classmates, each of the Ilsit had their own unique personalities. In some cases the Ilsit were mirrors of their Viddin companions while in others they were surreal foils-- the two weeks with them were quite the experience .

Zithing, Tral's Ilsit drone attended them whenever they were together. He was always one of the first to see to Kaiden's needs when the Roost ate together, provided an extra pillow or a drink when they were lounging, and had also been responsible for a Human-style saddle that Kaiden was able to use on his date night with Tral. The constant attention was flattering, especially because being of use seemed to be one of Zithing's true joys in life; it made hard to say no to any service the little reptile offered.

Kalsig was Hahn's go-fer, and the Ilsit drone took his job seriously. The lizard was rarely present, almost always on some task but, during the short times he was hanging around the apartment he was almost always staring right at Kaiden. The Ilsit's gaze was a little unsettling and on the occasion Kaiden brought it up to Hahn the Viddin shrugged it off and said simply "It means he likes you." The dismissive statement, oddly, turned out to be seemingly accurate as Kaiden was one day gifted with a leather bracer, similar in design to the leather collar Hahn wore. After that, Kaiden didn't mind the stares as much.

If Kalsig was the only Ilsit 'admirer' that could have been more than enough for the Human but Sogig, Sokkas' drone was no less interested in keeping an eye on the young man or, just as likely, even MORE interested. Kaiden hadn't missed the joy with which Kalsig had 'readied' him the night Sokkas had mounted him, nor the streaks of semen that the Human had noticed off in the corner of the living room. Fortunately, by the third day, Sokkas had also taken note of the not-so-subtle gazes shot toward Kaiden and the Viddinich assured the young man that he'd see to it that the ilsit was kept in line.

For as attentive and intense as Kalsig was, Kytskir's Greater Ilsit Drone Hassag was stand-offish and stoic. The lizardman remained obedient, but respectfdul, keeping his distance while still managing to provide services in the same room as Kaiden and, when required, for Kaiden himself. There were numerous times when the lizard man delivered the Human's meal with a simple nod, not offering so much as a word. On the occasion Kaiden heard Kalsig speak Englisk, the Ilsit spoke it with fluency, though his accent was incredibly thick, meaning it took a little while to get used to his lack of vowels.

Vaskag, the other Greater drone, was the polar opposite of Kalsig. Surprisingly outgoing, friendly and jovial, Vaskag resembled a pudgy alligator man. Bordering on rotund, the smily lizard man was plump but it didn't let it slow him down; he was always quick to serve Prirn and, by extension Kaiden. More than any other Ilsit, Vaskag was happy to talk with Kaiden on any and every occasion, even going so far as to proactively engage him in discussion when he wasn't otherwise occupied, bringing up topics such as what Land Earth was like, what their equivalents to Ilsit were, and where Kaiden's favorite place to visit was on each of the Earths he'd seen. Vaskag also went so far as to say that he liked the idea of having a Human friend, and thereafter always referred to the young man as Friend Kaiden. The Human honestly didn't know before then that an alligator tail could 'wag'.

The drone also went to great lengths to talk up Prirn, often pointing out how much the Viddinur was fond of the Human. From anyone else it would have felt like a hype man pushing an agenda but from Vaskag it just seemed in character to try and help facilitate a match. Kaiden found it endearing. It was quite the contrast to Halkys who, despite having aided the Human with moving, kept mostly to himself over the first two weeks of class. When Kaiden DID see the dragon it was mostly in passing, at a distance, and rarely resulted in interaction.

It took some time for Kaiden to reason out exactly what to expect fromn Haklys and why but, at the risk of seeming conceited, he ultimately chose to talk to Vetlyk about it, going so far as to express a thought that Haklys might be interested in him. Although he was expecting Vetlyk to laugh at the thought and scornfully set him straight, he was honestly surprised when the Viddin responded "Yes. I have noticed it too. You are very much correct, Kaiden'huu... he has good taste and I would believe that he does fancy you."

The agreement actually caused Kaiden to second-guess himself. "Are you sure?"

Vetlyk only chuckled, his tail lashing mirthfully, but he kept his voice low as the Roost had been hanging out together in the living room. "I am, Hasst. I know my brother, and he becomes distant toward those who hold his interest."

Unable to help himself, Kaiden had surreptitiously rubbed Vetlyk under the chin as he countered wryly "Must run in the family."

It was an amazing two weeks, getting to know his Ilsit roommates better, even while spending more time with his Viddin roostmates. There was a comfortable familiarity developing and Kaiden really began to enjoy the collective which had formed. Surprisingly, the gryphons actually seemed to do better as a group, getting along in a more relaxed manner while living together than they had while living separately. Settling into what had become 'the new norm', Kaiden was enjoying the arrangement and looking forward to future weeks, learning alongside his Roost. What he HAD forgotten about, however, was the upcoming seasonal break. He was reminded the following Monday in class.

Instructor Kahs'kin, toward the end of class on Monday, informed everyone that the two week break was upon them and, as of Friday, Viddin students would be free to return to their homes. Their teacher then took an extra step and informed them that zfielt students were free to leave the Centre so long as they had Viddin accompaniment, going so far as to let them know that, if invited, they were free to join the gryphons at their homes. There was a lot of surprise among the students-- especially among the Oolau, Humans and Phin. The questions began immediately, but Kaiden was already deep within his own thoughts, tuning out the rest of the class' many inquiries.

It was Prirn who, from his usual position half-atop Kaiden's lap, pushed his feathery head up beneath the Human's chin and pulled the young man's focus back to the present. The Viddin spoke quietly, with concern in his voice. "Kaiden'huu... are you alright?"

Several seconds passed while Kaiden looked around the room. When he noticed students starting to leave he looked to Prirn. "What's going on?"

His classmate spoke simply "We have been released from class. You looked lost in your thoughts... are you feeling unwell, Sik'im?"

Ruffling the feathers between the Viddinur's ear-like feather tufts, Kaiden nodded. "I'm alright... just a little surprised that the Programme is letting us outside the Centre."

Tral, who was on the other side of Kaiden made it evident that he was listening in by adding in his insight with his usual lack of tact. "You've been outside the Centre more than once with me, Kaiden'huu."

Nixing the discussion of their trips beyond the Unity Centre's plateau with subtle hand-motions and a hiss, Kaiden quickly joined all of his Roost out into the hallway. From there, the eight of them returned to their accommodations. While the original plan was to spend time with one of his classmates in following with the HuuStook plan, Kaiden chose instead to sit down with all of them and find out what they were going to do about the following two weeks. Apparently everyone had their own plan.

Nittik was quick to volunteer to host Kaiden-- the ocelot/kestrel was planning on getting back in touch with several of his non-Programme friends back at his aerie and wanted to introduce Kaiden to them. It sounded like an amazing opportunity for Kaiden to meet more Viddin and get a better feel for the Viddian culture but, despite being interested in the trip there were some obvious concerns such as transportation. Nittik promised he'd already had that part figured out.

Prirn, also interested in hosting Kaiden, suggested that the Human come to visit HIS home. Two weeks would be a lot of time to go site seeing, and meet Prirn's family. The lynx/falcon was excited at the prospect of having Kaiden all to himself, even offering to show Kaiden the quiet place that he'd picked out to be all his own-- he wanted Kaiden to be the first person, Viddin or Zfielt to see it. He painted a picture of staying out together until all hours, just the two of them. Although it was the polar opposite of Nittik's offer it sounded just as enjoyable.

Unlike Nittik and Prirn, Kytskir was not planning on going home during the break; both of his parents were out on scientific studies and he didn't relish the thought of chick-sitting for his younger brothers and sisters. Instead, the cheetah/owl suggested that Kaiden stay with him at the Centre-- it was easier with no transportation; it was safe; the two of them could stay and spend their time preparing for the upcoming transfer to Land Earth in three months and, more than that (at which point the Viddinek leaned closer), they could spend their time figuring out more about one another, and what they each enjoyed the most about the other. The offer was accompanied by a purring growl.

When Hahn interjected, it was to point out that Kaiden had spent the better part of a year in the Unity Centre and that it was time for him to get out and explore. The cougar/hawk, 'selflessly' offered to take Kaiden back with him to his own aerie; he knew for a fact that his family would want to meet such a wonderful Zfielt-- not only because he was so awesome, but because Hahn had never had a single bad thing to say about the Human. He also pointed out that travel to the aerie would be easy since the combination of lower altitude plus desert updrafts would allow the two of them to glide most of the way, with only occasional hiking to high points for better launches. He also made it a point to note that his uncle very much wanted to meet the Human.

Sokkas, who usually spent most of his time staying out of arguments actually interjected at that point and noted that Kaiden had far more things to do than entertain the fancies of an old Jiyjah. That brought up many comments from the other classmates and, while that discussion carried onward, Sokkas took the time to speak softly to Kaiden, letting the Human know that he was welcome at his own home. He wanted very much to declare his interest in Kaiden to his family and let them know that he had chosen a Human as his partner. He also added that, whatever Kaiden chose, it wouldn't change the leopard/vulture's feelings on the matter-- it would only delay the discussion... presuming Kaiden was an interested in the Viddinech as Sokkas was in him.

Vetlyk eventually got the roost to quiet down. Once he was sure everyone fell obediently silent, the lion/eagle looked straight to Kaiden and, surprisingly, said what he had to say in front of everyone. The Vidday explained that he wanted Kaiden to come back to his home so he could tell his sire that the two were to be mated. Vetlyk said that he would seek his sire's approval so that Kaiden could officially become his mate and, at some time in the future, the two would be able to have chicks together.

Another round of arguments arose and Kaiden, for the first time, heard from the very beaks of his 'suitors' themselves that Vetlyk wasn't the only gryphon who wanted to have chicks with the Human. Others were worried it would cause problems for the HuuStook, at which point Vetlyk assured them that it would be at Kaiden's pace and that he would not monopolize Kaiden's fertile years-- none of them would be allowed to do so and that the Roost would love all of the chicks or, as he referred to them, "uutyr'huu"-- "our children".

Even as the discussion continued, Kaiden was surprised that Tral didn't have any comment to make. It wasn't until the Roost started to disband for the night that the Human was approached by the tiger/condor. Tral, in his usual way was not exactly subtle so Kaiden wasn't surprised by his approach. "Kaiden'huu... please come home with me."

It was an unexpected request; all of the other Viddin had been direct in explaining what they were expecting out of the trip, but Tral was the first to make the actual request. One thing that caught the Human by surprise, though, was how hesitant Tral had been to ask. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Tral's feathers puffed up, especially the large crown at the top of his head, and his nares reddened. "I thought you may have been overloaded by all of the voices. Also, I did not want to pressure you into anything... but my Holtyr once told me that, if I want something I should speak up. It is hard to find a good balance because I know what I want, but I do not want to force you into anything."

Kaiden remembered that Tral had been one of the Roost who had questioned Vetlyk's interest in siring chicks with him. "You seemed kinda upset about what Vetlyk said. Do... do YOU want to have chicks with me too?"

The Viddinire's nares reddened even further. "Kaiden'huu... I want to show you my home... my family... all of the wonders of Plateau Earth. I want to know what you want and I want you to know what I want and, yes... eventually that includes chicks. I have already told you that I wish you to be my Takket, but also my mate. I have given chicks to hens-- it was my responsibility... but I WANT to have chicks with you... when you're ready."

It was honest and forthcoming-- something Kaiden had come to expect from Tral. Still not sure what he was going to do, Kaiden acknowledged the Viddin's words and promised to let him know when he let all of them know. He wasn't ready to make a decision. Tral, in his ever-patient, non-urgent manner, accepted it. Resting his beak atop Kaiden's head, the big gryphon wished him a good night and departed without further effort to sway the Human's opinion. For a moment Kaiden felt a little disheartened by it, but his logical mind kicked in shortly thereafter with relief.

He honestly had no idea what he was going to do and he only had four days to decide. (Note to readers: Thanks to all of you who voted to determine exactly how Kaiden will respond to this dillema-- he couldn't have made the decision without you!).