Festival of the Furries

"Why are we doing this again?" Siltek growled, her tail lashing back and forth as she waited for her beloved husband to answer. It galled her to see that he was still smiling, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Because it's a flight specifically for felinoid people." He returned. Moonshadow had taken his human form when he'd gone to tell his wonderfully calm wife about the flight he'd signed them up for. Though 'wonderfully calm' didn't come near to describing her flat-eared, low voiced response that had nearly sent Bazuk running for the hills.

"I'm not even bonded yet!" Siltek seethed. Nine golden earrings trembled together as she flicked her ears back and forth.

"I can't help it if he's horny." Moonshadow said with a non-chalant shrug, thumbing back at his fire-marked brown bond. Bazuk ducked his head, attempting to hide himself behind his white-haired rider lest Siltek's black eyes turn him to stone.

"We're ready!" Two chipper voices chimed as one in the space between Moonshadow's comment and Siltek's retort. The black lironess' ears flattened against her skull once again as she turned to see the only two other lironess in the Warren trot up to her side. She would have whipped them with her tongue, but the sight they made caused her to hesitate in bewilderment.

Rill and Ra'al, the two most annoying airheads in the Warren (aside from Noone) skipped side by side across the rolling flight fields to join the couple waiting to leave. They had been informed of Planet Twenty's Furry Flight, though belatedly and in fear of Siltek's wrath. The two tan lironesses were as far from the sterotypical hunter race as they could be. Both wore brightly coloured clothes unsuited for battle or hunting, or even movement it seemed. Tight, dyed leather that would have fit a new born wrapped around their breasts and hips, only enough of each to cover the necessities. Their limbs were stick thin and their hides without a mark of wear and tear. Oddest of all, these two had found some sort of growth formula to turn the short, wiry fur on their heads into long, luxurious manes that hung all the way down to their mid-backs. They were giggly, girlish and the bane of Siltek's existance. Right up there with that cheetah-man Ivo, the black lironess thought loathfully.

That wasn't what caught the attention of the tigra and lironess pair though. Held between them, one hand gripping each arm, Rill and Ra'al dragged a kicking, swearing, furious looking Rugan.

"What are you doing with Rugan?" Siltek asked curiously, momentarily forgetting her hatred of all things to do with this flight.

"Well..." Rill trilled cutely, looking down at their captive. "She's a quarter liron, so I guess that kinda makes her furry."

"I'm not a god damned furry you little-" and here Rugan trailed off into another series of curses that made even the strong willed Siltek flinch.

"How... did you manage to get her in the first place?" Moonshadow was amused, drawing out his question as he looked at the trobbing vein in Rugan's forehead. How long before that burst, he mused.

"They helped." Ra'al chirped, pointing back at Rugan's three bonds.

I believe it's time that we entered a frenzy together. Rugan spends too much time holed up in the smithy. Ruoal'Shon spoke for all three with a haughty air that she had picked up from Porth. The bulky brown at her side rumbled approvingly. Yarpath simply looked meek and apologetic towards his bond.

"I really don't think she wants to go." Siltek commented. Though she didn't show it, she was silently impressed by Rill and Ra'al's ability to hold on to Rugan. The foul tempered blacksmith was doing her best to get away, and for anyone else, that would have been enough.

She doesn't have a choice! Kedith retorted cheerily. She sat beside her green-blue-gold sister, both of their tri-coloured hides glowing eerily.

"Well it's settled then." Moonshadow cut in, grinning at the four women gathered in a lop-sided circle around him. Nothing had really been settled, other then Rugan was being kidnapped and dragged to a flight that she didn't want to attend, and Siltek was momentarily stunned out of her bad mood. The tigra man looked on the bright side never-the-less. They were all alive. "Let's head out!"

"Yarpath, take your rider." Siltek called to the large copper as she followed her husband over to Bazuk's side. The gigantic Healing Denner responded with a low nod, humbly obeying Siltek in the absence of Rugan's sense of mind.

Gentle claws closed around the hissing and spitting quarter liron, elegantly trapping her arms against her sides as Rill and Ra'al hastily moved away. Rugan was lifted off her feet, still swearing loud enough to make the gods take notice. The profanity issuing from her mouth was occasionally interspered with death threats that were ignored by the other felinoids and dragons. Though well known for her strength, out muscling a fourty foot dragon was a bit more difficult then what she usually dealt with.

As Bazuk, Katzeth, Kedith, Porth, Ruoal'Shon, and Yarpath betweened to Planet Twenty, the Warren was left with the lingering echo of Rugan's spitfire curses and the knowledge that someone, somewhere was gonna die.

* * *

At the Furry Frenzy, two Tris'Hathian dragon riders were already present and mingling with the populace. Letanri and Damier, children of Siltek and Moonshadow separated by only two years of age, talked amiably as the strolled around the area staked out for furries attending the flight. While Letanri was eagerly eyeing potential mates (and being eyed in return), Damier was acting suspiciously reclusive.

"What's up?" Lentari quiried in half-interest. She spied a pair of eyes following her back, and elegantly flipped her long, white hair over her shoulder. Flirting had always been one of her favourite passtimes.

"Nothing." Damier replied sullenly and quickly. Too quickly. The normally hyperactive lira was skulking around at his sister's side as if he could hide his seven foot bulk behind her. The sulky tone of his voice was enough to arouse suspicion in those that knew him. His actions inspired in his sister an insatiable desire to know every little detail.

"Aw come on, you can tell me." Letanri prodded. Her ice blue eyes trailed his movement as he ducked, quite suddenly, behind her and started moving in the opposite direction. Letanri instinctively looked the other way, where he had been facing a moment ago.

At first she was confused. Catching glimpses through the crowd of felinoids, she spied her parents along with Rugan, Rill, and Ra'al. Rugan looked ready to split open the first face she saw that wasn't kith or kin. Rill and Ra'al were watching the assortment of males passing by, occasionally uttering a girlish squeal that made Siltek flatten her ears back and bare her teeth. Moonshadow, back in his tigra form, was trotting complaciently along at his wife's side, smiling at any who they passed. Though the grouping of Tris'Hathian felinoids was eighteen years younger then the time period that Letanri and Damier had left (they'd hopped back in time in order to attend this flight), the half-lironess could see nothing out of place about them. Then it hit her. They were eighteen years younger. Damier, her beloved and carefree brother, was eighteen years old.

Letanri whirled on her blood kin with a feral grin. She could almost taste the tormenting joy she'd have with this bit of information. "This is where you were concieved!" She said, loud enough to make the full grown lira man wince involuntarily.

"Keep it down!" He hissed at her. Black ears folded into his white mane, nearly disappearing in the volumous locks as they lay flat against his head.

Letanri giggled, something she did very rarely. "Aw come on, Dami. This is a special day for you! Just think. You'll be siring kids the same day that it's happening to you." Here she dissolved into another fit of laughter. Damier glared through narrowed eyes, a growl sitting in the back of his thick throat.

"Let's go see mom and dad." Letanri managed to speak through gasps of breath. Her sides were starting to hurt from laughing so hard.

"No!" Damier balked, standing firm when his sister tugged on his hand and tried to drag him towards their parents.

"Oh, stop pouting." She chided, though discovered that forcing Damier to do anything was like trying to move a mountain. He would not budge. She opened her mouth to lash him with another retort, but a shrill squeal from the other side of the field cut her off.

Damier and Letanri turned their attention as one to watch the spectical that thereafter be the torment of their mother. Rill and Ra'al, trainees under the strict and stoic black lironess, had caught sight of a male that quickened their heartbeats with a single glance. They raised their unnaturally high voices as one, emitting a sound much like nails on a chalkboard, and bound away from the small collection of Tris'Hathians.

"He's SOOOOOO cute!" They cajouled together, feline feet carrying them quickly towards an unsuspecting Ivo. Siltek looked ready to tear their fur out hair by hair.

Damier and Letanri were left to watch in awe as their mother managed to keep her temper in check, though her ears lay flat against her skull and her tail was a blur of lashing motion. A smile twinged the corner of the black lironess' mouth, making Letanri decide that it would be best to avoid her mother for the duration of this flight. They were, however, unable to hear the words that passed between her gritted teeth.

"Not going to kill him?" Moonshadow quiried in mild surprise. He sat in the field's tall grass, tigra head tilted upwards to see the visage of his tall wife. The mysterious smile tugging at the edges of his feline muzzle fell suddenly, replaced with alarm as Rugan walked past with a determined step. He looked from the back of his cousin-by-marriage to his wife, then cast Rugan one more fearful glance. She was cracking her knuckles as she made a bee-line for Ivo, who had been rendered oblivous under the fawning presence of two tan lironesses.

"I don't have to." Siltek half-purred, half-growled. She turned a satisfied smile down on her husband, who was still watching Rugan nervously. Tense muscles relaxed and earring-adorned ears flicked forward in anticipation of a familar sound. The crack made when Rugan's fist hit someone's face.