Selverat rubbed sleepily at his eyes, shooting a glare up at the dark sky. Yikaeri’s clutch had hatched, which meant that she was now free of the sands… and free to give him dark looks whenever she came across him. As if this entire mess was –his– fault.

Krethae wasn’t much more help… the Void Mage had done as much as she felt necessary, and stayed within the area to keep order in the chaos, but she had left –him– to deal with the angry Summoner.

And now it seemed like the sun would never shine. He couldn’t even remember if it was day or night, because the stupid clouds had obscured the sky for days on end.

“Rat, it’s happening.” Krethae appeared at his side from nowhere, a frown changing her normally pleasant face into a dark mask. “The females have decided to rise. I’ve warned the clan, and gotten us some guards out here, just in case.”

He grimaced, quickening his pace. As much as he would have preferred to avoid the entire mess… he did have to be in the area, to make sure that everything went as smoothly as possible.

He’d get it from Yikaeri and Revent if he didn’t.

The gathering of dragons was blessedly small, though it could have been smaller… only twenty three dragons, and out of them, only eleven females. Very few of them seemed to have bonds, either, which was another blessing.

The dragons were spread out across the plain, the more violent females snarling and hissing at each other and at the males. Veridiain had cleared a wide area around her, her fiery colors even more vibrant in the darkness as she glared about her, her wings stretching slowly.

She was the one who started it, claiming the right by her royal Azon heritage. She launched herself into the air and climbed swiftly, roaring a taunt at all the pitiful males below her.

The other females scrambled to get into the air as well, before the males could shake off their surprise and catch them on the ground. That was a blow to their dignity that they refused to take.

Ornuth climbed as fast as she could, eyeing all of the males that had decided to chase her, and deciding that she liked none of them. Two of them were identical xenos, Saru and Kaelror. Both violent, blue, and not nearly as intelligent as she wanted. The third was another xeno, Otamah by name, and who she despised even more than the other two.

~Go chase your own tails!~ She screeched, banking to one side and using a small thermal to rise swiftly above them. Otamah tried to grab her as she swept passed, but she lashed her tail across his face like a whip, making him drop down, losing her.

Clouds enveloped her as she rose, and she swiftly banked to one side, spreading her wings as far as they’d go in order to glide silently. She could hear the sounds of Saru and Kaelror fighting, and relaxed slightly. Those two wouldn’t bother her again.

~I do hope you don’t mind me dropping in.~ The words were accompanied by a warm body wrapping around her, the multiple heads of her new mate brushing lightly against her neck as his furry tail flicked back and forth.

Content for a time, she allowed Seshisashir to claim her as they spiraled down out of the sky.

Kaelror, meanwhile, was rather angry. If Saru had just left off and flown away, he would have had that beautiful pale blue all for himself! His brother was off chasing another female, which left him without much in the way of competition for once, and then his blasted clutchmate had decided to chase the same female as he!

Fuming, the dark blue xeno didn’t notice Enyo’Vha until she brushed past him, trying to evade her own chasers by making them dodge around him. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kaelror reached out and latched onto one of her tails with his hind legs, slowing her flight enough for him to wrap around the two-headed female. With a dark smirk, he roared his triumph aloud as her disappointed chasers broke off to find other females.

Zhateki coiled around Otamah, offering her own brand of comfort for the stinging wound that Ornuth had given her companion. Together the two fell, ignored by the rest of the fliers.

Sateino was having a few difficulties. He found himself, not the chaser, but the chased! It seemed that one of the more strong-minded dragons there, Onessa, had decided that he was to be her first mate, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He swore that this was what a baby bird felt like when being stalked by a cat.

~Would you stop running?~ She snapped, following his movements easily.

Sateino tried to out-maneuver her, using every trick and tactic that he had learned in his lifetime. ~Would you stop chasing me?~

Onessa’s laughter was loud in his mind as she tracked his movements and pounced on him with ease. ~I get what I want, and that’s that.~

Saru was growing angry. It seemed that every time he tried to chase a female, she turned her back to him and found a way to get rid of him. And now… well, now most of the females were widely scattered, and he was left nearly alone except for a few other disappointed males such as he and…

One female.

He bared his teeth in a vicious grin, darting towards Zerema with one thing on his mind: winning her before any of the other clods around him realized that there was a female not far away.

Zerema felt him coming at her and dodged gracefully, her four wings humming softly as they moved almost too fast to be seen. She wasn’t really interested in mating, or at least at being caught without effort.

Saru lashed his tail through the air, managing to swing around and come at her again. This time, he was prepared for her attempt at dodging, and managed to grab hold of her firmly, though she tried to wiggle away before he could tighten his hold upon her and make it impossible for her to escape.

Utothas was leading her bond, Brontinoth, on a merry little chase fairly far from the rest of the fliers. They had left any other chasers far behind them as they wove a small dance in the sky all their own. The outcome was foreordained, of course, and the two rumbled their pleasure as Brontinoth twined around his mate and bond after a satisfying courtship in the sky.

Unlike the other multitude of females in the flight, Axys stuck close to the ground. Her wings weren’t exactly built for long flights, and she preferred to glide or run in any case. Just once during the flight she had used a weak thermal to rise into the sky, so that she could see all that was going on. Discouraged by the violence that she saw around her – another poem was already forming itself in her mind from the sight – she sank back to the ground and contented herself with gliding and running in and out of the thin forest., knowing that it was unlikely that she would find a mate if she kept that up, but not honestly caring much.

Another dragon, Xenyde by name, was also a bit out of place in the flight. Wingless, he had no way to climb into the sky where the other dragons were fighting and chasing… and so he began to stalk the lone female who stuck close to the ground.

With a dark smirk, he tossed his scythe in front of Axys, the blade sinking into a tree as the handle barred her way. The dragoness froze in place, staring at the weapon that had seemed to sprout from the tree.

“I believe that you and I are best suited for each other, out of this mess of dragons.”

She blinked, focusing on the gray bipedal dragon who strode towards her confidently, ~Well… I suppose so.~

“Good. It’s settled then, come.”

Xenyde pulled his scythe from the tree and led Axys deeper into the forest, for a bit of privacy.

High above, Dreadeth shrieked a threat as another dragon drew close to her, twisting aside with grace and skill in order to avoid his advances. Were none of the males worthy of her? Were none of them able to keep up with her? She would not accept an inferior mate.

Banking sharply to the right, she snorted as Valadaen and Korchelr shot past her, effectively falling out of the running for her. Shooting a glance behind her, she spotted only one dragon left, and he didn’t seem to be truly chasing her with all his might.

~Is there no one worthy of me?~ She broadcast loudly, a challenge for any that would dare to take her up on it.

Like a thunderbolt from above, Oropuiivth collided with her, capturing her while she remained stunned. ~I am, fair lady.~

Snorting lightly, Dreadeth relaxed into his hold, content with the one who had caught her.

Having overshot Dreadeth, Valadaen settled for surprising Atameh, who was flying fairly close to her bond still. He wrapped himself about her before she could writhe away, and together the two fell from the sky.

Otamah had returned once more to the sky, this time chasing the beautiful Ashypth. He was determined to catch her, and all others had better beware!

Darting in, he fouled her wing beats with his tail, slowing her down enough for him to wrap around her…

Not that she was pleased with that! With a roar, she twisted her head around and bit his shoulder, spilling his blood and making him roar in pain. Despite that, he clung to her, not truly minding that he had caught a violent one, he could be violent himself!

Llaxaem snarled darkly, flying swiftly up to the pair and joining the fight. He would have caught the beauty in a few more wing beats if not for Otamah getting in his way… and he intended on making the xeno pay.
On to page 2