House Rh'thaou: Star City & the Bipedra

the continuing stories of the Taratus Clan
by Neishai

Star City Dragonry | Xeno Frenzy

• • •

Makon's dreams had been continuous -- from the time his head hit the pillow to the time he arose in the morning, though more a collage of images, feelings, and fragments of events than actual dreams. It was a mixture of his own nightmares, worries, and the dreams of his dragons. Dagor was not his only dragon. Every xenomorph, from Orah to Pencara and Usiorn, all were tied to him to some degree, and even if they were not in the same building, they could share one another's dreams.

Dagor had warned him that to worry and reject his fate would only put his hive at risk. They would all suffer on his behalf. They would not rise against him, but they would know everything he despised, fought with himself over, and hated in himself. It made the inner turmoil worse in some ways, made him stronger in others.

Go to Star City. There was a xenomorph frenzy; we are sure to acquire recruits to our cause if we go. It will strengthen our ranks and it will strengthen you.

Strengthen me? Perhaps... He had relented however, and signed Pencara and Orah up to try to bond. Each had been happily surprised and displayed it in her own way. He had also signed Dagor and himself up to Sponsor, in the off chance that there were some dragons left unbonded.

Now at Star City, as the days wore on and the day of the hatching, bursting, whatever, approached, his dream sequences lengthened and intensified. He hardly got any sleep, and even when he was awake the days seemed like one continuous nightmare. When will it end?

End? There will be no end...we are still in our beginning. The end of your bitter suffering is at hand.

Why was this so difficult to believe?

Trust me. Soon, you will get your revenge. No more empty promises from Alphas who do not care. We care. We are your family. We are the means to your ends, but we will not abandon you, as you will not abandon us.

Yes...

A chorus of agreement filled their minds. It really was a hive mind. And... as squirmy and disgusting as it felt, in some dark and twisted way, it was family, it was home...

Not that he ever went a night without shedding a few tears. But as time went on, he was beginning to wonder why...

• • •

"Last Call: Will the Bonders for the clutches of ... Mayonaka ... Sanodie ... Jiora ... Shotgun ... and Gatica, please proceed to the Hatching Bays immediately."

~ SCD Xeno Hatching exerpt

Makon and his hive were already seated in the spectator's lounge waiting for the bonders to arrive when the last call warning. He looked up at the intercom with shadowy, haunted eyes, half surprised and half resigned to his fate as ...queen... of his little hive. Ironic that he should be, but all the xenos in his bunch looked to him now more or less, even Lethoc. Lethoc, who was with his bond Sieban and their common charge, the blue xeno Usiorn, at Cy Dragonstake for this year's Bipedra hatching.

As the activity within the bay began to increase and tension grew, he listened to the familiar chitinous sounds of xenomorphs moving in the darkness. Plastered to the walls were Inyu, food animals impregnated for the purpose of incubating xeno-hybrid chestbursters. The young cheetah-shifter fought back long, low laughter at vicious memories of the past. One of his own xenos had been the direct result of a good friend's death that way. Now she was one of his greatest allies...

Maaaakon. Such thoughts will rend your mind. How can you laugh and cry at once?

The big beetle-black xeno he leaned against looked at him with piercing eyes glittering with the closest to love and worry he would ever receive from the bunch. Dagor, I can laugh and cry while I tear my enemies apart. I cannot explain why, the young man sighed.

Two of the bonders turned to look back at them, one, the mottled-black xeno, tilted her head meekly. Makon...

Her companion, a Night Green with a more Hathian look about her, sent waves of support to Makon. They were all connected mentally, only Makon bridged the gaps.

I'll be fine guys. Orah and Pencara, you just focus on bonding. That's what you want to do, right? Hatchlings need strong minds to adhere to. Makon leaned back against Dagor's body and tried not to let the screams of the Inyu get to him. To the xeno, after all, it was music to his ears.

Here it comes. Dagor leaned forward his head, eager to watch the first egg open. Unlike many dragon eggs, xeno eggs open like some nightmarish, mutant flower. This one was no exception as its occupant fell free and lay there for a moment, before a rash candidate thought he could force a bond.

Makon leaned forward as well, frowning. "That fool," he muttered fiercely under his breath, "it is the dragon who decides..."

They watched as the dragon proceeded to teach that bonder his lesson for the day. Good girl... A pity she didn't eat him, Dagor chuckled. He flicked his tail in amusement, tapping Makon lightly to ensure his joke was received properly.

After that first hatchling was when as they say, "all hell broke loose." Eggs unfolded and Inyu rib cages snapped open, xeno crossbreeds of all shapes and sizes making their way into the world, wreaking havoc, creating chaos, and making the occasional bond on their way.

Makon and Dagor nearly missed their fellow sponsor, as the man suddenly rose and stepped away from the stands. The young cheetah-shifter caught the movement from the corner of his eye and drew Dagor's attention to it. "Hey look, that man has a burster in his arms! He was supposed to sponsor..." Frowning, Makon watched as the man left, and was suprised as a second sponsor-bond was made, this time with a woman. "What's going on?"

I don't know...

Wary, now, the other sponsors watched the floor for any burstlings to, well, burst out at them. Makon and Dagor, even as watchful as they were, were in for a surprise. A little red female had circled around behind them, and now she leapt at the cheetah-shifter. Surprised, Makon shook his leg, but already she was coiling around his pants (and leaving a nice slimy, blood-streaked trail in the process) in an effort to get up to him. Dagor was caught somewhere between shock and amusement--after all, it was his bond who was trying so hard to be rid of the tightly wound burstling! Just when the xeno-dragon was about to offer help, the last burstling slid forward, effectively blocking him with sendings of hunger and... fear, strangely enough. Makon and his bond looked at each other, "Rass?" the biped asked of his bond at the same moment that Dagor asked ~Neektee?~ The burstlings both squeeled when they heard their names... and then the two hopeful sponsors realized what had happened. Now they both had bonds of their own! Much more then they'd bargained for!

~ Exerpt from SCD's Xeno-mutt Frenzy hatching

Well now, it would appear that we have some little ones to feed, Dagor mused, feeling the press of Rass' jittery mind against his. Cold, hot, hungry and cold... but most relieved to have found his bond at last. Dimly also, that of Neektee's chilly mind as it wrapped and crackled around Makon's like autumn leaves. It appeared as if the cheetah-shifter had actually shivered! The large black xeno looked back at the melee below. Pencara! Orah! We're beating you at your own game! See you at the feeding tables.

Orah and Pencara glanced up as soon as they were able, astonished to see the worm-like bursters curled about their new bonds. The two females gaped at one another (Orah sightlessly) before looking back, nodding wordlessly. The hatching frenzy had gone on, and would continue at a frenzied rate with few lulls in activity. So far, there had been little hope for the pair on the bay floor in the way of potential bonds. They had seen every size, shape, and form of xeno, even some furry nightmarish things, and still nothing. Just a whole lot of mayhem and fighting. Pencara and Orah were streaked with runnels of blood and gore.

Then, nearby, one xeno-hybrid made his way to a bond he had sensed before breaking free of his pretatal prison.

At the same moment, a two-headed, smoggy beast was making his way towards Pencara with an almost lazy like drag to his step. The much larger xenodragon rumbled when she saw him approaching, wondering if this young one was actually as slothful as he appeared. Not that she had any ambitions of bonding to a great dragon; the green dragoness was more worried that this hatchling who approached her with such slow, sleep-like movements would be inappropriate to serve Makon, the leader of her hive. No one wanted a lay-about drone, no one could afford a lay-about drone! These thoughts were pushed aside, however, as the smoggy dragonet stopped by her feet, and when the two of them touched minds, she laid her worries to rest completely.

Of course I'm moving slow, I haven't had anything to eat. And... take me to this Makon. If he means so much to you, Pencara, I will serve him with all of my heart and minds.

~Aferat...~ she began, hoping to convey her appreciation. Both of his heads bobbed in understanding. He didn't need spoken words, for already, without question and without doubt, Aferat had agreed to serve the hive as faithfully as Pencara did.

Out of the few remaining dragonets, three banded together and approached the xenomorphs (two shifters and one of Mayonaka's clutch) that waited, apart from the other candidates in attitude more than in proximity. The first of the three, Kessiress, sensed the heat signals distinguishing themselves from the cluster of hatchlings long before one of the beasts, a three headed, oily dragonet by the name of Cemidot entered his mind. The male sat down smoothly at Kessiress' feet, and not one of his heads flinched or turned to retaliate against the snapping mouth of another of his trio. This oily-black dragonet, if he wasn't thick-headed, was a noble beast indeed.
The snapper, a yellow-tan dragonet, rustled her wings in irritation and then passed the big, three-headed brute. Not that she'd have wanted to bond a male, anyways, but she'd wanted to be the first to choose! In any case, she paused before the larger drone, Orah, just as she'd planned to do in the first place. At first, the omega-ranked xenodragon paid the her hopeful bond little heed. After all, why would someone so self confident want to bond a worthless cur like her? Thisserat, for that was the dragonet's name, immediately snarled at her bond's very thought, and thrust her little paw over the larger dragon's talon. ~You may wish to waste your time on thoughts of self-degradation, but I will have none of it,~ the dragonet exclaimed, her voice so commanding that it took Orah off guard. Thisserat snuffed up at her bond as the larger dragon immediately apologized. ~I see I have a lot of work to do on you,~ she said, her voice a peculiar mixture of condescention and sympathy. With that, the both of them headed away from the bonders, leaving the shifter xenos to do as the wished.

~ Exerpts from the SCD Xeno-mutt Hatching

It was just after the bonding of the third in Thisserat's trio of xeno-hatchlings that everything changed. A confrontation between the queens began, and even newly-bonded xenos found themselves squirming under the mental onslaught. Orah and Aferat began to scream when Makon's voice echoed through their minds, clear and ominous like funeral bells. House Rh'thaou, to me!

The voice saved them all; when all the xenos now under Makon's jurisdiction had made it to the food tables, he lead them out of the bay and away from the howling queens. They weren't about to see what they had in store for the rest.

• • •