The human nodded, and the large (at least in the Minister's opinion), nearly eye-blindingly bright rainbow-green made a huffing noise. "Right, and you're... Vesadmorth?" The dragoness gave a cheeky nod. "Okay. Good." Siche slitted her eyes and gave both of them harsh looks. She could be a bitch today if she felt like it, and she just happened to... "There are a few rules that I'd like to impart upon you. Listen here, please."

Iroke, who'd been following the hand-drawn map that Siche'd given to her, waved her hand at her bond. "Rules are rules, Vesa'... you've managed to contain yourself for this long, I'm sure you can hold it a little longer. Besides, do you really want to fly in here?" The commerce level was busy at all hours of the day, especially in the main road... which the two of them had been forced to take. The ceiling might have been high enough for a flight, but there really wasn't any space from side to side to do any spectacular stunts, like the woman was sure Vesadmorth would be performing.

I could manage it, the dragoness shot back smugly. and I'd have all of the suitors I could wish for.

"I'm sure they're'll be suitors enough for you on this 'flight deck' of theirs... ah, here's the lift." Iroke guided them towards the great, metal-walled elevator, and the two stopped in front of it, looking a little skeptical.

"Need any help?" A voice surprised the both of them, and they looked over to find another woman stopped a bit down the side-road, her red-white bond a pace behind. The dragon, this one a male, lowered his head and sniffed at Vesa', causing the rainbow to give a warning snarl. Iroke hushed the proddy female, then turned her attention back to the helpful woman. "Uh, we're new here. I was directed to the flight deck..."

"You too? I'm Karen. Brychwynth and I, we've been here for a little bit. Kind of figured out the ins and outs of things... actually, I was just dropping him off down there before I went and did some honest touring. Here. Lemme show you how it works."

Iroke and her bond stepped out of the way as the second woman pushed a few buttons. The doors hissed back, coming fully open with a deep chung! noise.

"Nothing to it. In you go." Karen smiled pleasantly to the two, who entered the bare cubic box with various degrees of doubt evident across their faces. Before they could close the door again, Brychwynth had managed to wedge his body in, as well. He just barely fit.

Vesa' gave a growl as the male crammed against her, I am not riding in this thing with the likes of you!

Excuse me, but there is the space, and I believe I heard mention of the words "fair and free"... The red-white dragon's voice was pleasant and polite, though his eyes sparkled a particular shade of orange.

Get out! Vesadmorth snapped, Take another lift, just get out!

"Vesa'!" Iroke reprimanded, slightly breathless and squashed in the corner. She flailed with one hand and smashed at the panel of buttons. The door had already closed with another resounding ring, and now the elevator thrummed to life. "Calm yourself for two more minutes!"

It was only a moment more before the door opened again, and Brychwynth literally tumbled out. Vesa' charged past him, impatient to be free. Iroke trailed behind her, rubbing at her poor squished ribs. And then she looked down, and froze.

The lift had stopped at a clear, glass-like observation deck, which itself hung above a vast, empty, curving space. The woman gulped, and slowly brought her gaze back up. It was like flying, really... only without a mount securely beneath her...

There were a number of people down here, or rather up here, but certainly not as many as in the level above. Most were prowling males, looking for a good flight to join in. Some of said males now gave pause, eyeing up the nearly glowing Vesadmorth. The dragoness strutted under the attention, under the proverbial spot-light, and loving it.

Where do I fly? the Raug dragon sent to her bond. For all of the great space beneath them, there didn't seem to be any way to get to it!

Iroke again took a good look at her map. They were close to their destination... there was a big 'X' marked just a dozen meters from here... and a smaller one, marking a complex wedged along one wall. "This way, love."

Cloudy, for that was the larger dragon's name, said nothing, simply watching the rainbow dragoness pose and challenge any near enough to hear her. She was pretty enough... a bit small, but that could make for a good chase.

She was so looking at me just then, did you see it? The blue-white dragon puffed, That's it, she's so mine.

She's not even out the hatch yet. You have to wait.

I'll catch her before she opens her wings. They don't call me Streaky for nothing!

The large, clouded dragon simply rumbled a draconic chuckle. Streaky was his friend... but today he was a competitor, as well. He remained quiet and watched as the dragoness approached the hatch.

Nearby, another dragon was having exactly the same thoughts, but for a different reason. Pest eyed the rainbow-green female with darker lust then should have been proper. He tossed his mane of chocolate hair to one side, revelling in the thoughts of what he would do to her when he caught her. And he would, of course.

The males were hot in pursuit, Streaky the first to leap into the great abyss behind her. Vesa' had flared her wings and swung about in the flick of a tail, and flew beneath the layer of glass, taunting the others and she glided. Pest, who'd been directly above her, snarled and tried to break through the glass-like floor, but was unsuccessful. Roaring his rage, he darted for the hatch, through which all of the others had already passed.

She dropped some of the chilly air from her wings, and fell more towards the floor, towards the outside wall, as it were. It was difficult to comprehend that everything stretched up here, though she felt always as if she were being pulled down by normal gravity. It was a trick on the eyes, really... maybe she could use it to her advantage.

There were huge, pillar-like obstructions everywhere--while they didn't block off any one segment of the flight deck, they could prove a nuisance. Or at least, Vesa' would make sure that they did. She cast her mind back, caught Streaky not a tail's length behind her, and swerved back up again. She wasn't going to let any runt catch her! He corrected his flight, and wasn't thrown. Behind him, Danonustapth, Brychwynth, and Cloudy held even. Cloudy, by far the largest, had managed to get a little ahead... now he used his great bulk to literally block any attempts at passing.

Out of the way, you oaf! Dan' snarled, but Cloudy wasn't moved so easily.

Suddenly, Brychwynth gave a loud cry. Something had sunk its fangs into his tail! Curling about mid-flight, he found Pest had caught up, and had managed to catch the red-white off guard. Brych' tried to shake the malicious dragon free, he didn't want to fight the creature. Pest just snarled louder, and dug his fangs in deeper. Brych' watched with sinking hopes as the other pursuers, as well as his prize, pull away without hope of recovery. He was angry, frustrated... as the spotted dragon managed to take a good chunk off, the red-white finally turned on him and let him have what was coming to him.

Meanwhile, Vesa' was pulling away... Streaky might be fast, but he wasn't able to maintain it for a long time. This was too easy. Weren't there any worthy males out there? She slowed a little, flashing her wings and calling out particularly teasing words to all three remaining chasers. She even let the little blue-streaked dragon catch up a little to her... and then left him in the dust just as he thought perhaps he was getting somewhere. That's it... Streaky finally said, stalling and watching the rainbow vanish around one of the massive, square-shaped pillars. He was panting and straining his wings, maybe I'll get the next one--YEAGH! Dan' and Cloudy blew by him, leaving him nearly tumbling in the air currents behind. Definitely the next one...

Cloudy still held the lead by a little, though Danonustapth was only a nose behind. What makes you so sure you'll win, he taunted his larger competitor.

Nothing, though I'm 'winning' now, am I not? His voice was far too composed for all of the activity he was doing...

Dan' hissed and had to split apart from the great clouded blue as they passed a column, but rejoined him on the other side. He was only a little ahead from before, though Cloudy still held the lead. Vesa' was still in view, tantalizingly close, yet still unreachable. She was already at the next column, and she would be gone in a second.

Then red lights began to flash. What is that? Dan' asked of no-dragon in particular. The lights, swirling like a furious dragon's eyes, became accompanied in a second by a siren-like sound. Both were originating from the column ahead.

The cat-thing told us about this, Vesadmorth recalled through her flight-induced hazy mind. What did she say? Red for incoming, yellow for outgoing? No, the other way around... The alarms meant something about air... but Vesa' hadn't been paying much attention... the columns were... ports? And 'air-locks' of some kind... Vesa' thought all of this in a heart-beat, as she approached the now lit-up obstacle. Suddenly a rapid stream of air smashed against her left wing, causing her to spin out of control. Red means outgoing! Outgoing! Vesa' finally remembered, albeit a little late. She had just managed to right herself when another blast caught her other side, sending her tumbling the other way.

She's in trouble! Danonustapth shouted, and the larger dragon nodded. They both flew towards their prize, though for the moment thoughts of such were put out of their minds... barely.

Vesa' finally right herself again, and this time was more cautious. She noticed the two behind her, gaining rapidly--soon they'd be upon her. Back off, cheapskates! she cried, misinterpreting their desire to help for something entirely different. She hadn't been harmed, at least.

The rainbow-blue breathed a sigh of relief at that warning. So she was okay... he focused again on the chase...

As they closed on the column, Cloudy struggled to dodge the jets of air. Dan' got caught up on one, though he could dodge them more easily then his great competitor. He slipped through several streams as Cloudy got caught in a few particularly dense blasts. Vesadmorth, he called after the still haughty dragon. You feel alone here. You aren't used to being around so many and yet still not a rainbow-hide in sight.

The green Raug growled low in her throat. Just because you're like me doesn't mean that you're going to catch me. She slowed, and then when she was free of the air-jets on the other side, came circling around. She knew that the large one was stuck, and perhaps the other...

But I already have. Danonustapth rebutted, descending from above.

The bright rainbow-green struggled for a moment, but finally relented. It was true... she may have wanted to get away from it all, but in the end... this was good. This was perfect.