Not that she had any intention of staying holed up in a dim room! This was the day, the morning (or afternoon, or evening-- whatever!). Her first flight, soon to be her first mate, and eventually her first clutch. She wanted to experience every moment to the hilt, and make the most of each one. Even if Fyr was a little less excited than she, it didn't matter: she would be excited enough for both of them, and maybe it would be catching.

She'd woken from a restless sleep the day after their arrival, after they'd been given their instructions by Siche Four, the Minister of Flights, and Ignis had tried to give a rough estimate of when, exactly, she'd be ready. As it turned out, her guess had been very wrong, for she'd given herself a few days. Not surprising, for her first flight-- the flight deck had better be empty, or she would be less than pleased! Either that or have far too much fun chasing away whoever was there first.

Thoughts already winging upwards in anticipation, Ignis nudged Fyr into wakefulness with her with a single, gleeful sending of only two words: :It's time!:

"Neinau, you fecking clutz!" Auhato roared, rolling beneath his brother and swatting at him before Naitano, even slightly bigger than both of them, bowled into them both.

"Pile on Auhato!" he laughed, sending all three crashing into one of the docking pillars.

"You guys are nuts!" Aukeli, the biggest by far, exclaimed laughingly, though he looked rather like he wouldn't mind joining in, if he could manage it. "You're gonna break something!"

"We ain't tha' big!" Neinau giggled as he somehow slipped out of the wreck he'd caused and glided haphazardly towards Aukeli, who angled to avoid him, grinning.

"Clutz, nothing," Naitano commented with an amused leer as he shoved off from the opaque column. "He's just drunk."

"Again!" exclaimed Auhato, highly displeased, launching himself after his brother and winging directly for Neinau. "That's the third damn time since we got here!"

"But the drinksh here-- they're sho good!" Neinau protested, and proved that he wasn't that far gone by dodging a not-so-gentle cuff from the self-proclaimed leader of the four half-Avengaeans. He gave Auhato a wide, smug grin, only to get buffeted by Aukeli's wing and sent tumbling through the air. All three of the other brothers laughed.

"Serves you right!" Auhato shouted after him, still grinning.

The flight they were scheduled for in several days was very far from the minds of Auhato, Naitano, and Neinau. To them, right now, the flight decks were just a place to have fun.

K'rin seemed to be enjoying himself, at least, but Auith wasn't one to settle for vicarious pleasure. He thought idly about trying to get back into the Dragon Lounge, but after he'd been kicked last time he went inside. He'd switched a whole table-full of diners' glasses of expensive liquors with plain vinegar-- a round of drinks stolen from another table, which were apparently the favorite of some other species-- enjoyed the drinks himself, and then amused himself pretending to be drunk and trying to convince one of the lady-dragons-- one he'd stolen a glass from, no less-- that he was the best thing in the world for her. No matter what those dragons said, he was only pretending! Unfortunately, no one seemed to think that was funny, except the ones who were really drunk. Well, and except K'rin. K'rin had laughed, at least.

It had been fun while it lasted, of course, up until the proprietors of the establishment had kicked him out and threatened to take tasers to him-- whatever those were-- if he tried to come back. Even that had been kind of amusing. But now this, this was utterly boring. Laying around reminiscing about past pranks was not Auith's favorite pass-time. He preferred coming up with new ones and, even more, implementing them.

Three of the red dragons-- brothers, Auith thought-- crashed into a column nearby, shouting at each other amiably. The glimmer of an idea came to Auith, and he giggled. Even if he couldn't pull off the joke he intended, he'd at least not be bored anymore. So he rolled to his feet, hopped to the top of a the maze's walls, and spread his wings. He would see just what those four mixed-breed dragons would think of a fifth partner in their games-- and then see what they thought of being teleported into an occupied hatching bay when he got his claws on them!

Now that would be an interesting joke.

Though he had never participated in a flight himself, Zionibosch had seen a couple when he was younger and his bond hadn't been too afraid he'd try to join in, and he knew how things worked. The fastest, cleverest dragon caught the sky-lady, most often, especially in flights like this, where the lady didn't know any of her suitors personally. Well, if that were the case, then 'Bosch knew he'd win-- wasn't he the fastest, cleverest dragon in the city?

Even so, he'd been practicing, trying out some hair-pin turns and quick stops, just in case. Or, he had been, until four red ruffians took over the decks, making more noise than four dragons should be allowed to make. He'd tried joining in on their play-- the more, the merrier!-- but before he'd spent more than an hour with them, he ducked out gracefully, afraid he'd end up with a broken wing or something. They played very, very rough, and though they were friendly enough, 'Bosch just wasn't nearly as big as they were, or as bulky, and he feared for his own up and coming participation in flight to catch the object of his desire.

Just thinking about her made the upper flight deck seem that much brighter. Zionibosch currently lay sprawled across the platform from which the lovely Ignis would be taking off from, tail flipping idly like a cat's, his eyes following the antics of the four brothers, catching the massive silver seemingly snoozing down in the ground-maze, and his thoughts hardly paying attention to them. His attention warred between a conversation with his bonded, and daydreams about Ignis.

It took him a minute to realize that it wasn't just his own happy thoughts that gave the tunnel-like observation deck its rosy glow. There were actually arcs of gold, orange, and red light along the glass walls, refracting prettily now and then-- and they were moving closer.

Hurriedly, Zionibosch looked over his shoulder, and spotted his hearts desire trotting down the hallway, and leapt to his feet. She was glowing far more than yesterday, and the proud yet excited way she was looking ahead of her, the speculative glance she set on 'Bosch himself, made it seem very much like she was here for her flight, rather than just to survey the decks. And there was a pack of ruffian dragons down there in the deck itself! That had to be fixed!

Before Ignis got anywhere near him, 'Bosch leapt off the platform, calling out a wordless a warning to the five other dragons in the deck. At the same time,  an elated telepathic message raced to his bond: it was time!

Fyr followed her, anxious but excited, as well. There was a set of rooms alongside the observation deck, made especially for the riders of dragons who flew at the city, and it was to those she would go... there were two of the dragons she'd seen signed up to chase who had riders. Hopefully they were handsome. And gentle.

... Provided Ignis even chose a dragon bonded to one of them. "Honey," she said softly, and with some nervousness, to her dragon, who was looking hungrily at the hatch just a few dragon-lengths beyond. Ignis glanced at her briefly, tail twitching like a cat preparing to pounce. "I know you want a good flight," Fyr continued, "but remember, this is going to be my first time too. Please, don't forget that and forget to think about me, too."

:Oh,: Ignis said, sounding a little disappointed, a little understanding, and mostly distracted. :I'll do my best. I promise.:

"That's all I can ask," Fyr answered with a smile, before her dragon shooed her where she belonged and barreled impatiently out the hatch.

"Hey, Mouse, what's the matter?" he asked, looking shocked to see the normally sedate programmer in such a frantic state. Even after his nervousness in the bar, such a leap into near-panic was strange.

"The d-d-d-dragon-- 'Bosch says--"

"Already?!" Sans exclaimed, understanding immediately.

"He says now. I've g-g-g-gotta go!"

Before he could dart off again, Kang grabbed his elbow one more time. "Hey, Mouse? Take off the glasses before you get in there."

"What?"

"Kang, you jerk--"

"Nobody's worried about how he looks!"

"No, really!" Kang hurried to explain. "Listen, if you can't see how pretty she is, you won't be as nervous, right?"

"Oh... okay."

"Besides, I can't see how it would hurt anything if your eyes didn't look three times their normal size."

"Kang!"

Heironymous didn't stick around to see Icelyn smack Kang upside the head; he was already gone, racing for the flight decks as quickly as he could, somehow weaving his way through the perpetual crowd of Star City.

Auith had, of course, completely ruined the moment, making his face go momentarily blank and his train of thought derail messily. Even worse, in the midst of his warring interests-- dragon and audience-- he completely missed what Auith had said.

Irritated, he sent back, :What is it, Auith?:

:I said, Ignis is rising early. Right now, actually. You'd better get down here, quick, before you miss all the excitement, or just get to experience it right there in the bar.:

:Oh. I'm on my way.:

Making a hasty, apologetic escape from the now-pouting purple woman, K'rin pelted for the flight deck.

:Everyone out! Send word to the Flights Minister! Ignis is rising early!: a voice rang in all their heads. As much as Zionibosch liked the idea of having Ignis all to himself to chase, it was only fair that the other four dragons who could have chosen to chase her, as well, be notified.

"Already?!" Naitano cried, wheeling around in shock.

"It wasn't supposed to be for days!" Auhato exclaimed, just as surprised.

"I'm not even ready!" Neinau complained, punctuating his words with a hiccough and earning a glare from Auhato.

"I guess that means playtime's over!" Aukeli said, disappointed. "I'll get lost-- have fun, guys!" And as he raced for the hatch to escape the imminent flight, he was nearly bowled from the sky by an unexpected source: a vibrantly glowing orange and red dragoness. He shook his fist at her, hollered a few choice curses-- all of which she ignored-- then zipped inside where she'd erupted from so suddenly. There was a Minister to warn, and he seemed to be the only one who knew of the flight who could do it. Damn, and he'd probably miss all the excitement, too!

Zionibosch bared his teeth at the leaving, insulting dragon, then focused back on Ignis, circling high above her while she fell into a tight spiral over the pen of now-frantic Inyu, choosing one for her own pre-flight meal. That none of the dragons except that one had left was disconcerting-- had they all been waiting for Ignis? Were they all as anxious and excited as he was? Of course not-- no one could be. The thought of going up against the giant silver and rowdy reds, though, made his paws twitch nervously-- perhaps it wasn't as sure as he'd hoped it was.

Still grounded, Auith's jaw gaped in silent laughter. How ironic that his boredom would be assuaged by the very reason he'd come here! Even more ironic that the very dragons he'd planned on playing his pranks on were to be his competitors! There was, of course, no reason to hop into the air immediately; Ignis seemed to be of a kind who had hunger before... hunger.

For Ignis was hungry, hungrier than she had ever been before, even at hatching. She found the fattest, tenderest-looking of the Inyu bucks, and fell on it. The three reds drew back, radiating various curiosity and fascination at the way she clawed out the animal's throat, as if they hadn't expected it. She didn't care; all she wanted was to eat, and fill the echoing emptiness of her stomach.

:Ignis, no! Hold back!:

For a moment, she didn't recognize the voice, then she started and glared briefly in the direction of Fyr in her suite of rooms. Why should she have to hold back? This was her flight!

:Your flight, not your waddle!: came Fyr's firm reminder, and Ignis understood then. No one could fly fast enough to give up a good chase with a fully belly. Instead of devouring, as instinct and her stomach demanded, she put her jaws to the bloody throat and sucked the creature dry. The taste of blood made her stomach rumble hungrily, but it heightened her senses: she felt more fascination from the reds, mixed with a tension that had nothing to do with meat and blood; the silver was watching her with sparkling blue eyes, jaw slightly gaping still and emotions anticipating. One more, the fifth, circled high above, and his thoughts were admiring.

Hmph, she thought, well pleased even as she dove for a second of the panicking animals, giving it the same treatment as the first. Admiration, fascination, anticipation... all good traits in a potential mate. A third, smaller Inyu calf fell to her jaws, and Ignis crouched on the ground, eyes darting with smug mischievousness from dragon to dragon as she gathered her strength to spring. Now-- now it was time to see if they were worthy!

"I hope I'm in the right place," a voice said, and Fyr's eyes jerked to the doorway. A blonde, pale-eyed young man, looking far too tanned to be one of the locals, stood there, grinning as if pleased to find her human, attractive, and not hanging on the arm of a pre-determined man-- or maybe just pleased that he made it in time.

"I think you are," Fyr answered. "Are you here for Ignis' flight?"

"Yup," he agreed, coming in and taking one of the chairs, sprawling into it comfortably. "I'm K'rin." He held out a hand in greeting, and she took it, shaking nervously.

"Fyr," she said. "This is my first time.... And Ignis is early. But I guess you'd know that."

"Yeah, I did," he answered, but then fell silent-- which was good, for Fyr had to struggle a moment to make sure Ignis didn't gorge herself.

What seemed like mere heartbeats later, Ignis was prepared, wings unfurled and hunger receding before the desire to fly as fast and far as she could-- to make her suitors prove exactly what they were made of. Fyr was ready, or as ready as she thought she could ever be, but before her thoughts soared with her dragon's, the sound of someone skidding to a hasty stop distracted her. This time, both Fyr and K'rin looked quickly to the doorway, where a very tall, lanky man with bright red hair, slightly disheveled, stood clutching the door frame and panting, something that looked like very large lenses in one fist.

"S-s-sorry I'm late," he stammered breathlessly, looking vaguely in her direction with eyes slightly unfocused, as if he weren't really seeing her.

"It's all right," Fyr said, trying to smile, and winning a shy smile out of him, as well; so much for the thought that he didn't see her. He was nowhere near as confident as K'rin-- he almost seemed as nervous as she felt! This must be Heironymous, rider to Zionibosch-- a pair of long, difficult names, both! "Come, sit, Ignis is--"

Fyr gasped, interrupting herself as Ignis sprang into the air. Heironymous hurried to settle in the other chair, setting down the lenses and watching her face. She was no longer paying either one any attention, however, because the chase had begun.

The silver-- Auith, she remembered from the lists of those who'd signed up-- launched himself after her first, the closest to her, and labored to gain altitude. The red three milled about in a tight cluster for a moment before racing after her, as well. Auhato, Neinau, and Naitano: three brothers of species Ignis had only heard of, Avengaean mixed with Hathian. All to the better! The more exotic, the more exciting. The black and orange mixed breed-- Zionibosch-- hung back, flying high, near the deck's "ceiling", following the flight from above. For a moment, Ignis felt a flash of irritation-- did he not want her?

Fueled by indignation, Ignis spun around one of the square, opaque columns-- docking platforms lined with air ducts, the cat-like Minister had said-- confusing her followers until they caught sight of her glittering hide and wheeled around to the chase again. Zionibosch dove closer, but pulled up before actually joining the others, still circling above them all as if he was either uncertain or extremely confident, but the reds were gaining on Auith, shouting challenges back and forth among them with such language as Ignis had only heard from the most uncouth of dragonriders. They sure seemed competitive-- but in a cheerful, playful way. That was exactly the kind of competition Ignis liked, and she felt herself warming to the idea of one of the strange, furry dragons catching her.

But as she did the same trick of pulling around a pillar to avoid suitors, only this time darting the other way around and coming out behind the four, she suddenly remembered that none of them had bonds. Fyr had said she wanted her bond to remember her, and what she'd really meant was she didn't want to be left alone while Ignis had her fun. Auith and Zionibosch had bonds, but none of Auhato, Neinau, or Naitano did. For a moment, she warred with herself-- she wanted her first flight to be her choice, not Fyr's, but she didn't want Fyr to be unhappy, either!

Distracted, she rounded another pillar to find the largest of the furry reds, Naitano, diving for her head-on. With a squeal of displeasure, she pulled up sharply and shot upwards, leaving the Avengaean half-breed to snatch helplessly at her tail and then crash right into the obstacle he'd been hiding behind. He slid to the ground, dazed and swearing, but seemingly not injured.

:No being tricky, now!: she taunted, mind-voice light but thoughts a little shaken. That had been close, and it rattled her to think that her first flight might be over with so quickly. If he had been a half-second faster, he might have caught her. Why had she been so careless? --For her rider, who even now was flying with her, in the back of her mind.

One down, four to go, and one of those four was still holding himself aloof, watching her closely but not actually chasing her, radiating indecision, worry, more admiration, and desire. For a moment Ignis stalled, hovering, looking up at him, but then she quickly put him out of her mind: she needn't worry about the little orange-and-black just yet, and Auith was angling between two docking columns, closing in fast. She took off again, racing at a perpendicular to the direction she had been going, causing Auith to project a curse and try to wheel his large self around.

Focusing on him, testing to see if he, one of the two bonded dragons, was worthy of her, Ignis circled him teasingly, just out of reach and flying so quickly that she must surely have seemed to him to just be a blur of color and light. :Come on, you can do better than that!: she called cheerfully. He made a lunge for her, but she turned suddenly again, around another of those oh-so-helpful columns, so close her wingtip nearly clipped its surface. Auith fell prey to just that, trying to turn too quickly and smashing the leading edge of his wing into the solid surface. He fell, helpless to gravity and tangled in his wings.

:It was a good chase, anyway!: he sent her as he fell, taking his obvious failure with grace and a laugh.

Two down, three to go. Zionibosch was finally on the same vertical plane as Auhato and Neinau, the three of them making for her from almost entirely different directions. Ignis dove, instead, pulling up and using her momentum to speed her around the curve of the rounded floor. There had to be some way to decide between them-- and prowess in flight wasn't going to cut it, for all three managed to keep close to her, weaving around each other while she darted and dodged.

:C'mon,: one of the furry half-breeds sent at her: Neinau, his thoughts oddly fuzzy. :C'mon, I can get ya. I'm the besht flier on thish shtation!:

Ignis dropped into a barrel roll, noting how he seemed to weave a little more than the others. A thought shocked her: He's drunk! Dragons didn't usually get drunk... did they? Even so, it was an insult that he would show up to her first flight in such a state! Incensed by the lack of respect, she belled a challenge at him and dove for him-- breaking his intense, slightly intoxicated focus on chasing her. Zionibosch and Auhato scattered, startled, but Neinau hovered in stunned silence, watching her come closer. A sly grin that said he wasn't as drunk as he made himself out to be formed on his muzzle, but before he could take advantage of her closeness, she banked sharply and wheeled away.

:I don't want you,: she sent back loftily. :Go sober up.:

Three down, and two left. Zionibosch and Auhato converged on her. Even with the power of the flight, Ignis was getting tired-- this was a long flight! All the suitors had been good at what they did. She had one more trick, one last test, and it would be her last-- if it didn't work, she'd just pick one and be done with it. Preparing, she soared higher, towards the enclosed deck's roof, and her final two followed her. Straining for more height, her wingtips finally brushed the chill ceiling-- and she spun tightly, turning her nose towards the floor, and folded her wings. Surprising both males again, she dropped like a stone.

:Follow me, fellas!: she sent cheerfully as she passed them, :First one to open their wings is a stupid herd-beast!: The best silly insult she could come up with on short notice.

The wind streamed past her as she fell, eyes shut and muzzle smiling. It felt chilly after the heat of the strenuous flying and felt refreshing, making her feel more alert and ready for the end of it all. She could feel Auhato diving determinedly after her-- and Zionibosch drifting down at a much more leisurely pace, all his attention focused on her, waiting....

She pulled up sharply, wings snapping open, and she skimmed the floor. :I guess I'm the herd-beast!: she sent gleefully as Auhato, not expecting that, went tumbling.

:Not fair!: he sent back, complaining.

:All's fair in love and play,: Ignis quipped, prepared to soar off again--

But there was the little black and orange dragon, in her path, wings fouling with her wings and tail lashing down against hers.

:Not fair!: she complained back, echoing Auhato.

'Bosch only laughed and echoed her, right back, :All's fair in love and play! And I've caught you.:

:I suppose you have!:

The last thought she had before giving herself over to what must be the natural culmination of a mating flight, was: Fyr should be happy with this ending.

"Isn't this-- did I--" she stammered anxiously, her mind still cloudy with the distraction of Ignis' pleasures. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-n-no," came the hesitant response-- and when she drew back enough to really look at the older man, what she saw was not disgust, but genuine fear warring with a desire much like hers, heightened by what had to be coming from his black.

Her own panic vanished and, letting Ignis' happiness back in, she laughed, making the poor fellow start. "It's all right, really. I wouldn't be kissing you if I didn't want you, too, Hair-on-however-you-say-it." Before he could protest, or even laugh at his butchering of his too-long name, she stopped his mouth again with her own.

As she drew him back to the bed, he managed though her kisses, "C-c-call me Mouse. It's easier."

Riser	Chasers	Winner
Ignis Female Glitz Orange Dracanan	Zionibosch Male Black-Orange SCD Mutt Auith Male Silver-Blue FGPC Dragon Neinau Selamputo Male Gold-White-Red Wyld Naitano Selamputo Male Gold-Orange Fire Wyld Auhato Selamputo Male Gold-Orange-White Fire Wyld	Zionibosch Male Black-Orange SCD Mutt

Written by Gayleangel, heavy inspiration from Trix