Eqahkali stood first, at Lantessama. He was a bit too proud of that, but Jahkonu would bond just the same, wouldn't he? Just... later on.
Eqahkali had spent days here wondering what the humans were doing. They were setting things up at this "halloween" thing, bedecking everything with black ribbons and bats and whatnot. It was silly. He wanted to flame a couple of them, but thought the better of it when he'd overheard someone angrily griping at one of the other troublemakers, a small odd looking dragon.
Planet Twenty didn't have holidays yet. Perhaps, Eqahkali thought, they should have some of their own. Nothing like these human ones, halloween and 'x-mas' and such. Their own. Spot day. Tufted tail day. A day to celebrate each and every one of the Kin?
Maybe not the Lions... Eqahkali snickered at that. He'd gone to bed, but cheetahs slept light, and the moment that he heard the huge bugling of a dragon's voice followed by a man speaking, he bolted out of his bed and into his clothing. This would be it! He wondered if Jahkonu was in the stands. They went to the darkened cavern and an egg or two hatched before 'Kali got a strange sensation in his mind.
He was tired of seeing nothing but dark. Cheetahs hunted in the daytime, not at night. So he, like any good fire-shaper, held his hand up and lit the place up. He expected to see the batches of brightly shining eyes on darkly moving dragonet bodies there, but what he hadn't expected was that there were three other spots of light from the dragons themselves, after he'd turned his own on.
The first with firey wings and burning limbs came up to 'Kali and sat down near him. He was perfect underlighting. Ekahkali liked that, because it made his already vicious looking face even more scary to the humans present. The dragon said, "my name is Vlodzon, Shielding Light Vlodzon. I am not as powerful as you. But I am trustworthy, unlike them."
The other two fire-burning dragonets almost jumped at them, but they came to their senses before doing so.
"I ... I can see that, Vlodzon," Ekahkali said and tilted his head down to the burning dragonet. "I wonder, are you going to be burning the whole plateau down?"
"Oh no, I can only burn things when I concentrate. Like you. But I can also do this." At that, as they left the cavern to find food for the dragonet, Vlodzon opened his wings and showed off a power that seemed to shield them both, encircling them in a warm glowing bubble. People moved out of their way, lest they get burnt.
"That's a neat trick, Vlod! I should help you with that. Maybe you'll become powerful as I am."
***
Eqahkali and Vlodzon waited for Jahkonu to bond. It wasn't long, but it was time enough for the flame-winged dark dragon to grow a bit. They met up with Jahk and his little Lieytrez once the dragonet had his first meal.
"You know you're going to need to feed him a lot," 'Kali said. "I mean, more than you think."
"I bet," Jahk laughed.
"Are you insinuating that I eat a lot?" Vlod said, grumbly. He curled his long tail around the little flame-sun who fell asleep.
"No no, well," 'Kali said, "yeah, I am. You're a hog."
***
Much later, as they grew old enough and large enough to fly, Eqahkali and Vlodzon took to the air. The smaller Lieytrez couldn't keep up yet, but he would overtake the dark flame dragon, soon enough... And they were both to be participating in the Furry Festival when the time came. When would that be, anyway?
