. .

Eqahkali had gone off to the Halloween clutch, and come back with a kind of scary burning-winged dragon. Jahkonu wondered then, what was HE in for now?

The pair of green dragons had announced their eggs were ready to hatch, and the small number of people waiting to bond from this nest arrived. It was a nice day, broadly daylit not like the Halloween clutch. Jahkonu had trouble staying awake that late. Cheetah Kin were day dwellers after all.

There were a few very pretty and amazing small hatchlings, before Jahk noticed that an orange colored male had hatched. He was stunning, strong, one of Thulessa's offspring. He had a brightly yellowish body, and his wings were marked with dark red and orange, fire. Once the dragonet's wings had dried, with him fanning the warm air over the sands the way he did, he walked with purpose over the hot sand.

Jahkonu, the dragon said, both in Jahk's mind and aloud.

"Lieytrez," the cheetah said, nodding once. There was a hint that the dragon was proud of himself for choosing properly. The flame-sun dragon marched smartly next to Jahk, as they went to gather some food.

***

Later on, Eqahkali and his dangerous fiery dragon met up with the pair.

"That's a fine dragon," 'Kali said, and his Vlodzon allowed the little sun-flame dragon to curl up next to his warm body. Vlodzon would keep an eye out for the young dragon while his bond slept. It had been a long exhausting day - and it would be the start of many like it!

***

Vlodzon and Lieytrez flourished together. They were far from 'inseparable' though. Never more obvious, then when Jahkonu wanted his private time. The dragons enforced that privacy - sometimes even snapping at one another. But still, like all males, they were fast friends.

By the time Lieytrez could fly properly, Vlodzon was a full adult. He gave encouragement from the sky, as the flame-sun tried for the first time to lift off with Jahkonu on his back. It was harder than he thought!

You weigh too much! The flame-sun protested, as he all but nosedived into the lake.

"Me! I hardly weigh anything!" Jahk yelled, pulling himself up as though that would help. They wound up in the water - and Vlodzon and Eqahkali laughing from above in huge raucous tones. Jahk glanced at the dragon, and they met eyes. "You know what do to," the metalshaper said.

I certainly do.

The flame-sun rose out of the water, leaving the wet cheetah behind. Through the spray of lake water behind the dragon, Jahk could see his flame sun best friend swoop below the big red and black, and then dislodge his rider until he too was in the lake.

"Good lad," Jahk announced with a big wet grin.

***

As the pairs returned from Lantessama to Planet Twenty and the tribe's little plot of land north of the Plateau, Vlodzon challenged Lieytrez to a speed dive contest. Hanging on for dear life, both Eqahkali and Jahkonu screamed in unison, as though they'd practiced this kind of entrance. They came to an abrupt hover and then both dragons landed perfectly in synch on the meeting rocks.

"That was pretty cool," Eqahkali said, smoothing out his fur.

"Let's never let them do that again, huh?" Jahk muttered, and 'Kali and he shook on it. The others met them shortly - congratulating them on their prompt return. After all, they had memorized their moment in time, and it was less than two days since the whole group had split up and gone their separate ways on Planet Twenty!

Jahk looked at the others, and gazed at their varied dragons. The huge blue-silver-green that Etehmaro had bonded was the big catch of the group so far as color was concerned, but the queens that Cuhsoyi and Laka had paired up with were truly amazing.

They are both so lovely, I do not know which one I will want to chase more! Lieytrez announced. That brought Jahk to his senses.

"That's ... right, they'll be wanting to mate. They're just as grown up as you are."

The flame-sun dragon bellowed and got everyone to join in. They would all be joining in a different way soon enough!