Ihfosa - Male, age 25
Partner/Offspring: Transience (Zekiran shifter), Impulse and Trance
Partner/Offspring: Sith (IIKK), Faux

As a master of ranged weaponry, Ihfosa prefers to remain at a distance to his prey and his enemies. He does get close to his kills when he must, but he has a far better skill with a short bow or a thrown spear. He enjoys playing with crossbows, but wouldn't hunt with them because he considers them 'too powerful' to use against dumb animals. Now, against Humans, or aliens? Yes. Of course. Especially when those Humans have guns or stunners. Ihfosa has a deep hatred of guns.

Remaining outside of the tribe's lair most of the time, Ihfosa uses his strong shielding powers to keep track of everyone. His power is of moderate range, but very strong within his sight. It acts as a sort of umbrella, or more accurately a net, which filters out stray Psionics or attacks. While he has tried to use this power to physically deflect storms, arrows or animal attacks, it is to no avail. His power is very specifically able to work against other Psionics - including things that other psionics can cast into the elements such as airborn things, fire attacks and the like. If the source is directly attributed to a psionic (Kin or otherwise) the attack will usually fail when it comes in contact with Ihfosa's shield.

Ihfosa felt it, when it went overhead. But during the night, he forgot all about it. Now, this ... thing ... was flitting right outside his range. How could something so physically big be so well hidden?

The tribe would find it, but first - it would deal with this stray Human.

Ihfosa had no great love for them. His parents had both been killed by them, in the process of moving from one world to the next. Pirates. But this Human male was no pirate. He was also hardly a human at all. Ihfosa covered the distance between his look out spot and the gathered tribemates, in just under a minute.

"He's Kin," someone said, before Ihfosa could get the chance. "Look at him!"

"He's human," Hita complained.

"What, you saw him first and so you get to decide?" Hocayi jibed.

Ihfosa strode up to Omaciyu's side, he always seemed to be present at these important moments. "He is Kin, if not he's doing a great job immitating us."

It was true: the Human creature before them was tall and slender, but he had very dark skin with pale spots on it, like their own. He in fact, had a tail. His straight black hair was tipped with golden strands, an odd combination. His eyes showed the distinct catlike turn to them, but they were stunning blue.

In a halting voice, the human-creature said, "Ivo, my name is Ivo, and I'm here because my dragon followed that ship over there." He tossed his head, and indicated the bright spot on the horizon.

"So it is true, it is a dragon?" Omaciyu said.

The others, including Ihfosa, wondered what in the world he could be talking about. Nameh showed up, all panting and wide-eyed, and asked all the quick questions to be relayed back to the rest of the Tribe, wherever they had got to.

Ihfosa looked beyond the tall dark Kin-thing, and saw motion in the tall grasses near the high topped trees. Birds erupted from the area, a sure sign that there was in fact something large and on the move there.

"Get the rest of the Tribe here," Omaciyu told Ihfosa.

The Kin with the best speed for the job of rounding up the strays. Certainly. Since Ihfosa could locate nearly everyone right off, he concentrated hard at Nameh. You tell them to get here, will you? I don't want to run around the whole Plateau looking for people.

"Fine," was the response, and shortly three more tribe members arrived. Eventually, once roused from their daytime slumber or their concentration on hunting, everyone came. They didn't trust this Ivo to come directly into their lair, of course, though it was painfully obvious that the whole tribe lived there.

Temih and Omaciyu seemed unsure of this Ivo, but both were clearly curious. Ihfosa watched the tall manKin as each new member arrived. His posture was secure, his poise was evident. He wore very odd clothing, though. It seemed more Human, but had a style to it that screamed Tribal. Curious indeed.

"Why would your dragon thing want to follow any ship? They are dangerous." Ihfosa said, since no one else was asking questions.

"Because he felt certain things aboard that made him angry. The people aboard that ship intend harm to the ... what do you call yourselves? Kin?" Ivo asked, and others nodded.

"So it is a Human ship," Omaciyu said, "that is not good news."

"But it could be," Ivo grinned. He had fangs as well, but he certainly looked quite Human. "You see, I've got something up my sleeve. Zkoth, that is my dragon, he thinks that you and some others here on this world would be good bonding material."

With a glance and a flicker of his eyebrow, Oma asked, "bonding? We've been screwed over before, Ivo, we don't need to be bought and sold again."

"Not like that," Ivo laughed, "though you're perfectly fit for it yourself." He waited for the laughter, which came only after an awkward moment. "No, I mean to bond a dragon. To ride one."

That elicited a strange hush. And more than that, while no one was saying anything, Ihfosa noticed that the dragon in question had in fact stood up and was opening its large wings. Below one of the bigger umbrella-shaped trees, this gigantic darkly-colored lizard-with-wings began to walk toward them.

They are not like your little friends, are they? They are completely different. And our world is not their home. This travel distresses me. The dragon spoke - but Ihfosa knew that it had actually only spoken directly to his rider Ivo. This was a private moment that Ihfosa had somehow been made aware of.

"We're not like what little friends? What is it talking about?" Ihfosa said, blurting it out before he realized that he ought not to have heard it in the first place.

Ivo looked at him oddly, and shrugged. "The cheetahs on our ranch - they're not all two footed like you and me. Some of them are still pretty much just animals. But all of them have my great-great-grand-sire's blood in them. And usually," he grinned wildly, "they've got the eyes to prove it."

"Breeding with four-foots?" Dijo said, utterly disgusted, "What are you saying?"

"We aren't from here," Ivo assured the slinky Kin. "Near as I can figure, you're from an alternate reality from mine. Or, I'm from one of yours. It's irrelevant. We're from different time streams. But Zkoth, and many other dragons like him, can move through time and space as easily as you'd move across the plains."

Seeming to know that he was the subject of the conversation now, Zkoth raised his wings and bellowed. The sound carried across the plains and Dijo had to hold his hands over his ears.

Ihfosa had wanted to see this creature up close, now he was sure of it. "So," he said, "if we pair with one of these, you think..."

"You think we can fend off the Humans," Omaciyu and Temih both intoned.

"Exactly," Ivo said.

"Then let's get on it," Ihfosa said, still intently looking at the night-bronze dragon in the distance.

"That can be arranged," Ivo replied, "if you'll let me get some rest. Traveling this distance and time does take a lot out of you, really. And I know I look fine and all," he pretended to preen, "but I've been about ready to collapse any moment."

As the rest of the tribe escorted Ivo into the Plateau hideaway, Ihfosa remained on the plains. He was torn - the dragon Zkoth was too far south to accurately gauge his emotions or thoughts, now that he knew he was being watched. But Ihfosa was responsible for the care of the group - so he had to follow along instead of prowling ever closer to the dragon.

As he had been warned, Ihfosa's presence at Tris Hath raised a few eyebrows - but not nearly as many as could have been. He enjoyed the attention to a point, but wished that some of the humans would just control their urges to pat his head or scratch him behind the ears.

It just wasn't proper.

The bugling of the dragons all around alerted everyone, and Ihfosa felt a distinct charge in the mental air.

Two hatchlings shot from their shells, one green and one blue. They tumbled about, scattering sand and shell fragments everywhere. The green found someone to play with, while the blue...

He'd started to wander, watching as the other eggs were shaking and showing signs of breaking open. He almost hadn't even gone over to the candidates, but the dam of this clutch wouldn't have him sitting his whole life in front of his nest siblings.

He'd gone as far as Ihfosa and sat down, but was still watching the hatchings.

There was a burning, strange sensation in Ihfosa's mind. "Would you mind getting off my foot, Irrasis?" He asked, finding this little blue fascinating and funny at the same time. The dragonet looked up and said 'mrrp?' but then zipped away out of his reach when Ihfosa meant to carry him to the food.

"All right, You're the one who misses his meal."

The dragonet gave off a pretty purring sound and turned around as more eggs broke up. He seemed was intent on watching the rest of the hatching. Not that Ihfosa minded, he was very curious about this behavior.

A pretty yellow hatched, but Irrasis didn't budge. She paired off with a girl, and two more blues broke out of their eggs. Their mother had to encourage them like their first-hatched blue brother, to head off to the candidates.

One of them chirped loudly and bowled his brother Irrasis over, and they tumbled around talking to each other in their strange little cheeps and squawks. Ihfosa knew something else: "His name is Sianar," he said.

It didn't look as though they really cared if he knew or not. They were now together. They went off to find food - Ihfosa had to catch up.

When the uppity blues had first learned to fly, Ihfosa thought he would finally get the chance to watch them hunt by themselves, instead of having to do it for them.

Hah. No such luck. Sianar was the burlier and scrappier of the pair, while his clutch brother Irrasis was smarter and quieter. They both seemed to want to make Ihfosa's life impossibly hard.

We want to climb, said Sianar.

And we want to glide down to the lake, after we climb.

"You've got wings," Ihfosa said gruffly. The pair of blues circled him endlessly, their golden markings glimmering in the noon day sun.

We do! And we use them. But if we don't make ourselves stronger, we'll never stand a chance of mating.

"Mating?" Ihfosa said, suddenly remembering why he'd been sent there at all. "Oh - well, then..."

Perhaps it was best. They would try climbing. Their forelimbs were quite strong anyway, and Ihfosa thought they looked just like bats as they clung on to the cliffside over the lake.

He didn't have to worry about them falling, of course. If they would take each other off the cliff in doing, that might attract some attention from the medical wing. But luckily Ihfosa's blue pair managed to keep themselves intact as they climbed to the top of the cliff.

As they soared down to the lake, Ihfosa sprinted to their side. He felt a strange tingling, since he remembered his mission was to bond and to return to the Plateau.

"You remember how to get from place to place," Ihfosa stated to the two blues, who patiently chewed on their fish. "And now I need you to take me back to my home. It'll be a long trip. A really long trip."

We are up for it, said Irrasis.

I will enjoy this! Sianar spread his wings. Irrasis will carry you, I will scout. If that is all right with you?

"Of course it is!" Laughed Ihfosa.

They headed home.

( It's 2023 and I finally found the giveaway info for this lovely addition that was made in 2007 by JessD of Malnev, art by Unyko )

Their trip back home was a little interrupted for some strange reason. They'd stopped moving at Malnev - a world that bore similarities to Planet Twenty, though the dragon that approached this trio was apparently from yet another world before this. Or at least, her ancestors were. She was as sleek as could be, and could look either of the blue Hathians in the eye even as mature as they were now.

"I am Issayel," she announced, her voice was smooth as silk just like the texture of her coat. "I would like to go where you are headed, if I might? You seem well suited to a place I could fit in."

The pair of males circled her but not in an aggressive way, more that they were both quite confused. Why had they arrived here, was it her doing? Either way, now it would be Sianar helping transport this wingless dragon while Irrasis continued to carry Ihfosa home.

And they all did fit right in, on the Plateau! The dragons were varied and healthy among the Tribe, and it seemed that Issayel delighted in having quite a few dragons, people, pets, and guards around her. She wasn't the largest of the dragons, though some said if she had wings she very well could be! She'd laugh that off, "I prefer to prowl the ground, thank you!"