Woodstock paced around in the big dome on the top of Caledrus and wondered how in the world to explain this. It was one thing for the groups to go out to worlds and come back with a dragon or two. It was another for something like.... this... to come to their ship unannounced and set up housekeeping right there.

"Dddddoo not mind meeee," said about fourteen heads, "Iiiiii will not make a messss."

Woodstock nodded, mutely. It was rare that something took her by surprise.

A thirty-seven headed Hydra that somehow materialized upon her ship was one thing that did. Plus, she had a dragon already! Okay, a small one, Zulda the earthy-manipulator. Zulda wasn't particularly happy to have such a big 'visitor' on her turf, but she wasn't going to get up in the hydra's faces about it either.

Who would?

The multi-winged and tailed creature seemed passive enough, but the mass of writhing heads tended to just creep people - and other dragons - out. Sufficiently so that Woodstock summoned those who had dragons aboard Caledrus, into one of the taverns for a discussion about it.

"Her name is Gunshu'tasu'party'hodoh'mange-veele'palju'moni-beaucoup'geflogen-bahut'sok'margir-pimpin'" she took a deep breath, "Ujertorpok-moran-cappocia'nyongera'turba-kakls'hektet-bardzo'muitos'gura-mnogo'skriabat-rabo'ingi-manga'pense'lonlao-llawer'snill-radost'csodalatos'mitha-gift." Woodstock gasped, "but she says she likes to be called Inga."

Everyone at the big table breathed a sigh of relief almost as deep as Woodstock's gasping breath.

"She's actually pretty nice. Well, some of her heads. Some others are just righteous bitches." The four-armed woman rested her chin on one pair of hands, while the others made notes about things. Far from right or left handed, or even ambidextrous, she was multidextrous and had to be doing things in any given hand to keep her brain occupied.

So she kind of knew how Inga felt, when she was bored in the dome. Woodstock tried to explain this to the others, but their dragons were kind of pissed off.

"Sanakereth thinks she's just too big to have aboard," Lisa said, "I mean I am all for everyone sentient for themselves, but..."

"Do we even know what she eats?" Asked Ian, concerned more for the people aboard than the animals. The dragons could take care of themselves, most of them could teleport.

But then.... so could Inga, apparently...

"She's never asked for anything, though I think she does get a bit peckish," Woodstock admitted. "I think she either came here full, or blips out to get things to eat when we're not looking. And no," she glared at Ian and his group, "no one has gone missing that we know of."

"There could be a dozen 'hikers that we didn't know about, already," Chris said, "I don't really think it's necessary to do a full search though, she doesn't strike me as being a danger to anyone unless they really pester her."

After a while, they agreed that no, she wasn't doing any harm. So she could stay. Someone would have to keep their eye on her - and Woodstock was volunteered for that duty. After Inga almost bit Stivr'wyn in half, since he was trying to "collect some samples" from her. That just wasn't going to fly. She ran him off, and he sulked in his quarters.

Eventually, Zulda walked into Woodstock's quarters and sat down, the small green wingless dragon tilted her head and gave a little sing-song muttering.

"She's lonely, and wants some friends."

"Her heads aren't enough? They all have names, Zulda," Woodstock reminded her draconic friend. "Every one of them. Kind of repetitive, too, now that I've tried translating them - the babel fish had a fit trying to explain each name..." She shook her head, and smiled. "Well, I suppose you're right. Let's see if there's anywhere she can party, shall we?"

They didn't have to look very far. When programming in the probability of locating a suitable party pad for their new hydrakon, the infinite improbability drive just flipped them to a certain fairly well-known locale.

"Cy Dragonstake?" Asked Gahn, "didn't they just have a xeno-problem? An infestation?"

"It was more than that, I heard," someone else said, and as the humans got to gossiping, Inga and Woodstock and Zulda came from the shuttle down to Cy. It seemed that there were already a number of hydra, dragons and other things waiting around, almost like a line was forming.

"Well it looks like this is your party spot, girlfriend," Woodstock said, glancing over the many varied types of dragons. "I wonder what the hold up is?"

"Ttttthheyyy have a waiting lissssttt," a variety of the nicer heads said, while the others were busy snapping at each other and anything that came near. Inga was a creature of contradictions. Woodstock didn't see too many multiple winged hydra - in fact there weren't all that many hydra that she knew of that had wings to begin with.

Woodstock and Zulda would hang out, with the humans or somewhere safe. This looked like it would be a bit ... squirmy... for her tastes... She'd been involved in a flight frenzy before, but nothing like this. Zulda chirped at her many-headed companion for encouragement and patience, and they wandered off to find a bar.

***

Unfortunately, by the time the Hydrakon arrived, the flight at Cy was full up. Their waiting list had taken quite a turn.

"Iiiittt iiiiiissssss alll riiiightttt," whispered a dozen heads, "wwwweeee wwwiiiiillll ffflllyyyy eeelllsssseeewwhhherrreee."

"Where is there?" Woodstock asked, kind of sloshing. Her bar trip lasted about a week, long enough for Inga to learn of the full-status of the Bipedra, and also apparently of another flight.

She found that it was fit for such a creature. "The Winter's Dark Heart Frenzy is what they're calling it, so behave. And don't get hurt," Woodstock instructed Inga. When they saw the others who had arrived, dangerous dragons and hydra who looked quite mean indeed, Woodstock wondered if the thirty-seven headed hydrakon would really fit in. She bit two attendants and smacked her tails against the first annoying male who came near her, so ... Woody figured she'd do okay...

***

Though she didn't actually make it to THAT flight either, Inga was satisfied with the participants anyway - and decided to stay on as a sponsor! Perhaps some day, Inga will be able to find a mate. Or two.

Inga watched the activities around her, with interest. Here at Clan Akelara, she was finally going to be able to find her own companion, perhaps a hydra like herself. There were plenty of multiple headed parents for that flight she didn't make it into, so why not!

At least around there, not a lot of people stood around complaining about her existing. Plus, she could entertain many different ideas at once, provided whoever she was talking to was sufficiently far enough away from each group of heads. Shouting over herself wasn't something Inga liked to do.

But eventually, some of the long-waiting eggs began to hatch, and strange creatures emerged from them. Only a couple at a time, and that was a good thing because it seemed that there weren't all that many people around to come befriend them.

Befriending half of these creatures was something unheard of to most - and even the people hosting the hatching knew that many would sooner eat their younger siblings than let them get in their way.

But one came from her shell, and caught many of Inga's heads' attention.

Selverat was still eyeing the retreating Filth and his new bond, when the hairs on the back of his neck began prickling. Reluctantly, he turned back to sands, to see five pairs of glowing red eyes focused solely on him.

"Oh no. No, no, no. I already have a bond, you little monster. I don't need another, much less one that will send my leaders for a loop."

A chuckle rose from all five throats, as the dragoness spoke boldly, "I'm not here to bond. My sponsor stands to the far left. No. I am merely studying that which killed one of my siblings. Did you find his venom... pleasant? "

She chuckled again at Selverat's expression, then rose gracefully, her twin barbed tails swishing from side to side, a greenish drop glistening at the tip of each. "A little warning, Fire's Child; not all of us carry our venom and hatred so blatantly."

Selverat shivered, rubbing at his arm again as the dragoness strolled calmly across the sands to the many headed hydra Inga.

"I will return with you, Inga. My name is Xausphamu."

She would be a good, dangerous companion. Something deep within Inga's minds told her that she'd have fun - sometimes, she could go tromping around on people who deserved it, right? Chomp some heads! Well this caustic but beautiful bipedal hydra could surely lend a hand.