Clutch 21R Pickup Page

Some of these dragons require a heat source to stay comfortable. Depending on how much fire covers their bodies, they may need more or less time spent (or a hotter or cooler source) to replenish their internal temperatures.

Some of these dragons possess immortality akin to that of a phoenix with its ritual immolation and rebirth. They must find and build a pyre of myrrh branches (as well as components of their element, if they possess one different from carbon,) upon which to be reborn. These dragons can be fatally wounded or die of old age if they do not have the necessary pyre to perform their rebirth ritual.

• Name: Thefeon Chxalli
• Gender: Male
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Fiery Opal
• Size: Medium (10'6" at the shoulder, 34' long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Limited Destruction Powers, Immortality (Phoenix), Long Life Span (450), Psionics (Telepathy, Teleportation, Telekinesis), Grant Temporary Invulnerability (Phoenix Tears)
• Basic Personality: Pragmatic, Playful, Energetic
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Iblis
• Page: Here
• Owner: Trix

"That depends," a lilting, feminine, crackling voice emerged from somewhere around its skull. "What do you want a dragon for?"

"For fortune," she replied immediately, with confidence. "For someone who can keep up with me, who can handle a little fire and darkness."

The being didn't have brows, but the glowing pinpricks of light where its eyes would be leveled on Iblis for long enough that it was clear-- if she did have them, her brows would be quirked. "Oh, is that all?"

Iblis, irritated, snapped, "of it isn't, but I've taken on a child for less, and he grew up quite well." She squashed the feeling of trepidation that tickled the back of her mind. Eligor was no longer her son in the same way he had been when he was a child. He had been too fragile, and she had failed him. She needed to know that, where she was going, there would never be a repeat. Too, being interrogated like this by yet another mother of another clutch, like she needed to prove herself-- she, the Demon Princess of Fire!-- made her resent the fact that she might be turned down again.

So, Iblis did not drop her gaze, and she didn't relent, and the blue, crackling fire being gave a little huff of amusement. "It's unconventional," it allowed, "but at least it's honest."

At this moment, a pale little kit with pale yellow flecks of sparkling light in its pearly fur peeked out from the hall and gave Iblis a look. Though his eyes were gold, not the dark brown of Elir's, he had that same good-natured look. It was hard to describe the feeling she felt when he made eye contact. But he trotted out, ignoring the fire being's remonstrations for sneaking out of the den too early. He sat before Iblis and curled his long tail, and his fiery feathers, around his feet, and he said, "I want to go far, and I want to learn about the world. Will you help me? If you will, I'll go with you."

Iblis looked down on him. He wasn't much to look at; standing on all fours his shoulders only came up to her hip. And, though his feathers were absolutely drenched with a liquid kind of fire that licked up and down their lengths, he was gawky, and looked like he might be fragile. The twist of her lips made her opinion plain. "What's your name?"

"I'm Thefeon," he said, and he got to all fours again, spreading his wings to make himself look larger. as he did, he accidentally nicked a wall, and it disintegrated-- the stone of it, mind-- into blackened ash. "...Whoops."

The blue being sighed. "Thefeon has a lot of growing to do. He has some powers that require adept handling, doesn't he?"

"...Yes, mama..."

"And so his caretaker will need to be proofed against not only his flames, but some of his more destructive capabilities. Oh, he will go far... but you must be patient with him and help him master his skills."

Iblis' doubts melted away, bit by piece. "Thefeon," she said, "you'll do. Come with me."

Finally. She could begin the next portion of her plans.

• Name: Uerke Chxalli
• Gender: Male
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Fiery Red
• Size: Medium (10'6" at the shoulder, 34' long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Long Lifespan, Limited Destruction Powers, Shape-Shifting (Human-Dragon Spectrum), Functional Magic, Plane-Shifting, Grant Temporary Invulnerability (Phoenix Tears)
• Basic Personality: Community Builder, Romantic, Laid Back
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Tullia Tournier & Temma Tation
• Owner: Shard/Zekiran

The thing with that was that Tullia had excellent eyes, and Temma seemed to innately know when she had an audience. So they might have been playing it up a bit. It was cute, though: by the time they'd got through all their answers on the whereto and howfores of raising a dragon in a land as demanding as the one their Mall compatriots patrolled, Tullia could see the kit adapting a sashay into his four-footed walk, and he was practicing it up and down the hallway before his siblings, who were arrayed behind him with expressions between giggling amusement and barefaced embarrassment.

It wasn't hard to make the choice. Uerke did his best to catwalk up to them both with dignity and a kind of flaming pride that only one made partially of literal fire can espouse, and Temma caught herself just before she could holler, "work it, girl!" She did, however, clap vociferously as Uerke took a one forelimb cocked bow.

"I heard you did performances," he said, trying and failing to contain his enthusiasm.

"Uerke here is a clown, look out," his mother warned.

Tullia tapped her lower lip thoughtfully. "I don't think little Uerke is a clown. I think he-- is it he?" she grinned as Uerke cocked his head and had his first genderqueer self-questioning thought, but ultimately nodded tentatively. "--I think he might just be a rising star."

"So long as he doesn't overshadow me," Temma teased. When Uerke shook his head so rapidly that sparks flew from his feathers, she fluttered her hands, "I'm kidding! Don't ruin a dress for spite, darling!"

Chice was rolling her eyes and laughing, but Uerke replied, in the honest gravity of a child, "if it made you sparkle half as radiantly as your voice, it would be a sacrifice worth making."

Temma lifted her eyes heavanward as Tullia faked a swoon. Their work was going to be cut out for them.

• Name: Yahce Chxalli
• Gender: Female
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Copper-Fire
• Size: Medium (10'6" at the shoulder, 34' long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Long Lifespan Verbal Speech, FireSong, Immortality (Phoenix), Grant Temporary Invulnerability, Spark Travel, Psionics (Telepathy, Teleportation, Telekinesis)
• Basic Personality: Follower, Arrogant
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Fiss Chxalli
• Owner: JKatkina

She had begun to feel stagnant, and it had crept up on her, bit by bit, how truly turbulent it made her to feel stuck. She had picked apart all of her friends and family back home, and here, she could simply sit back, and watch, and learn. She learned that Chice was a loose mouth with strangers, that she was a lenient parent, and that she trended towards a little bit of teasing with her own children. Whatever parental instincts dragons were supposed to have, she didn't seem to get a share of. She was a little like Fiss' uncle that way. Maybe it was the copper running through her guts and blood and fire making her jovial to a fault... but shouldn't this whole experience mean something to her?

She learned that each of the kits was as different from one another as they were different from her. Some were bright and some barely exuded a hint of fire. Some preferred to sidle right up to a flesh-and-blood human, and others wanted only the hardiest being to call their adoptive caretaker. Most of them were young and silly and incredibly naive... but it made sense, given that this was a literal hatching.

It made Fiss feel something, to wonder if she had somehow been so naive at one point. To wonder if she'd grown much, herself. She had to; she wasn't as gullible as an actual baby.

A large, bipedal raptor of a creature settled down near her, crouching on dusky hind legs and fluffing up her banded wings. Rekepax said, "I feel like I've seen that kind of a look before."

"You haven't likely seen anyone like me, so it doesn't bear out to make comparisons," Fiss replied. She wouldn't admit that she was shook that she'd been spotted as a naval gazer. Her fires blazed a little hotter, and she pointedly turned her attention back to the proceedings.

Rekepax made a noncommittal noise, and turned her attention to the next couple to seal their agreement. "Well, I only know that it's good to see family," ostensibly gesturing to the little kits, but with just the right emphasis to make Fiss give her another look. She bore similar tail feathers to Chice, though obviously Rekepax was not composed in whole or in part of flames. Still, if she was related to Chice, it meant that they were not nearly as many degrees as separated as Fiss might have liked. Rekepax added, "in truth, I only showed up here because a friend of mine had a dream about it."

"Like some kind of prophetic dream?" Fiss asked, skeptical.

"That's what I asked. He wasn't sure, but it seemed worth the trouble. And..." she looked at Fiss a little more closely, "I feel like I recognize that kind of a look, because it's what I imagine my face must be doing, worrying about whether I'm ready to help a little flaming ball of feathers come up in the world."

Fiss scoffed. "That's not what I was worried about at all." She puffed up a little... and then relented. "I was worried about whether it'd be right to take on a kit... knowing I didn't know much outside the Firecaverns. That's where I'm from."

"Sanctum Dream," Rekepax replied, "so that's how you know we treat dreams seriously."

Fiss contained a laught, not sure if Rekepax had meant that as a joke or with grave seriousness. Her mild manner made it difficult to tell. When she looked over, though, the whorling hybrid was smiling. "Better a sanctum than a cavern," she mused. "You're not sure...? About, you know?"

"They're cute little cludgers, I'll give them that," Rekepax said. "But am I ready for kid-energy in my life? I don't, actually... but my family is tight-knit, and I think that they'd be able to help handle a kit just fine."

Fiss had a think about that. Rekepax's soon-to-be chosen one came bounding over to her and the pair made to leave soon enough, but before they left, Fiss felt compelled to say, "hey, thanks for the conversation." And then, in a surge of nervous energy, "maybe I can visit some time."

"If you bring up any of Ontasu's sibs, you better had!"

She was left to think for a little while longer on family, then. The last of the kits seemed to have paired up, and Chice had her in her sights. Fiss straightened up some as the blue-fire creature padded up to her. "Cousin," Chice said, somewhat flip and amused. "You've been a big, baleful wallflower for my entire hatching shindig. What's up?"

"I'm picky," Fiss retored, all four eyes narrowing for just a moment. Chice laughed at her, and Fiss felt her joke had landed, thankfully. "I'm only thinking about family."

"Well, family is thinking about you. Yahce, come over here!"

"Uhm," Yahce hedged, caught under the limelight of Fiss' four-eyed stare. All the pomp had gone out of her. She rallied, though, for what it was worth, and Fiss could feel the heat rolling off of the kit as she pumped herself back up again. "I heard you lived somewhere called the Fire Caverns... what's it like?"

"Cloying, sometimes," Fiss started... but she relented, "and probably just right for a little girl looking for a bright place in the world." She did some mental calculus as she spoke. Yahce seemed curious, a little puffed up, but maybe not insufferably so. She was young enough that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be set in her ways. Still, if Fiss brought her back and Yahce learned all her life lessons from the sloth and indulgence of her less upstanding relatives... she resolved herself, then. "I'm actually thinking it might be time to do a little traveling. There are a lot of other fiery places in worlds out there to visit. Have you been outside this den?"

"Never," Yahce admitted, looking a little brighter already.

Fiss exchanged a look with Chice, then, realizing her resolve had crystalized even as they all spoke. "That's about to change, then. You're going to see quite a lot more, from here on out."

• Name: Onyacya Chxalli
• Gender: Female
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Fiery Red
• Size: Medium (11.7' at the shoulder, 38' long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Long Lifespan, Plane-Shifting, Grant Temporary Invulnerability, Long Life Span (450), Immortality (Phoenix)
• Basic Personality: Follower, Laid Back, Social
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Chice Chxalli
• Page: Here
• Owner: Dray

By the time that only she was left, Chice had come back to the hall to give her quite the stern look. "My darling little squiplet," she said in her most indulgent voice, casting bright blue light all over Onyacya's dark red body, "you are missing your chance to go out into the Nexus. Are you going to come pick someone to show you the world, or am I going to have to take you out there myself?"

"The second one, mama," Onyacya piped up.

Chice sputtered, shocked, as her remaining daughter chuckled and skipped back towards the nest.

• Name: Darliketa Chxalli
• Gender: Female
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Copper-Fiery Copper
• Size: Medium-Small (9.4' at the shoulder, 30'6" long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Long Lifespan, Psionics (Telepathy, Teleportation, Telekinesis), Fire Control, Plane-Shifting, Immolation, Grant Temporary Invulnerability (Phoenix Tears), Heat Requirement
• Basic Personality: Likes Balance, Sociable, Curious
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Miaena Selamputo
• Owner: Ktrenal

It was down to two who seemed very interested. A coppery boy with blue flames in his ruff of back fur, and a spotted coppery girl with rather more flames than her brother, albeit of normal hues of red and yellow. Miaena regarded them both with curiosity as she talked about the flaming flora and balmy temperatures of her home, of her responsibilities and her challenges with keeping the woods and other, more combustible places in harmony.

It was only by dint of distraction that Darliketa won out. Her brother narrowly averted being run over by a very tiny humanoid with pointy ears and sparkles raining from her fingertips. Miaena gave a gentle huff about that; humanoids were so incredibly chaotic and fragile, and their spawn even moreso. Better for children to be four-footed and hardy.

Darliketa had come to place both of her paws on Miaena's much larger onel, and her oddly dark eyes were huge and beseeching. "Can we go now?" As though she could barely contain herself.

"Soon," Miaena spoke quietly, still barely used to using her voice. The entire ceremony was becoming a little confining and noisy, after all. Once she had sealed the deal with Chice, she and Darliketa could return to her favourite lands in existence... and maybe she could draw up the kind of awe and protective impulses in the kit that she felt, herself.

• Name: Ontasu Chxalli
• Gender: Male
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Strontium-Fiery Red
• Size: Medium (10'6" at the shoulder, 34' long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Long Lifespan, Psionics (Telepathy, Teleportation, Telekinesis), Heat Requirement, Flame Creation, Limited Destruction Powers, Shape-Shifting (Human-Dragon Spectrum)
• Basic Personality: Loves to Sing, Pacifistic, Laid Back, Delicate
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Rekepax
• Page: Here
• Owner: Xenoqueen/Phoenix

It was impossible to say if Ontasu's red flames had been a part of Cherillon's dream or not, but she'd have to ask him upon return.

She finally bit the bullet to ask Chice about bringing someone to visit the Sanctum Dream, and for a few moments she had her doubts. Ontasu was so laid back that he almost got lost in the pile of fur and feathers and fire... but when Chice hollered for all of them to meet an aunt, it was he that ultimately lingered longest.

He said, "mama says you're an auntie, but when my sister Onyacya talked about it, it sounds like you're more of a cousin?" He had a way of lilting the end of his sentences that made them sound more like questions.

Rekepax towered over him, but she settled into a squat to get on a closer level. "That's right. What else do you know about your cousins?"

"Not much... only that there's a lot of them."

Rekepax laughed. "Kid, you have no idea. Would you like to meet some others?"

He nodded rapidly, chirping in this musical way that made her heart melt a little.

"Alright, hop aboard. Don't light the fur on fire, alright?"

• Name: Oncerau Chxalli
• Gender: Male
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Copper-Fiery Copper
• Size: Medium-Small (9'9" at the shoulder, 31'9" long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Long Lifespan, Shape-Shifting (Unlimited), Heat Requirement, Immolation, Limited Destruction Powers
• Basic Personality: Mentor, Finds Family Extremely Important, Laid Back, Energetic
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Noohra
• Owner: Kin/Mystic

She was in the cavern with her mother, braced under a spell of protection from the incredibly intense heat. Surrounded by artfully flowing magma channels and beings who could hardly be said to be of this world, with their glowing bodies and electrically bright bones, it was as though she were living her best fever dream ever.

While Ayzha and Chice talked about what it meant for a young elf to take on an equal-aged kit, Noohra did her best to stand politely by her mother's side. It was too much, though: the kits were bounding around and chatting eagerly with people, and a couple were lined up for story time with an absolutely massive fluffy, huggable looking beast of a dragon who was telling fairy tales about fiery woods.

She couldn't help it. She broke free of the adult conversation and launched into a run, arms spread, sparkles flying from her finger tips to try to emulate the flames on the various kits' wings. Running like this, she tripped and nearly landed square on Oncerau, who ducked at the last second and transformed into a big, fluffy, coppery-coloured puff ball not entirely different from the dragon looming over them all.

Noohra giggled and laid on the metallic tribble of a dragon for a moment, looking up at Miaena, who looked down on her as though she'd stepped in animal droppings... and then she tugged on Onceraus' fluff until he changed back, and the two made a quick exit.

"What are you?" he asked, head cocking to one side, then the other, ears and feathers flopping with the movement. He hadn't really seen humanoids before, and Noohra was so delicate looking that he was afraid he'd broken something on her. He remembered himself at the last second. "I mean, who are you?"

"I'm Noohra," she replied, reaching a hand out like she'd seen some friends do.

Oncerau put a paw up and settled it in her hand, limply allowing his toebeans to be smushed into a handshake. Despite the confusion, he grinned. "I'm Oncerau. Are you here to take care of one of us?" He sounded dubious.

"That was the hope," Ayzha butted in. She'd come to rescue her daughter... but it seemed that Noohra had gone and made another friend while she wasn't looking. By this point, she was very good at hiding whatever pangs came forth at thoughts about her daughter. "However, we were under the impression that dragons bonded their riders."

"I'm looking for my heart," Noohra leaned forward, and, sotto voce, had cupped a hand to her mouth to whisper to the kit.

Oncerau looked intrigued, and looked from mother to daughter, then back again. His tail waved a little, fanning little blue flames that raced along the fur of his spine. "That's intriguing," he admitted. "I've never heard of bonding before."

Noohra, glad for a topic she knew more about than nearly anyone here (never mind her mother was bonded to her beautiful, opal-bright dragoness,) said, "it's everything! It's when a dragon picks their person and they become best friends for life. It's the happiest day in the life of every dragonrider." She grinned at the kit like a little ray of sunshine, even despite her frail humanoid form, and even despite the actual fire sources all around her.

Oncerau gave Noohra's mother a tenative glance and saw her wanting, but he had already made his mind. "Well... it must be our lucky day, because this is the happiest day in my life."

Noohra's eyes had gone huge. "Mine too..."

"Then we must be dragon and rider, mustn't we?" he asked, brows raising high.

Noohra quivered in her tracks for a few moments, and then turned to her mother. Ayzha, looking between them both, wasn't sure what had just happened... but when Noohra surged forward to hug Oncerau again, and he puffed up to take her huge hug and her even huger happy tears, she was pretty sure this was a bonding... of some sort. At least her daughter had got a dragon as unique as she was.

• Name: Nipui Chxalli
• Gender: Female
• Breed: Firebird/Dragon Hybrid
• Colour: Sodium-Fiery Silver
• Size: Medium (10'6" at the shoulder, 34' long)
• Abilities: Verbal Speech, Long Lifespan, Shape-Shifting (Human-Dragon Spectrum), Fire Immunity, Limited Destruction Powers, Telepathy, Grant Temporary Invulnerability (Phoenix Tears), Fire Molting
• Basic Personality: Playful, Silly
• Requires a Bond?: No
• Adult Image: Here
• Caretaker: Fireflash
• Page: Here
• Owner: Molly

"Listen here, pupsqueak," Fireflash said. "What others call 'obsession,' I call 'passion in art,' and if you want to be called an ingenue, you had better start talking like one. I came here because," she didn't admit the whole truth, and certainly not nothing but the truth, "--because I wanted to cause destruction! I came here because I knew that others who grew by the flame, who were hatched by the flame, would understand the power of fire and the role it plays in our lives. And the art of it." She sighed, dreamy, and then gave Nipui's yellow flames a considering look. "And yours are brighter than most, which makes you a star, in my eyes."

"Pretty words," Nipui said, "but for me, there needs to be substance!" She grinned a little grin, and dropped her overbearing tone, and ducked between Fireflash's legs so fast that watching her was like watching yellow rings of fire bracing her ankles. "Substance means fun!"

"Oh, fun there shall be," Fireflash drawled, mesmerized. "And plenty of it!"