The courtship began over a dead bovine.
Neither dragon had been aware of the other until they both attacked the same beast. She swooped out of the sky, blue scales sparkling in the afternoon sun. He fired an arrow from a nearby tree, wearing an elven form to hunt.
~Who are you?~ she snarled mentally, mantling over the carcass. Her talons had severed the spine and gutted it.
His arrow had gone through its eye and lodged in its skull. "I ask you the same question." He may have been shaped like an elf, but his presence was all dragon as he approached.
Spittle flew from between her teeth as she lowered her head and snarled. Neither acknowledged the little fires she ignited. ~I am Conkra of the Azranis clan.~
He kept his shoulders back as he craned his head to look up at her. Conkra's nostrils were bigger than the shape-shifted dragon. "I am Vahlahrin, son of Mahlahrin-"
~War leader of Azranis.~ She closed her eyes and lowered her snout. ~I had no idea.~ Even as Conkra gave him respect, she mantled over the bovine.
"Now you know why I hunt like this." Vahlahrin climbed the hairy slope of the beast.
Conkra opened an eye, tipping her head quizzically. ~Not merely for the challenge? You want to hide from the clan?~
He planted his feet on the summit of flesh, boldly holding her gaze. "You don't spend much time at the khaldera, do you?"
A hiss sent more flammable spit flying. ~The leader and I do not get along.~ Conkra lifted her head high and back, putting her neck and chest on display. ~I choose to fly alone.~
Vahlahrin laughed. "Then why do you question my desire to hide?"
Conkra held her wings out, throwing him into shadow as she rose up. ~I will not be laughed at.~
He snarled, the sound surprising from his slender frame. "And I will be shown deference by an outcast."
Lashing her tail and rearing onto her hind legs, Conkra challenged him. ~Take it from me if you can.~
Vahlahrin called on his true form. Magic shimmered in the air as he grew and morphed. The elf was replaced by a blue dragon, and he roared to announce his presence.
Conkra dipped her eyes briefly, but did not back down. Vahlahrin was larger than her, with an impressive rack of horns, and an enormous wingspan. He was larger than any other Azranis, even his father.
Vahlahrin kept his head up and back, wings mantled and low to the ground. ~Your last chance.~ He lifted lips from gleaming teeth.
Conkra struck, biting him on the nose.
Blood splattered and Vahlahrin roared. Conkra took to the air as he shot flames. Her tail lashed at his eyes and he followed her to the sky.
They battled across the heavens, slashing and strafing, biting and flaming. Their skills were matched, and neither scored a telling wound on the other. Neither dragon cared that they bled, nor that torn wings began to slow.
When anger turned to lust, they noticed.
Strikes were no longer meant to hurt, but to arouse. No longer did Vahlahrin and Conkra dodge each other. Instead, they rubbed and caressed, sharing their heat, stoking their desires.
When they finally landed, the ground shook with their consummation.
Hours later, bloody, exhausted, and sore, the dragons nestled together. Conkra pressed close to his side, licking one of Vahlahrin's wounds. ~Maybe I should come to the khaldera more often.~
Vahlahrin nipped behind her skull. ~I would enjoy that.~
Neither dragon had been aware of the other until they both attacked the same beast. She swooped out of the sky, blue scales sparkling in the afternoon sun. He fired an arrow from a nearby tree, wearing an elven form to hunt.
~Who are you?~ she snarled mentally, mantling over the carcass. Her talons had severed the spine and gutted it.
His arrow had gone through its eye and lodged in its skull. "I ask you the same question." He may have been shaped like an elf, but his presence was all dragon as he approached.
Spittle flew from between her teeth as she lowered her head and snarled. Neither acknowledged the little fires she ignited. ~I am Conkra of the Azranis clan.~
He kept his shoulders back as he craned his head to look up at her. Conkra's nostrils were bigger than the shape-shifted dragon. "I am Vahlahrin, son of Mahlahrin-"
~War leader of Azranis.~ She closed her eyes and lowered her snout. ~I had no idea.~ Even as Conkra gave him respect, she mantled over the bovine.
"Now you know why I hunt like this." Vahlahrin climbed the hairy slope of the beast.
Conkra opened an eye, tipping her head quizzically. ~Not merely for the challenge? You want to hide from the clan?~
He planted his feet on the summit of flesh, boldly holding her gaze. "You don't spend much time at the khaldera, do you?"
A hiss sent more flammable spit flying. ~The leader and I do not get along.~ Conkra lifted her head high and back, putting her neck and chest on display. ~I choose to fly alone.~
Vahlahrin laughed. "Then why do you question my desire to hide?"
Conkra held her wings out, throwing him into shadow as she rose up. ~I will not be laughed at.~
He snarled, the sound surprising from his slender frame. "And I will be shown deference by an outcast."
Lashing her tail and rearing onto her hind legs, Conkra challenged him. ~Take it from me if you can.~
Vahlahrin called on his true form. Magic shimmered in the air as he grew and morphed. The elf was replaced by a blue dragon, and he roared to announce his presence.
Conkra dipped her eyes briefly, but did not back down. Vahlahrin was larger than her, with an impressive rack of horns, and an enormous wingspan. He was larger than any other Azranis, even his father.
Vahlahrin kept his head up and back, wings mantled and low to the ground. ~Your last chance.~ He lifted lips from gleaming teeth.
Conkra struck, biting him on the nose.
Blood splattered and Vahlahrin roared. Conkra took to the air as he shot flames. Her tail lashed at his eyes and he followed her to the sky.
They battled across the heavens, slashing and strafing, biting and flaming. Their skills were matched, and neither scored a telling wound on the other. Neither dragon cared that they bled, nor that torn wings began to slow.
When anger turned to lust, they noticed.
Strikes were no longer meant to hurt, but to arouse. No longer did Vahlahrin and Conkra dodge each other. Instead, they rubbed and caressed, sharing their heat, stoking their desires.
When they finally landed, the ground shook with their consummation.
Hours later, bloody, exhausted, and sore, the dragons nestled together. Conkra pressed close to his side, licking one of Vahlahrin's wounds. ~Maybe I should come to the khaldera more often.~
Vahlahrin nipped behind her skull. ~I would enjoy that.~
