Run 2004 (F)

Part 3: Bunny Run.
The dragons set wing to Eritan village. Behind them, some boats had gathered to bring the dragons who couldn't swim and/or teleport. Not many dragons were on those boat, Girth however, her pink and purple bulk stretched comfortably in the sun on the open deck of her private vessel was enjoying her day out. Bunnies could be seen, bolting in dashes of coloured light over the small canal that separated Lantessama from the main continent of Syl'Neriss. 
Laedrys Trix dismounted from Sun Frynoth and walked the short distance from the landing field to the Run parcours. The grass was waving gently in the wind and rustling the leaves of some nearby trees. There was no way human eyes could survey the entire area during the run. But no human eyes were needed when there were dragon eyes around.
Trix whistled and soon four little flit-sized dragons were buzzing around her. Trix looked for a moment at the playful attacks of the two brothers and turned to Ice Eris who had always been the most responsible of her four cocktail dragons.
"Do you remember what I asked you?"
"To watch the runners." the little dragoness said, "I'm not stupid." she added.
"I know. Alert the rest of us if you see any violations, the other's cocktail dragons are also at your disposal. You're in the lead."
"Power! Yippee." the Ice snorted and then led her brothers and sister into the air where the rest of a flock of 15 cocktails where floating. Within minutes she heard the tiny voice of Eris telling her that they were ready.
Trix turned to Cyan, winked and then walked to the run participants. Many of the dragons who had signed up were bondless, or had left their bond at home. Many of the dragons were shifty, to say the least. Some of the beasts were downright evil and Trix had her doubts about bunny survival. At least the small dragons were quick. Then she looked at Girth.
"Keep a special eye on the pink one." Trix sent to Eris, adding the thought of Girth along with the command.
"Will do." Eris signed back.
Trix approached the participants and started talking.
"Alright everyone. I don't want any bloodshed." she said, eyeing the hydras and shadow. "Yes that means you. Any dragon gets hurt and you are out."
She watched and saw all the hydras nod, though some just a tad too quick for Trix to relax. But there was nothing left that she could do. She only hoped that the small guards would suffice to call upon the larger dragons when the need got dire.
"Run!" she called and stepped out of the way.
The bunnies were the first to go, of course, their agile bodies already down half the way, fanning in all directions. Trix ran back to Frynoth and gave the dragon the request to fly and search out the pairings, hoping she wouldn't miss too much of the run.
In the air the parcours, with it's dirt roads, fields, dunes and lake, seemed to be very small, but the place was large enough to get lost in. Ok, maybe not in the fields, but you could in the forests on the left.
Large patches of grass were moved when dragons passed through, but one patch drew Trix' attention immediately. It wasn't stealthy and fast like the other bunny trails, it was broad and slow.
"Fly closer Frynoth!" Trix shouted when she recognised the pink dragoness. 
Flying closer Trix spotted the light Blue Eris, not very noticeable against the blue of the sky dotted with the white of the clouds, until you were almost right on top of her.
"The big one is fine." Eris sent.
"What's that?" Frynoth asked when another pattern became obvious. Large circles getting smaller, like a shark ready to attack. Suddenly a streak of blue, a patch of fur appeared above the grass. 
"It's a bunny!" Trix told the two dragons. "Eith... bondless, just the way it ought to be. Why do you think that is?" she asked to no-one in particular.
"Because it needs to be." Frynoth said, sounding like it all was obvious.
"Coincidence maybe?" Trix asked.
Eris looked at her bond like she had made a mistake bonding her. She shook her draconic head and swooped down to see the pairing. Eith was already moving away, having done his business. Girth, a little stunned by the sudden pairing and recovering from the horrid sensation that something evil had been stalking her, decided to find herself a hiding place at the water. She could always slip in and float away if need arose.
Eith on the other hand darted off deeper in the meadows, in search of more adventure. The blue bunny wasn't the only one darting across the meadows. Now and then another blue body appeared, gliding above the tall grass. Arlvith was prowling, his cheetah hide merging with the ocean in the distance. 
He could feel the dragoness he was chasing. Saw her veer up from the grass periodically. Genvesna, the green bunny hatched one year ago was very awar of her chaser. When he finally caught up with her, she gladly allowed him to have her. After the pairing, Arlvith stayed close to his green love, not letting her out of his sight.
Konivan raced by the couple and was tempted for a moment. But he decided against breaking them up. There were lots of other females waiting for him farther down the road. He took a left and raced toward the water, with the intention of crossing the roads and heading our for a swim, but he didn't get that far. A pink godess crossed his path, long ears, tempting blue ribbon. 
Poofy, the pink bunny, stopped and looked at her indigo clutchmate. For a moment there was silence, words would only diminish the effect of this chance encounter. Their mating was fast and without a word they separated and continued their own way again. Poofy following the roads and Konivan heading out to the lake.
Another Bunny, this one yellow with a red tie raced down the roads, past his sister. Hunt's eyes had been focused on one female from the start, but it would be foolish to not take this opportunity. He turned toward the pink bunny and winked. Poofy giggled and bowed her head, as if she was blushing. Both bunnies dove in the bushes, hiding from other dragons while they mated.
On the parcours more pairs started to form in the various areas. Trix relocated her attention from the -at the moment- calm dirt roads to the forest which seemed to be swarming with dragons if you could depend on the movement of trees. 
When Trix got closer, she noticed that it wasn't the amount, but the size of the dragons that caused the commotion. Several of the larger hydras were chasing each other on the other side of the lake. Smog Delsie and Blood Asmaveth were chasing each other, both their four heads lurching and biting air. In stead of heading for the forest where she would surely run into a dead end, Deslie headed for the lake, prolonging her run.
But finally the blood hydra caught up with her. They were halfway around the lake when Asmaveth crashed into the Ash hydra and launched her in the bushes, crashing another mating couple. Hunt and Poofy who had hidden themselves only a few minutes ago.
"Away!" the blood hydra yelled to the smaller bunnies, only his promise and the prospect of Delsie keeping him from killing the two bunnies. Without much patience for her chaser to find a lonely spot, Delsie nudged him to leave the bunnies. Their pairing was short and fierce.
But it was after they had separated again that Asmaveth reached his high point in annoyance of the entire run. For that lowly yellow bunny turned his head to Delsie and smiled.
"Hey beautiful... You can run, but you cannot hide!" he called out and ran toward the smog hydra. Asmaveth tried to put himself between Delsie and the bunny, but the retched animal kept bolting between Asmaveth's legs and then they were gone.
Asmaveth looked stunned. He! A four-headed hydra had lost from a yellow fluffy bunny barely half his size. 
"Hey big man..." he suddenly heard a voice penetrating his thoughts, reading them, slightly mocking.
"What?!" he called to the pink bunny
"If you're so good.... Prove it." She dared the hydra and moved deeper into the undergrowth, waiting for Asvameth. Poofy was far from ending her run.
Meanwhile Konivan had bolted across the lake to Isla Klyn, trying his luck there for a second mating. Several available females had made their way to the small island in the middle of the lake, and he wasn't the only one interested in them. Right next to him a dark shadow suddenly materialised. 
Shadow Land Lerion looked down on the bunny and made his blood-red eyes twinkle to get a nice bloodthirsty effect that would ensure -he hoped- the bunny to seek his luck elsewhere.
Konivan had no such intentions, but even this small island would be big enough for the both of them for the short time Konivan was planning on staying. Carefully he took a step sideways and let the shadow pass.
Lerion was the first male on the isle to spot a female, purple bunny Azumai had taken her refuge there from the start and she was still awaiting chasers to catch her. When the bunny noticed her chaser she bolted all over the isle, but Lerion wasn't slow either. Quickly he followed the bunny everywhere she went, ever gaining on her, diminishing her head start. And finally he had her. Azumai didn't protest much, at least she hadn't been ambushed by a hydra.
Down the other side of the ilse, Konivan was busy stalking his chosen female. His eye had fallen on what could certainly be called the oddest participant of the run. Half bronze-half blue-little bit of green Tisraith-Harmadik-Sinbaith was stalking the island. It was the female part, Sinbaith, that responded to Konivan's approach.
Both Harmadik and Tisraith were unhappy with the control that the green part of their body had exerted onto the rest of them. After Sinbaith's mating they both tried to gain control of their body, which of course wasn't easy. It was only when a small red figure, bunny Sundai, that they both gave the same commands to their legs. The chase was started and lasted long, Sundai taking every turn and using every trick in the book.
At long last, Sundai was caught by the dragon, or that should be by both males who tries to compete even though they really couldn't change the fact that they were joined. Sundai, at first horrified by the prospect of clutching hydra-eggs was comforted by the fact that Harmadik and Tisraith didn't seem to be evil, just messed up. 
This didn't stop her running of as fast as she could when the two had stopped their quarrels about her. Maybe she could still salvage some of her eggs. Desperately she searched around for a nice male to co-sire her babies. She found her wish in orange bunny Pascha, a quiet bunny who had kept himself in the background of the run until now. Carefully he stepped in Sundai's view and asked her carefully if she would allow him. Sundai, happy to have find a non-hydra mate, urged him closer and gave herself a last time.
Another bunny, Yellow Hunt again who seemed to be bolting around the parcours like crazy in a roadrunner-parody, ran by and looked around. He had wanted to dare his red sister to a small race, but she seemed to be otherwise engaged. 
What was a small bunny to do? A devious grinn lightened his fluffy face when he noticed his purple clutchmate Azumai standing at the edge of the clearing. She seemed free.
"Wanna race beautiful?" he asked.
"Wanna bet?" she told him back.
"You're my kind of bunny... If I catch you, I can have you, ok?"
"Catch me then, if you can at least get past my dustcloud."
And away she was, a purple stripe of luminence, followed closely by the yellow one...
Over their heads Trix and Frynoth flew past, receiving reports from a swarm of cocktail dragons. Not one of them had had any problems, but then the run hadn't finished yet. Several of the hydras had vanished into the forests on the right and had shown little of themselves to the spying eyes.
The cocktails returned to their charges and Trix told Frynoth to check out the sea and dunes next. Within minutes they were flying overhead a pale strip of sand curving up and down in a maze of dunes. The dunes were also the future nursery room of the easter eggs, shelters had been built near Eritan village that would accomodate all females and any preferences they might have. 
But here, several miles away from Eritan the dunes were a paradise for the bunnies that had headed this way. Konivan had returned here from his short trip to Isla Klyn, Eith and Genvesna, who had left Arlvith for another adventure were gathered here, enjoying the company of other landbound dragons. Trix could see the scaled Beaut dashing at the edge of the beach, his two tails hitting the air like wips. He seemed perfectly happy in the shallow waters, running.
Parallel with Beaut, but heading through the labyrinth was Anoleonth, chased by Eith and Genvesna who appeared to be scolding the blue bunny. Anoleonth broke from the dunes and ran as fast as she could toward the water where Beaut still was running. The male biped stood still and watched as the two-tailed camouflage dragon stumbled and fell to the ground right in front of him.
It was the exact same moment Genvesna finally caught Eith who she had been chasing ever since she had seen him walk past her and Arlvith. She didn't dislike the cheetah glider, but a bunny she was and she felt the need to have some offspring that would completely resemble her.
Beaut didn't hesitate either. The female had dropped down in front of him. It had to be a sign... or at least plain dumb luck. He courted the dragoness by gently stroking her head with his and then moved in closer. Anoleonth snorted but then made a shrugg-like gesture that Trix freely translated to: "When in the dunes, do as the bunnies do." and gave into Beaut who she thought was rather attractive, a nice colour of green that would look good on her children.
Trix asked Frynoth to fly over the forest, most of the dragons had paired already and only the forest was still alive with chasing pairs and lurking hydras. Her eyes set on the green from the trees below her, Trix didn't pay much attention to the rest of the parcours.
This was what a certain Venus Fly Trap had been waiting for. Tia Maria Zia, only one of his trio of slightly evil cocktails. Evil was a big word, prankster was more like it, or Zia's own personal favourite: 'mischievously inclined'. But was it fair to discriminate them because they liked to have fun? Zia had to disagree with the Laedryses policy.
"The coast is clear, master." she whispered silently in Evilness' mind.
"I'm off... Keep her away."
"I will." Zia giggled.
Evilness slithered down the start of the parcours. Who was the Laedrys to refuse his participant form anyway? Just because he didn't have any legs and had wings that could technically carry him for short distances... no, he knew what the Laedrys really feared. She had let in hydras, which meant that she feared what would sprout from his eggs even more than that multi-headed strain of vermin.
Suddenly Evilness heard a soft stirring in front of him. He grinned and tasted the air with his tongue, thinking of whatever evil dragoness might be in front of him and slid through the grassn approaching her.
"Eek!" he suddenly heard her call out.
"Quiet, dear." he said, "It's only Evilness...."
Girth turned around and saw the black-green plant dragon twisting his serpentine body around her tail. She tried to reach him and pull him off her body, but she couldn't quite reach her tail. She tried smacking him off, but the plant dragon saw it coming and escaped unharmed.
"We will make perfect babies." Evilness sissed.
"But.... You're bad!"
"Bad to the bone, honey." Evilness snickered.
"Evilness!!!! Get away before I have to come down." he suddenly heard Cyan's voice shout at him.
"Tu quoque, creator?" he asked.
"Yes me too... You should have known better."
"But... I planned! I studied, Trix was away."
A pale blue dragon suddenly swopped down. "I was here!" Eris called out, "You should have picked another dragon!"
"It's already too late to stop me..." Evilness smiled evilly.
"Tell me it isn't true!" Cyan cried out, "How am I ever going to explain this to my sister?"
"Don't look at me! I'm the victim here." Evilness said, slithering off with a last wink to Girth, "Until we meet again in the dunes, precious."
Girth looked stunned and unsure when the plant dragon left. What did he mean by that remark? Wasn't he going away so she could get some peace? Apparently not.
"Are you ok?" Eris asked.
"Sure." Girth said, "I doubt what he said was true, I didn't feel a thing. Want to come take a swim?"
"Can I?" Eris asked Cyan.
"As long as you're still watching her, why not." Cyan said.
Now that that little riot was settled, Cyan flew back up and saw Trix was busy with her own rebellions against the rules -a thing the head Laedrys dreaded. Cyan sighed, she should really go help, but did she have to?
"Some help!" she suddenly heard Trix shouting through Zaranyth's mind.
Cyan hunched on Zaranyth's back and gave the command to fly to the forest as fast as her wings could carry them. Cyan looked down as the scenery flowed by, on the lakes surface she could see a dragon gliding only inches above the placid waters. Cheetah Green Anoleonth, Zaranyth told her.
The green was followed closely by a black shadow, like smog, until it finally engulfed her.
"Is that one of Lerion's new tricks?" Cyan asked.
"Apparently he got the idea from the true chaotics." Zaranyth answered.
"Great! Just what we need... more fog-shifters, like it isn't obscure enough in the mornings."
"She seems happy enough with the idea..." Zaranyth shrugged when the two dragons locked tails and glade-bolted across the lake. 
Above the forest, Trix' need was getting dire. She had spotted the third Arx Atra hydra and the male ash wasn't about to keep to the rules. Luckily for them, he had picked as target green Sanbaith who could still defend herself with the help of her two male personalities when it became clear that Breasal wasn't in the mood to stop at a pairing. Still, four heads were better than three and Sanbaith-Harmadik-Tisraith were losing.
"Quickly now!" Trix told her, "We attack from the sides, he'll have to pull back."
Cyan had her doubts about that, but apparently the sight of two sun dragonesses, smoke coming from their nostrils was not a pretty picture. Breasal though, in stead of falling back, surges forward, intent on trampling the hydra with the multiple personalities. 
Fortunately that was also the time the cavalry appeared. Lucas' Silver Besanth and Donriven's Rayant Ensith launched forward and swooped down toward the hydra, containing him in a circle of dragons. Sanbaith-Harmadik-Tisraith made a run for it and soon Breasal was ready to be escorted out of sight. All he got from the experience was one mating, something that wouldn't look good on his resume compared to that of the two other hydras in play.
"Do you think that was all?" Cyan asked.
"I doubt it... all evils come in three." Donriven said ominously.
"All things come in threes according to you." Trix laughed.
"Optimist." he said with a mock look of disgust.
They broke up their little airborne tea party and went back to surveillance. Trix kept soaring above the forest, looking for more trouble while Cyan headed back to the lake. When she flew over the mirroring waters once again, she almost felt like deja vu. 
There was Nantryth again, soaring over the water. But in stead of the shadow Lerion following her, she was being chased by Blood Hydra Asmaveth. Cyan considered for a while the bad luck the dragoness had by being chased again by one of the more darker dragons. 
"She still likes it." Zaranyth insisted.
"Chased by a bad boy?"
"You say it yourself... It's dangerous." Zaranyth winked, "and sexy! Let's not forget sexy."
"I do NOT want to know!" Cyan said, "I never knew you liked the wild type of dragons."
"Hah! And who says mystery has to die when you know each other for as long as we have."
"Some things are better left unsaid, sweety."
"Look!!! She's at it again!" Zaranyth shouted, "She's a true green."
"Unlike?"
"All those foliages hanging around." Zaranyth said.
Cyan looked down again seeing the cheetah-patterned dragoness back on the lake, recovering in record time from a pairing and this time being chased by scaled Beaut. The two-tailed biped dragon however, wasn't as quick on the water as were her other mates. It took him quite some time to catch her, laying in ambush until she swooped overhead again, only the tip of his head sticking out of the water.
But when he finally did, he treated the dragoness on what must have been a fabulous underwater journey. They didn't resurface for at least 15 minutes and after that pairing not even the promiscuous Nantryth had the strength to go on. 
The couple floated lazily to the shore and lay there, drying their hides and scales in the warm afternoon sun, basking in the heath of the sand.
Trix flew high over the forest. She saw surprisingly little movement. Not many of the dragons had chosen to go to the forest, not many of the fast ones anyway and only a few pairings had already occurred in the forest. Still there were some dragons unaccounted for and there was nowhere else they could be.
When the movement finally presented itself it was so stealthy Frynoth had to alert Trix on it. A slow waving of trees, a few red patches. And then... the giggles. It was no mystery who Trix had located, Blood Insomniax was below her, giggling in whatever his two crazy minds could come up with. 
Not much later Trix could also spot another dragon, right in Insomniax' path. This dragon, a female, was bright yellow with strong gliders that were useless in the forest. She was the electric Terramania that had only entered at the last possible moment. There had been some hassle about her gliders which could function as wings, though she had promised not to use them.
Not much later the two of them locked eyes in a clearing. The middle electric, sweet but adventurous and the blood hydra, giggling like a schoolgirl but creepy as Hell. The world was full of opposites and apparently this was one pair that seemed to hit it off. There was just one thing holding Insomniax back. His rider Christine and her cold refusal to let him chase any dragon with a rider.
Trix held her breath, seeing as the already crazy hydra tried forcing his rider... 
Out of nowhere orange bunny Pascha suddenly appeared. Bolting through Insomniax' legs he went straight for his price, Ghaia, the electric. He caught her too, though their bliss only lasted for a short time. But it was enough for Asakti to pair of with Pasta, Pascha's rider. 
The strain on Insominax' mind grew weak and Insomniax did what he had wanted all along. He pushed the bunny aside and chased Ghaia as she fled through the trees, all the while giggling and howling in excitement, while his rider retreated with Phantom.

The End.

Interesting facts:
  *most prolific male: Blood Asvameth, currently 11 eggs in 3 pairings
  *most prolific female: Green Cheetah Glider Nantryth, currently 9 eggs in 3 pairings
  *You see that all the hydras/dragons who said they'd behave badly only mated once. This means the surveillance of the cocktail dragons worked ;) New guard system activated.
  *I didn't write this from the human side of view, mainly because lots of the dragon's riders were otherwise engaged/absent/non-existing, but you can fill in the blanks if you want to ^_^ Maybe next time I'll be up to writing a full flight/run/swim.

Continue to Part4: Mated Pairs
or Continue to Part5: Candidates