Selverat rubbed sleepily at his eyes, shooting a glare up at the dark sky. Yikaeri's clutch had hatched, which meant that she was now free of the sands... and free to give him dark looks whenever she came across him. As if this entire mess was his fault.

Krethae wasn't much more help... the Void Mage had done as much as she felt necessary, and stayed within the area to keep order in the chaos, but she had left him to deal with the angry Summoner.

And now it seemed like the sun would never shine. He couldn't even remember if it was day or night, because the stupid clouds had obscured the sky for days on end.

"Rat, it's happening." Krethae appeared at his side from nowhere, a frown changing her normally pleasant face into a dark mask. "The females have decided to rise. I've warned the clan, and gotten us some guards out here, just in case."

He grimaced, quickening his pace. As much as he would have preferred to avoid the entire mess... he did have to be in the area, to make sure that everything went as smoothly as possible.

He'd get it from Yikaeri and Revent if he didn't.

The gathering of dragons was blessedly small, though it could have been smaller... only twenty three dragons, and out of them, only eleven females. Very few of them seemed to have bonds, either, which was another blessing.

The dragons were spread out across the plain, the more violent females snarling and hissing at each other and at the males. Veridiain had cleared a wide area around her, her fiery colors even more vibrant in the darkness as she glared about her, her wings stretching slowly.

She was the one who started it, claiming the right by her royal Azon heritage. She launched herself into the air and climbed swiftly, roaring a taunt at all the pitiful males below her.

The other females scrambled to get into the air as well, before the males could shake off their surprise and catch them on the ground. That was a blow to their dignity that they refused to take.

Ornuth climbed as fast as she could, eyeing all of the males that had decided to chase her, and deciding that she liked none of them. Two of them were identical xenos, Saru and Kaelror. Both violent, blue, and not nearly as intelligent as she wanted. The third was another xeno, Otamah by name, and who she despised even more than the other two.

~Go chase your own tails!~ She screeched, banking to one side and using a small thermal to rise swiftly above them. Otamah tried to grab her as she swept passed, but she lashed her tail across his face like a whip, making him drop down, losing her.

Clouds enveloped her as she rose, and she swiftly banked to one side, spreading her wings as far as they'd go in order to glide silently. She could hear the sounds of Saru and Kaelror fighting, and relaxed slightly. Those two wouldn't bother her again.

~I do hope you don't mind me dropping in.~ The words were accompanied by a warm body wrapping around her, the multiple heads of her new mate brushing lightly against her neck as his furry tail flicked back and forth.

Content for a time, she allowed Seshisashir to claim her as they spiraled down out of the sky.

Kaelror, meanwhile, was rather angry. If Saru had just left off and flown away, he would have had that beautiful pale blue all for himself! His brother was off chasing another female, which left him without much in the way of competition for once, and then his blasted clutchmate had decided to chase the same female as he!

Fuming, the dark blue xeno didn't notice Enyo'Vha until she brushed past him, trying to evade her own chasers by making them dodge around him. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kaelror reached out and latched onto one of her tails with his hind legs, slowing her flight enough for him to wrap around the two-headed female. With a dark smirk, he roared his triumph aloud as her disappointed chasers broke off to find other females.

Zhateki coiled around Otamah, offering her own brand of comfort for the stinging wound that Ornuth had given her companion. Together the two fell, ignored by the rest of the fliers.

Sateino was having a few difficulties. He found himself, not the chaser, but the chased! It seemed that one of the more strong-minded dragons there, Onessa, had decided that he was to be her first mate, and wouldn't take no for an answer. He swore that this was what a baby bird felt like when being stalked by a cat.

~Would you stop running?~ She snapped, following his movements easily.

Sateino tried to out-maneuver her, using every trick and tactic that he had learned in his lifetime. ~Would you stop chasing me?~

Onessa's laughter was loud in his mind as she tracked his movements and pounced on him with ease. ~I get what I want, and that's that.~

Saru was growing angry. It seemed that every time he tried to chase a female, she turned her back to him and found a way to get rid of him. And now... well, now most of the females were widely scattered, and he was left nearly alone except for a few other disappointed males such as he and...

One female.

He bared his teeth in a vicious grin, darting towards Zerema with one thing on his mind: winning her before any of the other clods around him realized that there was a female not far away.

Zerema felt him coming at her and dodged gracefully, her four wings humming softly as they moved almost too fast to be seen. She wasn't really interested in mating, or at least at being caught without effort.

Saru lashed his tail through the air, managing to swing around and come at her again. This time, he was prepared for her attempt at dodging, and managed to grab hold of her firmly, though she tried to wiggle away before he could tighten his hold upon her and make it impossible for her to escape.

Utothas was leading her bond, Brontinoth, on a merry little chase fairly far from the rest of the fliers. They had left any other chasers far behind them as they wove a small dance in the sky all their own. The outcome was foreordained, of course, and the two rumbled their pleasure as Brontinoth twined around his mate and bond after a satisfying courtship in the sky.

Unlike the other multitude of females in the flight, Axys stuck close to the ground. Her wings weren't exactly built for long flights, and she preferred to glide or run in any case. Just once during the flight she had used a weak thermal to rise into the sky, so that she could see all that was going on. Discouraged by the violence that she saw around her - another poem was already forming itself in her mind from the sight - she sank back to the ground and contented herself with gliding and running in and out of the thin forest, knowing that it was unlikely that she would find a mate if she kept that up, but not honestly caring much.

Another dragon, Xenyde by name, was also a bit out of place in the flight. Wingless, he had no way to climb into the sky where the other dragons were fighting and chasing... and so he began to stalk the lone female who stuck close to the ground.

With a dark smirk, he tossed his scythe in front of Axys, the blade sinking into a tree as the handle barred her way. The dragoness froze in place, staring at the weapon that had seemed to sprout from the tree.

"I believe that you and I are best suited for each other, out of this mess of dragons."

She blinked, focusing on the gray bipedal dragon who strode towards her confidently, ~Well... I suppose so.~

"Good. It's settled then, come."

Xenyde pulled his scythe from the tree and led Axys deeper into the forest, for a bit of privacy.

High above, Dreadeth shrieked a threat as another dragon drew close to her, twisting aside with grace and skill in order to avoid his advances. Were none of the males worthy of her? Were none of them able to keep up with her? She would not accept an inferior mate.

Banking sharply to the right, she snorted as Valadaen and Korchelr shot past her, effectively falling out of the running for her. Shooting a glance behind her, she spotted only one dragon left, and he didn't seem to be truly chasing her with all his might.

~Is there no one worthy of me?~ She broadcast loudly, a challenge for any that would dare to take her up on it.

Like a thunderbolt from above, Oropuiivth collided with her, capturing her while she remained stunned. ~I am, fair lady.~

Snorting lightly, Dreadeth relaxed into his hold, content with the one who had caught her.

Having overshot Dreadeth, Valadaen settled for surprising Atameh, who was flying fairly close to her bond still. He wrapped himself about her before she could writhe away, and together the two fell from the sky.

Otamah had returned once more to the sky, this time chasing the beautiful Ashypth. He was determined to catch her, and all others had better beware!

Darting in, he fouled her wing beats with his tail, slowing her down enough for him to wrap around her...

Not that she was pleased with that! With a roar, she twisted her head around and bit his shoulder, spilling his blood and making him roar in pain. Despite that, he clung to her, not truly minding that he had caught a violent one, he could be violent himself!

Llaxaem snarled darkly, flying swiftly up to the pair and joining the fight. He would have caught the beauty in a few more wing beats if not for Otamah getting in his way... and he intended on making the xeno pay.

Otamah, faced with being attacked by both the dragoness he had chosen to mate with, and another of the dragoness' suitors, unwillingly released Ashypth and spiraled down to the ground alone, his shoulder and other small wounds paining him enough to make him decide to quit the flight.

Ashypth spat out the faintly acidic blood of the xeno, ignoring that pain at the moment for the pleasure that Llaxaem was offering, as he wrapped himself around her body and joined with her.

Veridiain, though first to rise into the air, was still leading her chasers through the sky, unwilling to let any of them touch her until they proved themselves able to keep up with her.

The one she was currently favoring out of her chasers was Korchelr. He at least seemed intelligent and cunning, worthy of her favor. The others... she felt disdain for the 'holy terror' Brontinoth as no other, Seshisashir had come off as far too arrogant for her tastes, and Korchelr's brother, Kaelkor, was... unmentionable.

With a few lazy turns, she managed to shake Seshisashir from her tail, and send him almost colliding into Brontinoth. A smirk growing on her muzzle, she brushed past Korchelr, teasing him, encouraging him to continue his chase.

Korchelr, sensing that the fiery marked female was favoring him and not his brother, hissed darkly at Kaelkor, sending the beta drone spiraling down and away from them, out of the chase for good.

Satisfied that it was only the two of them, Veridiain finally allowed Korchelr to catch her.

Zerema had risen back into the sky after her mating with Saru, and found her eye caught by Kaelkor as he spiraled down from above. In all respects, he seemed identical to Saru and yet... with a smirk she presented herself before Kaelkor and let him catch her after a brief chase. Yes... he was definitely different from Saru... and she though she liked that difference.

Utothas wove through the clouds, enjoying the sensation of the wispy vapor clinging to her hide as she did. She had managed to frighten most of her chasers off with a show of violence, and now felt secure that she could enjoy the dark clouds until she tired and felt the urge to claim a second mate.

~Except, I do not scare that easily.~

Cheran'khan smirked as he wrapped around her, his coal coloration having hidden him well as he shadowed this dark female through the clouds.

Utothas permitted Cheran to take her as the only other male besides Brontinoth worthy to have her in this frenzy.

Selverat muttered curses and threats at the dragons as he attempted to keep track of who was pairing with whom, a thing not easy in the darkness that shrouded them.

"Rat!" Krethae pointed towards the sky, drawing his attention away from the list he had been working on.

A brilliant white dot had appeared in the sky... and was attracting many of the males that were still in the air.

"Wh... I thought we had labeled this area as off limits! Dammit, Kreth, get those fighters of yours up there and get that female down and safe!"

Kreth nodded, launching herself into the air even as the five guard dragons she had requested took to the sky with her. Her own dragon, Tinorl, came up under her, so that she could settle herself on his back, to get to the female quicker.

Elsewhere in the sky, males with no females to chase, or who felt that they were getting nowhere chasing the female they had currently decided upon, turned to swarm at the bright dragoness who was frantically looking for an escape, and trying to figure out where she had ended up in the first place.

The five guards swept upwards, blocking the paths of most of the males, using all their skill to avoid snapping teeth and menacing claws and tails, while still pressing the males back away from Sunaka, the bright female.

Krethae grimaced and launched herself from Tinorl's back as two dragons broke past the guards, giving her dragon less to worry about in a fight. She swept past the fighting dragons, to Sunaka at the center. The two dragons were coming from different sides... there was no way Tinorl alone could keep both of them from getting at the dragoness, and the other guards had their paws full just keeping the other males from getting through as well.

"Come on, you have to get down from here," she spoke as she took up a position flying next to Sunaka, straining her wings to keep up with the larger dragoness.

"But... Sunaka..."

Krethae shook her head slightly, glancing back at Tinorl and grimacing as she spotted the second male, Brontinoth it seemed, coming at them swiftly, unhindered by any of the guards, "She'll be caught. I don't think you want to be on her back when that happens. There's no room the really maneuver right here, and if she slides past the guards, the other dragons will swarm her again."

Talitha shivered, "Alright..."

Swiftly, Krethae caught up the small girl and dove towards the ground.

Behind them, Brontinoth smirked in triumph as he claimed Sunaka, secure in the knowledge that none of the guards could get to him.

He hadn't counted on one of his fellow chasers coming to the female's rescue, though.

Sateino had taken to the sky as soon as he could, to escape the advances of several females who were on the ground with him. Before Sunaka had appeared, he had been flying in the sky, keeping an eye out for any more females that felt the urge to chase him. Her appearance had caught his eye though, as had the rush of males towards her and the attempted defense of her by the large guard dragons of Clan Akelara.

And when he noticed that one dragon had managed to slip through, to claim the dragoness against her will, he made his move.

Diving down from above, he caught Brontinoth by surprise, raking his claws down the dragon's back and latching onto the other's left wing shoulder with his teeth. ~Release her this instant!~

Brontinoth roared in pain, his head jerking back in an instinctual attempt to stab his attacker with the spines down his neck, ~What do you care?~

~One should never force a lady, you worm slime!~ Sateino snarled as he dodged the spines, sinking his hind claws into Brontinoth's hindquarters, ~You are lower than a burster, and with less intelligence than a piece of mold! Now release her, you worthless excuse of a dragon!~

Snarling in pain, trying to shake Sateino as best he could, but finding that that only made the six winged dragon sink his claws in deeper, Brontinoth finally gave in and released Sunaka, slinking away to the ground to sulk next to his bond, his pride and body both stinging in pain.

Sateino slowly wrapped himself protectively around the white female, spreading his wings to slow their descent, snarling dangerously at the few males that still refused to turn away and return to their pursuit of more dangerous females.

~Do not worry~ He sent just to Sunaka, ~I will keep you safe now.~

Onessa had given the white female a disgusted look when she appeared and stole most of the males in the sky away, and decided that any male that had left to drool over her was definitely not worthy of being her mate.

Unfortunately, that left very few males in the sky for her to choose from, among which was the white-gold Oropuiivth, who had been doggedly chasing her despite her best attempts to shake him.

Deciding to turn the tables on the male, she abruptly reversed her flight and twined around him, smirking at his surprise, and pleased at his swift response.

Enyo'Vha had grumpily returned to the sky, after giving Kaelror a dark glare that told him in no uncertain terms to stay away and never bother her again. His catching of her had not been planned, and she felt rather... disgruntled about that.

The minute she had returned the sky, Seshisashir had begun to chase her, and refused to be shaken. Flying skillfully, he had dodged all of her attempts at blocking him with other dragons and finally...

He caught her, or perhaps she caught him. Whichever had happened, the two fell, entwined together so that only their colors let one distinguish one dragon from another.

Zhateki twisted through the sky, leading her chasers hither and yon, and watching in dark amusement as one by one they fell out of the chase. Saru vied with Valadaen in the sky, both snapping at the other as they tried to keep up with the female that had caught their eye.

Seeing his chance, Saru thumped Valadaen with his thick tail, knocking the other aside and making him falter in his wing beats just long enough for Saru to dart ahead and claim Zhateki as his own.

Robbed of the xeno female he had been chasing, Valadaen turned side, accidentally cutting across Ornuth's path and colliding with her. Deciding to take the opportunity offered, he twined around her, rumbling softly to soothe her anger at his rather abrupt capture of her.

Llaxaem bared his teeth faintly as he stalked Dreadeth from above, planning his strike with cunning. She darted from side to side, barely evading the grasping talons of Kaelror, both of them tiring visibly.

Just before Kaelror managed to grasp Dreadeth's tail, Llaxaem dived down, spreading his wings at the last second to twine around Dreadeth possessively, hissing at the defeated Kaelror as they spiraled from the sky.

Below them, Xenyde was stalking another target, one Atameh by name. He had left Axys in the forest, composing dark poetry about violence and love, and now felt an urge to find a second mate.

And Atameh was obligingly staying close to the ground.

The crescent blade wielding dragoness found herself caught off guard for the second time that day, as Xenyde pulled her from the sky and into his embrace, both of them vanishing swiftly into the shadows as she allowed him to claim her.

Ashypth was finding the sky very empty of potential mates, most of whom she was disgusted by. Finally, with a sigh, she settled for the best of the remaining males, and allowed Korchelr to claim her.

High above them all, above even the thick clouds, Veridiain flew a silent mating dance with the one male that she had had her eyes on ever since she had met him. Cheran'khan. One of the only ones who could rival her own rank, and so therefore, one of the only ones she had allowed near her.

Smirking, he pursued her with a single-minded intensity, never allowing her to pull more than a claw's breadth away, matching her turn for turn, twist for twist.

When they joined, they bellowed as one, and fell through the clouds without a single care.

And so ended the Winter's Dark Heart Frenzy flight...

What was to come would be even worse... the hatching.