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A New Family Part 5

Dramatis Personae

Family of 5 (Colonists)

• Ataksak (Mother) 41

• Negafook (Father) 42

• Nanook (elder son) 22

• Pinga (daughter) 22

• Silla (younger daughter) 8

Other Cast

• Alessandra (Alpha den Healer, Colonist) 215

• Diana (Daughter of Nathan and Alessandra) 102

• Apollo (Son of Nathan and Alessandra) 102

• Sylvia (Alpha den Technician, Colonist) 212

• Gregory (Alpha den Architect, Colonist) 230

• Sekhmet (Daughter of Sylvia and Gregory) 102

• Anath (Daughter of Sylvia and Gregory) 29

• Mazu (Daughter of Carol and Riku) 102

• Carol (Adventurer, Colonist) 218

• Riku (Soldier, Colonist) 240

The tremulous noise of dragons landing woke us hours later. I crawled from between the twins and snaked my head over the embankment tasting the air suspiciously to see who it was. It was the titanic forms of Carol and Mazu.

"My, you've been busy" Carol said. "Coming right along in changed behavior I see. We've brought you something new to eat." She and Mazu then laid upon the ground eight large fish like creatures.

"We call them tuna for lack of a better word. Nathan wanted some samples to classify. But we always uh... eat them before we reach his lab."

The fishy smell of marine life wafted over the nest causing six more heads to appear next to mine on the berm with tongues flicking. Silla and now Nan had erect feathers upon their heads showing a dark yellow color of hungry interest. (HA! I was on the ball now. Time to start noting what the displays mean.)

"Oh!" Mazu exclaimed, "What pretty colors you have!" She ambled around the fish to Nan and stroked a claw delicately across his snout (the talon was bigger than his nose was) where one of his many brown stripes crossed. She then sniffed deeply at his feathers making them dance and shift in color to a dark red "Du siehst süß aus". He squirmed and dug at the ground to bury his head, Carol laughed, I grinned, and Pinga bumped his shoulder and winked. Mazu nosed his feathers gently letting her tendrils dance down each side of Nan's muzzle. She then turned back to sit beside Carol who nudged her with a wing good naturedly. "Ich mag ihn. Er riecht gut."

The five of my family crept to the fish and began eating. I noticed the twins had hung back and I beckoned to them with my gore covered snout. "Join usss please."

They demurred "We are old enough to hunt for ourselves, you are still turning and need the energy. Besides, we have already eaten two days ago. Thank you though." They bowed gratefully for the offer. Turning back to gorge I noticed one eye of both Silla and Nan straying from their meal regularly. Gee, I wonder. Nan's feathers were still up and red although one on the left kept shifting solitarily to orange. I was able to scry the meaning now. He was personally interested but unsure if he could or should pursue her affections. Silla's message was more obvious. The slow color change I'd noticed before meant a much more intense interest in pursuit and commitment.

As we flung our heads back gulping the rest of the fish down our long throats I flapped my wings restlessly for a moment. Then, pausing, I flapped them again and lifted my forequarters into the air and crashed onto my side. I craned my head around to look. My wing arms had grown to be four meters tall. From the end of each finger support a talon extended beyond the span of the membranous wing sail. On top of all that from the uppermost knuckle another claw extended. This grew upwards from what would be a thumb I suppose. The arms were the same dark green as my other scales. However the membrane of the wing was a deep and rich brown like fresh loam.

Carol lowered her enormous head to look me over. "Hmm, not quite ready to fly yet perhaps. But more than ready to glide and learn control. With the grace of the young natural born and my experience with our own learning curve we'll have you flying in no time! Why don't Mazu, Apollo, Diana, and I ferry you to the coast by my nest? You can learn safely with water beneath you and cliffs to launch from. Your family could also meet my taciturn mate. If you're lucky you might even get one or maybe two words out of him. Then we can show you true fun in our element!"

All around us there was a general hum of approval for this plan. Before we mounted our rides (haha) my family went to clean and refresh ourselves at the stream. Afterwards we ventured over to relieve ourselves in the latrine area using the worker unit on standby to dig new pits for each of us. Positioning ourselves over each of our sumps with our tails elevated we voided then moved to return. (Whew, our shit stunk of sulfur. I wonder at how much our intestinal tracts have changed?)

Once back, Silla without hesitation climbed upon Apollo's back where he willingly flattened his quills to provide room once again. Nan, a little diffidently, was about to ask Mazu if she'd be so kind. Instead, snorting her amusement she scooped him up with one paw under his middle and deposited him on her back.

I couldn't help myself: She's a big one huh? Do you think you will be able to fill her enough to satisfy her, little Nan? To drive the point home I sent him the image of a mouse squeaking desperately, crawling around on an elephant's upturned groin as it lay upon its back.

All of Nan's feathers flashed violet in irritation. I'll get bigger...um... Do you think she'll care?

I just laughed at his lack of confidence causing his display to flash irately again. If you're not there are other ways to drive her over the edge. I grinned at him lasciviously letting my entire forked tongue unfurl and panted.

He flattened his feathers and looked away. Father...

_ No, seriously, all you have to do is slap her ass and ho..._

Unexpectedly I was swept clean off my feet by the very tip of Carol's tail passing underneath me. "Oops, little mouse. Better watch out for the big bad FEMALE elephant when you broadcast in too wide a pattern and others overhear you.

Ich werde meine Zähne mit Ihrer Wirbelsäule reinigen. Wenn Sie über meine Dragoness auf diese Weise wieder sprechen."

Absolutely mortified, I tried to stuff myself into the hole I dug in front of myself. Before my tail could disappear into the tunnel I was hurriedly digging I felt two claws pinch close on it and was lifted like a leaf from my burrow and into the air.

I got a real close look at a meter and a half tall slit pupiled aquamarine eye that looked irritated for some reason before she drew back to hiss in my face. She then twisted her tail around to wrap about my body ahead of my rear legs then swung me high over her back. I was then dropped from... Oh, I don't know, about ten meters above her. Onto the green scaled back flattening some of her dorsal fin.

I was now terrified. Yes ma'am. I squeaked, like a mouse. I liked my spine where it is.

Never forget, little mouse. I can still do that to you even when you're full grown. My tail weighs more than you ever will.

Yes ma'am.

_ _ In a bittersweet moment the next thing I heard was the full throated roaring laughter of my lovely mate. It was the first honest laugh I think she'd made since Silla started to become a dragoness. I would gladly go through all I just did with Carol again just to make her smile and laugh genuine. I told Carol as much.

_Find a better way to do it next time._She sent severely, but softened her words by turning her head so I could see the side of her snout twist into a smile. Her smile froze a second later however and turned to a snarl when her eye landed on something off to the side.

My daughter cries now. After all she has done for you, this is the thanks she receives? You have one chance to make this right. Or by the moon and the stars I will find out how long you can hold your breath. Ata! You as well, I'm glad you are feeling better but not at the expense of my own dragoness. Both of you apologize. Ich werde meine Drachin wieder glücklich sehen oder ich sehe dich im Abgrund.

Ata and I lowered our heads ashamed and then noticed that poor Mazu was crouched upon the ground with her head buried under her wing. Nan stood tall upon her back with head raised. He was glaring at us savagely with pupils narrowed so drastically they were paper thin. His feathers were all raised and colored a black so deep they almost glowed.

He was violently enraged that Mazu had heard it all. When he saw he had our attention he pointed his snout meaningfully at Mazu.

They're both right I realized. The Ill-used dragoness has been nothing but gentle and kind to us.

Trying something new I locked my wings horizontal and glided to the ground. Feeling no satisfaction at the moment I tried chirping to gain her attention. But it wasn't until Nan laid himself down and extended his head towards her own and spoke that she stirred. Pulling her head out from beneath her wing but not facing us was the best we could get.

"Mazu even if you had not heard what I said it was unacceptable of me to talk about you in such a way. You have been nothing but kind to us since we landed. For me to slight you in such a way is demeaning and disrespectful. I hope that you will continue to grow increasingly fond of my son. I know that he already has some feeling for you as well. It would bring me joy to see such a caring dragoness as you accept my son as her friend and possible mate."

Ata said something similar. But added at the end her explanation that she was sorry that her mirth was taken as being aimed at the dragoness. Instead she was laughing at my antics with Carol. This was apparently enough for the dragoness.

"Ok. I'm still not happy about what you said. But I'm really working hard to turn this around for you. They were my ideas to fish for you and bring you to our home on the coast. After so much had gone wrong for everyone my mother and I wanted to start building pleasant memories for you. Instead you made me feel disappointed in you both."

"How about a gesture of our goodwill? Ata you know those gold rings you wear? Would you be willing to melt them down to make something nice for her?

"Of course we can if that is okay with you Mazu."

"Well, I would like to have a ring for my tail." She said sheepishly.

Carol spoke up "Dear that will tarnish in next to no time at all. Why don't you think ahead and get something made for your own nest? You'll have one someday won't you? She grinned at her daughter and nudged her with her hip.

Nan's feathers once again turned a reddish orange in interest.

"Ok" Mazu agreed, happily settling the matter. To seal the deal both me and Ata bowed with our forelegs folded. I at least was able to spread my wings to complete the gesture. My mate made do by twitching the little stumpy arms she had developed.

At last we loaded up and took off, headed for the coast which apparently was an hour's flight away. I don't know what my offspring did but Ata and I took a nap right on Carol's expansive back. When we awoke we found both of us larger than when we had started napping. We were also descending towards a wide tract of sand. The beach covering had a grainy coarse texture to it. As all dragons put their four paws to ground we walked around to explore. We found a series of tide pools with all manner of exotic biota within. I saw Nan be led over to a cave by Mazu which was apparently were she slept when here. I just turned away. Whatever they wanted to get into is their business.

Next I saw Silla, Pinga and the twins sitting around a tide pool staring into it at something. After a few minutes reflecting they started to pad over to the waterline. It looked cold but after Diana stuck her paw in they all ran in pell-mell in the first chaotic act I'd witnessed from the twins. Carol asked Ata and myself if we wanted to see a reef like structure. Ata agreed while I declined saying I'd rather practice flying. She indicated a set of bridged sea stacks to build myself up to the cliff. They then both dove into the water as well. At first Ata just watched Carol's movements before she began to imitate them. After a moment she got it and then the two swam off to the south, bodies undulating sinuously. And I was alone. Time to fall from the sky!

Which is eventually how I ended up on top of the cliff being accused of cowardice by a red hot, lethal, plasma spewing dragoness.

Sekhmet glared at me and slammed her tail against the ground a couple of times leaving a long furrow. "Well good fucking job you vapid mole. I heard you tried to tunnel your way out. Spine as strong as steel that's what you have." She snorted a short white hot jet of flame to the side sarcastically. Startled, I leapt back. "Oh yes." She said ominously. "I know just what the right minerals to eat are and how to exhale just the right amount of gas to create a torch. The next time you make the most selfless and thoughtful dragoness in the colony cry... I will burn you with a flame so hot it will sear your nerves shut. I wouldn't want you to die of shock before you could get a chance to watch your body be rendered into a greasy smear on the ground."

I'm sure my pupils were as round as the eyes that held them. This red scaled dragoness was absolutely terrifying! I can understand Sylvia's side. But Gregory helped raised a child this fierce?

Somehow she had heard me.

"YOU HAVE YET TO EARN THE RIGHT TO SPEAK OF MY FAMILY!"

With a crackling shower of ignition sparks deep in her throat a purplish white jet erupted from her maw. Bending her head down this flame was directed at the ground just in front of my paws. The patch of rock heated rapidly until with a sharp concussion the stone exploded and ripped a jagged 2 by 3 meter crater into the top of the cliff.

I was flung backwards by the blast and spattered with stone that cracked scales and slid into the flesh beneath. Whimpering in distress I struggled back to my paws. I had only gotten my front legs under me when the apex predator facing me stalked through the vapor cloud of her blast. Her jaws were spread wide with a deceptively gentle glow coming from deep in her black colored maw. With the rows of spines emitting a shimmering heat and her massive fangs she was a menacing sight. Last of all was the overwhelming but calculated fury contained in her sulfurous draconic eyes. So this is what death looks like, I thought. She roared the loudest sound I'd heard since our initial arrival directly into my snout. I could feel my ears bleed once again.

Just as I readied to announce my goodbyes to everyone. A great deluge fell from the sky and carried Sekhmet off the cliff. She screamed in frustration while her wings snapped open as she fell. Soaring away back to Alpha den I heard her call. "This isn't over you spineless worm!" Then, hovering, she added. "Riku! Je lui ai donné un test. Ne lui donne pas d'aide. Dites-moi comment il réagit." Wheeling around she resumed her flight.

Moments later a vast shadow fell over me as a large black dragon dropped roughly to the ground. "As if Sylvia was not enough, now Sekhmet is attacking dragons. I had thought Mazu and Surya tamed her. I can't ever turn my back on those damnable salamanders. Gregory is the only sensible one in the whole fucking lot."

The sea dragon turned to look at me. "So you are the one who makes my daughter hide her head? Perhaps Sekhmet is right. I would use water instead of her flame though. I would bring you to a depth of hundreds of meters then drive you to the surface. Do you know what the bends are? Do you want to find out what it is like to have your very blood boil within your veins? Do not cast a pall upon my daughter again, she does more for this colony than you yet realize. Let alone what she has done for you. Ungrateful shit.

"I am sorry for what pain I have caused your daughter. As I told her, whether or not she heard my words they should not have been spoken. Those words were disrespectful to someone who'd been nothing but kind to us since we first met her. As I told her and Carol. These are my apologies." Again I bowed formally with knees bent head touching the ground and wings flared wide.

He coiled around me once examining me and then slinked off. His body following the path trod by his front legs like the unwinding of a clock spring. "Very well." He spat, as he left. "Plug your fucking wounds. You're defiling my cliff."

I collapsed in relief. Well I knew it was never going to be perfectly smooth sailing. But, stars above! Was this truly a disaster of my own making? Or was this going to happen all along with the two most suspicious dragons on this world? I looked down and grimaced, I was painting the ground red. Hey Alessandra?

Yes?

Could you come out to the cliff above Carol's nest with some healing supplies? Or perhaps carry me back to the med bay?

_ What happened?_

_ I don't want to alarm you, but I'm afraid the gates of hell have opened and a fire demon has escaped._

_ ...Sigh... What did you think of dear Sekhmet?_

_ I thought death had come for me._

_ She has that way about her that's for sure, she certainly does live up to her namesake of The Lioness. Can you believe she's just over a hundred turns old? Did you soil the ground beneath your tail? There's only four dragons on Prithvi that are willing to go claw to claw with her. And none that can best her. Once you have earned her trust however she will give her life for yours. Riku told me you are lucky he was returning. He looked over your injuries while he was insulting you. He said none of them were more than flesh wounds. Oh, one more thing Riku also said he wasn't very impressed with you either. Its early days yet though, so cheer up! I'm sure they'll come around sooner or later. You've got four thousand turns. I'll be there soon. _

_ _ Huh. That's surprising I thought. That he cared enough to examine me for serious injury in any manner at all.

I lay on my side waiting. Then I heard wing flaps coming from the seaward side of the cliffs. It was Mazu and Nan. Mazu exclaimed in exasperation "My father told me what happened. He said you'd live. He didn't say you were bleeding freely. He can be so callous sometimes."

Nan ran down her tail to me to make sure I was going to be okay by sniffing at my wounds. He couldn't believe the story. "A turn mate of yoursss did thisss?" he asked Mazu.

"Yes. She's a few week older than me. We are good friends. Me, her, and Surya. She's not normally this violent but I can feel she thought you hurt me much more than you did. That's not good. She will kill you if I don't set her straight. She's with Surya right now. I'll give them until tomorrow morning. I think those two pleasure each other more nights than not. It should help calm her down. Even so, I will spend tonight around your nest. She will not do anything as long as I am there."

I had to ask: "Is she always so lethal?"

Mazu sighed, "It is too bad that is the side of her you saw first. When she is with her nest mate or Surya and I. You would never know it was the same dragoness. She plays around just like a little hatchling still. Always tumbling everywhere and asking what everything is, always laughing. I hope you get to see the part of her that makes me want to smile even now. But make no mistake. Beneath her friendly play there is an expert and vicious fighter as you've seen. Even if you were full grown she would eviscerate you. And likely liquefy the remains. She has already developed several new ways to use her fire that no one had even dreamed of, I think her intelligence makes her even more dangerous."

"Yeah I got that impression" I was thinking of the cold gleam of cunning I saw beneath the raging fire atop it in her eyes. "Why does she think I'm such a coward?"

"She probably thinks you tried to take advantage of my good humor."

"I tried to explain to her but she somehow made the stone blow up with heat. She ruptured my ear drums again as well."

"The stone thing is a new trick she's been working on. If she heats rock enough the trapped moisture has nowhere to go and makes the rock shatter explosively. She must have throttled back. I've seen craters twice as large."

"If you earn her trust though, you will see her apply that same fighting skill for and not against you. You'll see what a delightful friend she is to have. And finally have some fun with her."

"As she left she shouted that this isn't over. And then called out in French to Riku. Although I don't know what she said."

"That you are a coward and not to be trusted." Said Riku, who had been lurking behind us unseen. He shoved his head down low with one eye turned towards me. Are you a coward? Can you be trusted?

"No, and yes"

"We shall see."

"What the hell have I even done to make you and Sekhmet doubt my trustworthiness?" I roared at the dragon.

He thrust his head down and snapped his razor adorned maw shut centimeters from my eyes. "We don't like you because you are an element of instability. An outsider. I don't GIVE trust, you fucking earn it. Your whole family started at square zero. Only you and your mate have taken steps backwards. Alessandra vouches for your mate Ataksak. You, however, will not help your cause by doing things like making my fucking daughter cry. Sekhmet would see you in pain. My little Mazu likes your son. I would rather see you prove your fucking worth to this colony. Consider this your probation period." He launched himself into the air after helpfully telling me how to find favor among the more militant of the dragons. Flying out to sea a bit he pulled his wings in and shot into the water like a seventy five meter long arrow.

Following his departure I glanced at my son again and noticed he was much larger than when we had arrived at the beach. I guess his time alone with Mazu had done him so good. He had to have been two meters longer and with much thicker muscling than he had before. What had they been doing? Mating? Even as loose as the morals had relaxed here I didn't think so. Probably just a few hours of cuddling tightly while grooming each other. He had fangs of his own now causing his own speech problems even as my own ended with the full growth of my snout. Lastly his wings had begun to bud as well with wing arms and fingers slowly growing in span along with the green membrane.

We all perked to attention as a long haunting cry came from the sea. A call that Mazu returned with a deep eerie one of her own. Crawling to the edge I craned my head over to look. I saw the long line of Carol's body returning along with the much shorter one of my wife's. With her head above water and her half grown wings furled tightly she looked like the old fabled Nessie. They both did actually. I also noticed Riku's body breaching the surface in their path to intercept them. When they had reached each other he and Carol caressed each other briefly and then they all turned towards the beach and emerged from the water. I saw Ata shake the water from her body and immediately begin galloping up the long incline to our present position. I could hear her cursing mine and Sekhmet's names as well. She didn't get very far before an airborne Carol plucked her from the ground and spiraled up to our position to set her down.

As my mate ran to me and literally began to lick my wounds I noted her progressed changes. Four meters longer with another one in height and feathers on her head and along the top of her tail. She must have feasted out in the water to grow so much over just a few hours. Her snout had also lengthened and thickened some more finally growing to catch up to her fangs and allowing normal speech again. Her wing arms and membranes had grown visibly as well, folded against her back however I could not tell their span. But I could see the same claws from the end of the fingers and "thumb" as I had.

She wrapped her increased bulk around me protectively after satisfying herself that her saliva had clotted the bleeding wounds as we settled to wait for Alessandra.

I overheard Carol speaking to Mazu; "Du musst mit Sekhmet reden. Versuchen Sie ihr zu erklären, dass Negafook sich bereits bei Ihnen entschuldigt und gemeinsam mit Ataksak ein Friedensopfer gemacht hat."

"Okay, Mutter. Ich werde. Obwohl ich denke, dass sie nur Negafook testete, um zu sehen, ob er selbst rennen oder sich blamieren würde. Sie ist zu weit gegangen, als er verletzt wurde."

I interjected to ask; "Ich mit Sekhmet allein morgen früh sprechen. Würden Sie bereit sein, itzung Mazu? Ich muss hier durch alle werden, um meine Arbeit zu tun. Und den Nutzen meiner Familie."

Mazu flicked her head dismissively and replied "And here I though our conversation was private. I'll work with you later on your German, you are about half way there. Please stick with standard for now."

"Would you be willing to show me to where Sekhmet is tomorrow morning so I can talk to her alone? I think this will be a good way to build a positive acquaintance with her."

Carol and Mazu both protested this idea: "We'll likely find a crater with your dismembered charred corpse at the bottom." I was adamant though. Sekhmet would not be happy with me until I could show her that I had character worth accepting.

The mother daughter pair looked at each for a few moments communicating silently before Mazu spoke again. "...Ok. But only if I talk to her first."

I agreed and fifteen minutes later Alessandra finally landed depositing an ambulatory surgical unit and another container with who knows what it in it.

"Well you are still conscious so I guess Sekhmet took it easy on you. One would even think that this was just to send a message to you or something. Never mind all that though, hold still while I scan you." She bit down on the paddle and standing back about four meters slowly twisted her head letting the thin but long beam of the scanner play across my body.

"She peppered you pretty good with spall all across your underside and chest. That was quick thinking Ataksak licking his wounds to encourage clotting. We might make a medic out of you yet."

Ata ducked her head beneath her wing while radiating embarrassment.

"The remaining fragments are preventing cellular regeneration however. Luckily I'm good at my job and brought this handy remote surgeon to remove the stone. Mazu, if you would be so kind, can you pin Negafook down?"

"Yep!" She said with cheerful mischievousness. She flopped her tail down across both my hips and shoulders, an appendage weighing somewhere between eight or nine tonnes. I squirmed and voiced my discomfort. "What's the matter? Am I too elephantine?" My jaws promptly clacked shut.

Settling down and closing her eyes in concentration Allie activated the surgeon and commanded it to walk down my ventral surface marking the sight of each shard with a glaring yellow circle. "Hey!" I said. You could have just used infrared paint! Look at my scales!"

She just laughed at me. "Yeah, I could have. Hold still though, this part will be much less funny." Mazu tightened her hold and Ata rested her head on mine to comfort me. Then a line of pain began to run jaggedly across my entire belly. Each shard was either pulled or cut out when embedded too deeply. Sixteen in total. The feeling of the operation was different than I expected. The pain was... distant I guess.

"All done" Alessandra said. "And you were such a good dragon. Here you go." She used the surgeon to dispense and hand me a very large lollipop. Hilarious. I wrapped my tongue around it and drew it into my mouth to suck on it ruminatively. "I need to scan the wounds one more time before you get up. Here's a short duration booster for the nanobots and three cubes for fuel. Hold tight, you're about to take a big jump forward in your changes."

I ate the cubes while keeping control of my sucker and nodded my head for the injection. I immediately began thrashing my head around growling and hissing as my body was wracked by change. With a series of painfully audible popping noises my vertebrae swelled and multiplied greatly extending the length of my neck, body, and tail. I squirmed on the ground as my legs and feet lengthened and thickened with my shoulders and hips cracking as they grew wider yet. My whole torso swelled in girth with the expansion of its skeletal support and I flapped my wings feeling them extend with each movement. My expanding eyes watered from the pain as my skull grew with a creaking noise. Lastly I felt the itchy sensation of my feathers rustling into existence as new nerve connections burned like fire deep into my head.

I used my larger tongue to dig the shattered remains of my consolation prize from between the larger fangs of a larger snout. I spat the shattered wood stick on the ground and groaned "I don't think I like those boosters."

She responded with the lecturing tone of a doctor addressing her patient's foolishness "Well I don't like having to give them. But I suppose I should keep all this equipment ready for tomorrow morning. Did you not have enough today? Why are you so keen on trying to gain acceptance from Sekhmet? Tell me, what mental lapse you are suffering to think this a good idea?"

"This isn't going to get better with time. She has a very direct personality. This is likely the only response she will respect."

"They are your scales. But it's my medical advice that you not do this."

"Thanks mom"

The healer dispelled any resemblance to my mother or indeed any human when she whipped her head into my flank after my sarcastic remark. Just for good measure Ata followed it up with her own strike. "Ow! What's that on your head!? That didn't feel like feathers!"

My wife lowered her head so I could nose about it. I couldn't yet see anything past her feathers so I poked my tongue all about her head brushing through her shimmering "hair". I could smell that this was amusing her in more ways than one and promised her over the link later. My dancing tongue did find the problem spots. Four of them, she was growing horns. I told her and then gave her one last loving lick making her lean into me and close her eyes.

Carol spoke; "I can see the rest of your family returning now" I followed the line of her pointing snout and saw they were returning by air and not sea. I wondered where they'd gone.

I started when Pinga and Silla jumped down from Diana and Apollo. They were both much larger. Silla was over ten meters long! She started dancing and twirling in place before us and then stopped and rose tall on her haunches flaring her winglets. I'm done becoming a dragonesss! She brightly (Femininely Ata added in my head) declared to us.

"Oh?" I inquired, nonplussed. "How do you know?" I tried to ignore the fact that Ata was sniffing under Silla's tail. I don't know if she realized what she was doing.

"Well, we were on another beach eating when I felt the scalesss moving between my rear legsss. I tried walking around to ssstretch and my legsss collapsed. Then my underside felt warm and sssomething opened and I felt different down there! The rocksss felt ssso cool and sssmooth that I sssquirmed on them until I sssquealed and felt gooood. I wiggled ssso much! It felt like an explosion inside me! Mmmm." She finished with a silky rumbling growl. Her feathers had taken on a soothing blue to go along with her deviously satisfied grin and half lidded eyes. I think that color meant contentment. I also tried thinking about my doctorate thesis to ignore what her words were hinting at. She continued "I also sssmell different now, Apollo told me ssso, he likesss my new sssmell."

I glanced at the twins and saw the dopey, half-lidded, unfocused, tongue-lolling expressions on both their faces.

I'll fucking bet, I thought.

"And how does Apollo know you smell different?" I said, trying to keep my voice even.

"After I felt my insidesss ssstop changing and I felt whole, I licked hisss sssnout and sssang to him! While I wasss sssinging and enjoying hisss sssmell, Diana sssniffed under my tail just like mother isss right now." Hearing this comment Ata froze and a confused light entered her eyes before she backed hurriedly away.

"Did I just..." she trailed off, looking like she just bit into bad meat.

"Sniff under our daughter's tail? You sure did!"

Ata twisted her head away and vomited some number of liters of sea life remnants off the cliff.

"Why did I do that?" She wailed.

"I don't mind mother. When Diana did it I shivered and bit Apollo! He liked it too! You were just curiousss, I know you didn't mean anything else like ssshe did."

Ata screamed another lamenting protest and started trying to drill her muzzle into the stone of the cliff. To get the scent out of her snout I guess. Or, you know, to remove the thought that our daughter just admitted what she had. I glared at Pinga, Where in Hades where you during all this? I sent to her.

Watching her become an adult. Within three weeks from now she will be brooding. These are things she needs to know about being female now and a mother soon enough.

"Our sense of smell is highly developed." Alessandra added while scanning Silla. You could not see your daughter's new opening, but you could smell it. You likely realized some things already that this scanner is confirming. And as for you..." She swung her head about to scan Ata. "Congratulations brood mother, seven eggs have been fertilized. The shells haven't developed yet but the eggs are each about a grapefruit in size already. And you should stay away from seafood for the time being."

"How did you know I was gravid, pregnant, increasing, whatever?"

"Well, besides the whole your body rejecting toxins to keep your underdeveloped eggs healthy observation? Your smell. The nose knows dear. Your body smells... Content? Satisfied? Something like that. Anyway, when I put my tongue out towards you to sniff, the image of Apollo and Diana's eggs comes to my mind. I want you to have...Hhmm... six more cubes, we'll need to get them from the med bay though. I am going to spike some of the mineral levels in them to help with the embryonic growth."

Ata laid down and rolled to her side. She craned her long alluring neck to look at her belly. "I don't see anything different." She relaxed her leg lowering it back down to cover herself. "Eggs though... You're right I feel... mmm... Content." Her feathers radiated that feeling as well with the calming hue of a cheerful blue.

I bound over to her and began to lick her snout. My own song soon became heard, thrumming from within my long neck. I continued to caress her lovingly. "This is wonderful dear! But wouldn't you feel safer back at the nest? Are you hungry? We must go get those cubes! How do you feel? Are you thirsty? Are you in pain?"

She pushed my head to the ground and pinned it with a paw. "Dear we've had three children together already. If I need something you know I'll ask. If anything I'm more prepared in this body than I was before. We're much sturdier now. Although, I do want to return to the nest." She looked at Alessandra questioningly who nodded her head.

"She's right, night is almost upon us and it's an hour's flight back. We should be off. Negafook I want you to try to make the flight back on your own. It will be good for your muscular development. If you can't make it one of us will let you land on us midflight. Just give me a minute to get my stuff ready and then we'll go."

Taking this opportunity to load themselves my family climbed upon their winged transports. Silla upon Apollo, Pinga on Carol, Ata on Alessandra, and Nan on an eager Mazu. I shook my wings and spread them wide with fingers extended. They had grown stronger and wider with my earlier flying exercises. I looked forward to the flight gleefully, all other concerns gone. Flying and learning that my mate was having more eggs? My eagerness had me bouncing up and down. Oh stars! Not being able to contain my elation I threw myself into the air with a kick of my powerful hind legs. I then flit over to Alessandra and made a fool of myself in my triumphant ecstasy by dancing around her midair peering at my mate and crooning a song of joy and hope.

She laughed happily as her colors changed to a green of delight. Her song joined my own as we bobbed our heads and generally just did all we could to charge the whole area with rapturous sensations of bliss. An infectious feeling as I saw our children's colors change to the same green as they contently sank to the backs of their draconic rides and joined our song. Nan and Silla even going so far as to wind their necks with their love interests allowing the resonating tones to find their way through them as well. I saw Diana move to feel included by placing her head between Apollo's and Silla's. We continued this for another moment before reaching a crescendo and then all together we ceased. With a flurry of wings and scales all of those flying launched themselves aloft and shot back towards Alpha den.

After a quick detour to the med bay for my family to receive another round of cubes we thumped down at our nest. Alessandra deposited Ata and with an admonishment for me to tread lightly tomorrow left for her own nest. Nan sprung from Mazu's back and after she gently stroked his side with her tail announced she would return after she spoke with Sekhmet. Carol said she'd remain until Mazu's return. And the twins settled down in the nest with Silla with their bodies fairly well intertwined together. I saw Ata settled among the others and then sought out Gregory on the linked network.

Hello? Is this how it works? Gregory?

_ Yes. This is how it works, and hello again, Negafook. I was hoping you would contact me or Sylvia._

_ So you know what I plan?_

_ Yes... Sylvia and I would like to meet with you now. Please come to our nest. I understand you can fly now correct? We have advice for you. And caution. I will act as a beacon to find us. Just follow the directions that feel natural to you._

After the connection was cut I felt a distinct pull drawing me to the northeast. I told everyone still awake were I was going and (hopefully) when I'd be back. I paced out to the clearing and took to the skies, following the draw of the helpful locator.

A short while later I noticed a pillar of steam catching the last dying light of the day. Noticing a cave gouged out of the nearby cliff I angled towards it and landed gracefully (on my face) at the entrance. "Hello?" I called.

I heard idle chatter coming from deep in the cave followed by an exclamation from Sylvia. "Nice fucking landing you flying swine! Heard everything I need to know to know that you have a rash on your snout. Take the tunnel on the left, we are at the end." Following her direction I soon came to a natural opening with a surprisingly familiar (and human) sight.

"What? You think we abandoned everything about what we were? Stop gawking at our nest and come lie down." I glanced at the fire below the rock chimney and then the incongruous high technology strewn about the place. Among other things Gregory had a personal display in front of him which he was apparently controlling wirelessly. There were various repeating panels mounted to the walls showing slides of various dragons and locations, there was also a sealed door with a sign over it reading: "Stay the Fuck Out!" And lastly a communications kiosk tucked in one corner. Movement caught my eye as Sylvia shifted restlessly making her tail crack while playing a game of chess with Anath. The youngling made a cautious move with the greatly enlarged pieces. A move that Sylvia immediately countered, shrieking "Terre brûlée ma petite luciole! Rook takes bishop! CHECK! Toujours attaquer! That's the way!" (Why am I not surprised that's her philosophy?)

Gregory spoke "Yes. That is a strategy that works perfectly well for my mate. But do you know that Sekhmet beats her every time they play? Do you know why? Because Sekhmet realizes that patience coupled with aggression is a dangerous combination. Do you know what she plays at while interacting with you?"

Sylvia threw her two cents in as well "She's testing you. I would hit you with a fucking boulder to see how you'd react. She has the grace to have my Greg's sense of patient deliberate planning. From the first moment you land at her nest act as if you're being watched. Because you are. Hell, act like that now, I taught my daughter the network inside and out. She's probably already dug into your peanut of a mind. Give me a minute and I can help with that though." She waved her claws over a sensory display next to her and after manipulating the command sphere for a few moments nodded in satisfaction. "She's locked out now."

A scream reverberated in my head "MOTHER!"

Sylvia spun the ball a few more times while cackling to herself "Sorry, I really shouldn't have done that. She still takes after me in some ways, she might transfer her anger to you tomorrow. But she must learn that sometimes you do not get to see the playing field before the game."

"Gee, thanks. I won't bother to ask you two why you don't just reel her behavior in. Instead I just wanted to get a chance to talk to you. Earlier she had said (roared) that I did not yet have the right to talk about her family, I wish to earn that right."

"Well, good, and honestly you've already passed one test by not being a cowering little shit and asking us to control her. So, well fucking done." She thumped her tail softly a few times in approval.

"You have come here to study the beginnings of a new language and culture. But that is not the only reason is it? Why else are you here?" Gregory asked.

"I have not mentioned it to anyone yet as the chances of it happening are slim. But with the addition of my work as an Archive approved contribution this colony has the possibility of being uprated to hosting a node. This is no attempt to demand bribes for me to change what I write. My family's fate is now that of the colony's, there is no going back for us. And what could the collective offer me now? Credits? I will take that chit and throw it into the ocean. A return to being human? That pitiful form is one I would never return to now. I came, and my family agreed to as well, to leave that life of recirculated... everything. We wanted to see the sky, to soar with wings unfurled, to feel rain upon our snouts, to clench our talons in the soil. I could have analyzed your nascent culture through a communications panel. We knew what we'd become. We wanted to live!"

"You do know that everything you tell us here is available to all to know? We keep no secrets from each other."

"That is fine. You have every right to know what I do as well."

Sylvia and Gregory looked to each other while Anath spoke up; "Can you help my nest mate? She doesn't know what the Rocs want. We don't want any more dragons to die. Sekh thinks she can figure them out, but it will take more attacks for her to see the pattern. You can understand new things right? Maybe talk to the Rocs?" Gregory informed me then; "This is what has Noctis run ragged. The colonial surveys did not pick up on the fact that there was already a sentient species here."

"I can and will try if Sekhmet accepts my help. I can promise nothing more than that. But try I will. I saw the shell of a dragon Caleb at the medical station. I also saw the injured hatchling. The look in both their eyes will never leave me as long as I know that there is something that I can do to stop others from joining them."

"If Sekhmet and I can pull this off. Prithvi will not just be a node. There will be a permanently staffed research sphere in the nearest Lagrange point."

"Talk is as cheap as the fucking air it is spoken into, Negafook" Sylvia said.

Gregory continued; "But the actions to validate your claims cannot be taken by you alone. We will speak with Sekhmet, and vouch for you."

Sylvia made her final comment; "Make liars of us, and you will not have to go to the next world to find Perdition's flame. Go now, but go with our support. Prove your fucking worth."

As I trod out of the tunnel complex I heard Gregory offer one last piece of advice: "Negafook? Try not to make any prolonged eye contact with my daughter. She is a very good fighter and very, very aggressive with unfamiliar dragons."

When I had returned to my nest I found my family asleep. Carol had been replaced by Mazu however who was currently laying her head upon my son's protectively. She cracked open an eye at my approach and began thinking to me. At first light I will take you to her nest.

_ Is she... open to a meeting with me?_

_ Yes. At the very least you do not have to worry about her assaulting you over my feelings. She is angry at her mother though. Which might not make things any easier for you. The way Sylvia blocked her gave her a migraine._

_ It's alright, I think I've got a plan on how to approach her._

_ Whatever she says or does to you tomorrow do not respond with any kind of strong reaction. Just accept each challenge she presents you and move forward with purpose. Be confident. If she really wanted you dead you would be so by now. _

_ Anything else I should know?_

_ Nothing that will help you now. But if she does accept you she really likes to be tickled on her neck and seasoning for her meat when she cooks it._

_ I'll remember that._

_ _ She closed her eye and I squirmed my way into the tangle of bodies until I was alongside my mate in the center. Without waking, her tongue flickered twice and then her head was on top of my neck pinning me for the night. I sighed contentedly and closed my eyes.