Asher and Celie, holding onto Nicco's hands, stepped out of the portal and onto an alien world, Nicco chattering away about all the worlds he visited with Carmine.  It didn't stop him from looking around in awe at the sight of unimensional society dressed like it was Ascot getting ready for the Dragon Games.  Fortunately Spence spotted them right away.  He and Jolie, Kalket in tow with Morrigan on his arm, intercepted them before they'd gone five feet.  Asher and Celie were holding hands, excitement warring with trepidation in their eyes.  Jolie gave them a quick pat on the shoulder and introduced them to Morrigan, while Spence got them headed in the direction of the area designated for dragon landings.

"Dinah will be along in a bit, she's gotten tied up with some business or something.  But she made me promise to make sure you guys have fun." Jolie told them.  "And to introduce you to the dragons."

Celie shone at the thought.  "We never thought, ma'am, we'd get to see them.  Miss Dinah...she's so good to us."

Asher grinned.  "She really is."

Jolie grinned back and didn't point out that Dinah was a sucker for strays and waifs.  These two were in a special category.

Nicco, his desire to appear adultly insouciant in the face of dragons, warring with his little boy penchant to get overly excited about most anything he enjoyed, was looking around wide eyed.  He'd come to Amran quite a few times. He'd spoken with dragons, but had never had a chance to ride one before. He'd once ridden a shape-changer who pretended to be one, but that was hardly the same thing, was it?

And then there were dragons!

Multitudes of dragons, coming and going, dropping off and picking up.  Off to the side Jolie recognized Quinn and Cola, along with Ione and Devlin, waiting just as they'd planned.  Morrigan grinned.  "Quinn and Cola want to know where Dinah and Marc are."

Jolie laughed.  "They know where.  It's all they do these days."

Celie and Asher ignored them, having eyes only for the dragons.

Quinn dropped his nose down to regard them. "Hello," he said, in his quietest voice.

Celie and Asher looked at one another and them back at him.

Nicco walked right up to Ione. She was a tiny bit nervous about the games and had been hiding behind Kalket, as much as a dragon could hide behind much of anything.

Nicco peeked around Kalket and grinned "Buongiorno, Signorina Dragon."

Ione shivered.  "Signorina?"

Kalket translated for her.

Ione moved her nose a bit closer to Nicco, conveying an unmistakable invitation.  Nicco obliged, practically quivering in excitement.

Meanwhile Quinn was talking coaxingly to Asher and Celie, answering their shy, soft questions, but unable to convince them it was okay to scratch his nose for him.  Cola, who'd been listening lifted her head over Quinn's neck, peering at them from the far side as it were.  Then she grinned, a dragon grin.  Descending slowly from the sky were two younglings, a male and female, midnight black and apparently twins.  They were half the size of Ione,and in dragon terms still children.  Cola introduced them to Asher and Celie as Molly and Miles, her cousins.

Celie's mouth shaped a soundless O of delight as they waddled over, snuffling her hair and sticking their noses in Asher's ears making him giggle.

"Can they speak yet?" Celie finally dared to ask.

"Speak?" said Molly.

Celie giggled at the lisp as Molly struggled to copy her.

Asher and Miles were nose to nose. Miles blinking every time Asher did.  Asher grinned, so did Miles. Then the young dragon head butted Asher playfully.

Asher head butted him back.  Molly giggled.  She head butted Miles too. "Play with us?" Miles and Molly invited together.

Celie and Asher consulted Jolie with a look, who passed the buck to Quinn and Cola with one of her own.  "They want to play tag," Cola told them.  "They're too yound to carry you but we will."  And with that Cola and Quinn lowered a wing for them to climb on.  Ione, watching did the same for Nicco.

In a trance Celie and Asher found themselves on the backs of the dragons and then in the sky, Nicco behind them on Ione and the dragon younglings flying among them, bumping noses and laughing, racing each other through the popcorn clouds.

Ione didn't need much encouragement from Nicco to race around with the younglings. Nicco was not afraid and clung tightly to her as she darted and whirled around the adult dragons carrying Asher and Celie.

"Are you afraid?" Quinn asked, turning his great head around to regard Celie. She hesitated and then smiled. "No."  It sounded as if she were surprised it was true.

"Good," he said.  "Then we'll show them how to play.  They're young yet, and don't really know."  As he raced off after them, carefully keeping her steady and safe, she giggled and then laughed and then finally, gave into the fun, enjoyment etching her face with a delicate beauty.

Jolie was watching them as Marc and Dinah joined her.  "You did good, girlfriend." she said  "They're laughing out loud."

Dinah grinned.

"It's good to see that. Nicco seems to be enjoying himself,"  Spence grinned. Nicco was, at that moment, flying upside down on Ione.

Kalket was standing with an arm around Morrigan's shoulders. He'd been far too quiet Morrigan thought.

And then there was the sound of gongs and the dragons participating in the games were being called to check in and be ready.

Cola flew up next to Quinn.  "Do you guys want to watch from the sky or the ground?"

Celie looked at Asher and he looked at her.  "The sky," they yelled together.

Quinn's deep laugh rumbled through him.  "So do we," he told them.  "Come on, before all the good spots are gone."

Dinah watched them fly off, Quinn's promise to take care of them a warm touch in her mind.  "Well, I suppose, that's our cue, too." she said.  "I believe I go back on display on the stand over there.  There should be seats for all of us."

Marc frowned. He'd not been his usual self either for the last while.

"Morrigan and I are going to walk around first, if that's all right?" Kalket asked.

Dinah nodded and she and Marc watched them walk off. Julian and Nimue had disappeared earlier, probably slumming with the townfolk, and Jolie and Spence were hanging out by the dragon landing pad.

"How can I help you?" Dinah asked him.

"Help me get through this without strangling Malec with my bare hands. And if Calum comes over trying to be unassuming and charming, I might strangle him too."  He sighed. "Okay, so what are Morrigan and Kalket up to? His tone was lighter and he turned to escort her to their seats.

"They're in love." she told him simply, "though they may not know it yet."  She looked at his profile.  "Say the word and we leave here and never come back."

Marc looked up to see Celie and Asher flashing past on dragon back. "I think it's way too late to do that." After awhile he asked, "It's was good of you to think of them. I realize they've been deeply wounded."

"They've adopted me, though I admit I encouraged it.  They're running from some seriously bad stuff and even worse people I think."  She stopped to look at him.  "Can you stand one more thing today?"

"Well, it's gotta distract me from our host, so go for it."

"I'm guessing, but...they're runaways, I know that.  I just finished getting them legally emancipated to keep us all out of jail.  But early in the summer they showed up dressed like and with the body piercings and tattoos that said they were the main course on the menu of a sexual sadist, an observation that can be confirmed by watching them around any sort of authority.  Before that they were on the streets, for years I think.  They are both submissive to their bones and they are wired to want to please.  So they're defenseless and terrified; they've been exploited and abused and trust no except maybe me, somewhat."

"I'm amazed you don't have five dogs and 20 cats too," he teased.

She grinned.  "Rigid self-control and zoning laws saved me there."  Then she got serious. "I've a plan for them, I think.  I've been talking to Morrigan and Kessa about the warrior monks.  I want to find out if Azael will get his order to teach them to defend themselves.  And I want the dragons to teach them to play again.  It won't fix it all but it will be a start, maybe.  However, if you want out of here, I'll find another way."

He looked down at his palm. "No, its a good plan. I just hate to see you hurting."

She brushed his cheek swiftly with her fingertips, then his palm.  "It'll pass.  I'm sorry, though, that you're paying the price for it.  Sorry too, about that."

"I was meaning to point out that our sex was getting staid."

"I'm open to whatever suggestions you might have," she offered.  "It's my duty as your woman to make sure you're sexually satisfied at all times.  I take that seriously, you know."  she told him with a straight face.

They both laughed and turned to watch as the first game began.

It was a dive bombing game.  Strung across the field was a rope line about ten feet off round from which fluttered flags.  In the distance the dragons were lined up, high above the line, bearly specks in the distance.  The gun sounded and they were off, racing each other to the flags, their wings setting up a gale.  Dinah squinted and then laughed.  "Isn't that Morrigan's Devlin trying to bump Piran off course?"

"And doing a bang up job of it. Piran looks offended."  They watched laughing at the antics, the dragons fighting for a tiny edge. "Oh, look, isn't that Puff?"

It was Puff, fighting a game of tug of war with another dragon for the same flag.  Finally it tore in half and the both made a fluid u-turn heading back to the finish line.  Meanwhile, Menatha was running an obstacle course of dragons from other houses in his own race to the finish line, a whole flag fluttering from his mouth.  He crossed the line as the judges disqualified Puff and his opponent on the grounds of lacking a whole flag.

"Oh bad call, Puff!" Marc called out making the golden dragon grin and wink at them.

So far there was no clear leader among the Houses. Since the dragons seemed to be far more interested in having fun than in following the rules, perhaps that explained it.

Undaunted they formed up for the next event, the ball toss.  Riders attached bushel baskets to the necks of the dragons as the dragons broke into teams of two.  A large beach ball like object was tossed in to the basket of on partner and the dragons took to the skies.  The object was to race the course tossing the ball back and forth, the fastest team winning.  The ball couldn't stay in a basket for more than three seconds without an attempt to pass.

Briony and Piran were paired against Devlin and Calum's dragon, Beauregard.  The signal sounded and they took off, Piran snapping his head and tossing the ball to Briony.  It went a bit off course and she scrambled to catch it, before fighting rapidly for altitude and putting the ball back in the air.

Spence, watching from below was reminded of a grievance and looked around for it's object.  He spotted a blond head and headed that way.  Julian was busy chatting with Nims and Fianna so didn't see him coming.

"Hey!" Spence said.

Julian turned around, already doing his best to look innocent.

"I want a raise. If I'm gonna get tossed around by dragons I deserve hazard pay!"

Julian grinned.  "You know, you're right. I'll even promote you."

"You will?" Spence looked stunned.

"Dragon wrangler. YOU can keep Invictus and Puff from killing each other."

Meanwhile Devlin and Piran had gotten their balls crossed and were circling each other in the sky, tossing taunts instead and trying to provoke the other to throw the ball first.  Briony sighed and looked at Beauregard who nodded.  They both took off at top speed, flying under their team mate and then head butted them in the belly.  Piran gave a huge woof as all the air in his stomach was expelled and then fell, the ball flying free of the basket.  Devlin suffered a similar fate and the crowd got into the game and Briony and Beau each made a spectacular recovery and and started passing both balls between themselves.

Asher and Celie watching from among the clouds watched, holding their breath, as Piran and Devlin plummeted. But just before they hit and turned into dragon bits, both recovered and were soaring upwards and hot on the tails of their former teammates. Somehow, all four dragons had changed the rules and the crowd roared, loving it.  Briony adn Beau kept passing, staying ahead of the other two, and Devlin and Piran, incensed were trying to disrupt the passing pattern and yelling "Cheaters never prosper!"

Beau and Briony crossed the finish line and gloated, tossing their tails at Devlin and Piran, who'd forgotten their earlier grievance and were now plotting revenge.

Morrigan, watching from below shook her head, laughing.  "In an hour they'll be bickering again." she said to Kalket.

"Yes. I like the dragons. They seem to be able to ignore the complications of human civilizations.  A shame they have to fight one another."

A shadow crossed Morrigan's face.  "Yes, it is," she agreed.  "Do you know, yet," she asked tentatively, "what Dinah will do?"

"I think we're going back to Earth. I'll miss you."

She looked at him and then looked away, fighting tears.  "I'll miss you, too." she whispered.

"Please, don't," he said gently. "Tell me something?"

"What?" she asked turning back to him, fighting for control.

"Will you have to fight?"

"I have a duty to my House." she said, knowing no other way to answer.  "What else can I do?"

He nodded. "Yes, as I thought. We all have duties. Devlin was wrong."

Confusion bloomed on her face.  "Wrong about what?"

"He .. he said you wished... your heart.. But it can't be, because you are a daughter of Kenget."

She was even more confused.  "Are you saying," she asked, trying to piece his meaning together, "that Devlin told you I loved someone here?  A member of Sere'Ster?

"He said he did not want to see you unhappy. That.. that the new house would make you unhappy."

"Dragons!" she muttered exasperated.  "The new House doesn't make me unhappy.  What makes me unhappy is leaving you." she told him simply.

Kalket stared at her for what felt like forever. "Would you.. I mean... Could you... Would you like to... Come with us?"

"Back to Earth, you mean?"  It was clearly something she hadn't thought of, or thought possible.

"Or, I could stay here. If you wanted me to."

She stared at him.  "Want you to?  Of course I...but here?"  She shook her head.  "Earth would be the better..." She laughed at herself then, feeling like a lunatic and reached for his hands.  "Kal, I don't care where, I care who with.  Devlin meant I'd want to go with the new House, with you."

"Slonshal!" Kalket shouted then picked her up and whirled her around as she laughed.

Now came the highlight of the dragon games, precision flying and acrobatic maneuvers. Competition to even get to fly in this one was intense. So generally speaking it was the dragons who'd actually fought and had quite a few seasons on them who were chosen to represent their houses.

There was intense excitement on the ground as everyone knew what to expect - not to mention bet on. The judges, the Ministers, gathered in the dragon landing area. The skies cleared of dragons except for those watching from aloft in designated safe areas.

Some dragons were noisily whinging about not having been included. Puff probably the most disgruntled, even if he were barely more than a youngling (of Ione's year group).  He had a lot in common with his new bondmate Julian, as Nimue pointed out with much laughter.

Piran, Briony, Menatha and Kalie were representing Sere'Ster along with Cosmo the dragon belonging to Fianna.  Cosmo was feeling frisky, not having been ridden much in the last few months and was ready for the competition.  He'd been practicing non-stop since the games had been announced.  Piran looked at the team from Kenget'Ster and stuck his tongue out at Devlin.  Devlin stuck his out back and shouted, "Now we'll see who's gotten fat" before tossing his head and posing his muscles.

The judges drew lots as to the order the Houses would compete in. Which caused the first problem. Since the new House suddenly had a position in the competition. What to do!  Dinah must be consulted. Firstly, the House didn't even have a name!

Cola, Quinn, Puff and Ione heard the news aloft and raced for Dinah and Marc.  Kalie went into a whispered confab with Menatha.  He shook his head.  She pleaded and threatened to cry.  He gave in.

Devlin found Morrigan and also pleaded.  She was no more immune than Menatha, but held firm on a point of etiquette.  Devlin pouted and returned to the Kenget team.

Meanwhile Kevin C'Tal had conveyed the news to Dinah.  She looked helplessly at Marc after encountering the pleading eyes and glowing faces of five dragons, bouncing with excitement.

"Well, why not," he said, fighting an urge to laugh out loud.

Dinah started laughing helplessly, setting him off too.  "What are we calling the House?" she asked.

C'Tal pointed to her hand.  "It tells you there...Siol'Ster, Star Seed, or those who seed the stars with life."

"Now all we need is for Tabitha to pop out of a bottle,"  Marc muttered play darkly looking around.

C'Tal laughed.  The Old Ones are represented here, though not by her.  I'll introduce you later if you wish.

Dinah, baffled, looked from C'Tal to Marc, a question writ large on her face.

"Ah, you've been spared, have you," Marc replied. But he refused to let the mention wreck what was finally becoming a fairly good day. "So, Kevin, does Dinah get to design a banner and choose colors or is that all decided for her too?"

"There are heraldry considerations but essentially yes."

Dinah, recalling a grievance, thanked him for the freedom that was hers and then said, "We need to talk, Kevin."  When he blinked, she said, "But later.  So don't disappear on me or I'll hunt you down."

C'Tal nodded and moved off to let the other judges know.

The dragons, meanwhile, were conferring and planning strategy.  In the end they decided to keep it simple. Especially as they'd never attempted flights together in any fancy formation or syncronized acrobatics. Devlin, knowing all this, was heartbroken. But a private word offered for him from Morrigan raised his spirits.

Due to the sudden change in plans, the judges gave House  Siol'Ster the last slot to fly, giving them as much time as they could manage to allow for some planning and preparation.

And then the gong sounded and the games began!

Everyone rushed to find a seat, Dinah and Marc moving just a bit less quickly.  Kalket and Morrigan, Jolie and Spence, and Jules and Nims joined them. Asher and Celie were so excited to know that the dragons they'd been riding were going to compete they couldn't sit down, but instead chose to stand off to the side where they could jump up and down and cheer for their friends.

Where Nicco might be was anyone's guess.

Kenget'Sere went first, Beau leading them into the arena.  They formed up into a wedge and began with graceful, arcing loops and curlicues, then swooping diving runs with reverse returns that had the crowd oohing and ahhing.  Then they moved into the acrobatics, giving the crowd running, spinning somersaults and then backflips.  They ended with a choreographed figure flying pattern.

The House that flew next was not one our heroes really knew well. Their dragons were beautifully equipped and very competent. They weren't showy but very disciplined. By the end of their flight, Kenget still held the lead.  Several other teams followed and Kenget held on to their lead by a small margin.  Then Sere'Ster was up.

They started strong and held nothing back, speeding into the heights as one and then moving into a complex ballet of pointe, counterpointe moves that included Briony doing a fabulous spin on her tail and Piran and Menatha playing leap frog with Cosmo.  The grande finale they'd chosen was unique and the original idea of Cosmo.  They lined up and lit up their breath, and began writing in calligraphy across the sky, 'Sere'Ster', one after the other, retracing the pattern using vapor trails created from the flames and the clouds.

The crowd went wild. Sere'Ster had completely stolen the show. The judges huddled. And yes, by a mere tenth of a point, they took the lead!

Puff pshawed. "We can do better than that... Cuz we got a secret weapon." The secret weapon peeped out from under Kalie's ear. He put his slightly sticky finger to his lips and said, "shhh."

Three more houses flew. The standings remained unchanged, with house Sere leading house Kenget by the slimmest possible margin.

Then, at last, the new house, Siol'Ster took to the skies. They were running late so it was coming close to dusk. They all formed up on Kalie and set off at breakneck speed.  They were flying wingtip to wingtip until suddenly Kalie peeled off, doing the lost comrade maneuver in honor of her lost master, Mac. House Sere stood up at that, and even Malec seemed softened as he watched it silently.  Dinah fought a tear too, and Marc put his arm around her.

After that, all five dragons jumped into formation and dove at the ground. They waited until the last possible second and suddenly broke off into five different directions, straight upward, each dragon trailing a different colour smoke plume.  Puff got too excited though and did a wheelie, making his line lose its nice straight line effect.

Then Ione took the lead, quivering with shyness but determined to do her part perfectly.  Nicco waved his hand and music filled the sky, cherubs floating from on high as the sound of Michael Jackson singing Thriller filled the area.  As the beat steadied the dragons moved smoothly into a dragon version of a break dance.

The crowd went wild as cherubs and dragons danced across the sky. Space walking amidst all of them was Nicco. Carmine had arrived in time to behold the sight.  The gig ended with all taking a bow in the middle of the sky, the last few rays of the sun touching the uppermost sky golden and lighting up the dragons.

The judges conferred. For a long time. There was some argument that there had been cheating, but then most of the teams had cheated on something.  Finally, at long last, the verdict was announced.  The head Minister stood up to say....

Nicco flew into Carmine's arms, afraid to hear the decision.

"Siol'Ster wins!"

And the crowd rioted, the punters tossed tickets in the air and Marc and Dinah collapsed in each others arms laughing.  Morrigan kissed Kal and then did it again. Jolie and Spence space walked.  Asher and Celie hugged the dragons.

The humans were reveling so much they didn't even notice that the dragons had all disappeared. Well, at least for a while, until someone finally pointed to the sky and saw it empty. It was fully night now, and the ground area was lit with torches and several bonfires. Bonfires lit up some of the mountaintops too. Kalket and Morrigan zapped away. Usually the party broke up at this point, but never without having saluted all the dragons together. So, with an increasing sense of anticipation, the crowd waited:  a bit restive, a bit curious, and with a goodly amount of surety that the dragons were definitely up to something.

Then music filled the night sky. The tune one as old as Earth, and as old as Amran as well. All societies seemed to find this tune, or its close sister, to use as a tribute to all that they loved, fought for, and believed in.

A clear male voice was raised in song, in a language only two there knew.

"li gan nol pokone niesi

Kone o lan li pred near

U taynel compri la neyn

Ni blepan algar dedone"

And suddenly from the darkness of the caves came light. Not torches held aloft by the dragons, but rather, they themselves glowed. In the colours of all the Houses, they glowed in brilliant jeweled colours. They flew in parade, a writhing turning glowing flowing stream of many-coloured lights as the voice continued, speaking now, reciting the translation, now in a language all could understand.

"There is a land that shines through life and time,

A comely land, through the length of the world's age,

And many-coloured blossoms fall on it,

From the old trees where the birds are singing.

Every colour glows there, delight is common place

Music abounds on the soft Silver Plain

On the gentle-voiced Plain of the Many-Coloured Land

On the White Silver Plain to the South.

There is no weeping, no treachery, no grief,

There is no sickness, no weakness, no death,

There are riches, treasures of many colours

Sweet music to hear, the best of wine to drink

Golden chariots contend on the Plain of Sports

Many-coloured steeds run in days of lasting weather

Neither Death nor the ebbing of the Tide,

Will come to those of the Many Coloured Land."

Much later, after everyone had congratulated the dragons as well as Morrigan and Kalket, and the warriors had eyed the armour longingly, Menatha approached the the House of Siol'Ster.  He bowed his neck to Dinah and Marc, saying, "Lady, would you join us for a moment?  You and your mate if you wish?  We have something for you."

"Sure," she said.  And she and Marc mounted Quinn and Cola and flew off behind Menatha, heading high into the Kenno.  Eventually the dragons set them down in the same cavern they'd brought them to before.  While Marc conjured some additional lights Kalie arrived.  Kalie waited until they were all settled and then spoke aloud, all child-likeness set aside.  "Mach told me, he promised me you would come.  He said you would be angry and asked me to apologize to you for everything that's happened."

Dinah, tensing, simply nodded and waited for her to go on.

Kalie gestured with her neck towards a chest that Menatha had towed in.  "He left that for you, for us to give to you today.  He told me, and all of us, as well, to do what ever you told us to do.  And he asked me to say that he missed you."

Dinah, speechless, just opened the chest Menatha had left at her feet.  It was filled with tiny jewel-like globes that winked in the light.  "What are they?" she asked.

"Gene patterns," Kalie said.  "For the new House, for Siol'Ster.  And underneath are his papers, and his journals."

"May I?" Marc asked Dinah, obviously wanting to get one of the globes in his hands.

"Sure," she replied, reaching down through them to find the papers and his journals.

Marc picked up the first sphere that came to his hand, and examined it carefully, handling it almost reverently.

Dinah, after glancing at some financial and legal papers, opened the first journal that came to her hand.

Meanwhile, Marc had found the secret to opening the spheres and gazed at what the sphere held, as it jumped up and turned in the air above the sphere, much as the genetic code of Sere had. Dinah turned as Marc drew in a deep breath.

Dinah's breath hissed through her teeth.  "I know...how do I know...that's the gene for...the gene sequence for..."  She stopped abruptly.  "Splice that gene into a human helix and you get telepathy."

"Yes, along with Sere's genes seems to come knowledge of how to identify them and how to do the splicing. I've done enough genetics work to have figured out what it was, but not so easily. Nor could I have utilized them in the way Houses Sere and Kenget can do.  Anything in the papers we need to worry about right now?  Since you have two hot dates waiting for you at the formal ball?"

She smiled at him beatifically.  "The only hot date I have worth caring about is with you. The papers are all about what would seem to be his financial holdings and records of business transactions.  The journals are partly in code."

"Ah," Marc said and looked thoughtfully at Kalie. "Do you know the code, Kalie?"

She shook her head.  "No."

Marc nodded, accepting her denial. But he was still looking at her. "Why did you...Did Mac ask you to protect this for Dinah? Even against the head of your own House?"

She grinned, a very dragon like grin.  "He promised us that if we did, if we protected her then she would help us grow up."

Marc laughed out loud at that and grinned. "Growing up isn't all it's supposed to be. I envy you dragons your ability to simply enjoy yourselves. Don't lose that, please."

"We won't" she promised, twinkling at him.  "It's genetic."

"And will you mind leaving all your friends to go with Dinah?" Marc asked, looking around at the rest of the Sere dragons.

"No.  We would visit back and forth as we do now.  And besides, there are many who want to go with you too.  The dragon chooses."

"Ah. Maybe I should move my house," he added grinning. And couldn't wait until they broke this news to Stephen. He didn't think Dinah's Place was going to work as a dragon lair.

(The tune is The Londonderry Air)