Can we start over?

The stallion hesitates. Again, this isn't something he'd planned for, but now he thinks about it....would it really be that bad? A clean slate for them, a fresh start. Fewer misunderstandings, hopefully. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance rarely offered to any others - to go back to the start, those important fledgling days of a friendship, of a relationship, and try to fix the errors of last time.

There's still so much left unsaid. About their child, about her jealousy, about his womanizing, and he should probably confess about the Roskuld fermented apple incident too before she finds out from somebody else, but for now Volterra simply nods. "Of course." Right now, there's more important things to concentrate on, like the fact Isopia is about to share her mind with a second dragon.

Vérzés looks across to Hubris, searching the bronze's features for any signs of jealousy. The red had been devastated when Volterra found Vadir's egg, desperately trying to make his bonded realise that he only needed him. Of course, Volterra couldn't have turned down the chance to bond to a golden queen, but Vérzés had feared that such a bond would take some of the stallion's love away from him. His fears had, in a way, been confirmed. Given the Indomitable's innate shallowness, he sometimes subconsciously favours Vadir because of her colour, gives her preferential treatment despite her deeply unpleasant nature. The two do not get along, even if they antagonise each other less than they used to. Vérzés is a lowly red who refuses to bow to colour hierarchy, whereas Vadir is a regal gold who enforces that same hierarchy with an iron fist, determined to make all others bow before her. That is bound to cause friction, and, indeed, it has.

So Vérzés hunts for those same telltale signs in Hubris. Jealous, anxiety, anger. After all, Hubris is a bronze, so he would have every right to be offended that Isopia should seek another dragon when she already has such a glorious royal one. The ruby-red beast tilts his head at Hubris and asks, in a draconic mixture of chirps and body language, "You worried?"

Vadir, meanwhile, is watching the egg with a face of utter fascination. She rears up on her hindlegs as a golden hand pokes free from the shell, sweeping her scythed tail and decapitating several flowers in the process. Volterra can feel a strange mixture of emotions coming from her - curiosity at this new gold, jealousy that there could be another rival queen when she herself is surely enough for all of Helovia, and a thrusting surge of domination, a determination to assert her authority over this newborn whippersnapper. Don't even THINK about touching that dragon, mentally growls Volterra, sensing that Vadir's methods of asserting her dominance will be less than cordial. She shifts, ignores him, and continues to stare like a hunting predator at the egg.

When it hatches and the newborn unfurls like a length of rope, however, Vadir's body language changes. "It's male," she tells him, her surprise evident in her cold voice. Volterra's brows raise. He has known of this phenomenon only once before, Amaris' male gold, but as he hasn't seen her since, he can't help but think he may have imagined it. This newborn, however, is very real, and he doubts that Isopia is going to disappear anywhere.

Vadir leans forward to get a closer look at the newborn, but before she can get near to him he's sprung off towards the carcass nearby. Sensing her chance, she spreads her wings and takes one long leap, landing heavily on the carcass and rearing high. She extends her massive wings, displaying every inch of her magnificent size, then emits a loud hiss and flings herself towards the other dragon. She attempts to knock him off the carcass and pin him beneath her formidable bulk, her expression ferocious yet her movements surprisingly gentle. It's clear that this isn't an attack meant to hurt - she pulls her punches deliberately so as not to harm the hatchling, making it quite evident that her movements are intended to simply dominate the male not harm him. If she is successful in pinning him, she will remain in place for long enough to take one bite of the corpse herself before leaping away and releasing him.

Volterra takes a step forwards, horrified at his dragon's behaviour. Vadir, I told you not to! he bellows at her through their bond.

She gives a haughty sniff. "He needs to learn place," she points out. "Females always eat first. He gold, but he still male."

That is scant consolation, and the leviathan looks to Isopia with an apology ready on his lips. Before it escapes, however, he pauses; he's sure she will understand that the gesture was one of dominance, not aggression, and that Vadir's actions were not as a result of Volterra's command. The Mountain is, after all, very knowledgeable about life and its quirks; he prays she will realise that this was simply an ancient, primal act of asserting authority, not something with any meaning behind it. He relaxes his features and simply bobs his head. "A gold - congratulations," he rumbles. The first hint of his old wolfish smile suddenly returns. "Vadir is smitten."

"Piss off," comes the gold's frosty response. There's a strange warm hum in her mind, though; there finally exists a creature worthy of her attention, a potential mate, albeit very far off. If this young male proves his strength, proves he's worthy of the scales he has been given...who knows?

Vérzés simply looks at Hubris, gives a put-upon sigh and presses his paws to his face, quite clearly saying bloody golds!!!