A Challenge...or Fun!

The blue dragon Sirius landed lightly in the middle of a large open area. Folding his wings, he swiveled his head around, scanning the area. He'd heard about dragons challenging one another in this place...but had also heard that no one got hurt or killed. The other dragon had been just a bit vague about what these challenges involved. He did say that there were females involved, and that definitely raised his interest. He wondered what kind of challenge would have both males and females. Still, based on the little he'd heard, it sounded too interesting to pass up!

Sirius yawned, and decided to lay down and wait, to see if anyone else came along. Maybe they could tell him about this place.

*A silver dragon wearing armor passes by him.* Hello. *I continue walking.*

Sirius glances up and sees the other dragon walking by. "Oh...hello there!" As the dragon continues to walk by, Sirius cocks his head curiously at the armor.

"Say, could I talk to you a minute?" he asks. "I just arrived...perhaps you could tell me what dragons do here?"

*I turn my head to look at Sirius.* Sure. *I turn around fully.* Well, some just tickle each other.

The blue dragon blinks in surprise. "Tickle each other...?" he asks, cocking his head. "I've never heard of anything like that. Is that...um, how dragons challenge one another then?" If so, then now that other dragon's comments were making more sense.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Sirius!" He rises up on his haunches so he can bow respectfully to the other dragon.

Hm? *I tilt my head slightly.* Okay. Have you never been tickled before?

Anyway, the name is Robert. Nice to meet you, Sirius.

"Um, well...no," Sirius says in answer to the question about tickling. "I've never tried it before. Does it hurt or anything?"

No, it you want I could introduce you to the concept.

"Well...okay!" Sirius replies. Although he is a little nervous about the whole thing (since he really doesn't know what it is), he decides that it must still be a big improvement over biting, clawing, and the like.

"So, what do I need to do?"

Okay. Follow me. *I start walking somewhere.*

Sirius nods in agreement, then falls into step behind Robert.

*I lead him into a room filled with restraints. I lead over to a pair of metal stocks.* Please, place your hind legs in here.*

Sirius sniffs at the restraints. Since he doesn't smell blood or anything, he figures it must be all right. He maneuvers himself so his hind legs are protruding thru the stocks.

*I close the stocks on his ankles.* Okay, let's start here. *He wiggle a claw along his belly.*

As soon as Robert's claw touches his belly, Sirius yelps and tries to squirm to the side. "Hey...! What are you doing?" he giggles.

This is tickling. *I tickle his belly softly.*

Sirius laughs, trying to use his forepaws to shield his belly. "Hahahahaha...! No...hahahahaa!!" He tries to squirm even more, but having his hindlegs in the stocks makes it impossible for him to move much.

*I use my claws to gently tickle his sides.*

At this, Sirius' back arches up off the floor and he lets out a shriek. "Hahahahaahaaa! Please...don't...not there...!" His wings snap out and begin thrashing as he tries to get away.

*I tickle his ribs as well before stopping.* We aren't done yet, though.

Sirius lets himself sag back agains the floor when Robert stops.

"Well...that was pretty amazing..." he says. He'd never imagined that something like this could exist as a challenging and fighting concept. But he could see that it would be pretty effective.

"So...is this just for challenges? Or do dragons do it for fun too? Um, wait..we're not done? What more is there?"

They do it for fun as well a challenge. *I walk over to his hindfeet and I poke the sole of the left foot.*

"That does sound interesting," Sirius admitted. He could imagine himself doing to some other dragon just what Robert had been doing a moment before. "In fact, I could...aaaaaaahhhhhh!!" he squeaked as he felt the claw touch his foot. He jerked in the stocks, but gritted his teeth, determined not to break out laughing this time.

*I wiggle a claw up and down his foot.* Ticklish? *I tickle the toes as well.*

Sirius snorts and a giggle breaks free. "Yes....no...I don't....hehehe!!" He agains snaps his jaws closed.