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The Portal Games

The Arrival

The still air over the tropical island ripped apart with shrieks, laughs, whoops, and frantic screams as the portals opened. The sea birds on the shore took wing and the assorted beach fauna took to either the waves or the treeline, whichever wild realm that they happened to call home, and disappeared as twelve forms fell from twelve holes. By the time they reached the ground, the beach was all but empty.

The thumps of arrival were no less dramatic than the ripped holes in the heavens that they had fallen through. Some landed on their feet and almost instantly regretted it, faces twisted in mixes of discomfort, pain, and 'Why did I do that?' expressions, while others fell on their backs, and one in particular - a timber wolf - fell flat on his face. Sand and mud flew everywhere, and none escaped unscathed.

One by one, they turned to look at each other. Clearly, none of them knew one another, and just as clearly, none of them had come from the same place. From an orca that wore nothing but a beaded loincloth to the timber wolf that was dressed as if he had come off a space station, from a mare dressed in the black cloth of a ninja warrior to a T-Rex that wore leaves and hides in a rough imitation of a suit, there was no unifying theme among them, nothing to say why they had all been called from wherever they'd started to this island.

Nothing visible, at least.

The silence persisted, stretched out as someone would open their mouths, then close it when they could not find the words, or when they saw someone else was opening their mouths at the same time. Nobody knew anything, and nobody wanted to be the first to admit that they were lost as to what was going on.

Well, except one of them.

"Drac? Draaaaaac?"

All eyes turned to the striped wolf that walked through the crowd, who moved to the front of the group to cup his hands around the sides of his muzzle. He shouted at the forest.

"Hey! Drac! I know you're out there! Come out and tell us what's going on before I get bored!"

"...Do you know what has happened here?" the mare in black asked. "If so, inform us."

"Oh, I have a guess, really. More of a fantasy, but - hey, I know what his magic looks like, and those portals are definitely his magic."

"Magic? There's..." The timber wolf cut off before he could finish his statement. "...Okay, okay, that was stupid. Okay, so this is magic, then? Not some sort of science-y teleportation bullshit?"

"Well, if it's my friend, yes," the striped wolf said.

"You have a friend...with magic...that can teleport people from one world to another?"

This from the white dragon that stood at the edge of the beach. All eyes turned to him, then down, where the beach had turned frosty at his boots, and where icicles hung from his clothes despite the heat of the island. The sight of physics defying themselves was just enough to make everyone look away again.

Twelve of them, and so far, just four of them had spoken. The others were looking at one another, measuring each other. One, a rat bare from the waist up and soaked with sweat and dirt, looked back up at the sky with concern, but if there was any danger in the world that she had left behind, there was none that could follow her there. The portals had already closed.

The silence fell once more, only to be broken as a thirteenth portal shimmered into existence at the border between beach and jungle. All eyes turned to it as a library revealed itself through the other side, followed by another figure.

A black dragon stepped through the portal, closing it behind him, and he loomed over all but the T-Rex and the white dragon. He had all eyes on him, and he knew it as he adjusted a robe as dark as his scales, silvery runes running along the collar and along the middle folds. He crossed his arms at the chest, smiling, but it was his eyes that held their stares. Pure white and featureless as the smoothest clouds, they seemed so empty that they just begged one to lose themselves in the white, to fall in and fill them with something, anything.

"Welcome to the Portal Games, everyone," the dragon said.

"Drac!" the striped white and black wolf shouted, grinning from ear to ear. "I knew it. I knew it."

"Yes, yes, you did, and you almost spoiled the surprise, Lykus. Now, why don't you calm down for a moment? Oh. And here."

With a flick of his finger, the dragon tapped into...something, and a writhing black flame appeared on the tips of his fingers. It surged through the air, squirming and rippling, before seizing hold of Lykus's naked crotch, wrapping around him and fitting into a speedo of sorts.

All eyes went wide. Well, most of them; Lykus went funny-giggly, a pangolin woman took on a face of 'oooooh,' and a black-furred, white-tailed deer narrowed his eyes with a mutter of 'mage'. All seemed somewhat relieved, however, at the fact that the wolf was no longer showing off his shaft and sac, and that he was at least somewhat modest.

But it was the implications of the dragon's actions that clearly hit a chord. This person, this dragon, had called them here with magic that he used without care or ritual, without any great preparations or seeming cost. He had power, and he had used it to summon them.

"Hey. Hey!" The timber wolf waved his hand. "Hey. I just thought of something. Did you - were you the one that -"

"I wasn't the one that stole your stolen goods before you came flying through the portal, no," the dragon said. "That was another thief."

"...Who? I want to know where to go to get that back."

"Trust me. If you do well here, you won't have to do that."

"What be 'here?'" asked the rat woman, resting her hand on a sword sheathed at her side. "I've sailed far, but I never see a place like this."

"That's because this is an island that could never be reached from your world. Nor any other world that you came from...save for perhaps yours, Tarin," the black dragon said, nodding to the deer, "though I doubt that even the Mage Lords of your world have the power to reach across this great an expanse."

"Good."

That was the only response from the deer, not that it clarified anything for the remaining eleven. With Lykus idly groping himself through the almost slime-like shorts that he'd been given and the others looking at one another as much as the black dragon, conversation ground to a halt. Suspicion, worry, and occasionally fear could be seen flaring on the faces of those assembled, but -

"Excuse me? Um, sorry, but...excuse me, Mr..." The pangolin drifted off, rubbing her arm and pulling her dirty t-shirt up a little higher.

"Draconicon. Lykus called me 'Drac', but my full name is Draconicon."

"Mr. Draconicon?" The pangolin nodded. "Um. Oh. I'm Isabella, by the way. Just...just to say it and put it...out there..." She trailed off for a moment, then lifted her head with a small smile. "I mean. I'm Isabella, and it's nice to meet all of you. But...Mr. Draconicon, could you...tell us why we're here?"

"I think that we would all like to know the answer to that," the mare said.

"And how we are supposed to get back when we're done," a white fox said, adjusting his lab coat as he pulled a remote of sorts from his pocket. He tapped it against his palm a few times, waving it around and pointing the antenna on the other end at various things. "Fascinating. No residue of anything transdimensional, and yet, completely different. Molecularly subtly shifted...we're definitely not on -"

"Ahem."

All eyes went back to the black dragon.

"I'll explain where you are and what's going on in a moment, but first, let's just do introductions. Let's start with Lykus, since he's already gone through something like this before. Lykus?"

"Hmm?" The striped wolf blinked. "You say something?"

"Introductions."

"Oh, right, right. Heh. I get to talk about myself. That's awesome."

The mostly-naked wolf sprinted to the front of the beach, wagging his tail like mad before standing beside the taller black dragon. Lean and willowy, his near-nudity gave a clear picture that, wherever he'd come from, he took care of himself. Not muscular, but certainly not a thin, weedy thing, either, with little bunches of muscle that stuck out through his spiraling striped fur. He bowed at the waist, fumbling at his waist and belt for something, only to pause. He blinked as he rooted around in one of the belt-pockets.

"Uh...uh, Drac? I might have left something behind. Do you mind if I -"

"I do."

"...Oh, come on. That's my best stuff."

"Yes, and it wouldn't be fair if you came here with that much of an advantage, would it?"

"Come ooooooon."

"Keep whining, and I'll take away the last five cards you got."

"...Spoilsport." The wolf shook his head, standing up tall once more. "Um...forget you heard that. I'm Lykus, and I'm a card sorcerer."

He paused, almost as if waiting for cries of 'no such thing' or other sounds of disbelief. When they didn't come, he pushed on, holding up a hand of five cards from behind him.

"I'm from a world of magic and a lot of prudish priests, and I don't really know why Drac brought us here, but I do know that it's going to be fun. I use my cards for magic, and I can cast a few minor spells. Oh, and I suck dick really, really well."

"You had to include that..." Draconicon muttered.

"Oh, it's me. What else can I do?"

"Too much. Back in the crowd, Lykus. That's a good dog."

The wolf blushed, hustling back to the other assembled people. The rat groaned, and before the dragon could point to anyone else, stepped forward.

"This be the time the crew introduces itself, yeah?" she asked.

"That's right."

"Might as well let me say something, then."

"Do you want some clothes?" the dragon asked, gesturing at her chest.

"They be useful clothes, or pretty?"

"Could be either."

"...I be fine," she said, a slight glint in her eye as she stepped forward. The gray-furred rat turned on her heels, facing the rest of the crowd, water-stiffened trousers pulling tight to her legs, toes sinking into the beach sand. "My name be Mchumba. I'm a pirate, got me? Pirate and captain."

"A pirate? Coooooool," Lykus said.

"...An...interesting choice of occupation," said the mare.

"Why would you choose to steal?" asked the white dragon.

"It not be a choice!" she snapped. "They came, and they started it. I just took back what was mine...until they decided they take it back again. Maybe I can find something here...if magic be real...to take it back. And I be good with sword and sea, so don't count me out."

"Thank you, Mchumba."

She walked back into the crowd. Already, they were starting to talk more, and be more aware of each other. The pangolin stepped closer to the rat, putting a hand on her shoulder. They whispered to one another, too quiet to be heard, but obviously with some sense of compassion and kindness on the part of the pangolin. The orca did the same, resting his hand on her other shoulder.

Before they could settle too far into it, Draconicon pointed to the white dragon at the back.

"Let's have you next."

"Before I do. You ripped me from my ship; what happened to them after?"

"They're fine," Draconicon said, waving his hand. "I've already put a spell on the ship to guide them to the end of the Current and back. They'll not be in any danger."

The white dragon nodded, slowly moving between the different summoned individuals. They stepped out of the way, perhaps worrying about the cold that followed the white dragon, but it did not seem to freeze the sand around him. Perhaps it was merely residual cold from where he'd come. His furs and meager clothes were nothing compared to the ax on his back, and that worried them nearly as much as the sword at Mchumba's waist. Most of them had not come so armed. He made his way to the front of the group and turned, resting his hands at his sides.

"I am Sergino of Astillea, icebreaker and captain. So, we have two among us that know their way on the sea," he said with a nod of some respect towards Mchumba. "I come from a land of ice and dragon broodmothers. I live among ice, and know its ways. This place...is oppressive..."

"There's reasons for that," the black dragon muttered.

"Why are we here?"

"All in good time."

"You should tell us."

"I will. But anything else to say about yourself?"

"Not at this point in time."

Released to the crowd, Sergino made his way back to his ice patch, clearly taking some comfort from the chilled spot at the back of the crowd.

Others were summoned. They spoke quickly, giving some hints of who they were, moving swiftly from one to another. The mare stepped forward.

"I am Kotone, protector of the Shrine of the Divine. I was not pulled through, but rather leaped through to see what had invaded my home. Whatever happens here, know that I am watching; if there is danger, if there is a threat to those that do not deserve it, know that I will deal with it."

She stepped down, and the black-furred deer stepped forward. His taciturn expression shifted, becoming more peaceful, more open.

"My name is Tarin, and I am a man of diplomacy. I don't know what's going on, as I am sure is the case for everyone, but I am sure that we can find a way forward. I come from a land of magic and machines, and currently, the mages are winning...and not in a good way." He looked at the black dragon. "I apologize for any mistrust, but it is hard to see any of this as something good."

"Not a worry."

The dragon gestured for the deer to step down, and then came the pangolin.

"Hi! Um, like I said, I'm Isabella, and I'm, um, I'm a spirit speaker, and a druid. I spend a lot of time with the spirits, or, um, I did. I did, really, they exist, I promise, even if they said that I needed to, um, spend more time with people instead of them, and..." She tapped her fingers together, the scaly little thing bending forward almost to the point of curling into a shy little ball. "I just kinda...fell in here. I don't know if I can help people as much as spirits, but I'll try. I'm good at it. Promise!"

"Yes, dear. We know."

Draconicon patted her on the back. Before he could call someone else, a stingray stepped forward. Brushing sand off military fatigues and tucking a pistol into her belt, she saluted the dragon before turning to the rest of the crowd.

"The name's Ailsa. I'm a sharpshooter, and I'm going to tell you now. If I do something once, that means I can do it again...and again...and again. It's never a fluke. So don't ever tell me it is. I'm trained to take charge, trained to take care of a situation, and then keep on going." She smiled slightly. "And I can cook," she added, running her hand back through a long streak of white hair coming down her face. "So, anyone that can't, better get on my good side."

The crowd laughed at that, though even then it was a bit shaky. They were, however, gradually coming together, gradually starting to feel more comfortable with each other.

Down went the pangolin, and up stepped a green dragon. A very naked green dragon, as a matter of fact, save for a cock-ring that he wore. There was no blush on his face, though, even as he turned around.

"Well...I'm not sure that I can compete with all that. My name is Jason, and this is my second time being pulled out of my own world for this. I came second place in a reality show called the Breeding Games, where I was transformed from human to...this...and a lot of other things besides, so...I might have some experience in the whole isekai thing. No idea what's gonna happen next, but how's that a change, am I right?"

"Thank you, Jason."

It obviously had the crowd thinking just a bit, which was what the dragon seemed to want. The green dragon stepped down, and the orca stepped forward. He shook his head at the dragon, his eyes flitting about the beach. They widened in places, almost as if he saw things that the others did not, and he had to be nudged to speak.

"I'm sorry, this is all...I know that spirits were powerful, but I did not know that they could call across worlds."

"It's not so much spirits in this case, but go on," Draconicon said.

"...My name is Jaden, and...I was told that this was to be my test. That I would go through something that would make me stronger, better prepared to be a shaman for my people. Perhaps that means that this is destiny for me, and perhaps there is something great in my future. I do not know, but I will do my best in whatever I am tasked with...and may the spirits be understanding as I learn the rules."

They were through nine of the twelve, and bit by bit, the group was learning to be open and supportive. The barriers were coming down, and while there was still confusion over their purpose there, they were no longer so lost, so completely separate from one another. They were bonding, if only over their complete disparity and the total lack of familiarity. As Jaden rejoined them, the white fox stepped forward, fanning himself by flicking his robe open and closed - and flashing most people at the same time.

"Can't get an air conditioning spell?" the fox asked.

"Nope."

"I'm going to go crazy here."

"You could always shave."

"With what?"

"There's enough sharp rocks. You could figure it out. Mr. Genius."

"Not my name, but very true." The fox winked before whipping around, his tail flicking over his shoulder. "Hello. My name's Sanmer. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

Nobody responded.

"Right. Other worlds, no reputation. Well, I'll just say that I'm the smartest person here and dare any of you to make me prove it. I have about thirty experiments on the go back home, including fourteen rubber drones, six different cock slaves, and three different mind control devices, and I'd like to get back to that."

"Heh..." Draconicon shook his head, even though the crowd's eyes had gone wide. "Somehow, I think you're going to find this much more engaging. But thanks, Sanmer."

"No problem. By the way, are you wearing anything under that robe?"

"Not enough to keep even you from going stupid if I took it off."

"Mmmmm..."

"Back in the crowd, horny fox."

Sanmer eyed the dragon up and down for a moment, then thought better of it, moving back to the crowd. As he got out of the way, the timber wolf stepped forward, one hand on his hip, the other gesturing around with a grappling hook gun.

"Okay. Before I start. Does this still work?"

"Yep."

"You're not taking that from me?"

"I'm only taking a few things from people, and not always in an obvious way."

"...You took the goddamn explosives from me, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Dammit." The timber wolf shook his head, sighing as he holstered his 'weapon.' He turned, brushing off the remaining sand on his leathers. "Alright, cards on the table. The name's Glyn, and I'm a thief. A con artist, too, but mostly a thief. I was this close to stealing a super-weapon from the best weapon forge in the universe, and I stole something from the Collector to get there, only for my business partner to blow it up in my face. Ever since, I've been bored out of my mind, and while I didn't expect to get yoinked into something like this...well, here I am."

"You'll get a good prize for it, if it works out for you." Draconicon nodded to the crowd. "Thank you, Glyn."

The wolf nodded, leaving only the T-Rex to step forward. She left massive footprints in the sand as she walked up to the dragon, and despite the slight awkwardness of her size and the sheer size of her head compared to her body, she still managed a wink that looked surprisingly happy. She turned to the crowd.

"I'm going to guess the rest of you didn't get the terms and conditions of what this guy wants from us before coming here?" she asked. "For those that know what that is, I mean."

The slow head-shakes from those of more modern eras answered that. She poked the dragon in the shoulder.

"And this is why you don't try to surprise a lawyer. We don't like it, and we make you pay for it."

"Just give your introduction, please," he said.

"Ooooooh, no, no, no, you're not getting off that easy. See, everyone? This dragon? He's bored. And he set this up as a competition. But he needs competitors for the competition. Our contracts basically say that once we come through the portals, we basically agree to keep going until we reach the end."

"...Is there a prize at the end? A payment?" Sergino asked.

"Sure, there's a payment for competing, but it's pretty small potatoes compared to the prize that waits at the end for the winner."

"Ahem."

And again, all eyes back to the dragon. He cocked his head to the side.

"Your introduction. I am going to explain the rules. I just wanted you to tell them about yourself, first."

"Heh, taking the fun out of showing off here, you know that?" The T-Rex shook her head. "Fine. Sarah, legal counselor, occasional muscle, rock-climber and skydiver. And the only one here that found out what she was getting into before she got into it."

"Thank you, Sarah, that will be all."

She looked as if she was going to try something else, but a firm stare from the dragon - not to mention a warning wave of his hand with more of the writhing black fires between his fingers - dissuaded her. Yet she still wore a smile when she rejoined the rest of the summoned individuals, standing in a way that loomed over everyone else. She crossed her arms, looking down at Sergino on one side and Jason on the other, the two dragons flanking her and yet doing nothing to diminish her own standing.

The others all gathered closer, some looking more obviously curious than others, but all of them interested in what was going to happen next. Draconicon looked among them, then nodded to himself.

"Yes...yes, you'll all do fine."

"For what? Come on, Draaaaaac, I wanna know," Lykus pined.

"Heh, that's what I'm getting to. Everyone. Ladies, gentlemen, and perhaps those of us that have a mix of both..." He smiled, spreading his arms out behind him. "Welcome to the Portal Games."

"...What's that?" Glyn asked.

"Glad you asked. Simply put, they're a little competition that I've designed for myself, to shake myself out of the boredom of doing nothing. But I needed people to play the part of competitors, people that were varied, that'd make for some interesting teams together. So...I reached out."

"I saw no invitation to a game," Mchumba said. "I saw an escape."

"I had an invitation, though a forced one," Sergino added, the dragon shaking his head.

"And I got swiped out of my own daring escape," Glyn added.

"I reached out," Draconicon continued, "for people that wanted something different. Whether that was something more exciting, something more fair, something more...personal to them, I reached out to those that would be willing to do things to make the world more fun...

"Except for Lykus. He just shoved his way in."

"Hey. I wanted some fun, too," the striped wolf said, harrumphing.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure..."

Shaking his head, the dragon gestured to the earth beneath him. The sand flowed out of the ground, compacting in on itself until it formed a map. The island behind the dragon, including the mountain that rose up in the distance, stood out as a floating blob in exquisite detail, and continued out with two more islands past the one that they stood on. A jungle-forest ran from the coastline to the base of the mountain, only to suddenly drop away, revealing a flatter stretch of island going to the far side of the coast. What appeared to be symbols for boats awaited at the far side of the island, waiting to take them to the next pair of smaller islands further along the map, where a spinning, shimmering circle waited.

"This is your first round. In a moment, I'm going to divide the twelve of you into two teams, and they will be your supporters, your allies, your friends for the duration of this competition. Well, mostly; we'll talk about the specifics later on, but for now, they're going to be your biggest allies and biggest resource in getting through this and winning. This island will take you two days to cross at a brisk pace, and the journey from the other coast to the far island will take another day, again, at a quick pace. Here, at the far island, you will find another portal, much like the one that you came through to get here.

"I'm giving you all five days. Anyone still on this side of the portal at the end of the fifth day will be eliminated from the competition and sent home."

The announcement was met with much head-scratching among the assembled dozen. Eventually, it was Glyn that asked what they were all thinking.

"Not to be a dick here, but...what's stopping all of us from just sitting here until you send us home in five days?" the timber wolf asked. "What've we got to gain from actually playing your game?"

"I'm glad you asked. The winner - who will be picked from those that make it all the way to the end of the fifth round - will be given their own reality. A reality that they may choose the specifics of. A reality where, say, a master thief might be given a sense of where every valuable item in the galaxy rests, and need only apply himself to become the richest man in the universe. Or, perhaps, a reality where a mad scientist might have tech that is impossible even two hundred years down his own timeline, having mastery over far more than he currently can imagine."

"I can imagine quite a bit," Sanmer said.

"Imagine more. Because that's what I'm offering. The winner of the Portal Games receives the choice to create a new reality for themselves - one split off the reality that they came from - or the chance to utterly change their home, to correct something, to give themselves a different life, or whatever else you want. That is the prize that I'm offering, and that is the prize that you can pursue."

The clear shifts in everyone's expressions made it clear that the dragon's offer was a temptation beyond anything that they had ever heard before. In the worlds of old, it was the offer of a god. In the worlds of modern times and the future, it was something so far removed from the list of possibilities as to be considered impossible.

But here they were, transported out of their world to this one, with no way back save to lose, or to play the game, and with that prize on the line, it was clear that nobody was entirely willing to throw it away. Perhaps there were those that would fight harder than others, and those that would fight less, but they were all willing to try for something like that.

"Now that I have your attention...let me explain the rules."

Dropping his hands, Draconicon let the map fall to the ground. The sand dispersed, leaving no sign that it had ever been animated, let alone shaped into a proper representation of the world. He smiled.

"One. Your goal is to get from one side of the current arena to the other. For round one, that means getting from here to the far portal as fast as you can. You can choose any route that you like, so long as you get there before time runs out. Each arena will be different, but that goal will always be the same. Get to the end of the arena before time runs out or you are disqualified.

"Two. Each arena has a challenge towards the midpoint. You can skip this, but failure to complete the challenge can mean that you give up on possible tools and advantages that the other team can take for themselves. For example, in this arena, there's a challenge just before the boats. You can skip the challenge...but if you do, you don't get the keys to the boats, nor any way to unlock them from the shore. Nor the other little tools and goodies that I have for you over there. A similar thing will be at every arena, so weigh your options carefully.

"Three. The team that gets through the portal with the most members before time runs out and before the other team gets all of theirs through 'wins' that round. The team that loses has to pick one of their team members to leave."

Eyes widened through the crowd. Of course, it shouldn't have been surprising that there was a way for a competitor to be taken out of the competition, but perhaps they had assumed that it would only be done if they couldn't reach the portal. Now, however, there was a guarantee that a minimum of four of them would be gone before the fifth and final round.

"Addendum." Draconicon held up his hand, a small figure floating over it. It shimmered, cloning itself. One looked like a palm-sized face sticking its tongue out, while the other was more giggly, with a hand-like shape that seemed to be holding up its middle finger. "Each round, these two artifacts will be hidden somewhere in the arena. This one?" He lifted up the one sticking out its tongue. "This will allow you to cancel out being forced to vote out one of your team members if you lose the race to get to the portal. The other? It will let you force the other team to vote someone out, too."

"What happens if we have both?" Kotone asked.

"I was hoping someone would ask." Draconicon smiled. "Get both...and you can force the other team to vote off two people, and you don't have to vote off anyone. Of course, you still have to find them and get to the portal on time, so do keep that consideration in mind if you decide to go searching for them."

He dismissed the images of the idols, leaving the competitors looking at one another. There was so much more that they wanted to know. What would the challenges be like? What else was here on the island with them? Were there dangers? And what did the dragon get from watching them besides reality show entertainment?

But the one question that they didn't have was 'Can I go home?' The prize, the possibility of winning a reality that was custom-made to their own needs, without any downside if they lost - at least, none that had been mentioned, and even Sarah hadn't said anything about whether there was a loss clause in the contract - was too great an incentive not to try for.

Draconicon clapped his hands together.

"Well, now that we've gotten the rules settled - and yes, those are the rules, you can try and sabotage each other as much as you like so long as you stop short of injuring, maiming, or killing - let's pick teams. Once I tell you who's working together, step aside and pick your captain. They'll be given some extra authority over you guys, the chance to name your team...and the power of having two votes at the elimination round."

Everyone sucked in a breath of air. The math was already being done. Two votes meant that the captain either had to like you, or you had to do something to keep everyone else united against the captain. A team of six could handle itself well enough, but as it shrunk, the power of the captain would grow.

"Now...the first member of team one...Sergino."

The white dragon stepped to the dragon's left side, standing with an increasingly sweaty expression under the tropical sun. The icicles were finally starting to melt.

"And the first member of team two...Sanmer."

The white fox stepped to his right, smiling and nodding around the black dragon to the white one. They shared a glance, then looked away, though Sanmer was grinning more.

"Team one. Glyn. Team two. Lykus."

The two canines seemed almost disappointed, though they gave each other a grope as they both went to opposing sides of the black dragon. Sanmer greeted the card wolf with a nod, and Lykus returned it, while Sergino slightly rolled his eyes at Glyn's approach.

"Team one. Kotone. Team two. Jaden."

Mare and orca split, with the mare moving quicker, though her large feet thumped hard against the sand. She stood with her arms folded behind the two males, with Sergino gritting his teeth and Glyn looking back at her and shrugging. Jaden, on the other hand, was warmly welcomed by his new teammates. Perhaps a little too...warmly.

"Team one. Sarah. Team two. Mchumba."

"Finally," Sergino's voice could just be heard to say as the T-Rex joined the first team. He nodded in respect to her, while Glyn just shrunk in on himself slightly, almost as if intimidated. Team two grinned awkwardly as the sausage-fest was broken, but Mchumba just smirked and inserted herself among them anyway.

"Team one. Jason. Team two. Ailsa."

"Well, least I get one playboy!" Glyn said with a laugh as the green dragon jogged over to the first team.

"A marksman, huh?" Lykus said as the stingray approached. "Are you that good?"

"I could plink your balls from a hundred yards," she said with a small smirk as she joined them.

And just like that, they were down to the final two. Isabella the pangolin and Tarin the black-furred, white-tailed deer, one barely dressed in rough hide-skin clothes, the other in a fancy suit and jacket. They looked at each other, with her offering a nervous smile, and him giving a soft nod.

"Team one. Isabella. Team two. Tarin."

"Hey, we got the cute one," Sarah said. "I call that a win."

"What are you talking about? Have you seen the ass on this one?" Lykus called back.

The teams were split, and Draconicon snapped his fingers. They were each surrounded by a little black box, giving them the privacy to talk and decide their team captains. One way or another, they were going to be starting this competition soon.

Had the timer started already? Perhaps...but he wasn't going to tell them that.

Summary: The competitors arrive and hear the rules, with Drac dividing them into teams after.

Tags: Female Nudity, Male Nudity, Flirting, Competition, Reality Show, The Portal Games, Various Species, Draconicon, Series, Teams,