If it flew, Urbane was on it. Ever since he was a young child he'd had an obsession with flying things. As the son of a muggle and a witch, he knew that the mundane world had its share of flying machines and plain old birds. But he was a wizard, and he could do things that they couldn't. He didn't need an airplane to fly, he could use a broom or carpet, or even just levitate himself!

That was his first magical act, in fact, when he was 6 years old. Urbane lifted off the floor of the play room and began bopping his bouncy-ball on the ceiling. Right about then, his mother knew he was one of her line. Oddly, his little sister who is now 19 never developed magical powers. She shares her brother's obsession with flight, though, and is in training to be a pilot for an airline.

But Urbane went to magic school. He passed with good but not spectacular marks in everything else, but he excelled in magic which altered gravity. Charms for levitation, moving, and manipulating at a distance, excellent. His incredible reflexes in the air earned him a 4 year spot on the Quidditch team at his school, playing the lead Chaser and in his final 2 years as the Captain as well.

He spent another two years after school in the minor Quid leagues, until he was injured by a bludger that smashed his catching hand. Even muggle technology mixed with magical potions could not rescue his dexterity, though perhaps some day he'll play fully again. He still favors the hand, though it doesn't hurt him. And it's also remotely possible that he is simply holding himself back from being a professional Quidditch player, because he's afraid of losing.

Urbane volunteered to become Zora's flight and sports instructor, and perhaps he fancies her a bit. Everyone does, but he's always there when she needs something zipped along on a broom. So when the dragons started coming along, well, that cinched it. He wasn't leaving.

Yet it was not quite to a dragon that he was drawn, though perhaps there might be one in his future too. No, it was a portal created to a location on a distant, magical world where wolves grew wings, and where a litter of colorful, noisy pups were in need of friends.

Flying wolves. He had an enchanted frizbee. What could be better?

She boldly stepped out of the litter's furry, feathery, leggy mix and stretched. Her young, growing wings had a splash of white on their tips, but hadn't fully grown in to their full flight length yet. But even so, with most of his life devoted to things that flew, Urbane could tell that she'd have beautiful plumage.

He wasn't big on dogs, few wizards seemed to have them as pets - but this was no pet before him.

"'lo," she said, ear flopping slightly after it went up eagerly. "'ow'are you?"

Urbane was instantly smitten, but he didn't say that. What he said was, "brilliant!" Which was, on retrospect, something rather stupid of him to have said.

"Oh, well I'm pretty smart m'self, so I think we'll get along just fine, you an' I." She shook herself from any of the hay and fur left from their sleep nook, and said, "'m Travalis Blackrain, mind if I tag 'long with ya?"

"I don't mind at all!" Urbane said.

They filled out the necessary paperwork, he was used to that kind of thing, as the Ministry of Magic kept people constantly messing with forms. And then, Urbane opened their return-home portkey, which happened to be the enchanted frizbee...

Travalis was adept with earthly magic, and actually helped quite a bit when it came to softening landings on the flight field or under the Quid area. There were some nasty rocks, she powdered them. There was a weird pit of stones that kept moving, which she ran into the castle and occasionally they would be seen lurking around in corners looking rather like a swept pile waiting to be binned. (They would run away, again, frustrating even the House Elves whose job it was to clean up.)

She never lost any of her energy, in fact if anything, as she grew up she gained more! She'd frequently be seen hanging from Urbane's broom by her teeth, wings flailing and tail windmilling about - they challenged each other as fliers and both benefitted...

Would Urbane ever try to really play Chaser again? Maybe he would, if Travalis was his wing-man!

***

It was just under a season later, when a weird call from another dimension came in through a seer's crystal. Desmond Voorhees strode into the flight instructor's office near the Quid patch, and said, "I think this is for you," and handed Urbane the shard of silver mirror. A wobbly image of a woman who looked more like a muggle than anything else furrowed her brow and mouthed some words.

"Oh, sorry, hold on," Desmond said, and waggled his fingers to form a rune in the air, which turned up the volume of the message.

"... To bring another, it would be acceptable. We've heard your first sponsorship is going well, if you wish to find a second from our new litter that would also be fine."

"That's the woman from Ford Aigan!" Urbane said, "how does she know where to find me?"

Desmond shrugged, "magic maybe?" He smiled. "I think she wants you to try finding another - you can't have one wolf without another, right?"

"... Right, right," Urbane laughed, and then called out to Travalis. "Hey! Trav! Do you want to have a pack?"

She squealed with delight and skidded around the corner into the office, where she landed in a pile of Quidditch equipment. To Desmond it looked like this was there for a reason, nothing breakable in that corner...

"Well off we go then," Urbane picked up his enchanted frizbee.

***

He was all but pure white, but he had the feel of a fresh breeze around him. Cousin to his brown companion Travalis, Hiluya Tasana wasn't as exuberant or as guileless as she. She was more apt to nudge the pup to join in, she was obviously the Alpha of their little pack, but he could keep up with anything she did with ease.

His golden eyes caught everything that went on, if only to make sure he wasn't caught up in something he wasn't prepared to do! Hiluya brought up the rear when it came to bringing things out to the Quid patch, though he was studious and always made sure that the players had the right gear on at all times.

"So," Urbane said to Zora, as they watched a practice match which was running late into the afternoon due to the evenness of the teams. "You think they're gonna be mates?"

Zora's green eyes turned a weirder color, as she looked sidelong at her flight coach. Then it dawned on her what he was talking about, as the two wolves played just outside the boundary lines keeping the kids from drifting too far. "Well, not if it's up to the male there... He's a bit shy isn't he? He's a sweetheart. But he's never going to get past Trav's charms. I bet she'd like to, but... Well, they're cousins aren't they?"

"They are, but does that matter to wolves?"

"Why not ask them? Or," Zora chuckled, "why not just find some others?"

She walked back into the keep, and left Urbane with a funny look on his face. "Others?"

Name: Travalis Blackrain
Gender: Female
Breed: Breed: Reririan/Western Canese/Alskyrian/Pernese/Elurivan
Litter: 1
Parents: Parents: Turoke Tasana x Tivara BlackRain
Colour: Brown
Personality: Uninhibited, Enthusiastic, Sociable
Height: 3'
Ability: Reririan Earth Magic

***

Name: Hiluya Tasana
Gender: Male
Breed: Pernese/Alskyrian/Rerian/Elruvian (7/16, 2/16, 2/16, 1/16)
Litter: 2
Parents: Tysale Tasana x Eshah Aller
Colour: White
Personality: Self-Conscious, Athletic
Height: 3'
Ability: Air Magic

The next thing Urbane knew, Others had appeared. Well, an other, but still one more to the pack was welcomed!

Nila was his name, and though he wasn't obviously the same species as the other two winged wolves, this Fu-Dog from Mindspace fit right in. He could walk on air, that kept him flying with the other two easily. But he was a bit more reserved when it came to 'fun stuff'. He could spot spirits walking among the living, or remove them to their proper place among the dead - powerful stuff, for a creature like this. He rarely made the effort to speak aloud, prefering to rumble his communication through his powerful mind.

Abilities: (common) Telekinesis, Telepathy, Wingless flight [running on air], verbal speech [barely understandable]
(less common) Empathy and Weak Healing Magic
(uncommon) Summon Spirits, Communicate with Spirits
(rare) Weak Necromancy

And very shortly after Nila, came another male - very bright and enjoyable, Nokch'a blew in on his own breeze. If anything, he fits in even better with the winged Wolves, with his air oriented magic, and he obviously enjoys the attention that Travalis is giving him...

Abilities: (common) Telekinesis, Telepathy, Wingless flight [running on air], verbal speech [barely understandable]
(less common) Weak Destructive Magic (often breaks things by accident)
(uncommon) Wind Magic (very strong in his case)
(rare) Elemental Fire Magic, Light Magic

***

Things had progressed nicely for Urbane and his pack of flying canines. The Fu-dogs enjoyed gargoyling themselves on the corners of the keep, looking out for whatever dangers might approach, while the pair of winged wolves danced around on the Quid patch and helped (or hindered) flight practices.

Quite like the dragons, the wolves and fu's seemed to know when other worlds needed sponsorships. They sat around howling until a wizard opened a portal up to their preferred world... Sgiath Wolfkeep was their destination this time.

Urbane followed the excited wolves, and found not just one but several litters of wild-born cubs. Others milled around, looking for just the right match.

The brownish-colored Jeyphar was the first to lift his head and answer the other wolves' howls. He wobbled at first but then stretched elegantly and marched up to Urbane. "At your service," he said. They progressed toward other clumps of active pups.

"She's all mopey," Jeyphar grumbled when Urbane scratched a female's shoulder. She stuck her tongue out at Jeyphar, but didn't argue with him. She was mopey. But she wanted to mope somewhere else.

"You do not have an injury any longer," Kaara Leafchaser announced, quietly. "You should play your game."

Urbane looked at the lovely silver wolf, chewed his thick lip, and then smiled. "Well, I do play my game. But now I do it for a school - and I like it there. So will you!"

***

As the trio grew they integrated into the school with ease. Vina, mopey as usual, slunk through the halls at night making sure that no students were out after lights-out. Jeyphar assigned himself as a greeter of sorts, and enjoyed helping with Quidditch practices. Kaara, unsurprisingly, became a sort of school nurse, though she was never afraid to enter a fray or game!

Name: Jeyphar
Gender: Male
Species: Alskyrian
Color: Brown-Grey Common Grey
Abilities: TP 6
Personality: street-wise, mellow, and easy to get along with
Code: Ca2Ca5 Ca1Ca6 Gg RR AA PxPpris WW Tt Ea1Ea2 Ss At2at2

Name: Vina Dreph
Gender: Female
Species: Reririan
Color: Black-Brown Common Grey
Abilities: Reririan Magic-has a high concentration of magic in there blood; dosn't need to rely on an outside source of energy/magic
Personality: serious, depressed, and lethargic
Code: Cr3Cr5 Cr2Cr1 GG rR aA PoPo Ww TT Er3Er4 ss Amr2Amr1

Name: Kaara Leafchaser
Gender: Female
Species: Eastern Canese
Color: Pale Silver
Abilities: Healing
Personality: playful, dependable, and respectful
Code: Cca8Cca4 Cca9Cca2 gg rr AA PxPdal wW tt Er1Er1 amc(er)Amc(hl)