Diet
The majority of dragons are, in actuality, omnivorous. In Sekkai, meat is their main source of a food, even more so in the Desolation. Although dragons are content to eat their meat raw, at festivals meat is often served roasted with spices, as well as that all-important staple of rice. Large fruits, such as melons, are eaten from time to time. One of the few things a dragon will not eat is sugar candy, which causes indigestion.
Quarters
Dragons who are associated with the Academy often live in quarters they share with their rider. These quarters range in size depending on rank and breed. The largest of quarters are placed higher on the massive, honey-combed walls of the Academy. Some dragons, such as Earth, are placed lower, even if they rank highly, due to the lack of true flight.
Quarters contain a nest, which is often made of some material associated with that dragon's element. For Fire and Lava dragons, this is often heated rocks with fire running between the stones. Water dragons have pools or ponds, while Forest dragons have bird-like nests made out of leaves and flowers. This varies between dragons, each having their own distinct preference.
Mating
At one point in Sekkai's history, most matings were private affairs between a dragon and their beloved. This has changed. The vast majority of matings are open to the public, which allows for diversity and strength in the gene pool. Matings range from runs to swims to flights. The majority of matings are flights, Water dragons often included among these, though they tend to gravitate towards water. Earth dragons, incapable of true flight, lead vast chases over the ground, often leaping to glide so all dragons will have a chance.
Female dragons come into fertile times only a few times in their life. They often begin with a call for male courtiers. It advances from there. The mating challenges range from a 'beauty contest', where males perform courtship dances for the females, to races, which involve the chase of a female. Males sometimes fight for dominance over each other, though fatalities are extremely rare. On rare occasions, females will also vie for a prime position in the skies, wanting only the best of conditions for their mating.
Like many aspects of life in Sekkai, the consummation itself is a combination of biology and magic. On mundane occasions of sexual activity only the biological aspects are engaged and no eggs will be produced. These type of relations are often restricted by the wide variation in size exhibited by the different breeds. However on the rare occasion a female dragon is in estrus, an aura of sorts will be generated by both dragons at the climax of the mating flight that allows for impregnation between any male and female dragon.
Clutches have become sadly small, ranging from one to three eggs. Strangely enough, females somehow manage to time their fertility with each other, so that their eggs, which mature at different rates, will hatch at the same time. Candidates are led to the Crystal-giver, an ancient Celestial who hands them a crystal. The eggs hatch and they find their bonded, matching crystals. Dragons, it appears, are born with their names, or often choose ones for themselves while still in the egg, based on conversations they hear while still unhatched.
