Flaming Idiots

Writers: Avery, Heather, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 29th July 2016

Characters: D'kere, Talwynn, A'kua, G'tyn, Kisale, H'larn
Description: "I'm fine, I'm fine- Am I missing an eyebrow?"
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 26 of Turn 8

Everyone in this class was taking one step closer to their first Threadfall ferrying firestone. Here was where they would learn the second part of the twofold means to protect themselves while doing so. First had been betweening. Now it was learning how to flame.

}:I'm ready! I'm ready!:{ Zeiranth was cheering as sacks were being passed out. First would be the trial stones, soft rocks meant to get dragons used to thinking of their other stomachs. Then would come tiny bits of firestone, working up to the bigger bits that would produce larger flames.

Some Weyrlingmasters dreaded the Weyrling's first trips /between/, or their first real Threadfall, but D'kere always dreaded the flaming days. It was just so easy for something to go wrong when you had a group of jumpy, nervous teenagers wielding fire-breathing dragons. He'd pulled the short straw, however, and so there he was, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the stones being handed out to the class.

Talwynn stood in front of one group of nine, having provided them their sacks of stones. This group was the one she was most concerned about. A'kua was her friend, Kisale was somewhat snotty and a boundary-pusher, and H'larn was shy but his dragon was bold and aggressive. So she stood in front of them, crossed her arms, and began to speak.

"Spread out a little bit more. Feed the first bag to your dragons slowly. Have them crush it up in their back teeth. Tell them to think of their second stomachs. Keep that thought in your head to remind them so they don't get distracted. Have them ask any of the staff dragons if they're not sure."

"Chew carefully," A'kua told Zeiranth after everyone had taken a little more room for themselves. "You don't want to bite your tongue."

}:What should I do if that happens?:{ Zeiranth asked as the sack of practice stones was opened.

"You could do what I do: Swear like a sailor and try again."

Across the way, G'tyn snorted while he fed his own dragon. "That's insulting to sailors. Compared to you, they have the cleanest vocabularies on Pern."

A'kua gave him a wher's grin. "Good, that means I'm doin' it right."

}:This feels weird,:{ Zeiranth said as he carefully masticated a rock. }:It's not at all like meat or bone. Is it supposed to feel this weird?:{ he asked of the staff dragons after he swallowed.

}:It's rock, of course it's going to feel differently than food.:{ Kenirath replied to the younger bronze.

"How's it going?" D'kere asked, coming around.

"Zei thinks the rocks have a strange density," A'kua said, feeing his dragon another one, "but so far it's not goin' in his food stomach."

}:Riveth, like this?:{ asked Nayth, sending a sensation over.

}:Good,:{ the green sent back.

"Can I feed Nayth real stone now?" Kisale asked. She pushed her hair back from her eyes and looked impatient.

Talwynn looked at D'kere first, since he was the overall overseer.

"Just wait for the rest of the class." D'kere didn't want to try to manage some dragons with real stone and others without, with this kind of lesson he liked for everyone to be on the same step at the same time.

Zeiranth made a strange "urk" noise, and then hacked loudly, coughing up the mashed stone. }:I'm okay!:{ he hastened to note to the staff dragons. }:That wasn't in my first stomach, my second stomach just didn't much like it.:{

A'kua kicked some dirt over the preview of what regurgitating digested firestone was like, mentally making a note to clean it up later. "At least we know it's workin'. Want to try another?"

}:Yes. Practice is good,:{ Zeiranth answered. He was started to feel very excited. Soon there would be the real thing. His rider would be so proud of him, he just knew it.

Talwynn winced as Zeiranth hucked up the stone. She remembered Riveth doing that in the middle of a pleasant moment.

Nayth sniffed at Zeiranth. }:I am not doing that. I am doing fine,:{ she said as she chewed three more pieces.

D'kere waited to see that all of the dragons could successfully pass the practice stone into the correct stomach before moving on. "Okay, we're going to move on to the real firestone. Remember, the same way you don't walk behind a runner, you never walking in front of a dragon chewing firestone, unless you like being extra crispy."

**Finally,** Kisale thought as she took the bag of real firestone and began to feed it to Nayth. She couldn't wait to see her green's flame. It would be the biggest.

H'larn fed stone to his Chagrith, who eagerly chomped down on each piece and rumbled for more when the bag was over. "No, Char," he said softly.

"Make sure he can sustain flame with that amount," Talwynn agreed. She was hovering behind Riveth, who was keeping an eye on the others. "More bags will come once they succeed."

Zeiranth carefully chewed up and swallowed the small pieces, and waited. And waited. Nothing really seemed to be happening. }:Did you give me enough?:{ he asked, turning his head toward his rider. }:I don't feel-:{

"NO!" A'kua shouted, and threw his arms in front of his face, leaping back just as Zeiranth gave a startled belch and a flame flicked out into the air. The redhead landed and slid, agony lancing through his left forearm and someone shrieking in pain.

Oh. It was him, because the hair had been singed off his left forearm, leaving deeply reddened skin and a line of growing blisters along the outside edge.

Zeiranth promptly panicked. }:I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Someone please help!:{

D'kere sighed. There was always one in every group. Walking over to A'kua, the Weyrlingmaster's Second reached down and hauled him up by his good arm. "Come on, kid, let's get you to the infirmary, they'll want to look at that arm."

}:Zeiranth,:{ there was a bit of exasperation in Kenirath's stern voice, }:you _never_ face humans, or dragonkin, or... _anything but Thread_ when you've chewed firestone.:{

"Tal, you're in charge till I get back." D'kere called over his shoulder.

Riveth's response to Zeiranth was leaning over and using her head to push his neck and head so he was facing no one else. }:Don't _do_ that,:{ the green shouted at all the weyrlings.

**Great, now I get to babysit the kids,** Talwynn thought, thinking she'd rather be dragging A'kua off.

She folded her arms and stared at the rest of the group. "Spread out farther. Have their heads point to the side. Stay behind their shoulders at all time."

Chagrith was next to go, with the amount of stone he'd eaten he was able to belch out a big wide flame. But it didn't last for very long. H'larn sighed. "We'll get more."

Nayth was the next to go. Her tongue of flame was longer but narrower, and she sustained it longer. "That's way better than Zeiranth's," Kisale said proudly.

"The only competition here is not being the idiot to burn yourself," Talwynn said. "Wait until all need to belch is gone before you feed them any more."

Zeiranth hunkered down and made himself as small as possible. }:Yes, Father. Yes, Riveth,:{ he said very meekly, and waited miserably for his rider to be brought back.

A'kua did return later, arm swathed in bandage and smelling strongly of dragonstongue, numbweed, willow salic, and other such medicines. He went right to Zeiranth, picking up the abandoned sack of firestone. "Open up."

}:I don't want to,:{ Zeiranth mumbled. }:I got you hurt. I was stupid.:{

"Aye, you were," A'kua said bluntly. "But I could've been hurt a lot worse, so now it's time to show everyone it was momentary stupidity." He opened the sack with his left hand and brought out some firestone with the right. "Open. Up."

The bronze hesitated, then hesitantly opened his mouth and took the three little pieces, chewing and swallowing. He put his head forward again, A'kua retreated behind his shoulder, and both waited. When Zeiranth opened his mouth again, he was safely pointed away from anyone who could be hurt, and belched another flame, this one reaching farther, but not lasting too long.

"I take it no one else has burst into flame?" D'kere said dryly, coming to stand beside of Talwynn now that A'kua had rejoined the group.

"They've all been _very_ careful to flame at only the air. Although Kisale made Nayth flame an empty bag," Talwynn reported.

Ignoring the staff for the moment, A'kua focused on his dragon and kept stoking flames, but much more controlled, until Zeiranth felt his confidence return.

D'kere walked, cautiously, among the Weyrlings, helping where he could and answering questions from those who needed a little extra guidance. By the end of the class period, he was relieved to say that all of the Weyrlings had achieved flame, no matter how small, and no one else had caught on fire.

"Go clean up your dragons, and good work today." He told them.

Talwynn gave D'kere a small smile as she helped pick up the discarded bags of stone. Even with the mild disaster, this class had been an interesting one to oversee.

Last updated on the August 3rd 2016

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Flaming Idiots