Rumble Time

Writers: Iluva, Steel
Date Posted: 14th May 2026

Characters: R'zen, A'garyn
Description: The dragons wrestle and the riders spectate
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 1 of Turn 13

A'garyn

When: DFW
Mentioned: Nazoth, Malzyveth, K’valas,
~~~~

}:This is boring!:{ Ibranth declared. }:I am bored!!:{ The blue looked around, mantled his wings. }:Talarcheth!! I challenge you!!:{

A low growl answered as that particular mindvoice pulled him from his nap. The bronze yawned, long and slow, and shuffled his wings against his back without a move to rise. He was not opposed to playing, or testing strength-- or, more satisfying still, simply putting the other dragon in his place-- and the oil on his hide was almost dry, smoothed over him with precision, glistening under shifting sunlight. He was just not in the mood.

}:Ibranth.:{ Straight to the point. }:You're annoying me. Go bother someone else.:{

Ibranth huffed at him and mantled his wings. The blue's tail lashed _slowly_ from side to side. }:Mine says victory does not wait. I _will_ wrestle you, Talarcheth.:{ His head bobbed, weaving back and forth a little bit like a tunnelsnake as he sized Talarcheth up.

Nazoth and Malzyveth were bigger, and he had prevailed against _them_.

He had defeated Malzyveth only yesterday.

R'zen closed his eyes briefly. That was… yeah. A familiar feeling.

**Who are you trying to play with?**

}:I am _wrestling_!:{ Ibranth declared. }:Talarcheth!:{

Talarcheth snorted, unconvinced. But he looked over now, sizing Ibranth up in half-hearted consideration. He snorted again when A’garyn’s interest was piqued enough to peer through the agitated whirling, laughing. **Do it. Maybe it’ll tire him out a bit.**

}:He’s dim and flies at everything like it's food.:{ the bronze sighed.

A'garyn smirked. He set his notes down on the desk and sat back, fingers locking behind his head. In that small alcove, with only wing formations and his thoughts, he sometimes caught himself thinking of earlier times. Before walls, before restrictions. **You can take him.**

}:I could destroy him.:{ Talarcheth agreed. Uncoiling from his spot, head low, a growl building in his throat, he flexed his talons into the ground. }:Come get me, then!:{ he roared, a tiny little sound.

R'zen stood up and stretched. He needed a break anyway. And so what if he was gonna watch? Ibranth was funny, and it was also easier to manage a situation if he was there in person.

He paused, however, beside A'garyn's alcove, rapped on the wall beside it. “... You coming? Or nah?”

Ibranth needed no further urging to fling himself at Talarcheth in a rush. }:I will defeat you!:{ he declared happily.

Crouching low, his breath stilled, Talarcheth waited, poised, until the last possible second-- until Ibranth filled the air just in front of him-- then dashed sideways in a long, fluid leap. Not quite cleanly; irritatingly, his tail clipped the other dragon. Still, he was cackling at his escape. He could do better. He whirled not far from Ibranth and roared another challenge, daring him again, even as he bolted straight back at him.

A’garyn’s head whipped over at the knock.

His eyes sharpened back into focus fast enough that the flash of anger was visible-- for actually being surprised. He'd been further away than he looked, and R'zen pulled him back. There was a long pause, his hands still locked behind his head. A classmate to spectate with wasn't the worst idea, and Talarcheth was bigger, and whatever effect Ibranth had on his bronze's nerves, he didn't actually want the blue hurt. Still.

He rose and shoved the notes aside in a heap. “Yeah, why not.” The smirk he wore was feral, conspiratorial, and he slid past R'zen down the corridor. “Let's go.”

Ibranth was smaller than his bronze playmate, and spun a bit at the tail-clip. When the bronze surged back towards him, the blue put his smaller size and practice with Nazoth into effect, feinting to the right and then swerving left at the last moment, and let out a little bellow of his own.

R'zen grinned back at him. “Beats staring at classwork.” He offered casually, trotting in Ibranth’s direction. “At least, for a bit.”

“Big time.” A’garyn nodded. “The time still drags at a desk all day.” Even all these months later.

Just ahead, the light pouring in from the weyrbowl flickered, two blurred shapes shooting past.

From what he'd seen of the senior weyrlings' schedule, it would only get more demanding. He smiled faintly, eyes tracking Talarcheth as he whirled around and darted at Ibranth again. “It'll pick up once we're in the air.” He shot R’zen a sidelong look and slanted back against the stone wall, arms folding loosely. “How are you finding the physical part of training? You haven't had that bandage in a while.”

R'zen huffed, crossed his arms. “It scarred okay.” He responded, glanced down at his right arm reflexively before he shrugged. “It's not _too_ hard, even if a lot of it's physical, I guess.” He offered.

“I kinda like the challenge. It's the sitting and staring at hides that can get kinda tiresome, I guess, even if that sorta stuff is important too.” He added. “Looking forward to Ibranth actually flying, and then us flying. And of course, him getting to catch his own food.”

“I know what you mean.” A'garyn’s head lifted, tilting as if to study the sky, the space where they would meet Thread, and then, more thoughtfully, across the Weyrbowl. As if the Weyr were something that could be held in the palm of your hand. Like it could vanish within an hour. Fall away.

But now, it was alive, busy-- it was an hour pulsing with emotion and young frustration and eyes opalescing in a burnished bronze face. His chest felt their twined aliveness. How keen Talarcheth was. His dragon’s focus was narrowing as he stalked along the ground, getting closer and closer.

A’garyn watched, casual, yet intent. **Careful.**

Indignation flashed back at him. There would be no careful, or gentle, or anything else. }:He should have picked another dragon if he wanted someone who would just hand it to him.:{ Though technically he couldn’t turn quite as fast as the blue, and there _was_ more of him to hit.

Growling low in his throat, for a moment Talarcheth assessed his approach with eager fascination. Then crouching low again, rump wiggling in the air that was in no way supposed to be cute, he all but flew over the ground and pounced at Ibranth. }:I. will. destroy. you!:{ he bellowed, utterly certain.

“You like bloodsport, R’zen? You seem like the type.”

Ibranth all but vibrated in place, eyes whirling incandescent blue and green with the faintest flecks of excited intensity. Yes! A proper challenge, from a worthy playmate!

**You’re smaller than him, Ibranth, but you’re faster.** R’zen told his blue. **You’ve got this.**

The blue bugled, though it was really more of a squeak, and waited until Talarcheth was _almost_ to him before he leapt back, twisting in a circle to complete the motion and ‘bap’ Talarcheth with one forepaw. Then he was springing away again. }:I got you!:{ He exulted. }:More!:{

“... Depends.” R’zen responded, finally. “Used to get in fights, but Da’d always find out. Or Ma and my sisters, and make all kinds of fuss.” He shrugged one shoulder. “... Dad's a Healer. So…”

He paused, then added, “... What do you mean, I seem like the type?”

Talarcheth snorted at the little boop to his nose. He shook his head, confused and mildly enraged, and the snort turned into a little snarl.

Oh, Ibranth was going to _get_it_.

Like a stone skipping hard across a lake, the bronze leapt after Ibranth in long, savage strides, barely touching the ground now, and then -- he was over him. His wings wide and shining, and a mental laugh that shone with glee, too. }:Gotcha!:{

A’garyn arched a brow. “You mean besides just saying you used to fight and inviting me to come watch them brawl?” A nod to the mass of limbs hurling themselves through the air a few meters away. “Call it a feeling, I guess.” He exhaled softly, almost a laugh, as he thought of the way the blue and his rider all but collided with anyone in their way at meal times, too.

He debated letting the silence sit. “Me too, though. My parents were the same way about it, but they weren’t crafters. There’s not much place for that in a Hold.” A’garyn’s smirk also said that he’d found that place more than a few times as he glanced at R’zen, noting the trace of a scar on the kid’s face, and in a more controlled echo of his dragon, he shook his head once, slightly. “But you need some fight here. Especially where we’re going.” His gaze fell back on their dragons -- and he let it sit there longer than necessary, sharp, rapt. “You already know that, though. They do, too.”

The blue squealed in excited determination. }:You might have won this time, but I will prevail!:{ he declared, and twisted away.

“Ibranth coulda had anyone.” R'zen agreed. “But he picked _me_.” He grinned, sudden and sharp, straightened a little in _pride_.”You're right that there's not much chances in a Hold. I was _glad_ to come here.” he added.

A slow exhale. “... Guess I just always wanted _more_, honestly.” He admitted. “Hate it when stuff's easy. Or when people are dumb.”

Talarcheth bounded after him again, zig-zagging wildly in an attempt to avoid another ‘bap’ to his nose. }:Never!:{ he roared.

A rough noise rose in A’garyn’s throat. There were so many times he would have welcomed some reprieve from sour wind and sleet and hail-- times when he would have slid back into a hold on his knees. Paranoid, prone to rage, but clear-eyed enough to rest and eat greedily, or not eat at all. A night of safety would have been enough. ‘Easy’ had always been preferable to starving, and anything less was stupidity. But that wasn’t what R’zen meant. Those pieces came from a world R’zen had never been in. They wouldn’t help. Different definitions of a word that couldn’t be spoken. That was what it was like. A space that could not be translated, only felt. Forced into your being.

He watched Talarcheth-- that prowling grace as he debated angles, making quick decisions along the ground. He watched that wedge-shaped head turn toward him, the pressure of the memories edged and jagged. A’garyn urged him back to playing, pushing that world away, finding words again.

“No escaping people like that.” He muttered, exhale quiet. He refolded his arms and gave another sidelong look. “Wanna go get food?”

Ibranth spun and darted, wings half-spread as he bounded along, his bronze brother in hot pursuit. Even when the bronze slowed, Ibranth did not, all frenetic forward motion.

R’zen glanced back at him, considering another moment, before he nodded. “... I could eat.” He agreed. “C’mon. Maybe they’ve got fresh bubbly pies or something.”

A'garyn did glance back at the weyrbowl, something close to a grin finding him as bronze and blue were attempting to pin each other at the same time. “They haven't spilt any ichor yet. Talarcheth's going to be insufferable about this for days.”

“Dragons would never hurt each other.” R'zen huffed, slanted A'garyn another look. “Ibranth’s not trying, he's just having fun.” He added. “Talarcheth is bigger but I think Ibranth’s a bit faster.”

He started walking, though adjusted his pace to keep level with the other. “Might not be able to escape dumb people,” he allowed. “But at least now we've got dragons.”

Both were tall and long-legged, and R’zen didn’t need to adjust much, but A’garyn let him lead. The collision of eager dragonets again and again hardly made the contact safer. A’garyn said nothing of it either. It was a lucky thing that Talarcheth was only playing, feeling him fixed and focused in his movements, because they were part of each other and both parts were just as eager.

"Yeah," he agreed, smirk sliding back into place. “We’re already further than we ever would have been at a hold. And once we’re cleared to _between_, I’m taking mine back for a little visit.”

“I don’t see any point in going back, myself.” R’zen huffed, though half amused himself by Ibranth’s glee. “I’ve got everything I need right here. Besides, my sisters would be all over Ibranth in a heartbeat.” he added. “We don’t need that fuss.”

A pause, running his hand through his hair to brush it back as he thought. “I can’t wait to just _fly_. Me and Ibranth are gonna go everywhere.”

“Still getting used to that," A'garyn admitted. “Go North. Anywhere.”

The smell of bread and slow-cooked spiced meat hit them hard as they entered the dining hall. A’garyn bit into a redfruit, his eyes already flicking over the other trays on offer-- sandwiches and meatrolls. Stacks of dragontails. Though she was in good hands with K’valas seeing to a lot of her care, a small pang rose in his chest at the thought of Zolta-- and with her, K’valas. He missed her presence and he missed his scent. What lay beneath the dirt, the grime. Him. At the very end of the line sat the pies, a good number of them already claimed.

“I can’t wait to hunt together. Outside the Weyr.” A’garyn bounced a brow, pie in hand. “Ever see a flock of wherries scattering for their lives? Talarcheth’s gonna take it to another level.”

R’zen had, of course, taken a redfruit and a dragontail as well as one of the pies in his other hand, biting into it with relish. “Maybe me and Ibranth’ll tag along.” He responded. “They say blues are faster than bronzes. We could catch the ones Talarcheth scatters.”

His gaze flickered over the Dining Hall, already half imagining himself at one of those Wing tables. “.. Eat here or head back?”

"Yeah, maybe. If Talarcheth doesn't flatten him before then." A'garyn said, noncommittal. He watched R'zen as he surveyed the space. The kid was frank, charged into things and decided what to do once he was there, and for a moment A'garyn was still, hit by something he didn’t reach for. "Head back," he said, already nodding toward the exit, already heading back down the corridor to the weyrbowl.

Last updated on the June 4th 2026

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Rumble Time