Dreams of Grandeur

Writers: AL, Chelle, Emma, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 22nd August 2011

Characters: Rhosyn, K'sedel, K'reyel, Y'gel, U'das, J'ren
Description: Orlaith goes up for her second flight at River Bluff.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 3, day 2 of Turn 6

K'sedel

K'reyel

Y'gel

It was hot. It was hotter than hot. Rhosyn was living on the sun. The
goldrider had taken herself to the beach and was currently sitting in
the water, thinking about taking a trip to the snowy mountains far
south. "This is not okay. I mean honestly, I am going to melt."

Back at the Weyr, her queen was soaking up the awfully hot sun. Her
golden hide reflected it, making her a white blur from where she was
sleeping atop the sand. Nothing could look at her directly without
being blind. If they could, they would see that she was stirring.

And when she did stir, the first sensation came to Rhosyn. "WHY!?!?"
Running out of the water, she hurried to put on her sandals, then took
off to get to the Weyrbowl. "OW! Ow! OW!" She was sure that her feet
were going to burn off, despite the sandals.

Orlaith's big head came around as her lids focused and the heat
stopped slowing her down. She shook her entire body from headknobs to
tail tip and the sleep left her. She was voracious. Her red eyes
whirled to the herdbeast pen. In a lightning quick movement her big
body shouldn't be capable of, she was there.

Seeing a bluerider coming her way, Rhosyn jumped on his back. "She's
going up... my feet. Take me now!"

For a moment, he was confused, then as one, the dragons were focused
and he knew. Running with her on his back, he carried her the rest of
the way and set her down on a sisal carpet made for sunbathing. She
pulled her arm up to shield her eyes, wishing she had goggles.

}:I will be magnificent again:{ Orlaith muttered to herself as she
looked at the scared herdbeasts, lowing and moving away from her. }:
But I am hungry:{

**Stop playing with your food and blood** Rhosyn told her in her mind,
though her teeth were clenched. Orlaith was harder than most, but now
with the unending heat, it was worse. Her feet were burning and her
skin was as well.

Gnashing her jaw against the restraint, Orlaith bellowed her anger.
She continued to stare down at the frightened animals. Then all of a
sudden, like a tunnelsnake, she struck and took one down, burying her
teeth into its neck, ripping it out and spraying blood everywhere
before she sucked on it. It was warm down her gullet, but that
wouldn't sustain her.

**No meat or you'll be heavy and slow** Rhosyn reminded her, producing
another bellow.

The sounds were enough. K'sedel immediately dismissed the drill that he
and K'reyel were leading and followed it and their dragons to the
feeding pens.

Nikornath was dispatching a herdbeast as his rider got there, blood
around his maw. }:You will fly well with me again, I gave you good
strong hatchlings and I can do so again.:{

Zackariath roared his challenge to the other bronzes when he joined the
growing group of dragons at the Hatching pen.

U'das was panting a bit when he reached the feeding pens. Zack had not
bothered to wait him and had forced his rider to walk and climb all the
way up the Weyr's cliff side. He was not exactly happy with his lifemate
just now.

}:Orlaith rises.:{ That was all the warning J'ren had before Kenaranth
glided down to the pens to join the other bronzes who were milling
about.

A grin spread its way over his face as J'ren pretty much dropped the
work he had been doing on his desk with a plop and shot to his feet.
He raced through the halls and then out to bowl and raced over it, sand
flying behind him in his hurry. He jerked to a stop when he reached
the body of male riders whose dragons had come to try and catch the
delicacy that was currently making short work of a herdbest. One man
tried to press against him, butting him out of the way, but J'ren
merely stepped to the side, causing him to lose his balance and then
drew forward to get a better view of Rhosyn. The heat was already
rising in his own blood and he found his breathing had quickened with
the anticipation of the flight.

When Aughashyth informed him Orlaith was rising. Y'gel put down his
klah and rose from his desk. He didn't rush like so many others for he
knew their chances were minimal. **blood only** he cautioned and got
back the ravening need of the rutting bronze. **blood only, or you'll
be heavy and you have challenges enough already.** Y'gel braved the
bright light of the Weyrbowl that threatened to blind him and knock
him over with heat. But he climbed to the pens with the others to join
the circle of riders.

Erdenth was also after a herdbeast, a large one that gave a shriek as
the bronze grabbed it before it was dispatched. **Blood it,** K'reyel
told him. **Just blood and you will chase well.**

Orlaith wanted them all to be quiet and let her eat. After she left
the dead herdbeast lying there, she went on to take another one and
another until the warm blood was enough to fill her veins. Hungry no
longer, she looked up at the sky. It would carry her as far as she
wanted to go. Feeling the need to mate call to her, she answered it
with one long, loud roar which would have alerted the dragondeaf in
the Weyr that something was happening.

}:I go now and none will be my equal. I will fly for my children and
my Weyr and they will know my name. Let them call it:{ Opening her
large wings, she hunched down to gather her strength and then she
launched into the air. With a few solid wingbeats she gained momentum
before heading out as fast as she could, ready to fly.

Rhosyn smelled the sea on the air and she saw the blinding sunlight.
She closed her eyes, allowing her other senses to guide her. She was
warm, hot and the wind cooled her, but only just enough. And those
stupid males thought they could catch her! Smiling, she looked back at
them and then headed off to the right.

}: Orlaith! :{ Zackariath called her and launched after her, his strong
hind legs giving him a push from the ground. His hide shone in the
sunlight, hiding the slight greenish tint in his bronze.

Erdenth was taking to the air too. He knew he could catch a gold, he'd
done it once, and now was the time to try again.

Nikornath also launched himself up into the sky after Orlaith. }:Sweet
Orlaith,:{ he called. }:Remember last time? We can make it as wonderful
again.:{

Kenaranth didn't call to the gold. Why? It was simply a waste of
energy. As soon as the gold thrust off into the air, he was in it as
well. His wings sliced through the air and filled out with the current
once he got higher which carried him forward and allowed him to remain
just in the wake of the glittering gold.

Aughashyth launched mightily, his wings and body strong and in their
prime. He glowed with health and only the straining tendons in his
once injured wing limited his mobility slightly compared to the other
bronzes. He crooned to the golden prize and strained against the
clouds with every fiber of his being. Y'gel yearned to enfold her in
his wings and plummet toward the sea with her in the primal way of
their kind.

This time Zackariath was taking it easy, No fancy flying, he need to
conserve his strength and protect his wing.

Flying like her tail was on fire, Orlaith was reminding her bronzes just
why she was senior queen. As wily as she could be with her enormous
size, she headed in and out of the clouds, gaining altitude. She knew
the higher she flew and the longer she flew, the better the flight
would be. She would have many eggs.

Her breaths came quicker with her exertions. Her wingbeats were steady
and she didn't falter. Rhosyn's arms came out, as she felt the moisture
from the clouds against her hot skin. She cried out with the pleasure
of the flight, her body braced against the exertion. }:I am not sweet,
Nikornath. I am fire. I am burning. I am hungry. I am free!:{

Her whirling red eyes scanned the sky for any obstructions. }:Can you
last Zackariath? I think you are already flagging.:{ She was egging
them on, teasing them, taunting them. They had to work harder to
impress her.

Kenaranth swept to the side, narrowly avoiding a collision with
another bronze who tried to barrel through. His wings tilted and he
shot up and forward, gaining distance over the other. His eyes whirled
brightly as he continued to pound his wings against the air and chase
the glittering female.

}: Yes. I can last! :{ Zack replied and pulled out more reserves from
somewhere. He surged forward, getting ahead of the others.

Eyes narrowed, Nikornath pumped his wings harder, the better to get
into a winning position. He had to do this again.

Aughashyth caught an updraft and momentarily rested his wings but he
was tiring. Not only that but he knew he was out of position. There
were several others between him and the beautiful gold. }:Orlaith!:{
he crooned longingly after her but she was a brilliant teasing streak
of fire in the sky. Once again he drove mightily forward trying to win
her attention.

Zackariath snarled at a bronze who came too close for comfort. He was
reaching the limit of his endurance and loosing his head. If Orlaith
didn't choose soon, he would drop out of the contest.

Heedless of how close to overexertion the older bronze was, Orlaith
drove herself on and on. Thinking herself far enough, she then began to
climb. She had to fly high and fall far to make good eggs. Lashing out
at the wind with her great wings, she clawed her way through the
clouds, soaring higher and higher until she began to tire, feeling the
air get thinner. Thwarted and unable to go any further, she finally
admitted to herself after so long that she was ready to end it.

Rhosyn's eyes became slightly darker when the choice was made. Her
golden queen screamed, turning so she could find him. }:Where are you,
Kenaranth?:{ And as she saw him, coming toward her, she flew to him.
Just as he would have encircled her, though, she was jerked downwards.
Looking up, her red eyes saw Nikornath atop her. The wily old bronze
had dropped onto her and caught, ending the flight once more.

Falling quickly, the two of them repeated their dance from the time
before. Orlaith trusted him to stop her, mating as long as she could
to fertilize her eggs.

Meanwhile, Rhosyn jerked bodily as she was ripped out of the sky. She
had been going for J'ren and then her eyes swept across the room. She
locked on K'sedel as Nikornath claimed his prize. Daring him to claim
her again, she fell to her knees on the floor as Orlaith began to fall
to the ground.

}:Mine,:{ Nikornath told Orlaith, pride in his voice. }:Our eggs will
contain the best hatchlings, you'll see.:{

Y'gel turned to the solace of a flight moth as Aughashyth wheeled on
tired wings to land on a nearby peak to regain his strength.

Zackariath was too tired to be disappointed, and he just returned to his
weyr. U'das didn't lose time finding someone to spend the Flightlust with.

Last updated on the November 6th 2011

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Dreams of Grandeur