The Endless Day (Gold Maeleth's Flight)

[kitsuneko]

If the events of last night's Gather Feast made it into the longest night of Iskra's life, this morning was shaping up to be the longest day. There was cleaning up the gather, filling the Infirmary with those injured by the dragons' flames, and most of all working to find out who was behind the travesty. Iskra was doing her best to help with all of it, and she'd almost forgotten about Maeleth's upcoming flight in spite of herself. The gold had been silent all day, and Iskra wasn't sure she'd even woken up yet once she'd finally gone to sleep.

That was not to last. All of a sudden, the queen was no longer slumbering, but awake and angry at those who had dared to attack the Weyr she called home. On top of that, she was ravenously hungry suddenly, and the weight of all those emotions hitting her at once nearly bowled Iskra over. She cursed to herself as Maeleth climbed to her feet and gave a lusty shriek. She immediately dropped what she was doing and ran flat out for her weyr. Much as she'd like to help, there was no arguing with a rising dragon. Faranth, she has lousy timing, though, Iskra had time to think. If she'd only risen a day or two earlier...

By the time Iskra arrived in her own weyr, the queen had already left, heading for the Feeding Grounds, and Iskra reached out her mind to touch her dragon's. Hunger and rage warred in her mind as Maeleth circled the herd of cattle, until finally she lashed out, striking one in the neck with her claws and drawing blood, even as she knocked another into the air with her powerful tail. The injured herdbeasts moaned in pain and sent the rest of the herd into an even greater panic, but Iskra didn't even have time now to curse. She was too busy trying to keep the dragon from feeding.

As the gold bit into the neck of the first beast, killing it, Iskra continued to argue with her. Do not feed on it, Maeleth! Blood it only, you need the lighter weight more than the food right now! It was important to Iskra that this be a good, strong, big clutch, and that wouldn't happen if the queen was weighed down with heavy meat.

I won't! It's not fair! Maeleth raged, nothing like her normal, docile self.

Iskra was at least as stubborn as the queen in heat, though, and this scenario was nothing new to her. BLOOD. IT. She said again, imposing her will on the queen.

Finally the queen lowered her head again, and though she gaped her jaws as if to take a bite from her kill, Iskra's words had finally managed to get through to her, and she instead latched her jaws over the neck and began to suck. Far too quickly, the herdbeast was drained, and she looked around. The second herdbeast she'd injured was still nearby, lowing in pain, and she swiftly put it out of its misery. Again she tried to eat, but the fight was much shorter this time and again, she blooded it only.

By now, her shrieks and roars had drawn a decent number of males, though she ignored them as she took down a third beast. Only after she finished draining the blood from that one did she regard her chasers. Come. Try, if you dare. She said simply, and jumped into the air.

[derek]

S'bel and Maerath had settled in nicely to Weyr life at Trelis. It was a lot different from their previous life, but the bronzerider liked the difference. If you stuck with the same things for too long, they got to be boring. Trelis was new (ish. He had been there for awhile now.) and exciting, and he was meeting new people all the time!

Leaning back in his chair (he was an early riser, so he could slip down to the Dining Hall and back with his hot klah and breakfast before the crowds came), S'bel stretched his arms, looking over at his dragon fondly. Maerath was dozing lightly, as was normal for him around this time. The dragon woke when S'bel did, but usually fell back asleep when he returned to the rooms.

Turning back to his breakfast, the man went back to thinking about life at Trelis.

He liked his position as Wingleader, but it would be nice to have a promotion or something. After all, if you stuck with the same things too long, they got to be boring. S'bel had been a Wingleader for years now, and it would be nice to have some sort of change. He just didn't know what kind.

Taking a gulp from his klah, he sighed in contentment. That's what he was. Content. Not happy, not sad, just... content.

Mine.[/color]

S'bel jumped, turning over his chair and shattering the mug of klah on the floor. Maerath was awake? Now? Why in Faranth's name would he be... oh. Well that made sense. Who was Rising, though? He had promised to chase and win that green, but she wasn't due to rise! Not now, anyway! The only dragon he knew that was rising soon was... Maeleth. The Gold. That, he decided, was why Maerath's eyes were swirling rapidly from purple to red and back again.

The dragon moved, lumbering over to the edge of the weyr, where, with S'bel standing off to the side, they both had a view of the Gold Queen, hide brilliant in the cool morning sun, attacked herdbeast after herdbeast, draining them dry as her rider held her, not letting her eat, which would slow her flight. Instead, she tackled each herdbeast with a ferocity that would have been both shocking and terrifying, had S'bel not been a rider and not been exposed to Gold Queens before.

Maerath opened his wings in preparation for taking off, and S'bel laid a hand on his hide. Be careful, his mind voice whispered. The bronze snorted, and lashed his tail. I am always careful. [/color]

As the Gold blooded the last herdbeast, she roared loudly, probably waking half the Weyr, alerting them to her prescence and the fact that she was Rising in flight. Maerath inhaled deeply as she snapped her delicate wings open, and he too opened his wings all the way, with S'bel diving out of their range to avoid being smacked. The bronze bugled his advance and, claws digging into the stone of the weyr, pushed off.

Gravity took hold, and he dropped, gliding for barely a second before his strong, powerful wings began to pump up and down, giving him the power of flight, which gave him the power to Chase, and the power to, quite possibly, win.

Well, being Junior Weyrleader would certainly be a change, S'bel thought to himself. Stepping carefully over the shards of the broken klah mug, he padded out of his weyr, boots hardly making a sound as he descended stairs and crossed hallways until he was standing in the door-way of Iskra's personal weyr. The girl looked rather irritated, he thought, but that would soon be gone. As soon as the Gold had more suitors, her rider would be filled with lust, just as S'bel could feel the feeling rising in his own body. Then again, he could understand the irritation... it was the day after a Gather, after all, and the fiasco that had ensued... well, she had a right to be irritated.

Maerath bugled again, bronze body flashing through the air after the queen. I dare,[/color] he called to her simply.

[Zero]

The past days events had been interesting to say the least or in the case of S’val and Solarith, it had been one hell of a day. It had left the both of their pulses racing and their tempers more then slightly flared. Today however the duo had risen a little earlier then usual. S’val had snatched a few pieces of fruit and a mug of klah from the kitchens while Solarith had taken it upon himself to lay out on the ledge of his weyr to catch the early, warming rays of the rising sun.

Steadily making his way through the still quiet halls of the Weyr, S’val sipped the hot klah with a sigh of content. Oh there was nothing better to wake up to. Well, perhaps something else did top the hot beverage. Grinning at the passing thought of the prior weeks Aviriths flight, he popped a piece of fruit into his mouth and continued along the dimly lit passage. From what he’s hear the Weyrlings were getting along fairly well with their lessons, the new colors didn’t seem to be causing too much trouble. S’val still held some quiet opinions of his own in reserve about that Garnet and his Rider. That one was quite the handful and held some violent tendencies still. It made the Wingleader wary, yet curious, to see how the pair would grow and fit into their fighting Wing.

Suddenly a loud roar sounded throughout the Weyr and instantly S’val was put on edge. Quickly he moved to the nearest window and leaned half his body outside, his eyes scanning the sky and the ground to see what all the commotion was about.

S’valMine, you should move swiftly.

His bronze companion sent him images of the gold Maeleth’s Weyr and S’val knew instantly what was transpiring. Taking a final swig of klah he set the mug on the ledge and started off at a sprint towards his own Weyr. It took him only moments to cross the weyr and reach his quarters and by then Solarith was already pacing his ledge with an air of agitation and desire. Breathing heavily, S’val stepped next to his companion and looked out over the land and down to the distressed herds. An affectionate slap to the bronze hide and few words was all that was needed. “Fly strong.”

With a deafening roar to add to those already sounding through the air, Solarith spread his massive wings and tore from the ledge, claws scoring the stone as he left. Gliding down to the startled cattle, the bronze snatched up two large bulls and tore into their necks, draining them of the sweet crimson liquid before throwing their lifeless bodies back to the earth below. Again he opened his wings and beat them against the air to lift his large frame after that of the gold form of Maeleth.

After watching Solarith speed after his one desire and that of a challenger, S’val was quick to make his way down to Iskra’s own personal quarters. It didn’t take him long to realize that he wasn’t the first to arrive and truth be told that was more then a little frustrating. S’bel, a fellow Wingleader and friend, had arrived before him. He couldn’t be surprised really, this was a Golds flight after all! There was going to be many suitors and a lot of competition. It should prove to be a good flight indeed.

I will do more then try. He called after her, adding another rumble of his own to the fiasco of the air and suitors.

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[Akira]

A'thur had been on his way back to his weyr when the lust of his dragon hit him like a cannon ball to the stomach, and made him take a couple steps backwards. Maelath rises! His dragon's deep words made the man gasp. He turned on his heels and started running to Iskra's room. He slid to a stop at the doorway, and noticed that there were two other riders there, one was another brown rider like himself, and the other was a bronze rider.

A'thur's drark brown gaze slowly took in the site of the Junior Weyrwoman. She truly was a beautiful sight to behold. He proudly entered the room, and bowed deeply to Iskra, before taking his place with the other riders. Merlinth had taken to a sky as soon as he sent word to his rider. He was just in time to see Maelath take to the ear from the feeding grounds.

Fly my queen! Fly fast and far oh beautiful Maelath! Merlinth made sure that his voice was soft, gentle, smooth, and had the touch of a sweet lover. He started crooning, bugleing, and trilling a sweet song for his queen. While his large tan wings beat the sky, adding a deep bass to his song. He flew so that he was beneath the golden queen, and rolled over, and gazed up at the golden queen, still singing his song for her.

[kitsuneko]

She flew, as far and as fast as her wings could take her, and the small part of her mind that was Iskra's urged Maeleth to go as high as she could as well. The higher and longer the flight, the larger the clutch. The thought repeated itself in her mind as she flew further and higher, away from her chasers. Their time would come later, and she hoped they would all stay until the end, but now was her time. Her time to show the bronzes and browns what she could do, and for them to prove themselves to her. She needed the strongest one as her mate, no one else.

The great golden queen flew until she was above the lowest level of clouds, though she could still make out the forms of her chasers. Two bronzes, Maerath and Solarith if she recognized them correctly, and a brown, Merlinth. She usually ignored browns, but still, this one was large, almost of a size with the bronzes, and determined. Perhaps he would do...Although Maerath and Solarith had both fought bravely against the other dragons at the Gather the other day. Either bronze would be a fine sire for her clutch.

There were others, of course, but those three were the ones who stood out to her so far. Lost in her thoughts, Maeleth had continued to climb higher, but her pace had slowed; now the chasers were beginning to catch up to her. The threat of being caught before she was ready spurred her on to greater effort. The herdbeasts' blood still sang in her body, and she was not yet ready for her flight to end. She beat her wings ever harder. Further up and further in, her mind whispered in Iskra's voice, fly high and far.

[derek]

She was flying hard and strong. Maerath followed her as she soared higher, the flight growing longer and longer. The bronze corkscrewed, his long body twisting elegantly in the sky, giving him a boost to catch up to the golden Queen that he so desired.

Maerath noted the other suitors and surged forward. Solarith was a worthy competitor for the great Queen, but the brown would not last, he did not think. He was determined, almost as large as a bronze... but he was a brown. The Weyr needed large clutches, with a Queen egg, and Maerath doubted whether a brown could sire a Queen. Besides, he and Solarith had fought to the death at the Gather, defending their Queens.

Maerath did not croon or call to the Queen. This was her time to fly, and his time to chase. Compliments could come later, if they were to come at all. Thrusting his wings downwards, he caught the wind and soared up, his eyes swirling. He was closer to the Queen now, ready to catch her should she choose him to be her mate.

Her pace had slowed now, and she was high, high in the sky. It was obvious that she was not ready for her flight to end, however, as she forced herself onwards, her wings beating harder than before, carrying her onwards. Maerath stayed with her, his own wings pumping dilligently. His long tail whipped in the wind, and his eyes gleamed in the light.

Hide glowing, he urged himself on, his powerful body thinking of nothing but Maeleth, and of winning her Flight. He was a bronze! He was worthy of the Queen! She would keep flying, high and far, but wherever she went, he would follow. He was a bronze... not only was it his duty, but also his desire. None was so beautiful as she!

[Akira]

Merlinth pumped his wings as hard as he could, climbing higher, and higher, following Maelath as she flew. He knew that normally golds would ignore browns, but she hadn't chased him off, and he thought that was a good sign. He leveled out as soon as he found himself above the clouds, and closer behind the golden queen than he had originally thought he had been. He crooned to the golden queen, urging her to go farther, and longer.

Merlinth saw that she had slowed down, but there was no way he was going to force the end of this flight, Maelath needed to decide when it ended, not the males. That much he was sure of, and he was going to make sure that the two bronzes played fair, and let her decide. Even if that meant that one of them would kill him because he interfered with their chance at catching the golden dragoness they were chasing.

[Zero]

Solarith craned his neck back over his left shoulder as he continued to climb and took a good look at the competition. Now that his Queen had led them above the cloud cover, the bronze was able to get a good first look at who he was up against, or rather, who was in fact up against him. A flash of bronze to his right and his head swiveled in the appropriate direction before his swirling gaze fell on Maerath. Now normally Sol would be elated to see his Weyr brother, as Their's were friends, but not today and not now. His golden goddess was calling out to him, spurring him on and challenging him to out fly every other male in the sky and be chosen as the victor.

His chest expanded as a pair of massive lungs worked on overtime to allow his wings to keep pumping and ultimately keeping him right in the midst of the this Flight. He wasn't going to be giving up easily. Another flash to his right and beneath him, though this color was darker and far less metallic than then two Kings who were in the air. A brown, but surely such a fool would not think of disgracing their Queen by trying to lay claim to her? After the events that transpired at the Gather it was critical that the Weyr get a large, healthy clutch on the sands. They depended on it. It was true Merlinth was large for his color, the size of a small bronze, but Maerath and himself still held the upper hand when it came to size and strenth.

Nothing but a mere rumble parted Solarith as his passing thoughts faded into nothing but proving himself and becoming his Queens champion. With wings snapping against the down against the wind to bring his large frame ever closer to Maelath's. Solarith tore his gaze from the competition and focused in on what he needed to do to prove himself as he spiraled upwards, hopefully rising higher then his bronze brother to be noticed and gain favor with his goddess.

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[kitsuneko]

They flew on in silence for what seemed like ages. Maeleth saw no reason to taunt her chasers into greater effort, and they did not seem to feel the need to ply her with compliments, either, instead saving all their strength for the flight. That was good, the gold thought approvingly. She needed a strong, clever mate, not one that would fill her mind with empty fawning.

It could not last forever, though, and finally Maeleth began to feel herself tiring as the energy she'd sucked from the herdbeasts was all used up. She was very high, and very far from the Weyr as well, though. Perhaps that would be enough...

She sneaked another look at her chasers. Maerath, Solarith, and Merlinth; any of them would be a good mate to her, and the brown had fought hard to keep up with his larger kin...she almost tipped her wings to swerve to Merlinth, but a voice spoke in her head that sounded like Iskra's. Not a brown! We need a Queen egg!

She steadied her flight and roared. Not the brown then. Still, she was running out of energy, and she needed to choose her winner before it was taken out of her claws. Either bronze would be a good mate, but it came down to it, Maeleth simply found that she liked Solarith better of the two. It was not a hard decision.

With a final roar of triumph, the gold stopped her flying and immediately swerved, practically turning a corkscrew in the air until she faced her chasers head on. Solarith, she practically purred, more flirtatious than angry as she had been at the beginning of her flight. You've done well. Let's end this flight, she crooned, and waited for her chosen bronze to reach and catch her.

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Iskra opened her eyes and saw the interior of her own weyr instead of the skies above Trelis. She had just enough time to pick out the male riders who had remained until the end of the flight before giving in to Maeleth's feelings. S'val was the rider closest to her--at least she thought it was S'val, anyway--and she smiled as she went to wrap her arms around him. She and Maeleth had chosen well; she had no regrets.

[Zero]

The day wore on and although Solarith would follow Maeleth to the end he was beginning to feel the strain on his muscles as the flight continued onwards. Yet he refused to turn back and crawl home just yet. He would not succumb to defeat till his Queen turned back and chased him from the scene. He was built to fly, fight, protect, and most importantly to pass his genes on to the next generation to ensure a healthy clutch on the sands and the continuation of a strong bloodline.

The wind shifted and Solarith felt his aggression spike as it looked as though his Queen was about to tilt her wings and spiral towards the brown. He felt a rumble building in his chest as his head snapped towards Merlinith, though he kept his jaws closed tightly to keep the agitated growl to himself. No good would come of questioning a Queens decision but he could still feel a little distain towards his Weyr brother.

No sooner had these thoughts passed through the large males mind that he realized that Maeleth had veered back away from the smaller brown and continued to run from the three remaining contenders. That was promising, at least she wasn’t falling to his smaller brethren. His eyes slowly began to fade from the red that had began to form and had steadily returned to the lustful purple that had fueled him through the entire flight.

Maeleth, my Queen.

What felt like an eternity passed before he not only heard but felt her voice penetrate his mind. Instantly he kicked in the last of his reserves and clawed his way through the air, ahead of his competition, closing the gap between them as she twisted through the air to face him. A roar of triumph bellowed from deep in his chest as he slipped through the air to lay claim to his goddess as she had chose him. Within moments his bronze body met her golden frame and they twined together as one. He would fly her well, they would move as one and soon their efforts would be steadily hardening on the Hatching Sands in front of a nervous batch of candidates. Their children would be strong, their children would be magnificent, and they would prove to the other weyrs that their children, no matter what color they hatched, they would be brilliant.

Back down in Iskra’s quarters S’vals gaze split between that of his bronze and himself so that he saw both the swirling sky through one eye and the gold riders quarters through the other. It was a confusing sight to behold really, especially as the Wingleader had currently been pacing around the room like an agitated fang tooth. He felt the arms of another wrap around his neck and for a moment he felt his muscles tighten as he thought it was one of the other males moving to attack him in anger from the results of the flight. Luckily though his vision cleared enough to realize that it was Iskra who had wound her arms around him. A twisted little grin pulled at the corner of his mouth as he shot a parting glare at the remaining men in the room before he focused all his attention on the woman in his arms as the full force of his dragons lust filled his mind.

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