Reluctance [Solo]

“No. We’re getting down to the lake where you’ll be safe.” They had been arguing for several minutes about what the plan of action should be. D’hys often found it amusing that his dragon that barely talked to others and seemed to have a personality that matched the icy pattern of his hide could have such compassion for some of his fellow dragons.

This, however, wasn’t a time for such things. It seemed like half of the mountain had come down on Katila with the amount of keening, shouting, and sorrow that filled the air. Zeianth had led them to the Gathering Square since he wouldn’t stop and argue, knowing perfectly well that D’hys would mount him and refuse to move until they were at the lake. He hadn’t heard or seen the destruction until that moment and D’hys wasn’t sure he would forget it either.

The keening had woken him initially and Zeianth’s curt response of so many dying had prompted the bluerider to roll out of bed and toss on pants with nothing else. Clothing wasn’t important when the belief that the plague was back spurred him on. Zeianth’s safety was all that mattered and he wouldn’t a second more than needed to ensure his blue was well and truly away from the commotion. Zeianth insisted it wasn’t the plague but perhaps it was something worse given the damage it did to all lives but D’hys decided that meant it was still dangerous and neither of them needed to be near it.

Everyone is needed. Your safety is important to me as well but there are others that need assistance. We can offer some. Zeianth’s tone was even if a tad cold. D’hys would have laughed at the lecture he was being given but he knew when stubbornness kicked in and that his dragon wouldn’t let go of the idea. He sighed and relented, though he had no idea where to start. The assurance that Z’ia and Aveleth at least were still a presence to Zeianth was a comforting thought and they weren’t immediately sought out. There would be time later on, he was sure of it. Given those personalities, D’hys didn’t see either of them giving into death so easily.

“We fly. Assessing the area as a whole is the best way to start,” it was still dark out but Zeianth would see far more clearly than he could and if they were low enough, the damage would be seen by both. Not that the sight from where they stood in the Square wasn’t already enough to convince D’hys that it was utter devastation and it wouldn’t matter where they were, they would find someone in need. Still, he could find a safer area that didn’t seem to be as unstable as the huts between the mountain and Barracks would be; if they still stood to begin with.

They hadn’t had to go far, as predicted, before Zeianth spotted a green struggling to stand while pawing at a hut that was partially collapsed. He circled down to land not too far away and against his better judgement, D’hys jumped to the ground to see what the issue was, carefully navigating the muck that, while not as deep as other areas, was still an obstacle course to move through.

He’s stuck! He’s still in there and can’t get out. I can’t reach him! The green was panicked and Zeianth stepped in to help calm her but it didn’t seem to be working. She had a broken leg from the way she favoured one and it seemed like a wing was damaged as well on top of her fear for her rider and D’hys knew there was no way to calm her until she saw him safe.

“Who is her rider?” She looked familiar but he wasn’t going to waste time trying to dig through the names and faces of everyone in the Weyr. This is Rinzath and her rider is S’ren. Now it made even more sense as to why Zeianth went to the green’s aid so quickly and without consulting him. She was friendly, if a little ditzy, and Zeianth had taken to his usual interest in such dragons. They had yet to fly the pair since they were still early into their Weyrling time but D’hys hadn’t seen the harm in allowing Zeianth the fun of the chase when she rose.

“Rinzath, I’ll get him out but you need to wait, okay?” While he did suffer from bouts of colourism in which he thought of greenriders as fun toys for his amusement, D’hys cared about dragons. Zeianth was the most important thing in his life, and had even been the reason he left his half-sisters behind in the North when ensuring the blue’s safety. Seeing dragons suffer, regardless of colour, was not something D’hys took pleasure in. He’d drag the greenrider out by the hair if he had to if it meant the dragon wouldn’t be so stressed.

D’hys ducked into the door, scanning everything as he moved. The front portion of the hut seemed to still be standing and stable but the bedroom area was demolished. That was, naturally, where he found S’ren. The boy was pinned down by a chunk of rubble on his leg but from his demeanour, D’hys was willing to bet he was simply trapped but the leg wasn’t broken. No doubt the pain of a break would have had the kid knocked out by then.

“S’ren? We need to get you out of here. Rinzath needs you, kid.” D’hys crouched down and examined the area to find out the exact issue and what would shift if he moved anything. There wasn’t much else to do but lift and hope for the best. He wasn’t prepared for anything else and S’ren seemed to be getting as antsy as his dragon. “When I lift the rock, you slide your ass on out of here and head for the door, okay?”

At the nod of understanding, D’hys yanked on the rock enough for S’ren to slide free but everything started to rumble and the bluerider knew they had to get out. “Go, now!” Whether it was from his efforts to free the kid or the landslide still had a bit of energy left in it, didn’t matter. More mud shifted through the pile of stone and the remainder of the hut was shaking.

S’ren! No, no, no! Rinzath was frantic and Zeianth couldn’t keep the panic from consuming her. Just as the ceiling of the living area started collapsing, the little green that was already wounded, in pain, and fearing for her rider, let the panic take over and she betweened, leaving them S’ren behind.

D’hys saw the confusion set in as S’ren got outside and didn’t see his dragon. He would have felt their bond severe when she left him but the disbelief had to be too great. He couldn’t imagine what it would feel like and wondered if he should have wasted their time saving the kid after all if he was going to be left behind, feeling utterly empty and alone.

He never had the chance to even ask S’ren what he was feeling thanks to the hut heaving one final time and falling into another pile of rocks to match the surroundings. It wouldn’t have been an issue except that D’hys hadn’t fully slipped outside himself. He had stumbled a bit when Zeianth keened for the little green vanishing beside him and it was long enough for a large chunk of ceiling to fall square on his head, sending the bluerider to the ground.

Zeianth shrieked and nearly bowled over the still very lost and confused S’ren as he went for D’hys. D’hys was thankfully close to exit and Zeianth was able to claw at some rocks to clear a better path and pulled his rider to freedom. D’hys? D’hys! This is no time to nap. The lecture went unheard as the bluerider laid lifelessly in Zeianth’s paws. The dragon was beginning to panic but there was still enough going on mentally within D’hys’ head that it kept Zeianth from joining Rinzath.

Still, he didn’t know what to do. Healing Hall was gone and there would be Healers running around everywhere. Perhaps the lake was the best place to go after all. They could wait out the chaos like D’hys had wanted and he would wake up to the pleasant sound of the water lapping at the shore. Zeianth was clever enough to know that wouldn’t help his rider. He had been hit hard on the head and there was even some blood.

Poor S’ren was almost forgotten in the urgency to save his own rider but in the end, Zeianth grabbed the boy that wouldn’t have anyone else to care for him, and hanging onto both men, returned to the Square to find assistance. Others may not have liked D’hys but he was Zeianth’s and the dragon wasn’t going to lose him.