Second time's the charm? [Open Gold Flight]

Jada and Krypth rose with the sun, each stretching out their limbs lazily and peering towards the sky in a manner which was almost contemplative. One lay indoors, tangled in sheets and blankets, and the other was settled in the dirt outside, enjoying the cool air while it lasted. There was many a reason to get up. There was! Neither of them just particularly wanted to. It was winter! While the weather was milder than in the North (Jada knew this and thus Krypth knew this and thus it was law) it was still colder than an icicle's backside. Not that Krypth noticed, truth be told; but stretched out in her blankets, Jada was not of a mind to go anywhere until she had to. You said you'd help out with the lessons today. Krypth's voice was lazy, rumbling through her Bonded's mind with a shatter. Cool and crisp as the winter breeze, Jada thought sleepily, and curled her toes against the chill matter-of-fact tone.

"I know." Her voice was husky and raw from the sore throat she was getting over. It would make sense to get up. She had so much to do. She'd piled as much on herself as she was allowed to, and then a little more for good measure. At over a turn old, Krypth and her siblings were officially Senior Weyrlings. Which was good, since there were new little Juniors running about. And lessons were starting to divide, yet it still felt...

We have lessons today as well. Krypth stood at last, stretching her long body as far as it would go. If you are going to think so loud, get out of bed. I want to go for a fly, and then you will oil me. My wings itch. Her hide shimmered a pale gold as she caught the light.

My wings itch. The words made Jada realize just how uncomfortable Krypth was. How jittery, and itchy, and... hungry. The last time that Krypth had felt that hungry had been some time ago. Almost half a turn ago, now. Jada frowned, shoving the thought away. Gold Dragons didn't Rise this soon after a clutch had been born. She had at least 3-6 more months before she would have to worry about another Flight. "Hold your Wherry." She told Krypth wearily, and glared at the floor. It was going to be cold, and her soft feet were going to freeze before she made it into her breeches.

She was right.

Toes snug in the warmest pair of shoes she was able to acquire and fingers in a poorly made pair of gloves that had been a gift, Jada stepped out to greet the day with a grumble and a kiss to Krypth's nose. "Breakfast first, then flying. Then I'll give you a quick scrub and oil before the first lessons. Sound like a plan?"

Breakfast sounds like a fantastic idea. There it was again, the rumble and the hunger; this time, the sensation was punctuated with a flash of red darting through Krypth's multifaceted eyes.

"You just ate two days ago." Jada said it slowly, mind darting. Krypth crooned to her beloved, eyes whirling. The dots were drawing nearer now. Much nearer.

Jada took a sip of klah, then another, feeling the warmth rush through her bones, brow wrinkled. Six months. Not possible.

She took another sip of klah.

Her teeth sank into the neck of a wherry, snapping it before the beast could communicate its terror to the herd.

Her fingers were nerveless, ichor pouring down her throat. Meat. Food. Hunger. So hungry.

Blood! It was a snap-thought, driven by weeks of Jada kicking herself after the last time this had happened. Blood!

Blood would not satisfy her hunger. The emptiness inside her. Ravenous, needy, she craved more than blood. She needed flesh, needed to feel full...

Blood! It was a demand, not a suggestion, and Krypth's defiant shriek rang through the Weyr as she flung the first carcass to the side, reaching for another. Ichor trailed down her long neck, and Jada wiped trembling fingers over soft, dry skin.

---

Mechanics: Open to all sexually mature male dragons.

Will give a round to let the early birds prowl.

Flights had a way of fucking things up. S'kef had been in a sour mood in the days following Larrikith's last adventure, which Tyrrisath had interrupted in the best of ways. J'ver had been upset, and S'kef supposed he had a right to be, but that didn't make the brownrider less annoyed at the aftermath. He could have pointed out a legion of double standards and inconsistencies with J'ver's logic, but at the end of the day, S'kef still hated to have made his precious greenrider so angry with him! He couldn't show it, of course, but in the end is was little more than a bump in the road.

Nearly a month had passed. S'kef had forgotten all about the flight, aside from taking notice of his own disinterest in chasing other greens. Tyrrisath wasn't thrilled, either. They'd both grown much more attached to J'ver and Rila than they'd ever initially imagined, and while Larrikith's flight had been fun and spontaneous, it also showed the brownpair how much better their loves were than anyone else. Not even B'jin could compare!

Therefore, S'kef became anxious when he felt the tug of flightlust. He scowled. Tyrrisath! No. We promised Jai and Rila that we wouldn't chase common sluts anymore

This is not a green Tyrrisath replied, tone so unimaginably dry that S'kef momentarily felt stupid.

Nirinath? S'kef asked, daring to hope. It would make things so much easier! The brownrider smiled as he walked outside, shirtless in spite of the cold weather. He was in the middle of changing clothes after chores, but this merited more direct attention. He flung one arm over Tyrrisath's neck as the dragon lay coiled, like a tunnel snake waiting to strike.

Krypth.

S'kef's eyes widened. Already? This was almost disappointing, until S'kef remembered that even his grand Tyrrisath would never outfly Ronarth. That bronze was a monster, capable of overpowering even queens. Tyrrisath would be batted away like a blue. Krypth, however? Krypth was doable. They'd done it before.

Jai would have to forgive him. They had a pact, though. Golds were not greens; claiming greens didn't bring about power and prestige. Golds could give them what they wanted. S'kef gave a silent order, and the pair vanished between.

Upon arrival, Tyrrisath detangled himself gently from his bonded and angled his head towards Krypth. S'kef crossed his arms, chilly but focused. He scowled. Had Jada learned to control her dragon since last time? He hoped so, but it was too early to tell.

What of the competition?

Xyreith wants her. His rider holds him back. There was a pause as the dragon searched for other clues. Veeth as well.

S'kef nodded. That wasn't much to go on, but the presence of his wingleader unsettled him. He set his jaw against the cold and the anxiety and closed his eyes, allowing his own strength and ferocity to flow to his dragon, where he could already sense a slow buildup of ferocious rage.

The brown dragon fanned his wings and waited.

Morith had remained quiet, lingering along in the background. Something was different today. He knew that much, about what exactly was so different. A sift through his rider's mind brought nothing to his attention so he waited. Multi-faceted eyes whirling at a quickening pace as they moved along the beaches before a flash of gold caught his attention. Oooh, a flight! Several nudges to his rider's thoughts finally brought the grumpy bronzerider to him and out of his hut.

Morith straightened up, crooning softly to the little gold who drank deeply. His wings stretching out in preparation of flight. His thoughts a whirl as he focused in on the little gold. She would certainly be a challenge for him, her lithe figure almost screamed of the daring swoops and dashing dives she could perform...at for now.

V'riy on the other hand, was less than thrilled at being woken up his partner, especially with the fog of lust smacking him in the face, harder than a cold wet fish. At least it was effective, he mused quietly in part of the brain that not even Morith could reach. it would hardly be fitting for the bronze to use that technique everyday having figured out it worked! One should not wake in the state of readiness that should only be witnessed by oneself and a loved one. To wake in such a state whilst alone... was disappointing but also a little amusing. Donning a pair of riding trousers and a tunic, the man stalked outside, deep set pale brown eyes glared out, quietly taking in the sights, whilst he tried to work out where a certain goldrider was hiding herself.

Hands pushed at Jada's shoulders; The mug in her hands was removed from nerveless fingers and she let herself be propelled out of the kitchens and into the bright morning light. She could see Krypth ahead of her, buttery hide stained with the liquid that Jada could feel pouring down her throat as she swallowed. Female hands pushed her towards the barracks, and Krypth sank her fangs into the wherry, tugging at the flesh. Flesh to sate her hunger, fill her empty belly. Flesh to weigh her down, make her an easy catch, to make everyone disappointed-

Blood! Jada's voice echoed in her ears, the sound reinforcing her command, desperately, and Krypth released the wherry with another shriek, eyes whirling red. She'd killed two, three, how many? She wasn't draining them, she was wasting them in her defiance, throwing corpses to the left and to the right.

Stupid human, stupid human-

Ahh. Krypth's eyes lit on the males that were prowling now, the hunger for blood slowly tilting towards a hunger for something else. She killed another wherry messily, draining it, eyes locked on the array of hides prowling the pens. She arched her neck, trumpeting a challenge. She was young! She was strong! Who would challenge her, glowing as she was?

Shaking and shivering, one foot in front of the other and hands at her back, pushing her and poking her, and Jada's mind divided between what she was doing, where she was going, focus separating from the sheer force of will it would take to control her partner. Krypth's will was strong, and Jada always had been weak (derisively thought, with love), so the simple distraction was what the Queen had been waiting for; a bite of meat slid down her throat. A single bite and then another, before Jada slammed her hand against the nearest human being (to steady her) and fought for control. It was like fighting a storm, and Jada used what weapon she could to regain control.

Lust. A sensation Krypth could recognize, as she'd taught it to her bonded. Flesh that the Queen could have, flesh that would make everyone happy. No more meat, it was time to fly. Time to back up her challenging bellow. To dance and be chased and make her prowling suitors compete for the right to tangle with her and fall at her side, to be her consort for a few shining moments.

Krypth shrieked again- her human dared, stupid human, stupid males, who thought, who dared- and her wings flared. Springing into the sky, she shot for the sun like an arrow. Height, not distance. She would feel the sun beat her wings, let the wind carry her as she soared, as she fell. She would lead her males on a merry chase, using the fact she was still slim and fast to make up for her youthful stamina.

---

Next post, it has been a week. People may still join in if they wish. Krypth is in the air, going straight up! :)

Xyreith was a lot of things; often snide and cruel but always polite and hierarchical when speaking to others, or when it came to responding to his bonded's commands. While he always bowed down before R'nya's will, Xyreith made no attempt to ever hide from his human those times he disagreed, or found that R'nya was of the most ridiculous opinion. He rarely, however, actually fought his human on those points.

His bonded had issues, and Xyreith acknowledged that. He even respected it, as much as the bronze was capable of respecting much of anything. There were times, however, when he simply could not accept it. Such times became apparent when greens took to the air. Now, Xyreith considered himself pretty understanding as far as curbing his own desires to allow for R'nya's ridiculous lack of intent to fly anyone; the bronze dragon even specifically only flew those that were bonded to women, to keep R'nya that little bit happier about the whole ordeal.

The first flight of the young gold had been missed by Xyreith, the bronze dragon not one to invest in a youth so young and both he and his rider had been took shocked by the flight to actively participate; R'nya had used that to his advantage in grounding the dragon. Xyreith had been furious when the flight was won by an unworthy brown; the bronze being extremely colourist, perhaps especially for a dragon. But browns did not fly gold and his only reassurance was that the gold in question was a baby. Therefore she was prone to being snatched, making mistakes, and being flown by those that should not have the honour.

Xyreith would take that honour. The dragon gave a shriek, hissing against R'nya's controlling slam to remain on the ground; bronze wings spread wide the dragon shot into the air after the young and glowing gold. Damn Tyrrisath to between, the bastard wouldn't have her this time!

On the ground, R'nya gave a hiss of outrage and stalked in the general direction from which he could hear the commotion of the people around the gold's rider.

Katilian winters, being so much milder than the Northern ones, were well appreciated by Gugaroth. There was no snow to chill his hide, although the almost constant mud wasn't any better. The occasional sunny days were nice, they weren't particularly warm but sprawling on the mountainside for hours was pleasant enough. Today was a rather cold one he noted, with icy winds and cloudy skies. He had risen before his rider, who was taking the opportunity to keep as warm as possible in his furs, deciding to do a few laps of the Weyr to stretch his wings.

When he landed by their hut M'bal had woken and was pottering about getting dressed for the day. Today! He chirped happily to his rider. 'Are you sure?' M'bal asked. Am I ever wrong? The Bronze sent almost scathingly. A lot of things he was unsure and unconfident about. Not this.

'Well alright then. Could you have not told be before I started to make myself look good?' M'bal sent with a soft laugh. He was a little annoyed at the waste of time, certainly, but this was their day to shine and it wasn't up to him. 'Let me oil you.'

M'bal had stripped his good clothes off for an old set he used when oiling Gugaroth and had a small collection of rags and brushes bundled up in a wooden bucket. Walking outside to where his lifemate was crouched he popped the lid of the barrel containing the oil and set to work. An hour or so later Gugaroth shone quite remarkably in the dim light. M'bal stood back, satisfied at his work. 'You should eat. You're due for a meal today.' Gugaroth gave a low growl. Meat would only slow him down! He still took off and headed for the feeding pens. At the very least he could hang around there to pass the time, maybe take a small wherry.

It wasn't long until Krypth arrived at the pens, he had timed it perfectly. A small carcass lay beside where he crouched, eyes whirling a furious pace as he watched her. She was taking meat, again! He roared his displeasure. M'bal made a similar noise in anger as he sought his was to Jada. The last clutch had been tiny after her gorging! Sure a Gold had resulted, but six eggs? No... even with her gorging, being caught by a Brown had likely ruined that even more. A Bronze would add at least four additional eggs! If not more.

The pair grumbled as they watched the Gold Weyrlings, M'bal having arrived at Jada's location. He stood near, but not intruding in her space, much like Gugaroth was at the pens. Their bodies were tense. When Krypth rose, Gugaroth was barely a wingbeat behind her. He had taken every drop of blood from his meal, his energy was boundless. He was there, right there. Not crooning a love song or threatening competitors away. Just there. Like a shadow, he mimicked her movements. He would be there till she was high enough, far enough that the clutch would be magnificent.

There she went.

Tyrrisath's red eyes locked on her sleek body as he took flight, pushing himself skyward with a sudden burst of strength and ferocity. He ignored his competitors now just as he did in life, paying them no mind as he easily darted past the weaker ones and took his place in the leading pack. He was flanked by bronzes, larger and stronger than he, but he remained focused just the same. Tyrrisath was not intimidated by larger dragons. He was intimidated by neither their arrogant attitudes nor their shiny hides. They were nothing to him, not even worthy of a flick of his wingtip!

The brown wasted no energy on bellowing or embellishing his flight. He raced towards the sun, eyes and mind locked on his goal, this time backed by the full and fiery support of his rider.

S'kef had been reluctant last time. He didn't think it his place to pursue a gold. Things has changed, however. S'kef had learned that bronzeriders sucked like everyone else, and better yet, he'd been reminded of some important points and lessons. Bb'jin had reminded him that he had to take what he wanted. J'ver had taught him that he had someone to fight for.

Everything would work out. It had to work out, just as much for Jai as for S'kef himself. A goldrider...a goldrider would be a powerful ally.

If Tyrrisath and Krypth flew together again, would such a thing be possible? It was worth a try.

I can do it S'kef thought to himself, closing his eyes as he flew.

Pistoth had been waiting, watching for when the gold would rise. He had no issues chasing Krypth, despite the fact that blues didn't fly queens, despite the fact that his rider didn't think it wasn't their place. But he wasn't an ordinary blue, he was Pistoth! And he could succeed in whatever he wanted to do!

Even if that was catching a queen. Krypth deserved no less than that. If it were up to him, all of the blues would be chasing, and the browns as well, to give her a multitude of choices that didn't include bronzes. Perhaps for her next flight.

He shot into the air after her, his pale hide glimmering. If he was going to catch her, he was going to have to do the very best he could.

Sorry, meant to have this up a little bit ago but RL hit me in the face.

---

Her bronze challengers were not her quickest. That honor went to the handsome Pistoth that flung himself into the air with her. She knew him well, however. He would likely be the one who would not reach the heights she sought, though the dance would be most pleasurable. Not many blues would chase her, not caring to chance it. Earnest effort was not its own reward, regardless of the platitudes that fell empty on hardworking ears, and the knowledge of her pleasure in seeing him amongst her handsome suitors was tucked away in the mind of her partner. Krypth gave the small dragon a congratulatory (if almost mockingly challenging) roar of acknowledgment. A Brown was next in the sky, making eyes flash red with hazy lust. Was Tyrrisath to fly? Would he snatch her choice from her again? Or would he prove himself instead of stealing her victory for his own?

Krypth twisted in the air, spinning higher like a top, drilling through the air with a single-minded goal to touch the sun. Behind her, Bronze Xyreith shrieked his lust, and Krypth eagerly roared back her challenge. Bronzes were haughty and foolish, but handsome enough. And there was, she noted with pleasure, more of them. Yet each of them would need to prove himself before she would condescend to let them fly her. They more than most. Gugaroth also there; she could recall him from before. Testing, Krypth darted to the side, and he followed like a metallic shadow, glistening behind her, always right behind. On the ground, like a ground-bound mirror, Jada spun in a slow circle and viewed the faces around her. Handsome men, mostly. On that count, they were lucky. Handsome, virile suitors.

People were chattering all around, or had faces gone slack with desire. Jada was not the one who glowed, but in some ways it seemed to have no bearing on it. They should be trying for her favors, not staring at her like slack-jawed numbskulls. It was hard to be judgmental, however, when Jada herself was finding it increasingly hard to put one foot in front of the other. She felt like she should be flying, instead, feet off the ground and tails- no, fingers, she was human- twined desperately with that (those!) of another. She soared, pressing her way forward as Krypth pressed ever upwards.

The sun beat on them, glinting off shimmering hides, and she watched her suitors chase her higher still. Soon, the humans would be specks next to the buildings. Onward and upward! she thought furiously, and Jada moved to meet her suitors, licking dry lips.