To Rule the Clouds

Writers: AmajoS, Ames, Avery, Devin, Emma, Heather, Miriah, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 17th February 2019

Characters: Cyradis, N'vanik, D'hol, J'ackt, G'ran, K'lvin, K'sedel, K'ran, A'kades, T'nom, Z'ku, K'deren, E'wint
Description: Panitath rises
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 20 of Turn 9

Cyradis

It was one of the regular weekly wing leader meetings and she'd been
listening to N'vanik discuss some of the concerns he had with certain
riders in another wing. There ensued another one of those male
shouting matches and she looked out into the bowl automatically
putting the conversation into the background of her thoughts with a
deep sigh.

But then all conversation stopped and her attention snapped back to
the room to see all the bronze and brown riders staring at her.
"What," she asked thinking she must have missed a question. "What,"
she asked louder and then it hit her right in the gut just as they
heard a mighty challenge from the bowl.

"Faranth," she breathed and knocked over her chair as she ran toward
the entrance.

K'lvin had been working in the dragon infirmary when the sudden rush
came over him, a rush that he hadn't felt in quite a while. It was one
thing to participate in a green flight, but a rising gold felt
completely different. When he felt Xmrenth move to a position on the
perimeter to watch the senior queen he began washing his hands, trying
to control the slight tremble in them.

**Why are you doing this, Xmrenth? You know you can't win, we're
retired.** He asked his bronze.

}:There is nothing wrong with me! I am healthy, I am strong! I can fly
her!:{ Xmrenth said vehemently.

**But there's something wrong with me. You can't have a Weyrleader who
doesn't fly 'fall.**

}:If I win it will prove you are able.:{ The bronze said with his
simple dragon logic.

Seeing that he wouldn't be persuaded otherwise, K'lvin dried his
hands, rolled his sleeves up and left the infirmary.

Yumath had been patient. He'd been watching. And now, he was ready.
Spreading his wings, he bugled his intent and made his way to the
feeding pens.

D'hol too watched, his eyes narrowed as Cyradis fled. He had not been
one of the ones yelling this time, instead remaining quiet as mastered
his temper; the flare of lust and eagerness he felt from his bronze
jolted him from his concentration. He set down his cup of klah and
without asking leave, followed closely behind the Weyrwoman.

Mareloth stretched his wing, buffed out his chest and replied to her
challenge. The bronze was always ready and eager to chase the gold.

G'ran had been supervising some of the younger wingriders through a
physical drill. The call of the dragons and the sudden surge of heat
in his veins told him all he needed to know.

"Alright, dismissed, Panitath is Rising," he told them and turned to
jog towards the feeding pens. One young greenrider let out a whoop
before the drill group scattered.

Realizing what was happening, K'sedel left classes in the hands of his
staff. Grabbing his riding straps, he hastily left the weyr, asking only
that he was told when the flight was over.

However, his son had no such qualms. Due to the bond between K'deren and
Cyradis, Donneth would try. The chances of a brown winning the flight of a
senior queen were so small as to almost not be worth calculating, but he
would try. Which meant that Donneth also made his way to the feeding pens,
and K'deren joined a small group of rider watching and waiting intently.

Volaith and Rogueth were two of the bronzes who made their way to the
feeding pens to crouch and watch the gold blood her kill. Both were
older, experienced bronzes who wanted their shot at this. Volaith, to
prove himself worthy for the first time. Rogueth, confident he could
surprise again.

The meeting was clearly over, what with the Weyrwoman's gold rising,
and the bronzes of every Wingleader and second out to chase. A'kades
got to his feet and joined the crowd of bronzeriders leaving the room.
Volaith might be eager to claim Panitath and a Weyrleadership, but he
was less eager. He liked working with N'vanik and had no burning
desire to supplant him.

The topic at hand involved a reported issue with the conduct of a
Rapids wingrider, K'ran had been paying focused attention to the
discussion, keeping his voice calm and under control as he argued in
defense of his rider. As a result, he hadn't been paying as much
attention to his bond with Rogueth, and his first realization that
anything had changed was when Cyradis bolted out of the room. He was
one of the last to get up and leave the room, and on his way he
righted the chair that Cyradis had knocked over.

Kapera had been sitting in on the meeting as was her job as Cyradis'
Second, but she, too, was distracted from what was going on by her
dragon. Riyanth was grumbling in her mind about the males ignoring
her, and then suddenly the gold saw Panitath stir and go for the pens,
and she was rage. Kapera was half-aware of the bronzeriders running
out the room to chase Cyradis, but she had an entirely different
problem to deal with. **Riyanth, no,** she projected with force of
will, swaying as she got to her feet and began to hurry. No time to go
to her weyr for her straps and flight jacket, only time to leave. She
was shaking by the time she reached the closest Weyrbowl entrance and
forced Riyanth to come to her, and she scrambled up the gold's back
and clung on as they took off, /betweening/ to a safe location almost
too low and soon.

Dessa scrambled to put on straps to Santhiath. The young gold was
facing the feeding pen and screeching defiantly. }; They are mine!
She's stealing my bronzes! :{ Her strong, territorial reaction had
taken Dessa by surprise. She hadn't thought San was old enough to feel
that much rivalry.

**They are not yours, not yet. Don't be silly,** Dessa told her and
mounted. Visualization, she should have planned ahead to get a
visualization. She had no idea where she should go. Home, but when she
thought home, she saw Dolphin Cove Weyr. Harper Hall? Her father's cot
hold? She guided Santhiath higher to the air. ** Ask Riyanth if she
will allow us to join her,** Dessa asked.

Loseth flung a herdbeast aside, the hot blood coursing through him.
}:Mine!:{ he bellowed to the other males. No one would take Panitath
from him!

N'vanik hurried out of the meeting room, running down the stairs in a
blur. Loseth's lust and agitation made him want to snarl at the other
riders. The argument that had been interrupted didn't help his mood
either. The idea that he could lose was only a flickering concern, his
focus was on Cyradis and her gold, on claiming what was his.

Xemroth took his place among the bronzes and the few bold browns. He
was young and strong, eager to prove himself to the beautiful gold.
His rider was less sure, but Z'ku settled himself with the idea that
this would be good practice for a few Turns down the road when he
would be ready to lead a Weyr. Xemroth needed to chase golds to
improve his skills.

Taldeth would not be denied his chance to claim gold. The moment T'nom
felt the lust from his connection to the bronze, he dropped what he
was doing and made his way to join the throng of others who had
gathered for the chase.

Panitath dove on a beast and screamed her rage as she scattered the
smaller males and claimed her kill. She swung the beast left and right
before grasping the soft underbelly.

"Blood Only!" Cyradis pitted her will, both with her voice and her
mind, against the intensity of her lifemate's desire. "Blood only,"

Defiance screamed back at her with a bloody maw and Cyradis planted
her feet **Blood... Only. You must fly high and far!** Panitath
obeyed that voice and stronger will. She blooded two more beasts after
the first one and then leaped into the air with no warning flying
almost straight up. }:You puny males will _never_ catch me,:{ she
screamed back over her shoulder.

}:Panitath is blooding. She will rise and I will chase her. I will catch
her!:[

The announcement from his dragon took E'wint by such surprise that for
a moment he had nothing to say. He'd heard the commotion, of course,
and realized the cause when he saw the bronzes and a few of the larger
browns converging on the feeding pens, but the thought that his own
dragon might try to join in really hadn't occurred to him. They'd only
graduated from Weyrling trianing a short while ago and Genneth had
only chased a few greens so far. **She's the senior Queen!** He
dropped the bundle he was carrying in what he hoped was a safe spot he
could retrieve it from later and hurried to join the other riders,
knowing that his dragon wouldn't be swayed.

}:She is a fine queen and I am a fine bronze. I will fly her,:{ was
Genneth's confident reply as he bugled a challenge before leaping up
after the glowing golden dragon, along with every other male.

E'wint's last coherent thought before he was swept up in his dragon's
chase was that he sure hoped not. He did not want to be the
Weyrleader.

Mareloth roared and leaped after the glowing Gold. }: Be mine,
Panitath. Will sire strong hatchlings for you! :{

** Oh-no,** was G'ran's last conscious thought, what if he really
succeeded? He never even led a wing, not to mention the Weyr. Then
Mareloth's lust drove it all away.

Zith bugled his challenge to the other bronzes as he took his place
among the assembled males. He was young, he was strong, and he could
win! He watched Panitath eagerly, his entire body trembling with
anticipation.

J'ackt was feeling distinctly the opposite as he joined the older
riders. He glanced at N'vanik, shrugged with a slight grimace, and
took his place. It wasn't that he didn't have confidence in his
bronze; it was simply that he had no desire for leadership.

Mareloth found himself middle of the group. He decided to bide his
time and wait for his opportunity. Gold flights lasted long, better
preserve his strength.

Panitath gloried in the sun and sky and shot up and up like a golden
arrow into the early afternoon clouds. She no longer cared about the
males chasing her she was queen and the sky and all of them belonged
to her.

While his rider took his place in the semi-circle around Cyradis,
Yumath shot up after Panitath, moving at a steady pace. He knew this
gold, her antics, and her moves. Steady for now and no jostling. Not
yet.

Zith was far less restrained. He eagerly strove forward, wanting to be
at the front of the pack of bronzes, leading them in the chase. }:
Panitath...beautiful Panitath. I am here! :{

Xmrenth had not flown in a gold flight since River Bluff, but every fiber of
his being knew exactly what to do as he conserved his energy. Panitath would
not be easily won, but he was determined to prove himself.

Mareloth was keeping his pace steady. One of these days he was going to get
lucky.

Donneth was there, his wings beat slowly, steadily, trying to keep with
Panitath. He had caught golds before and knew what to do.

Genneth kept an eye on both Panitath and the other males chasing her.
He angled his flight so that he was a bit above the rest, where
hopefully, he would be able to see the Gold's movements in time to
intercept her.

Xemroth kept up with the others but he was unable to resist the urge
to fly a little faster, to get a little closer to the alluring Queen.
There were so _many_ other bronzes and even a few browns around him,
and it was frustrating that they kept blocking his view.

The males followed their golden Queen higher and higher, praising her,
making promises. Loseth knew her well. He'd caught Panitath many times
and he had no doubts he would prove himself again. She ruled this
Weyr, but Loseth and his rider led. Their strength could not be
denied.

Taldeth lept into the air with the others, waiting for his chance to
make a move. He was young. He was fast, and he and his rider had much
to prove. He bugled his desire and pumped his wings to keep pace with
the pack.

Volaith leapt into the air, with his eyes fixed on the shining gold
ahead of him. He wanted her. But she was canny. She would not be
claimed so early. This would be a test of endurance, of which males
could last with her long enough to make it to the final consideration.
He would not waste all of his energy now to get an early advantage, he
would conserve for the last burst.

Rogueth took off after her as well. He found himself unfortunately in
the end of the pack of chasers. As a smaller bronze he was able to
move his way around some of the others and get closer to the middle,
but there were still many others blocking his view. Still, it was
early. He had a chance.

Panitath soared higher and higher stretching herself and outpacing all
her pursuers. A few bright and eager young males tried to crowd her
too early and she easily dodged them with screams of disdain. After a
long and high chase, many of the lesser dragons began tiring and
dropping out. She considered her options amongst her flagging
stalkers. There were several very handsome bronzes and even a few
mature browns still in her wake. She turned back out over the ocean to
get a better look as she began finally to consider her choice.

Yumath strove forward, crooning his desire to the glowing gold. }: I
am here for you, Panitath. I can help you fall far like I have before.
I am strong and experienced. We are good together. :{ He pushed ahead
of the browns, never flagging but beginning to feel the strain in his
wings.

Zith had not been able to keep up to the older more experienced
dragons, he lagged behind, refusing to give up the chase until he
absolutely had to. Struggling, he finally had to drop away in defeat.

J'ackt turned away with frustrated desire, grabbing at the nearest
moth, somehow missing, but finding himself in the eager arms of
another.

Xmrenth's blood screamed with the need for a rest, but he didn't want
to drop out, now when he felt that he had so much to prove. Instead he
surged forward, drawing on all of the reserved energy that he had left
to get close to the glowing Panitath.

Genneth was falling behind, he bugled a challenge and pushed himself
to continue, not wanting to admit defeat. There was still a chance
that he might be able to outmaneuver the other males if he could just
keep within striking range.

Donneth was trying hard, but the fact that his hide was brown was beginning
to show. Even though he had managed to position himself to get in with what
he thought was a wingtip's distance of the golden prize, it was not going to
be today. But not without one last try, one last burst of speed to move him
within reach.

Xemroth was very pleased with himself for keeping up with the other
males. Browns dropped out. Old and injured bronzes gave up the chase.
Very young bronzes burned up all their energy and fell away. But he
was proving his strength and the shining Queen was just ahead.

Watching every move, Loseth calculated when Panitath had flown far
enough to shake off most of her pursuers when she would start to
truly consider her choices. His muscles burned with effort but his
strength held. Panitath belonged to him, but Loseth knew well that
these others would steal her if they could.

Mareloth was starting to feel the strain of the Chase in his muscles,
but seeing those others drop off lifted his spirits and gave him more
hope.

The great golden form seemed to pause in midair to consider those
still in her wake. She was only beginning to feel any effects from her
long flight, but she knew these others were flagging. She made an
approving sound and her lifemate imitated her on the ground far below.
She considered Donneth her faithful brown companion and dropped closer
to him for a moment.

Cyradis swayed toward K'deren but then in the sky above a brave bronze
made a grab for her and she surged back with a scream of defiance only
to be claimed by another and have her wings entangled with his as they
fell from the sky. She turned away from K'deren and into the arms of
the winner.

Xemroth and Z'ku cried out their frustration. They'd been so close!
Panitath had almost been in Xemroth's clutches. Next time, she would
be his! Xemroth tucked his wings and dropped toward the ocean to cool
off.

Loseth had aimed himself perfectly, coming from below to catch
Panitath just as she dodged away from the younger bronze. He bugled
his triumph as he claimed his mate once again. N'vanik picked up his
small Weyrwoman and took her lips in a deep, possessive kiss.

E'wint shuddered as he felt Genneth's disappointment when Loseth
swept up to claim Panitath. The young bronze had been a bit too far
behind and had missed his chance to swoop in as he'd hoped, the final
moments of the long Flight having happened in a matter of seconds.
But, as the bronzerider's emotions began to separate from the
exhausted dragon's he was more relieved than disappointed. Shells,
imagine if they'd won! He glanced around the room and soon found what
he was looking for, a willing partner to burn off the residual
passions from the Flight with.

Volaith plunged downwards to get away from the crowds and cool himself
off, while his rider staggered away, secretly relieved. So did
Rogueth, bugling his disappointment. He had wanted a chance to regain
the Weyr's leadership, and he saw it get snatched away again.

Last updated on the February 28th 2019

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To Rule the Clouds