Take Him Out

Writers: Corrin, Devin, Estelle, Halyonix, Suzee, Yvonne
Date Posted: 20th May 2026

Characters: Cyradis, N'vanik, Z'ku, Y'dran, M'gan, Y'gel, R'vkal, F'lin, T'gyros, L'mel, S'zor, J'kion
Description: Panitath Rises and the bronzes make their move.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 22 of Turn 13

Cyradis

N'vanik

Z'ku

Y'gel

It was a beautiful warm day with a soft breeze off the ocean but
Cyradis paced in her weyr. Back and forth, back and forth in the late
morning sun streaming through her window. She knew Panitath was going
to rise but instead of the usual flirting she snarled and snapped at
any bronze that got near her, all except Loseth and Cyradis couldn't
figure out why.

Her anger was affecting her rider in ways she couldn't fathom, making
her irritable and short with those around her. She wasn't quite sure
what to make of it and couldn't wait for the flight to be over so her
nerves could settle down.

Suddenly, from the heights came a scream of defiance and anger so
livid Cyradis blinked and started running toward the feeding pens.

**Blood, Only blood** she commanded in her own response to the
indignation she felt from the gold queen.

His mate's mood was effecting Loseth, too. The blood of his kills
dripping from his jaws, he chased another bronze out of the feeding
pens as Panitath arrived. }:Stay away!:{

It had the intended effect, startling the stripling Indrath. He
blinked whirling eyes at the more senior bronze, a moment of pause as
he decided what to do, but the allure of a queen rising overrode the
normal respect that Indrath would have extended. A safe distance away,
he finished blooding his kill.

Seriaeth had no concerns about Loseth. Let his rival posture. He
licked his maw clean as his molten gaze fixated on Panitath. He let
out a low, siren's call of a croon. }: Fly, my lovely. Let us dance in
the sky. :{

Isarth glided down to the pens and dispatched a beast with a casual
swipe of his claw, a low growl rumbling in his throat. He bent his
head to suck it dry of hot blood, daring the others to try to drive
_him_ out of the way. He sensed the tension in the air like dark
clouds before a storm broke, the queen's hostility and the strange
intensity in his rider's emotions that all told him this flight was
different. The contest would be hard-fought this time, but he had to
win.

Brown Galarth was also drawn by the queen's rising. He hovered at the
edge of the pens, wary of the older, posturing males. He waited until
Loseth's back was turned before darting in to fell a beast of his own.

Dannvith crouched on a nearby ledge, covetous gaze fixed on Panitath's
glowing form. Now it was _his_ time to claim the Senior Queen and the
Weyr!

A few dragonlenths away on a shelf above the pens, Xemroth sucked the
last of the blood from a bovine and turned from the carcass to watch
the gold. Many males would chase today, but he was the best -- young
and strong and ready to prove himself.

From the heights another bronze watched, his belly already full of
blood and his ears stubbornly closed to his rider's frantic cajolling.
Never mind that this wasn't his Weyr, Panitath was rising and he
_would_ chase. Seneth's claws crunched against the cliff's edge as he
patiently waited.

}:I will claim you, Panitath,:{ Kugath said, eyes whirling with lust
as he took a few paces toward the Queen.

Panithath dropped her last blooded kill and sneered at the weak
bronzes who thought they could claim her. She glowed almost unbearably
bright as she screamed her defiance and launched into the sky.

Cyradis swayed with the effort it had cost her to keep her lifemate
from tearing the belly of that last beast. She'd never felt this kind
of anger in Panitath before and it caused her to... she joined
Panithath's mind and became the flame that burned inside her.

Loseth was right behind the Queen. His mate. _His_. How dare these
other bronzes think they could claim her! Powerful wings carried him
as followed Panitath -- close, but not too close. She would not be
caught soon, or easily, and he needed to preserve his strength.

N'vanik snarled at the other men as his mind merged with his bronze.
Panitath didn't want them and he needed to keep them _away_.

Eyes glowing, teeth bared and jaws crimsoned with blood, Isarth leapt
after them. The queen's turbulent emotions lashed at him, but his
steely determination that this was his time to win was unaltered. He
was more at one with this rider than ever before, his mind clear and
focused on his plan. Like the other more experienced bronzes, he held
back, conserving his strength for a long flight.

Seriaeth seemed unconcerned with Loseth's possessiveness or the
emotions of any of the other males. He moved as though he had all the
time in the world, dancing through the sky like his rider had danced
with Panitath's in the evenings. }: Come, :{ he called to the glowing
queen. }: Let us go above the clouds. Leave them all behind. :{

Young Galarth wasn't conserving, wasn't wooing. The brown just powered
recklessly after the queen with everything he had, weaving around the
more patient suitors to chase hot on her tail. He had never caught a
gold before, only a few greens, but his rider knew--and therefore he
knew--that it was possible. That it had been done recently. More
importantly, he felt her call in his bones and he long to seize her
and twine with her in the sky.

Xemroth snarled at the young brown. }:You do not belong here!:{ He was
affronted that a brown would dare to chase the Senior Queen. He surged
forward, but the Z'ku part of him reminded the bronze to hold back.
Panitath would lead them on a long flight, to the end of their
endurance. A mere brown would never be able to last.

Kugath stayed close to Loseth, his baleful gaze flicking between the
huge bronze and the golden Queen. Today would be _his_ day and
Loseth's reign would finally end.

J'kion held on tighter than he usually did during flights. **We must
be clever. We must win.**

His bronze sent back wordless agreement as he joined the other males
in the sky. Too many, but those who were unworthy would fall away soon
enough. Dannvith would watch and wait for his chance, and until then
he must keep up and follow Panitath's every twist and turn.

Seneth's wings burned beneath the sun. He felt strong and glorious and
_hungry_, and relished the pull of powerful muscle beneath his dusky
hide. }:See me, I am worthy!:{

Panitath screamed defiance and swerved with an unexpected display of
agility to avoid a premature catch by a young bronze. The chase hadn't
winnowed out the unconditioned and unworthy ones yet. No one would
trick her this time, not even Loseth her most reliable suitor. She
looked over her shoulder at Isarth, there was a mature and possible
mate. Many of the others she just sneered at as pathetic.

A few of the chasers started to drop away -- the old, the injured, an
overly confident young brown who'd burned through all his energy
early.

Loseth snarled at a pair of younger, faster bronzes who were blocking
his view of Panitath. They would not endure. They did not have the
stamina to follow the Senior Queen through her long, high flight. But
he did. He was still in his prime, his power unmistakable, and he sent
that feeling of power and strength to Panitath. These others were not
worthy of her.

He was matched by Seriaeth, though in foil. Where Loseth was snarling
and determined, Seriaeth was jocund, relaxed. He offered a different
side of power, the kind that came with mutual respect and affection.
Panitath would decide. No one would force her.

Isarth moved steadily forward, overtaking those chasers who were
beginning to flag, while keeping his distance from Loseth. He was
canny enough to know that tangling with another bronze would cost him
the flight. Let his rival deal with the unworthy challengers - his
time would soon come.

In his wake, Pryloth followed, his gaze fixed longingly on the queen,
all his thoughts of how glorious it would be to win her. He could slip
past Isarth, if he was bold and gambled on a burst of speed, and be
upon Panitath before she saw him coming...

**No. Stop Loseth.**

The bronze's wingbeat faltered and he fell back a little way in
confusion, his desire warring with his rider's command. All L'mel's
mental resolve, now entwined with his thoughts, was focused on this
one idea, that he had to block the senior bronze's path if he wanted
to be in with a chance. But it was the queen he wanted...

**Stop Loseth!**

Unable to resist, Pryloth gathered his strength, and with a roar he
barreled forward into the front rank, pushing in alongside the
Weyrleader's bronze...just as another dragon moved up from the right.

Kugath growled as S'zor pushed him to come alongside Loseth. Anger
flowed through them, the frustration of being denied again and again.
Kugath wanted Panitath but his rider's will was intent on one thing:
Loseth must not win again. Hatred of N'vanik became hatred of his
bronze.

**Take. Him. _Out_!**

Kugath roared and swirved toward Loseth.

The Weyrleader's bronze tried to evade, but there were two males ahead
of him and Pryloth on his left. Kugath slammed into him, their wings
tangling, and both bronzes fell.

Pryloth howled as the flailing tail of one of the tumbling dragons
caught him in the eye. In agony, the queen forgotten, he backwinged
into the path of another bronze and in moments, that side of the pack
descended into a chaotic whirl of chasers trying to avoid colliding
with each other. Furious roars split the air as those who were too
slow or unlucky to escape lashed out.

Out on the far edge, Isarth flew clear of the panicked crush and ahead
of the two younger bronzes who'd been in front. Distantly, he sensed
the part of him that was M'gan reacting in horror and dismay, but he
was too focused on Panitath now to be distracted. It hadn't been part
of his plan to move so early, but this was too good an opportunity to
miss. There was nothing but clear air between him and the shimmering
gold, and he put all his strength into those last few powerful
wingbeats. He was almost there!

Panithath's anger was fueled to a high pitch as she looked back at the
fighting bronze's who were supposed to be her suitors! She whipped
around and slashed at Isarth with her talons. She screamed and her
tail flailed around to knock another bronze aside of his head. The
effect of the gold's anger was also reflected on the ground where
Cyradis punched and scratched at the males crowding around her.

Panithath pumped her massive wings to soar above the pack before
diving through the middle of it with a scream of frustration.

Xemroth's heart leapt. Now was his chance! As the Queen dove through
the group of males, Xemroth twisted and made a grab for Panitath.

Surprised by her sudden movement, Seriaeth tucked his wings into a
desperate dive, abandoning the dance. His! He had to catch her!

Isarth seemed to follow them, but through the confusion it wasn't
clear at first that he was out of control and falling. That furious
sweep of Panitath's claws, intended to ward him off, had hit him
badly, ripping a gash in his wing, and though he beat the other
frantically it couldn't bear his weight alone. As the pack swerved
after Panitath, he tumbled, helpless and disoriented, terror flooding
his mind-link to his rider. Far below, on the ground, M'gan's legs
buckled and he staggered, collapsing to the ground in agony.

Y'gel and Aughashyth knew they didn't have a chance in a Senior Gold
flight and they were right and far behind the pack. Aug saw Isarth
flailing and falling and his primary function changed. He vaulted
/between/ so he was under the other bronze to cushion the fall even
though they were over water.

Panitath reacted to Xemroth's grab with a twist and other lash of her
tail. making contact with the younger bronze as she rolled away and
swooped up again toward the clouds.

Xemroth cried out in pain as Panitath's tail connected with his
wingjoint. He fell, disoriented by his sudden change of fortune,
confused as to why the Queen had rejected him. Struggling, he managed
to spread both his wings to slow his fall, whimpering at the throbbing
ache in his right wing. The angle of it was wrong, the finger joint
shifting with every small change in air current. With his rider's
steadying support, his mind cleared enough for him to call the
dragonhealers for help.

}:Now!:{ Dannvith thought as he found himself suddenly in the lead,
that golden prize shimmering just ahead of him. Rage radiated off the
Senior Gold as she climbed higher and higher. Panitath had injured
three bronzes, but he was unafraid. Dannvith's desire and J'kion's
ambition combined and sharpened, driving the bronze forward with one
single, glorious purpose . . .

And suddenly, Loseth was there. He shot past Dannvith, growling his
fury and lust as he reached for his mate. }:Mine!:{

She screamed her frustration struggling and trying to fight him, but
he'd fouled her wings and captured her neck. As they began the long
fall she accepted the capture. His strong wings were enough for them
both.

Last updated on the May 24th 2026

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Take Him Out