Total Disaster

Writers: Halyonix, Heather
Date Posted: 30th August 2024

Characters: Saibra, I'serin, I'lon, Vaile, W'ser, N'thal
Description: The new Weyrleader's first Threadfall does not go well.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 5 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: R'enh
Control Post! Feel free to post reactions in any Weyr :)

Saibra

I'serin

W'ser

He had stayed up late reviewing every note he had on Threadfall 18
formations: when to do the crossovers, when to switch out the greens,
when to rotate the spar Wings to cover the Lower Flight. Textbook
Threadfall formation. And with clear skies over the Weyr as the Wings
gathered, it seemed like a perfect day to fight Thread. If such a
thing could ever be said.

It had been a mere two days since I'serin had become Weyrleader. Today
was the biggest test of a man who had never even commanded a Wing, who
now had to lead an entire Weyr into battle.

There was a brief moment, as I'serin looked around for R'enh or any
other more capable person, where he considered asking one of them to
take charge that day.

Aluneth, harboring none of his rider's anxieties, rallied the Wings to
the Rim with a roar that reverberated through I'serin's chest.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Saibra asked I'serin as she
approached. The Weyrwoman was in her riding leathers. She carried her
helmet under her arm, which cradled her gloves and goggles. Dragons
filled the weyrbowl, gathered by Wing, except for the Weyrleader's
Wing, which had answered Aluneth's call to the top of the uppermost
cliff of Dragonsfall. The other Wings waited, starting in the
Weyrbowl, and then fanning out all the way through the practice
fields. Chioneth waited nearby to ferry Saibra out to the Queen's
Wing.

He did not look at her as he admitted, "As though I am about to make a
great mistake." He looked around at the assembling Wings, metallic
bronze with loamy brown, verdant green with oceanic blue. All ready to
follow his lead. "One never realizes the great chasm between theory
and application until one is having to apply that theory in a
high-risk situation." He looked her way now. "Aluneth, of course,
holds none of these fears. Born to lead, as bronzes are."

"The Wing knows what to do," Saibra said encouragingly. "Let's just
treat today like any other Threadfall." She pulled on her gloves.
"We'll catch up afterward to debrief?"

He nodded. "Be safe, Weyrwoman," he said. Then he went to mount Aluneth.

~*~

The first hours went by with the usual hitches. The expected chaotic
dance of the Wings, darting across the sky, searing Thread before it
reached the ground. I'serin's blood was up, his mind chasing every
next move well into the first crossover of the Wings. The Wingleaders
handled the minor issues, he oversaw the big picture.

It was honestly overwhelming.

He knew that he would get it eventually but tracking all of the Wings
for the first time meant that he trusted Aluneth's fighting ability
more, letting the bronze call for firestone as needed, while I'serin
pointed out adjustments that needed to be addressed as quickly as he
saw them. A lot of times though, he felt like he was calling the shot
too late. A Wingleader was already there in some form. While Saibra
was right in that the Wings knew what to do, for a Weyrleader learning
how to lead, he felt inadequate and behind.

The cascading failure, ironically, began in his very own Wing. As
Aluneth blinked into position below to observe the second crossover
maneuver, I'serin gave the order. He watched as his Wing rotated out
of position, leaving Cyan to take point, covering Cobalt. A few Azure
Wing dragons caught their last targets and blinked away as planned,
except for one.

And that's when it fell apart.

~*~

}: Vorquinth! You're out of position! :{ Liranth barked as she blinked
away. The summer sky blue had missed his last target Thread, leaving
his position too early in favor of...Liranth had no clue what.
Vorquinth was never as reliable as he should be. He was always too
eager to show off, something that he should have grown out of Turns
ago. }: You missed your tangle, :{ Liranth chided him. She tucked her
wings to chase after the falling Thread, grumbling inwardly about
irresponsible blues.

}: I have it, :{ sleek blue Napeth calmly said, rising to flame it
from below. Trusting Napeth, Liranth angled her body to dodge away,
giving Napeth a clear shot.

It was then that Vorquinth reappeared, intending to rectify his
mistake but causing a far worse one in the process.

Liranth wrenched her wings back to avoid slamming into Vorquinth. And
screamed in pain as something tore in her left wing. **Lir!** Vaile
shouted. Had she been struck? N'thal had cut it close but surely not
that close! Could she fly? In the heartbeats that followed, Vaile had
no idea. Her gaze was fixated on the summer sky blue hide of
Vorquinth, jaws open, flame billowing out in a perfectly aimed strike
at the Thread in front of them. From her angle, she could tell
something terrible was going to happen. There was a terrified look in
I'lon's eyes as he brought his arm up to shield himself, a panicked
shout from N'thal as he tried to stop Vorquinth, a scream from Liranth
as she tried to make her injured wing work.

It all happened so fast. As fire consumed Thread and rider, Vaile held
on as Liranth began to fall away, unable to fly. Vorquinth blinked
/between/ to escape to safety, reappearing some lengths away, and
Napeth escaped to the void of /between/ in a desperate attempt to
extinguish the flames.

...but he did not return.

~*~

**REGROUP!** I'serin thought with all of his might as Aluneth and the
other dragons keened. His hands gripped the straps so tightly that he
thought he was going to break his fingers holding on. How could
something so easily avoided happen? Why didn't Vorquinth follow
directions? **Into formations before we lose another!** Would the
keening stop? How the dragons were able to continue that awful,
teeth-clenching sound in between gouts of flame was impressive but
I'serin couldn't focus. What came next in the order? There was
supposed to be another shifting of Wings, if he remembered right, but
when? Which Wings?

}: They have it, :{ Aluneth said. I'serin looked up to see the Wings
reordering themselves, Wingleaders relaying orders from Wing to Wing,
Flight to Flight to get into the correct formation once more. No
errant dragons this time. They had misstepped and lost the rhythm, but
the Weyr was back in the dance again.

Mostly.

~*~

**Chioneth?** Saibra questioned, heart clenching at the sound of the keens.

}:It was Napeth,:{ Chioneth told her grimly.

**I'lon!** The Weyrwoman gasped outloud, the wind whipping the sound
from her mouth.

}: Help! :{ Liranth cried. Her wing, her left wing, was in agony, the
wrenched muscles refusing to work. She couldn't maintain a glide and
was now spiraling down, down... Could she land if Vaile got them close
enough to the Weyr? No, no, they were coming in too fast and Liranth
couldn't brake!

Chioneth soared up from Sienna Wing's low altitude. }:I've got you,
Liranth,:{ she called to the green. Flying up to meet the plummeting
Liranth, the senior queen's much larger form caught the green with
ease, bearing the brunt of her weight. Saibra rode flattened against
her lifemate's neck, having unhooked the flamethrower to shove it out
of the way. }:I've got you. You're with me now,:{ Chioneth's calm and
assuring voice washed over Liranth hypnotically. }:Tell your rider to
brace herself, we're going /between/.:{

**Faranth, what else can go wrong today?** Saibra thought, squeezing
her eyes shut as Chioneth took them all /between/.

"Thank you, thank you," Vaile stammered over and over to Saibra as
they landed. She was shaking so badly that she looked like she would
tumble from Liranth's back. "I thought...I thought Vorquinth had hit
her. Or Thread had. Oh, Liranth, I'm s-s-so sorry."

}: I'll recover, :{ Liranth said in a pained but determined voice. }:
Thank you, Chioneth. :{

W'ser was waiting nearby, having been informed by Branth that he would
be needed.

"We've got Liranth, ma'am," W'ser assured Saibra with a nod of his head.

Saibra focused on Vaile as she put an arm around the quivering
greenrider. "You did great up there, Vaile. You and Liranth did what
you could. Branth and W'ser are going to take Liranth to the
infirmary. I'd like for a healer to look you over. Once you're
cleared, you can go join Liranth. Okay?"

Vaile attempted to compose herself. She nodded. "Y-Yes. Yes,
Weyrwoman," she said. There was nothing she could do to change what
had happened. She had to be strong for Liranth, who was hurt. She had
to move forward. **Lir?**

}: I'll be alright. Go to the healers to make sure you are! Branth and
his rider will see to my wing, :{ the green assured her.

The Weyrwoman nodded to an apprentice healer who had come to escort
Vaile to the infirmary.

"Chioneth and I are going back unless you need us?" Saibra asked W'ser.

"Clear skies, Weyrwoman."

"If only," she ground out as she turned back to Chioneth.

~*~

They did not lose another pair but I'serin knew that W'ser and his
team would be busy that day. The loss of a dragon disrupted the focus
of others. Aluneth dutifully reported the scorings and injuries until
I'serin began to shelve them away so that he could concentrate on what
needed to happen next in the fight.

When the trailing edge of Thread passed and the dragons let out a
weary but triumphant roar, I'serin closed his eyes. He did not feel
one ounce of triumph in the day. He felt ill-prepared, battered,
inadequate, numb, exhausted -- he could continue a litany of words but
it would not change the situation. Cognitive fatigue threatened to
take over even as Aluneth quietly said, }: The Wingleaders will need
to meet with you after they see to their Wings. It is customary. :{
Tradition did not help alleviate the additional weight added to
I'serin's shoulders with that statement.

For not the first time since Chioneth's flight, and certainly not the
last, did I'serin wish that someone else would have won.

Last updated on the August 30th 2024

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Total Disaster