Gleaming

Writers: Avery, Eimi, Vix, Yvonne
Date Posted: 5th October 2007

Characters: Kapera, J'nus, T'mahl, U'kaiah, K'sper
Description: Kapera's gold Riyanth rises for the first time at Dragonsfall.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 12 of Turn 4

Kapera

Kapera knew that it was going to happen sometime today. Riyanth had been looking very shiny and rather demanding all sevenday, but this morning, she had been impossible, waking Kapera up at the crack of dawn and then INSISTING that she be bathed.

Kapera sighed and began scrubbing her queen, cursing the gold inwardly for making her go in the water at dawn to bathe her. The difficulty that Riyanth had been giving her all week was downright _annoying_ and had made her a moody, irritable bitch; she knew that. It had only been made up for by the fact that others were- a bit- understanding that it was bleedover from her queen, and the fact that along with the moodiness came an intense sexual drive that had given her no shortage of company the last sevenday. Sometimes she'd even had more than one man in a night.

By the time Riyanth was completely scrubbed and freshly oiled, Kapera was soaking wet, thanks to the gold moving around to show off and causing waves to soak her rider in the process. Her clothing stuck closely to her skin, and her hair was dripping. The sour expression on her face warned any riders close enough to talk that they'd better not bother. Without another word, Riyanth left the lake.

It was overcast and chilly and _morning_, and as Kapera walked back to her weyr, she wished that Riyanth hadn't insisted on a bath now. She was soaking wet and her clothes were sticking to her and it was chilly and she was _cranky_ and she hated everyone and everything and...

Oh. OH. She stopped and shuddered as lust wound through her. Immediately Kapera's head snapped up and she looked to the heights, but her gold was not there. She was at the food pens, glowing brightly. "BLOOD ONLY!" she screamed with both her mind and her voice, not caring who heard.
**Riyanth, don't you DARE eat!**

The gold swooped downwards, heedless of her rider, selecting a fat buck from the stampeding herdbeats and ripping into it with her talons. She carried the still-struggling animal to a private place and bit into its belly. As the entrails spilled out, Kapera was suddenly her dragon, feeling that ravenous hunger, attracted to those warm, steaming...

**NO! BLOOD!** Kapera, on the ground, was staring intently towards the feedpens, frozen and unable to understand anyone, anything else as she fought a battle of wills with her reluctant queen. Riyanth was fighting, defiant, but Kapera didn't give in, even though she, too, was starting to feel the hunger...

Riyanth bowed her head and sucked all the blood from the herdbeast. As she did, she realized that her rider was right- it was blood she wanted, and more blood she would have! She flew to a different pen, and struck twice, catching one wherry in each claw and dragging them. She blooded them both and then lifted her head, watching the male dragons who had surrounded her. }:You will never catch me!:{ she cried. Bugling in defiance, she took to the air and began to fly with powerful sweeps of her wings away from the Weyr.

On the ground, Kapera was broken from her paralysis. She ran to the flight weyrs. As soon as she was there, she gave into the lust, letting herself no longer be puny Kapera on the ground, but be Riyanth in the sky. She felt the cool breeze of the wind against her wings as she swept through the sky with powerful and yet effortless strokes, she felt the caress of the low-hanging clouds as she rose up into them, feeling them caress her as she strove for height, strove to escape the males pursuing them through the sky.

N'call cracked one eyelid as he felt the slight pangs of lust waving off his dragon as he watched the gold blood on the ground far below. He rose from his bed, a shirt forgotten, and began his way to the flight rooms and Kapera. Who suddenly looked a lot less intimidating.

**Wouldn't you rather wait with the other bronzes.** He asked Haloth silently as he left the weyr. N'call felt Haloth's mental head shake.

}:No, from here I will be closer to her when she goes aloft.:{ Haloth replied, his talons clicking on the rock below him as he shuffled in his anticipation. N'call rushed from his weyr alone, and quickly found his way to the entrance to the flight rooms as he heard the gold's defiant bugle.

He felt more than heard Haloth's returning call as he leapt to the skies after her, calling: }:Come to me my beauty, Don't let yourself be caught up by these puny males. I am the one you want.:{ He growled at the males behind him, proud of his early lead. N'call emulated his growl as he closed in on the soaking Kapera, not caring that she was wet and he shirtless. It was a Flight, who cared about appearances?

~*~
The day had started fine for K'sper. He had risen from his bed, taken a quick trip to the bathing pools, and even managed to find clean clothing. Then he had gone to the ledge of his weyr, where he stood contemplating the Weyr before him. Though the day was overcast, through the clouds he could feel the warmth of the sun, now fully risen but still low in the sky, a sharp contrast to the cool air. He had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and would still make it to his duties promptly.

He heard the rumble and turned to see Bentith, head swaying from side to side. }:Out of my way!:{ To K'sper's unspoken question, the dragon added, }:She rises!:{ and visualized the one who had caught his fancy.

"Riyanth? But. . . you're a brown!" K'sper approached his lifemate, arms outspread. "Please, Bentith - leave this chase for the bronzes." As the brown roared defiantly, the young man sighed. "Then at least give me a ride to the plateau." At the unspoken assent, the rider quickly scaled the brown's side and held on as tightly as he could for the ride out into the cold and upward to the feeding grounds and flight weyrs.

K'sper had barely dismounted before the brown was off, in pursuit of those who had made the shadows passing over the rider. The young man trudged to where the other flight participants were assembled, a part of him asking why his brown had to attempt the impossible while another part shared Bentith's lust and certainty that this flight could be won.

**A brown?** A fleeting expression of puzzlement passed over J'nus' face as he watched K'sper join the crowd, before he was again up in the clouds with Kopth. The bronze knew his strengths and was showing off his aerial skill - but at the back. The bronzerider let a small smile play across his face. Ryanth had blooded thrice - they were in for a long flight. Kopth might not be as fast as most bronzes, but he would be in the air and flying strong long after their flashy wings were aching and tired.

U'kaiah joined the circle, his lust building on so many levels. A gold, a _gold_ was rising! The first gold to stretch her wings since Jaela died! What a prize she would be. What a beautiful treasure. He knew what it meant. It meant opportunity had come and he would not let it pass without a fight. The bronzerider locked eyes with the bronzerider across from him. **T'mahl,** his mind growled. He could see the same lust building in the Weyrlingmaster. **You are no better than me,** U'kaiah thought as he heard and felt his dragon's agreement in a brassy, determined bugle that echoed off the stone cliff walls. **No one is better than me!**

N'vanik was still muttering curses as he pushed another rider aside to step into the circle around Kapera. Sharding goldflights! }:I will win! I am large and strong! No one can match me!:{ Loseth assured his rider. N'vanik's curses became a growl of challenge. **She's mine! _Mine!_** Far above, Loseth's great wings beat the air, his eyes fixed on the shining gold ahead. }:_Mine!_:{ Riyanth was pleased that she had several suitors so quickly. She craned her head back long enough to assess them. There was a _fine_ selection of strong bronzes, and there was even one audacious brown. }:None of you will keep up with me!:{ she taunted. Bronzes were powerful, but she could outdo them any time. And that brown was *no* competition at all. She would give him a look, though, because he was, after all, brave enough to try.

She listened to those who spoke to her, but refused to seriously consider any of them yet. Catching and choosing was for later. Now was the flight, the glorious exultation of wings through air. She was strong and large and well-fueled by the blood. Riyanth gained enough altitude to break through the low-lying clouds and into the sunlight. It was warm on her hide, invigorating, fueling the heat within her. She could fly for ages!

Haloth kept pace with her easily. He was old enough to recognize the normal tricks a queen could pull, even if she was new. He snarled at the bronzes who joined in on the flight. }:She is MINE!:{ He called back to them, his lip rising more at the sight of a brown. They would never catch her for Riyanth was the largest most beautiful queen on Pern, and she would be his!

}:She is beautiful!:{ Bentith rose silently, concentrating his energy on the gold, studying her as she soared upward, though he shared that thought with his rider.

"I'm sure she is," muttered K'sper, his emotions still warring, wanting to be here, a part of this flight, yet realizing that he was terribly out of place.

Treadoryth was determined to win the gold as he had other golds before her. He was the Weyrleader's bronze and Riyanth would be his. He was more than willing to feed off of his rider's own will to keep his place as Weyrleader. D'wrayt eyed the others in the circle warily even though he knew them all because in a flight there was only one winner.

U'kaiah did not look away when the Weyrleader's gaze fell on him. In fact he starred back defiantly. **I won't let you have her without a fight, D'wrayt!** Outside the circle he was the Weyrleader's staunchest supporter, but as soon as the Senior Queen took to the sky, U'kaiah knew who his real adversary was!

Loseth's wings beat a little faster as he reveled in his strength. He would not tire. He would not falter. On the ground, N'vanik kept his eyes on Kapera, following her every move.

Treadoryth paced himself and watched the gold for any signs of slowing her ascent into the clouds above them. He had the experience of many gold flights behind him and was positive that would help him even though he had not chased this particular gold before.

Riyanth decided that her height was good, and began to weave through the clouds, diving downwards before pulling up and making a sharp turn to the left before flying into the clouds again. They might interfere with her own visibility of the others, but it would interfere with theirs, more! And with her suitors in a pack, there was the risk of them running into each other and confusing themselves. That would certainly weed out the unworthy, she thought! She pulled a few more twists and turns, trying to shake at least one from the chase.

Haloth followed warily, keeping to the clearer spaces between the clouds. Watching for the telltale hint of gold as it weaved back and forth in the sky before him. }:You are amazing!:{ He called out to her. }:Our hatchlings would be strong and many!:{ He crooned, letting forth a verbal bugle to emphasize the statement.

As the flight progressed, Bentith was silent, though K'sper could sense his determination. In fact, the brownrider now felt that same desire and just as silently urged him on. The rider's eyes narrowed to a squint as the brown entered the clouds, as if his own eyes could penetrate to find the gold.

A young bronze, barely out of weyrlinghood and with only one successful green Flight to his credit so far though he was as determined as any other caught flew near the back of the group of males jockeying for position and the attention of the gold they all chased. All of a sudden, he managed to catch a lucky thermal that took him high above much of the chase, though not quite as high as the Gold herself. Feeling a burst of confidence, the young bronze bugled his intentions to win the Flight. }:I will catch you! I am young and strong and I will win this Flight!:{ Treadoryth saw how the gold was going back and forth through the clouds and headed a bit higher to see if perhaps he could head her off. He bugled his annoyance at the young bronze who was in his way. }:She is mine.:{ the bronze said warningly. He was not going to let a bronze who was barely out of weyrlinghood steal what was rightfully his.

While Treadoryth was distracted by the younger challenger, Kalamath saw this as his opportunity to make a move passed him. Let him snap at Bentith! It was the stronger, more experienced bronzes he _should_ be worried about! U'kaiah's fingers reached out towards Kapera, even as his dragon's wings beat after her lifemate, their desire linked. }:We want this. We deserve this. You will be mine!:{ The lead bronzes were crowding each other for position, and Loseth didn't have the patience to stay squeezed between them. He dropped a dragonlength and with a few strong wingbeats, he was ahead of most of them. }:Mine!:{ was all the bronze said, his eyes still on the gold ahead of him as he drew closer.

Haloth would have rolled his eyes at the other bronzes antics had his eyes had pupils. He dove between the lot of them, taking the path of least resistance and in wingbeats was lengths a head of the others, fast approaching the few smart bronzes and that shining, radiant gold.

Seeing the other bronzes moving ahead of him, Treadoryth was even more determined to stay ahead of the pack. He went around Bentith and put his strength into catching up with the others albeit at a higher altitude than they were. He caught sight of the gold again and began to look for a way to catch her unawares and end the flight in victory. D'wrayt saw the flight through the eyes of his bronze and opened himself up more to his dragon.

Though the animosity of the bronzes was evident to both dragon and rider, brown Bentith moved closer - beating his wings here, allowing the air currents to take him as they would and resting in those brief spaces of time. He was still in the race, still within range of the queen. And emotionally, K'sper was with him, not seeing but feeling Kapera's proximity within the crowd.

Treadoryth was the fiercest of the competitors, Kopth decided, and could challenge even him if Riyanth flew long. Treadoryth, or Kalamath, had the drive and skill to catch her unawares, and that sneaking thought urged him to beat his wings a little faster and to choose angles to exit from the cloud bank that would send the sun glinting off his glossy hide. Riyanth's shimmering gold wings, sometimes masked by cloud and sometimes blocked from view by bronze hide, lured him forward - and, taking a risk, he anticipated Riyanth's next turn and barrel-rolled into the front of the pack. }:Choose well, Riyanth!:{ he called, boistered by J'nus' quiet confidence that they were the most capable pair of all that had gathered, and by his rider's way with Kapera. }:Fly long and we'll see all the rest fall away!:{ Treadoryth paid no attention to the other bronzes as they called to the gold that they were all striving to be the first to reach once she tired or chose one of them as her mate. Whichever one came first, he would be there for sure.

Riyanth felt the tiredness begin to seep into her wings. She had been flying long and well and it was time, time to choose. She had many handsome and agile males competing for her, and she could have any of them. Most had flown well, but the gold had one standing out in her mind, one she would choose. She turned back to choose him, about to declare her mate.

And then talons sunk into her and she was caught by surprise. This bronze had had the skill to catch her unawares- in her tiredness she had not noticed how close he was. But he was clever enough to catch her by surprise. Instinctively she twined her tail with him, giving in. If he could surprise *her*, he would be a good mate, better than the rest. Cunning was to be prized. So Riyanth surrendered to the mating passion and Treadoryth twined as the losing chasers fell away.

On the ground, Kapera shuddered as her dragon's passion washed over her. She grasped at D'wrayt, knowing who had one, needing the same release her gold had and needing it now. All thoughts of the Weyr and what the flight's aftermath would mean fell away from her. Now it was time for the gold pair to be completely one with each other and for them to take their mates.

Last updated on the October 6th 2007

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Gleaming