PernMUSH - Thursday, December 23, 1999, 9:19 PM

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Cast: M’czek, Catalina, Leya, R’lym, E’ryn (briefly), and their respective dragons, Araveth, Nisanth (brown), Tovith (brown), Zyrieth (bronze), and Parth (brown)

Place: Igen Weyr: Field Outside the Main Entrance, Feeding Grounds, Guest Weyr, Sky Above Igen Weyr

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Public announcement: M'czek announces "Hear ye, hear ye! Tonight marks the occasion of the first rising of green Araveth at Igen weyr! Starting.. well, now. :)"

Leya walks over from the center of the bowl.

Leya has arrived.

M'czek paces, chewing unmercifully on a fingertip. He squirms, and blinks. "Ohh, she's getting really ancy..."

Nisanth shifts with agitation then, the cool blue of his eyes strengthening to a harsher, lustier crimson. He pointedly nudges Catalina, who steps back with a shaky, "Oh no," and hugs herself tightly. Huge draconic sides stretch and heave as they fill with a long breath of air, tail snaking back and forth almost fiendishly behind him as those fire-brushed wings snap out to his sides. A glance towards the feeding grounds, a bugle, and he's away. "Go!"

Nisanth> You head into the corral containing the Weyr feeding grounds.

Nisanth heads into the corral containing the Weyr feeding grounds.

Nisanth has left.

Nisanth> Feeding Grounds

Nisanth> Contents:

Nisanth> Araveth(#15241MVaeps)

Nisanth> Obvious exits:

Nisanth> North Center of Bowl East

Nisanth> Tovith hops over the northeastern part of the fence.

Nisanth> Tovith has arrived.

Leya smiles and waves to the riders as she walks closer. She then suddenly stops, her eyes widening. "Oh no," she says echoing Catalina.

Nisanth> Araveth coils and uncoils her tail, unleashing a withering hiss at the males assembled, eyes whirling agitatedly.

Nisanth> Tovith answers Araveth's hiss with a croon. He waits, crouched at the edge of the feeding grounds, his eyes fixed on the brightly glowing green.

Nisanth> Nisanth arrives with nary a sound, save the *whoosh* of air at his passing, and circles down from above with as few beats of his wings as possible. Talons unsheathed, she tucks his long wings and dives, catching a herdbeast across the spine, giving only a snort as she poor creature shrieks in agony. It's dead soon, of course, his teeth fastened around its neck.

Nisanth> Araveth uncoils herself, her wings flapping, once. Madly whirling eyes survey the males nearby, and her dark hide glistens as she covers ground, moving in a slow circle.

Catalina shivers, ignoring the strands of hair that fall in her eyes, which are fixed hopelessly on her lifemate. They move briefly, to watch M'czek, and she bites her lip.

Nisanth> Tovith waits for Araveth to do her first kill before pouncing on one of the heardbeasts currently running madly around the feeding ground. He eyes one particularly fat animal, but turns his attention back on the green.

Zyrieth lands carefully.

Zyrieth has arrived.

R'lym lovingly pats Zyrieth's neck, swings his leg over the bronze's neck and hops to the ground.

R'lym has arrived.

Zyrieth tenses, then springs upwards.

Zyrieth has left.

Nisanth> Zyrieth backwings to land in the grounds neatly.

Nisanth> Zyrieth has arrived.

Dragon> Flight sense that Nisanth widens his thoughts to include all and sundry, pointedly, and croons smoothly Araveth's way.

R'lym walks over after dismounting "Have you seen Kat... shards!"

M'czek holds still, chest heaving with every breath he draws. He looks at the other riders present, seeing only competitors.

Leya moves over to get a better look of the feeding ground, also moving closer to the other riders. She glances over at the pair and just groans, she looks up as another arrives, but quickly returns her gaze to the feeding ground.

Nisanth> Zyrieth swoops down on a big herdbeadst cracking its neck instantly, then drops down to drink the flowing blood.

Nisanth> Nisanth's cinnamon-tinged back arches upward, much like a feline's, as those knifelike talons, stained blood red, draw the lifeless body of his prey ever closer. Finished, he springs once more, leaving the carcass to the wherries (pests); in fact, while he's thinking about them, he might as well pick one off. Two, actually, the little buggers, silencing their screams with a quick slash across their throats. There.

Nisanth> Parth hops over the northeastern part of the fence.

Nisanth> Parth has arrived.

Catalina isn't his weyrmate anymore, is she? She's another rider, another greedy malerider, and therefore slinks back to join them, lithe body rippling and shuddering. Lost in her lifemate, she watches the scene in the feeding ground with flashing eyes.

E'ryn walks over from the center of the bowl.

E'ryn has arrived.

E'ryn walks over with the slighest of frowns beginning on his brow. He looks a little distracted, and stops, glancing around at the others gathered just before the caverns.

Nisanth> Araveth paces back and forth, hissing and snapping at an overeager young brown who gets too close. Almost thoughtlessly, her tail lashes out, knocking a herbeast down. She traps the creatuer under one claw, her fangs cruelly ripping the throat open. Hot blood splashes against her maw as she bloods her kill.

Leya hugs herself as she shivers despite the warm Igen weather. She frowns at the gathering riders, then taking a deep breath she turns her full attention to her dragon.

Nisanth> Zyrieth lifts his head and roars a challenge to other males and to the glowing Araveth! With a quick hop into the air he fells another herdbeast and drinks his fill from the beats's neck.

Nisanth> From his possessive stance over his own kills, Nisanth lets an appreciative look fly to Araveth, lifting his muzzle to give praise in the form of a low croon. Oh, drat, that other wherry's still twitching-- just die, won't you? Finished with the first, he throws it aside and settles shamelessly upon the second, long tail making circles in the sand.

M'czek paces, staring hard at the others here. In fact, he almost teases with his walk, unconsciously. His balled up fists presses against his temples.

Nisanth> Parth soars in overhead, circling the field of animals. Evidently he spies one that fascinates him, for he darts down into the morass of beasts, plucking off his chosen prey. Carrying it not far, he settles down with it, claws gouging its belly as his teeth rip at its throat for the energy-giving life's blood.

Nisanth> Tovith bugles as Araveth makes her first kill, immediantly he springs into the air. He lands on top of an ill faded hearbeast, silencing its death scream by biting his head off and sucking out its life blood.

R'lym looks around, quickly spotting the greenrider, then folds his arms across his chest and watches the rider, while the scene plays itself out in the feeding grounds.

Catalina doesn't like that look. Not one bit. She shrinks back into the cluster of blue, brown, and bronzeriders; not without shotting each one a long, resentful look, of course, and turns, shuddering, away from M'czek.

Leya isn't even looking at M'czek, or the other riders for that matter, her entire attention is on Tovith, the frequent whince and hard swallow evidence to this.

Nisanth> Araveth shrieks once, her tail lashing out again as she paces, almost daring any unfortunate male to come too near. The terrified herdbeasts stampede away from her, but she jumps up, wings beating once, and lands near enough to catch one of the hapless creatures in her maw. She greedily sucks the blood from it, neck arching back.

Nisanth> Nisanth is strangely quiet when it comes to flights, nevermind that his broad shoulders and rippling muscles are perpetually tense in such situations. Oh, and sure, he emits the occasional croon or warning growl to Araveth and the other males, respectively, but waste not, want not, and making noise rather wastes. So he simply makes good use of his time, albeit short time, on the ground, discarding the shriveled remains of the ill fated wherries and leaping to seek another. Oh, wait, herdbeast is better. One of the stupid creatures has gone and strayed from the rest, cornering herself against the fence, and erupts into terrified screams as the dragon's huge shadow passes overhead. Not that she's noisy for much longer, unless you count the sound of flesh being rended by anxious claws.

Nisanth> Zyrieth finishes with the last herdbeast and tosses it away. The beast flied in the direction of a nearby Brown. He leaps into the air one more time and takes down a smaller beast, hurriedly finishing his work on the thing. Lifting his head again, he roars, wings furling and unfurling in anticipation.

Nisanth> Tovith pauses in his feasting to croon at Araveth, though he doesn't get very close, too many of the pesky beasts in the way. He does his part to a clear the path by swiping at the throat one of the heardbeasts in his way, killing it instantly. He is on it a second later, sucking the strength giving blood from it.

M'czek pants, glancing around. "Weyr...weyr.." he looks for where he's supposed to go, but his legs just won't move.

Catalina's sparkling ice eyes watch the scene unfold with morbid fascination, her arms folding around her chest and hugging tightly. "...good one.." she murmurs, absently running her tongue over her lips. A familiar voice, male, pipes up, and she turns to face him with a tense expression. "Go. /Go/."

M'czek looks around, and whimpers. "Where?"

Catalina takes a deep breath, and although she doesn't /dare/ approach him, points accordingly. "There, sweetling."

Nisanth> Araveth finally settles herself, shimmering wings slowly unfurling. Her chest expands deeply, and she hoists her shoulders, neck rising gracefully into the sky. Her haunches tense, as she gets ready to spring upwards...

Nisanth> Powerful muscles rippling, Zyrieth watches Araveth, crouched and ready for the chase!

Nisanth> Death is inevitable for a herdbeast. Well, death's inevitable for anyone, but /these/ poor suckers have it worse than anyone else. They're born, they grow up, they're ripped to shreds by shrieking dragons; ah well, c'est cera, cera. Not that Nisanth cares. He's on herdbeast number two, kill number four, and keeps his maw clamped around that lifeless neck like his life depended on it. His reputation certainly does, anyhow, and his wingtips flicker and twitch in the moonslight. A low growl emerges, anxious, as Araveth's posture changes, and he drops everything to change his own. Watching, he crouches, wings spreading, tongue running over his bloodstained muzzle.

E'ryn has disconnected.

Nisanth> Tovith is crunching on a juicy wherry when he notices Araveth is no longer killing, in face, she looks like she is about to take to the air. He quickly swallows his mouthfull of wherry and crouches among the carcasses left on the ground, waiting for Araveth to rise.

M'czek shudders, and gasps. He turns, and makes his stiff-legged way towards the guest weyr, hands clenched tightly.

M'czek heads up the steps to the guest weyr.

M'czek has left.

You walk up the steps carefully, arriving on the guest ledge.

Guest Weyr

Contents:

M'czek

Obvious exits:

Steps to bowl Hallway

Leya comes up the steps from the floor of the bowl.

Leya has arrived.

R'lym comes up the steps from the floor of the bowl.

R'lym has arrived.

Catalina assumes her customary position against the wall, cloaked in silent shadow. *She* isn't silent, for all her dragon is, panting and whimpering as she presses herself against the stone for support: shards, and the dragons aren't even off the ground yet!

Nisanth> And it begins. Araveth vaults into the air, her dark wings catapaulting her form up, up into the autumn night. Her shriek of defiance rings loud and clear, vocalizing her readiness, teasing..*daring* the males to catch her..

Nisanth> Nisanth launches himself from the ground with a loud cry, hindclaws tearing up rocks and grass with the strength of his ascent. The sound of herdbeast cries disappear with a whoosh of wind and wing as he follows at a steady climb, powerful wings stroking the air in long, slow beats. Speed isn't the idea now, as far as he's concerned; it's getting himself established in a straight line at the very /least/, pulling his forearms against his strong body as upward he-- and she, shining Araveth-- goes.

Leya is silent, and pale. She glances around with wide eyes, then sinks down into a dark corner and puts her head in her hands.

R'lym enters the weyr abd finds a place against a wall. Back pressed to the wall, his eyes turn to watch M'czek, though a distant look in his eyes indicates that his mind is elsewhere.

Nisanth> Tovith bugles loudly as he jumps up into the air, beating his powerful wings in flight as he arrows after Araveth, her shining hide his guide.

M'czek's teeth grind, as his hands flex. He stalks back and forth, breath heaving his chest in huge, deep sighs.

Leya tucks her knees in closer against her chest and moves her hands to that they cover her face. She continues to keep silent, except for her loudly ragged breaths.

"..unh..um..." Sound familiar? It's Catalina all right, riding jacket slipping to the ground with a muffled *thff* kind of noise, and the brownrider presses her heating body against the cooling wall.

Nisanth> Araveth leaps into the air!

Nisanth> Araveth has left.

Nisanth> Zyrieth leaps into the air!

Nisanth> Zyrieth has left.

Nisanth> Tovith leaps into the air!

Nisanth> Tovith has left.

Nisanth> You leap into the air!

Nisanth> Over the Ground in the Igen Weyr Bowl

Nisanth> Contents:

Nisanth> Tovith

Nisanth> Zyrieth

Nisanth> Araveth

Nisanth> Obvious exits:

Nisanth> Hatching Grounds Weyrs Up

Nisanth> Zyrieth leaps high into the air, powerful muscles aiding the start of his flight! The big Bronze beats his great wings, chasing after the lithe, lovely green!

Nisanth> Araveth's wings beat furiously against the swirling winds, lofting her upwards. Her shining hide glints in the cool night, as she suddenly dips down, nearly colliding with one unlucky brown, who eagerly grasps for her and misses, falling to earth. Her chiding shriek can be heard as she veers across towards the deserts, wings pumping to gain altitude.

Nisanth> Nisanth pulls himself through the sky at that ever steady rate: one, stroke, two, three, stroke, again, one, stroke, two, three... Wild eyes focused on the glimmering hide of his elusive quarry, he follows half-blindly, relying only on updrafts and his own unfailing strength to keep her in his sights. Drawn, called, taunted, the poor bewitched fellow bugles throatily up to Araveth, increasing his pace a bit. Er, uh: one, stroke, two, stroke... C'mon, lad, up we go!

Nisanth> Tovith dodges and weaves his way through the crowd of dragons in the back end of the chasing males, moving his way gradually toward his shining star. Over moutains of wind and valleys of air he steadfastly follows her, all of his movements an echo of her own.

M'czek closes his eyes, chest heavnig as he breathes at a furious pace.

Catalina flattens herself against that wall, still whimpering, occasionally pausing to seize a gulp of air. She dares only to glance at M'czek, and the sight of him weakens her knees; with a shudder, she slides down the wall and brings her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth.

Nisanth> Zyrieth beats his wings hard, worknig on gaining altitude and speed only, worrying little for the antics of the glowing green. Sensing a thermal, he spreads his wings wide amd rises high into the air.

Leya's fingers curl, digging her fingnails into her forehead as her eyebrows furrow in concentration. She doesn't even notice this until one nail breaks the skin and begins to bleed. Even though, all she does is relax her fingers as blood runs down her forehead and drips off nose.

Nisanth> Araveth shrieks once again, wings beating with an uncommon vigor. Up, up she goes, tail weaving sinuously as she dares the males along, a glimpse of what one lucky dragon may possess..

R'lym stands with his arms folded, lost in concentration, mind on the scene in the sky.

Nisanth> Zyrieth flies high and hard, increasing the spreed of his flight, keeping the lovely prize in sight. Higher, higher, faster and faster, waiting for an opportunity.

Nisanth> Nisanth wants her, craves her, /needs/ her, narrowing his eyes against the shrieks of the harsh, remorseless desert wind. He screams back at the elements, teeth bared and claws flexing, crimson pools swirling and flashing with lightning. Hide alight with lust, and no doubt the silver glow of calm Timor and Belior, he soars decisively *upward*, resisting that nagging urge to grab for her.

Nisanth> Tovith doesn't waste any more of his precious energy on sounds, instead he concentrates on moving foward as much as possible with each beat of his wings. The sand below is golden blur, but his twinkly star in the sky is still clear and bright, leading him onward and upward with her perfect light.

Nisanth> Araveth beats her wings powerfully and rises higher in the bowl.

Nisanth> Araveth has left.

Nisanth> You beat your wings powerfully to swoop up higher in the Bowl.

Nisanth> Midway up in the Igen Weyr Bowl

Nisanth> Contents:

Nisanth> Araveth

Nisanth> Obvious exits:

Nisanth> Visitors' Weyr Weyrs Down

Nisanth> Tovith swoops higher up into the Bowl.

Nisanth> Tovith has arrived.

Nisanth> Zyrieth swoops higher up into the Bowl.

Nisanth> Zyrieth has arrived.

M'czek stares *hard* at everyone present, one eye twitching as he looks at each rider, as if trying to statre them down.

"Don't look at me like that," Catalina whimpers pitifully, hiding in her knees, terrified of what could happen if she risks getting her hopes up.

Leya opens one eye, peeking through the fingers of her right hand. She stares back at M'czek, almost challengingly, then closes her eye once again, her attention on more important things than a rudely staring greenrider.

Nisanth> Araveth twists in her flight, abruptly soaring hard to the left. And down, winging quickly back across her path. A blue dives down, eager to catch her, but she lashes her tail, spinning away from the eager dragon and costing him precious altitude.

Nisanth> Tovith tilts his wings over and down as he tries to catch a downdraft to help carry him down to Araveth. He ignores the diving blue, his eyes to full of his goal, the glowing green beauty. He finds a downdraft after a moment and glides down on the river of air in search of his falling star.

Nisanth> And Nisanth? He veers left and /up/, grunting at the sharp change in angle. He'll climb above her, or at least he'll try, and he'll spare no glance to the others as he fervently cuts through the sky. A dragonlength above her, or at least, where she was, he levels out and snaps his burnished russet tail, keeping quiet as he rockets resolutely forward.

Nisanth> Zyrieth doesn't alter his flight significantly. He rises higher in the air, knowing full well that be can not match the antics fo the smaller Green. His chance will come and at that time he'll make good use of the altitude he's gained. He flight, turning in the direction of the lovely Green Araveth's flight, chasing anf keeping pace.

Nisanth> Araveth's wings push her along, a twisting, turning course. She doubles back once again, using the few seconds of time gained by her maneuver to climb again, though her stamina may be waning, for her neck extends perhaps a bit too far..

Nisanth> A lick of flame dances wildly in the wind, trapped between the silver-studded black velvet of the endless sky above and the golden expanse of rippling sand below. Flickering, flashing, changing, it streaks after a stray bit of skybound emerald, seeking the jewel for its own: they can dance together, perhaps, the flame of one fueling the flame of the other. Gold-brown Nisanth, with his red-tinged summer hide, is the flame, Araveth the precious stone, and he'll stay with her to the last. She arches, swings back and he arches, swings back, chest heaving, eyes flashing. Oh, oh, /please/..!

Nisanth> Tovith does his best to follow the course Araveth has set for him, manuevering between competeing males and the wind. His head lowers as Araveth rising once more, but he takes heart and follows her upward. He beats his wings, concentrating on keeping an even tempo. Onward, ever onward, just keep trying and flying and you can touch a star.

Nisanth> Zyrieth tilts his wings to turn in a large circle, following Araveth's course in wide strokes, rather than following the ins and out of her path. High and strong, his flight, he roars a challenge once again, watching and waiting for the slgihtest hint that she tired, for the right moment.

R'lym wipes his hand across his forehead. His hand comes away dripping in sweat.

Leya shivers, her hands trembling over her face. Her breaths become loudly and deeper, but more even than before.

Catalina peeks. Yep, peeks over her knees, futiley attempting to remoisten her dry lips with a sweep of her tongue. Not that it does any good, what with the panting.

Nisanth> Araveth banks up sharply, twisting again to double back once more. Her energy is flagging, clearly, but she is not about to give up. Her glowing hide sheens with her effort, tail sweeping about behind her as she tries to execute another turn to throw off her nearest pursuers, but she is slowing..

Nisanth> Still keeping his pace above her, although stroke, one, stroke, two, has become stroke, stroke, stroke, Nisanth circles around in a wide arc, curving his long, sinuous neck down to realize her position. There. Right..there. Now! Angling sharply downward, he folds his wings and dives a half a dragonlenth, the wind screaming past him as he plummets, but with a sharp *snap* that sounds almost painful, his wings open and he catches a gust of air. Now he's a dangerous half-length above her, and a surge of astonishing hope grips him, speeding his pulse. So close..yet so far... << Araveth. >>

Nisanth> Tovith certainly wasn't one of Areveth's nearest pursuers, but that turns out to be good thing as she doubles back and ends up much closer, if above him. He expends a small amount of his precious energy reserve to croon to her as she flies over his head. He angles his wings so that they bring him upward, his pace ploldding, but steady as his reaches out his neck trying to get as closer to her as possible.

Nisanth> Zyrieth trumpets loudly as he sees the Green begin to tire! He folds his wing to dive! Down, down, the huge Bronzeflies, faster ands faster, diving right int oth e midst of the pack,taking advantage of his speed and gravity has quckly cuts the distance between himself nd the lovely prize!

Nisanth> With a final twist, Araveth cuts hard, towards the open desert. her energy flags, and she hopes this last turn will give her more distance, more time, taking her away from those seeing to catch from above, and skip up from below..

Nisanth> Tovith follows Araveth over the sands, his final burst of energy is used to propel himself forward and upward. His neck outstretched toward his shining star, in hopes that they can fall together.

Nisanth> Nisanth deftly tucks his left wing and sweeps sharply right, closing the distance with a final dive: yet /this/ time, gravity is aided with the sheer force of wingpower, that energy cache swelling through his tense form, free from restriction at last. Dazed, he pitches himself through the air with a faint, longing croon, a fleck of blue appearing in the turmoil of his eyes. He reaches, tail, forearms, neck and all, for her, straining, shaking, creeling...

Nisanth> Zyrieth roars a loud intense roar as he nearly swoops in, out of his dive, limbs outstretched in front of him as he tries to ensnaer the tired, still lovely Araveth from above and behind, his great strength still holding much in reserve for this maneuver, his eyes whirling while he sees the object of his desire within reach.

Nisanth> How long has it been? So long. So, *so* achingly long, and now, finally it's /his/ turn. Snagging her in his forearms, twining his tail tightly with hers, flame finds jewel and forms himself to fit her. Nisanth and Araveth. As it should be.

Catalina stiffens. "Wh..wha..?" Oh shards, she can't move. Incapacitated, that's real smooth there, Cat. Not for long though: she's on her feet and flying, snatching M'czek up and crying loudly: "MINE!"

Nisanth> Zyrieth roars as he turns at the last moment to avoid collision with the other dragons! Turning to the left, the slowly spirals down toward the bowl.

R'lym walks out into the hallway.

R'lym has left.

Nisanth> Zyrieth wings lower into the Bowl.

Nisanth> Zyrieth has left.

Nisanth> Tovith doesn't waste any noise in disappointment, he simply drops from the sky, lost by himself.

Nisanth> Tovith wings lower into the Bowl.

Nisanth> Tovith has left.

Leya walks out into the hallway.

Leya has left.

*** Censored. :> End of log, as far as y’all are concerned! ***