Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 21, 2007 19:48:38 GMT -5
(One Turn ago, 2506)
Night was coming on, the gloaming was fading fast into inky black. The feral call of felines, whers, and all the nocturnal inhabitants of the Southern jungle worked a counter cadence to the evening activities of Lateo. Riders made their way to their weyrs, while others lingered in the Hall telling wild stories to those who would listen, gambling with those who had a mark to loose and drinking with those whose thirst was hard quenched. Lovers wondered along the sheltered beach and weyr brats who long should have been tucked in explored all the possibilities of the Weyr after dark.
Normal was the darkness of Lateo… until they felt the ground beneath their feet rumble the slightest bit, even that wasn’t all that odd, barely noted by most until well after the deadly event had long passed…
Kyparla set at her desk, klah mug at hand as she poured over several sets of storeroom numbers. Tedious work going over the supply stock of her Weyr but something that couldn’t be passed off to another, not when aged Fellis Juice, and a large quantity at that, had been ‘miss placed‘. “Those skins, have to be somewhere… R‘daur will just have to go with the Stewards and double check, make sure they weren‘t misplaced in some dark corner.”
Hmmm… Didn’t they say they’ve already checked twice before bringing this to us? Savath had been half listening to her rider’s thoughts, wishing all the while She would decide to put Her records away and come scratch her eye ridges. Her voice was sleepy and bored combined to make a rich silky condescending tone. Couldn’t you fix this in the morning?
I’ve a meeting with the Searchriders in the morning, love, or I would. Most of our candidates have been sent to Muneo…
What‘s wrong?
Many are dead! Savath raised herself on her hind legs, keening a loud sorrowful note that raised the hairs on the back of Kyparla’s neck. The Weyrwoman couldn’t get a clear image of what had happened, but it could mean only one thing… dead dragons. Her first thought was the weyrlings as she ran from her weyr out into the bowl…
A dragon screamed, then another until the whole of Lateo was a melancholy melody of bass, tenor and alto voices. Many dragons circled riderless… jewels reflecting the twins of Beilor and Temor.
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E
Raging Demoness
Posts: 978
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Post by E on May 21, 2007 20:17:52 GMT -5
Unlike Lateo, Muneo’s pitch black skies were not due to the evening time. No, Muneo was thick with smoke – suffocating and thick. The kind that filled your lungs and burned you from the inside out. The kind that clung to you and dragged you down. Unfortunately, it was not thick enough to suffocate out the sounds – the screams.
It happened so suddenly, the tremors that opened up the earth, that shook the very heart of the mountain. It was enough to make everyone grab hold of something and enough to wake the dragons. Yet still, the warning had not come soon enough…
Now E’mion sat, legs hooked haphazardly into the riding leathers that were hastily thrown upon the dragon and tied mid-flight. Two craftsmen and a young woman were upon the great bronze as well, tied to the dragon and clinging to eachother even as E’mion pushed his bronze for one more dive into the thick smoke – he could carry one more if there was one more to find…
Tell them to leave – go back to the weyrs and the wingseconds to get counts of everybody. We need to know how many are missing – and find a queen, any queen to do a dragon count!
Done, the boy to your left. Even as the bronze speed toward the boy, E’mion seen the liquid rock rushing toward the boy who had found what seemed to be the last of the outcropping. Seconds before the bronze could make it to the boy his ledge broke and fell – the screams of the boy as he fell into the liquid rock followed the bronze rider between as it echoed through his mind.
Bursting from the darkness of between, his initial thought was that he needed to go back – it was the cries of the dragons all around him that shook him from that thought and made the hardened man’s body shake as the bronze circled. Lateo Weyr now shook with the death cries of so many dragons.
Riderless dragons circled all around him and E’mion needed to remind himself repeatedly that not all of those could be from injured riders… could they? We need to drop these three and go back, quickly.
We are too late rider. No there are others! There are no more. But – No. I felt no more. There are search dragons circling – they feel no more. Take care of those we have and morn the ones we lost.
E’mion clenched his teeth as the giant bronze found room to land. As his riders slid off in haste to help where they could the bronze rider looked around – his stomach tightening. There were so many injured by either the falling rocks or the liquid stone – all spread across the bowl. Dragons screamed in pain – others screamed for the pain of their riders… and some riders screamed at the loss of their dragons…
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Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 21, 2007 21:15:44 GMT -5
Kyparla made her way through the milling Weyr toward the center of Lateo’s ‘bowel,’ her light skirt wiping about her knees in the wind kicked up by hundreds of pairs of dragon wings. Dust was everywhere, blotting out the faces of the injured and non injured so that they were all an anonymous wailing mass. It overwhelmed the small woman at how soon, how fast the Weyr had begun to fill after the initial call of the mourning dragons. It wasn’t the weyrlings…
Savath, get a hold on the injured, you’ve got to calm them or they are going to start injuring more people along with themselves. Call Corra and Elieth to help you. Kyparla was able to pick out her Headwoman from a short distance away. “I can’t get a straight answer from Savath, what’s happened?” “Not sure, Lady. I’ve heard something ‘bout an earthshake at Muneo, that’s ‘bout it. Excuse me, Healers need me to open our stores… they‘ve already emptied the infirmary.” “Sure, go.” With that Kyparla was left standing alone in the midst of chaos.
Where is Zramuth? Did Periheth make it to Sodalis? Savath wailed again, bellowing loud enough to make a squealing green only background noise. Zramuth is here, scorched but alive. Periheth isn’t at Sodalis. Kyparla saw the image of blackness surrounding Periheth and could not longer control the flood of anguish, a Gold gone… tears ran down her dust covered cheeks… she had no choice but to close her mind from Savath, at least as far as she dared. “Here, hand me some of that numbweed… I’ll help.” The Weyrwoman took the salve from the young healer apprentice and started cleaning the wounds of a small child. The girl looked almost feral with her wild eyes and black face. “Its gonna be alright, I promise.” Kyparla also promised herself as she began tending the girl’s obviously broken arm, if she made it through this she was going to let herself have a long cry, a very long cry, but not right now. Now was for action and busy hands.
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E
Raging Demoness
Posts: 978
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Post by E on May 21, 2007 21:49:22 GMT -5
After several long minutes of taking in the scene, the shock and the pain emitting from the dragons everywhere, E’mion finally slid off Malekith’s neck and landed unusually heavily on the ground. Turning to his bronze he looked the giant over, but before he could get far the bronze shook him away.
Are you hurt? Not enough that you can’t take care of it tonight. Help another – Riders are dragonless, help them.
E’mion winced visibly – different riders coming into fresh memory even as the red rock flashed through his mind again as it rushed into the back of his own weyr… he made it out only to see it rushing over the top of the hatching grounds entrance – trapping the young queen inside…
I’ll be at the edge of the weyr. Take any other dragons that are not injured with you so we can start sorting this out. Are their any Weyrs avalible? I’ll look into it.
Stiff and tired, the hardened rider put a hand on the hunting knife tucked into the back of his rideing leathers. He had sympathized with dragonless riders before – he would share his knife again if it was needed, but he’d rather leave it sheathed today. Finding his head throbbing, he spotted the familiar face of the headwoman and quickly fell into stride after her.
“I’ll help carry.” The simple words was all he said – but he didn’t trust his hands with more delicate bandaging just yet and his mind was flooded with too many memories to start sorting out people more than he already had. Even as he thought that, he did realize he should see to his wing. Malekith – see to the wing… I want a count and status. Then I’ll decide what to do.
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Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 21, 2007 22:16:38 GMT -5
Dawning crept up on Lateo, a silent stalking thing that would shed light on the horrors of the night and make them all too real. The predawn glow spread across the clouds like blood erupting from a fresh wound, taking away the muted anonymous grays of bodies and replacing them with faces all too familiar. The Weyr as a whole was exhausted, all that could be heard was the muted moans of the injured- dragon and Weyrfolk alike. Those who had made it through the first few hours had been moved to the infirmary and any spare cot found throughout the lower caverns. Riders had been put up in empty weyrs - all had been dosed heavily with Fellis laced wine. The ones not so lucky were now being piled high upon funeral pyres erected in the field bordering Lateo’s bowl. Soon the stench of burning flesh would drift through the once sweet tropical air. The bowl would also have to be scorched, anything to erase the blood and ichore tainted dirt.
Wherries were already circling, the gruesome task would have to be accomplished soon.
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E
Raging Demoness
Posts: 978
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Post by E on May 21, 2007 23:15:30 GMT -5
E’mion had helped the woman carry out supplies until weyrlings and candidates took over. He didn’t wander long before he found himself moving the bodies… Twice he stepped in to hand his hunting knife to a dragonless man, unable anymore to ignore their pleas. Several people watched aghast as he wiped his blade and continued on afterwards – but the hardened man had forgotten how to feel several hours ago.
It seemed like forever – those screams seemed to last forever echoing in his mind even as the bowl had begun to grow eerily quiet in the dawn as the last were moved into buildings. When the bronze rider finally stopped in the growing light and stood still, tilting back his head and closing his eyes, did he finally realize the screams had stopped and the dragons had finally quieted.
Opening them again, he wanted to fall right there and simply feel the warmth of his bronze. He was thankful Malekith was with him – more thankful than he had been yet. Brushing to the mind of the bronze he found the dragon asleep – fitful, but asleep. He had moved some riders to weyrs, but Malekith had chosen to sleep outside that night where he wouldn’t feel suffocated just as many of Helios and other wings had done. He would seek out his dragon as his bed this night.
Turning his feet to move to the bronze, the rider froze – his hardened face showing a weariness that rarely appears outside his weyr – when he saw the only red haired woman that could have shaken him from his thoughts.
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Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 21, 2007 23:47:59 GMT -5
Kyparla rested her shoulder and head against the cool rock surface of the outside infirmary wall, thankful for its solid support. Trying to keep weary eyes focused she rubbed at the grit caked corners until they stung, then looked out at the pyres that would all too soon be lit. The Goldrider couldn’t shake the gray tinged slack faces of so many riders she had known, men she had eaten with, laughed with. Had not a few even been Savath’s clutch mates? What was worse were the dragonless…
You need sleep mine, take some of the wine you’ve been so free with. It will make you sleep. Savath lay curled in her wallow, exhausted but ever vigilant of Zramuth. Mariska and her Gold had both been badly burned and it would be a miracle if they survived. Out of the pair Zramuth was the worst off. Burns encompassed her wings and underbelly… her legs and back. If she survived dehydration, infection was sure to finish off the young Gold.
As tempting as oblivion was, Kyparla needed to keep a clear head. I’ll sleep later Savath, there are still a few things to do and I’ve got to be able to function. Morale would be non existent, which was not something the injured needed at the moment. Positive, they had to keep a positive attitude. ’How can we be positive after something like this?’ With the weight of Lateo baring down on her shoulders, Kyparla wished for someone else, anyone else to have become Weyrwoman instead of her. The redhead straightened up, it was time to get a better count on the dead and dieing… G’llahar would want it when he called a meeting of Wingleaders. It was in that moment she saw E’mion, her hand running to her throat Kyparla kept a wide eyed stare ’Alive.’ The Helios Wingleader was among the living.
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E
Raging Demoness
Posts: 978
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Post by E on May 22, 2007 6:21:31 GMT -5
Seconds passed thought the wingleader would have sworn it was minutes before he could pull himself back to the present and the realization of just who stood in front of him. She had been the reason he had left for Muneo. Sure he had told himself a thousand times that it had been to get out from beneath G’llahar and continue proceedings in the north – but even as he stood there the bronze rider could not deny the simple ache building inside him that build at the sight of no one else.
Finally he stepped forward, steps were measured and for all the world looked sure footed, but in truth E’mion half pondered simply walking away. How many turns had it been since he had last been in her presence? He had become rather good at avoiding the woman and yet here he was walking toward her. What was he doing?
He stopped his feet. What was he doing?? It was already too late. Only two measured steps from her now, he looked down at the face that plagued him as much as the idea of threadfall did. He’d seen that face in so many expressions and he’d pushed it aside more times than he could count… But after what happened… After today… It was harder to push that face away and turn his back to her like he had so many times before.
“Sleep, mi’Lady, would not be a bad idea for you.” He spoke plainly, his voice sounding almost uncaring and detached and yet he did not know why his mind chose those words. Too many people today, too many dragonriders and dragons and children to allow him to simply move on after his words.
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Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 22, 2007 16:04:30 GMT -5
The Goldrider didn’t look away from E’mion instead she devoured ever inch of his chiseled face. She couldn’t believe her eyes, even covered in ash and dirt he was a handsome image wrought from steel . The Weyrwoman was afraid that if she blinked he would be gone - a figment of some odd twisted dream. “You‘re alive?” Kyparla’s words came out flat and harsh from a dry throat. She had spent too many hours yelling orders and lending out her back to sound sweet or to even care. The red-haired woman hadn’t realized she had been looking for his face among the dead and dieing - once or twice she thought she‘d found him but instead it was another bronze rider wearing a Helios patch. Closing the few steps between them, Kyparla wrapped her arms around his waist. Unable to hold back her tears of relief, she buried her face in his chest. 'Thank Faranth.'
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E
Raging Demoness
Posts: 978
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Post by E on May 22, 2007 16:17:27 GMT -5
E’mion was confused by her words – wondering if the question was out of relief or regret… Her searching eyes, however, told him which it was. Even as he realized this he found her arms suddenly around him, her face pushed against his dirtied tunic. Breath caught by surprise, the bronze rider heard something pounding loudly only to realize it was the blood in his ears.
Despite his own weariness, E’mion stood his ground as she clung to him. His mind seemed to take forever to decide what he should do before he finally, and very slowly, lifted his left hand and placed it lightly on her back. He felt moisture on his chest and he remembered he needed to breath. Letting out the breath in a tired sigh, he looked down at her red hair before finally lifting up his other hand and placing it on her upper back.
He had to concentrate on his breathing as he realized he was actually holding her.
“Of course I’m alive.” He finally said, rather roughly – not because he was offended by the question, but because he had no idea what he was suppose to say.
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Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 22, 2007 19:11:44 GMT -5
“I thought… I saw… It was your Wingsecond.” The Goldrider tried to control the sobs that wracked her small body. Gone were the turns that had come and gone between them. The hurt was still as raw and fresh as it had been the day he had left for Muneo. He’d left without so much as a goodbye. All the sorrows of today combined with the many sorrows of yesterday lead the Weyrwoman on an exhausting flight through regrets, what might have beens, and never agains. She thought she had no more tears for this man, but Kyparla had been wrong before. That though could be thought of later what mattered now was this moment.
’I should feel guilt taking comfort while others are suffering… but I don’t. Why don’t I deserve some small measure of solace?’
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Helios brings you comfort, we all need comfort sometimes.
Kyparla relished the feel of his arms around her, for once she felt safe, nothing more than a woman. The rider didn’t want the moment to end because when it did all the horrors of last night would be real again, but end it must. Soon she would have to deal with a grieving Weyr… condolences would have to be sent to Sodalis… as if a few words of regret could change anything.
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E
Raging Demoness
Posts: 978
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Post by E on May 22, 2007 20:13:06 GMT -5
E’mion was amazed at her words, or rather the violent sobs that shook her even as his arms held her standing. He wondered if she would fall if he let her go… but even that thought was out matched by the realization that she had – at least subconsciously – been thinking about him, maybe even searching for him. Even now she was so flamin’ stubborn without realizing it.
“After six turns…” you still worry over me? E’mion had left in hopes of chasing away the unknown feelings he had for the girl just as much as he hoped she’d move on making the clearing of his head all the easier. Yet here she was sobbing into his chest… and here he was holding her – and still holding her despite knowing he shouldn’t be.
He wanted to push her away for his own sake of mind. He wanted to hold her tighter and go against what he knew was the smarter path. In the end, he stood there with his dark arms lightly upon her back, his hands sweating the only signal of conflict within his own mind.
“Listen goldrider. You should retire to your bed. The night has been long and the day will be longer.” He spoke the words he wanted desperately to not say at all. He’d rather continue holding her, but his harsh voice won over his will and like nearly every other time he found himself with a woman he sounded the uncaring, cold bronze rider he was… with every other woman. He didn’t really want to be with this one… not really…
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Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 22, 2007 20:53:45 GMT -5
‘Kymin looks so much like him…I see so much of him in her.’
“It has been six turns hasn’t it?“ Kyparla began to pull away, as much as she needed his arms she had her pride, she was strong. The Weyrwoman of Lateo was not some simpering woman. E’mion had seen enough tears from her, hadn’t asked to see them nor had he offered to hold her. ‘He probably thinks I’m some weak silly wherrie.’ Kyparla wiped away her remaining tears and took a step back, not understanding how her heart could feel ripped out for a third time… it had been in pieces for far too long.
“Thank you for your concern Wingleader, but I’ve more work to do before I can seek my couch. I’ve got to ask the Healers if there have been any changes in the number of dead. I also have to check on Mariska.”
Kyparla searched his face, his eyes but couldn’t read the expressions there. “You should probably go to the Hall and see if you can find some numbweed and wine. Neglecting yourself won’t bring them back.” As hard as it was the rider turned to walk away, but couldn’t not without offering some word of comfort.
“I’m sorry, sorry for the losses in Helios. For the loss of Muneo. You can‘t blame yourself.”
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E
Raging Demoness
Posts: 978
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Post by E on May 22, 2007 21:09:42 GMT -5
As she pulled away, E’mion let his arms fall – putting up no resistance and rather relieved that she was leaving just as his arms ached to keep holding her. At her words, he would have shook his head if he didn’t have the headache that he was sure the rest of the weyr was also suffering after the dragons morning for so long.
The first words that brought him to stand ridged was the mention of bringing them back. A glare rose to his eyes far to quickly and he had to force himself to keep a snap back. Watching her turn away, he was more than happy to be rid of her after that comment – wondering what had gotten into him only moments before when he didn’t want her to go.
The words she spoke back over her shoulder, however, did him in.
“Can’t blame myself!? Whershit I can’t! Its all my fault, I should have been faster – I should have went straight to the hatching grounds as the earth began to shake – I should have saved the young queen. Malekith would have been fast enough if I had taken heed! – then to be caught so off guard as to loose half my wing?! It is all my bloody fault!! I could have saved Muneo – I could have saved the queens. I should have saved the queens, I should have known at the first quake!”
Everything came rushing out of E’mion before he realized how loudly he was shouting, no longer seeing the red hair of a woman, but the red of the blood of so many lost that day. Shards – it was his fault, he should have known from the beginning that the smaller tremors a week before was a warning – but tremors were so common in the south… He was the one who ignored the warnings…
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Dizzy
Ordered Chaos
Black Between... All is Naught... Save for fragile Dragonwing
Lead, Follow, or get the Fall outta the Way.
Posts: 928
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Post by Dizzy on May 22, 2007 22:00:33 GMT -5
‘That’s better, this is the E’mion I remember. Cold and always so angry.‘
He should show you more respect. Savath shifted in her wallow annoyed at the loud little man who would dare speak to her‘s in such a way.
Turning back to face the hostile Wingleader, Kyparla folded her arms over her chest as much an action of defending herself from E’mion as it was to deflect some of the morning chill. She drew her eyebrows together showing new wrinkles along her forehead. Listening to his words she tilted her head to the side, a sardonic half smile pasted across full lips.
“You are one man - a Fall of a man, indeed - but still just a man E’mion. Nothing could have saved Muneo or Ryceth. Not you, not anyone.”
Taking a step forward Kyparla made a move to touch the Wingleader’s face but stopped short, instead she turned and left her booted heels clicking lightly on the dusty flagstones.
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