Rising with the Sun - Tianthe's Flight

[Dr'ym]

He couldn't stand seeing that other Earth out of the corner of His purple eyes...that one had the nerve to fly right next to Tianthe! He Himself flew close behind Her, but He would never presume to fly next to Her as if He had already won!

He bugled his love for the Grass Tianthe, and then realized that they were headed in the direction of His Keeper...and Hers. That wild Earth sought to win with gifts and bragging...but He would win with pure just right. She would choose Him, He was certain.

He crooned to Her and Her Keeper, to Willow He trilled, and to His Keeper he crooned again. He was so enjoying this Flight, She was going to be His. He was the strongest male, She could have no better mate!

[Zenniel]

_{Blazer chattered happily that she had looked at him! She had looked at him! Him! Oh, he felt so happy that pride swelled in his chest and he did double-flips around and around. Oh, but where was Tianthe going? He was surprised, he was. Tianthe was going back to Hers. Blazer wanted His to be there, too, to show His that he was keeping up! That he would win this wonderful, this graceful little emerald beauty!}

Coincidentally, Kella was headed up there right now. Baltizath had wanted to see his ‘little brother’ Fly the Healer’s ‘little sister,’ though the Healer didn’t have a dragon. Oh, look there! There he comes! Baltizath exclaimed happily. In fact, there he was, the little pretty Sea! Blazer swooshed over them, and Kella knew he was having a great time. Tell Tirasha I say hi! Kelladren said. Oh, hello Healer. Kelladren says hi to you! Do you see him? Do you see my little brother Blazer? He’s doing wonderful! Baltizath was having fun.

_{You know it, Baltizath! Blazer wooshed down to flip his tail affectionately near Kelladren’s face. She could feel the wind as he flipped past. But, despite all his happiness, he couldn’t help but have a stinging sensation that something was wrong. What was it? Oh! It was that darned Earth! The packtail the Earth had picked up hadn’t been the fish that dear Tianthe had seen! He had seen his own reflection in the water. Tianthe had probably seen her reflection! Now that that was over with, Blazer forced that to the back of his mind, and followed close behind. But not too close. Blazer had to be courteous. He had to be polite, and politeness he was taught by the very polite Kelladren, seeing as she couldn’t speak and she the only thing she could do was nod and bow. Good old Kelladren. He waited for Tianthe, not his, but a beautiful little emerald Grass nevertheless.}[/color]

[Sparrow]

Tianthe crooned happily as the wild Earth dropped his packtail for Willow eat. He was a smart fire-lizard to have done that, something she liked. Raga seemed to be trying to make up for not going underwater now, performing little tricks as the group flew. How much more energy could her Sea followers have? Tianthe didn’t have much.

She arced backwards, feeling the strain in her little wings and not liking it and did a quick little loop with Raga. On the downward curve of the loop, she continued down, gliding to save her wings a little work. After getting ahead of the males again and picking up enough momentum, she curved her track upwards, leveling out a little higher than her followers.

Ah, now who to choose…? Tianthe had little idea. She never thought much about who she wanted during the flight, when it came to an end she always had trouble. It would be nice if she could just replay that one Flight where she had flown herself to such exhaustion it was just the male who happened to be closest to her that she ‘chose’…. No-one had expected that. She gurgled at the memory.

But she couldn’t repeat a Flight ending. What was the fun in that? She flipped upside-down a second time, sailing through the air with her head rested on her chest to watch her followers like how a Terran otter might float on the water while eating. They were all very nice looking. The wild Earth especially, there were no signs of any sort of pampered life on him. Having almost ended up as one herself, she often chose wild fire-lizards. But she couldn’t be the real mate that they seemed to hope for; she wouldn’t leave Tirasha for anything.

And he seemed too sure in Tianthe’s opinion. She didn’t start out a Flight knowing who she would choose, why should he? But that didn’t quite put him out of the running. Tianthe still liked the Earth a lot.

Then there was that other Earth, Moon. He had come first and Tianthe already knew she liked him. He played chase with her that one morning at breakfast. But he had also taken some food she could have eaten… but that was in the past, yes? He had flown very well today. Very well, full of pretty tricks.

Raga she liked, such a flattering fire-lizard. He was full of praise for her. Tianthe loved being praised. And although he hadn’t dove under the water, he was doing his best to make up for it. It was okay he hadn’t gone under anyways, she hadn’t expected all of her followers to. More had, in fact, than Tianthe had expected. She thought they would think to let herself see how much greater she was by not going under. Instead they all thought that she wanted them to do the same thing… where could they have gotten that idea?

Blazer she also liked a lot, he had performed his tricks well. He was a pretty little Sea, she liked him, yes. The Sand hadn’t chosen him, she was silly. Tianthe was smart. But she wasn’t quite sure. Blazer didn’t seem quite sure, really.

A hard choice. She flipped back over and just flew in whatever direction her wings took her, considering. All would be worthy mates.

Tirasha jerked with surprise as a packtail fell into her lap. Was that why Tianthe had come this way, to drop that off? Shards. Tirasha had already been attacked by bug husks, now fish?

Willow, on the other hand, quite appreciated the gift and leapt upon it with enthusiasm.

“You eat that in my lap and you’re dead,” Tirasha hissed, glaring at the Mineral. Flitt and fish blinked abruptly away. Tirasha sighed softly. Stupid Tianthe and her horrid Flights…

Tianthe came to a decision. Her wings could probably hold out longer, but she didn’t want to hurt tomorrow so… she would pick now. All were such good candidates, oh, if only she could pick all four.

Well, there was always a next time. Tianthe didn’t always choose the same fire-lizard twice, in fact, she rarely did. It was just whoever seemed momentarily worthy of her greatness. Who would carry her heroically off into the sunrise? Who would play chase with her and swim with her and help her care for the eggs that were the sour outcome of Flights? Tianthe didn’t like caring for eggs much; she wanted a mate who would do most of it. What work was there even, turning them every few hours? Any male could do that. Tianthe did enough work conceiving and laying them.

Her wing-joints protested softly. Only a few more flaps, she chided them softly. Of course her mate was strong enough to make her attempts of flight seem nothing- when she was tired only, of course. Tianthe could outfly anyone when she had the energy.

She came up beside her chosen mate, twirled slightly underneath him, and gently entwined her neck and tail with his. She wasn’t much more weight to support, just a little Grass with this somewhat larger fire-lizard.

A soft croon left her jaw, Tianthe’s usual bouncy and noisy attitude was overrun by her lust at the moment, which induced gentleness. Lucky flitt, she probably wouldn’t be gentle with him any other time. Or at least she guessed.

So entwined, Tianthe crooned sensually and licked at her chosen mate’s throat. He was hers now, her Blazer.

Finally, it was over. Tirasha gave a great sigh of relief, but it changed to a groan as Baltizath's cheerful words reached her. What? Kella wasn't coming now, right? She peaked tentatively off her ledge. Shards. Stupid Weyrlings... she should have stayed in her room.

[Dr'ym]

Moon watched only for a second as Tianthe entwined with another fire-lizard. He then turned around and flew back to where Tori was waiting. At least, Moon thought as the lust died down, she had not chosen the wild Earth over him.

He crooned to His, rubbing her face. Tori would feed him now, this Flight had made him sad and hungry.

Tori waited until Moon was situated on her shoulder before turning to Tirasha. " Well, poor Moon here needs time to heal and a full belly. See you around Tirasha! I'll tell Eceth you said hello!" She waved over her shoulder as she walked away to find food and comfort for the little Earth.

[Zenniel]

<sub>Blazer hadn’t really expected to win this wonderful prize, this wonderful emerald queen (in his eyes, since he couldn’t chase Waterfalls or Golds). He saw that she was tiring, that she was winding down, and that she was near her time. That time? She was going to choose. Blazer could feel it (as the chicken from Surf’s Up says, in his nuggets. =3). He waited, sailing on the thermals and the currents her wings cut in the air. He knew who she probably would choose. That blasted Earth who had gotten a packtail for her… and she hadn’t even wanted the packtail! It wasn’t even the right fish! Any smart fire-lizard would have known that the fish she had seen was her reflection off the water!

But his thoughts vanished as he saw what she was doing. She was surveying them. She was watching them because she was going to choose one of them. His heart gave a happy little twitter as he saw her gaze swipe over him. He was a late comer –the latest late comer—and he was being acknowledged by Tianthe! Then she did something extraordinary. What was that extraordinary thing? What did she do?

She chose him. Her tail, her neck, they became entwined with his. He could barely control his breathing now much less his wings. But she had chosen him! Oh, now he could call Tianthe his own, at least until she rose for another Flight who knows when. Tianthe was his! He gently twined his neck with hers, his tail with her won, and he began the descent.</sub>

Kella started. Then she looked at the Healer. Mine says, 'Did she just—did he just—did she choose my Blazer?' Baltizath told the Healer. But the answer was, undeniably, a yes. She could feel a slight twinge in her heart, the piece that ‘belonged’ to Blazer. She could see the two, the green and the blue, connect. In a way she thought the two looked like land and sea. Like Yin and Yang, though not like Malin’s two Grass fire-lizards at all. Kella wondered how the next few sevendayss would be for Blazer until Tianthe rose again.

_{And Tianthe was his.}