The Red Rose of Solace }{ Red Lilith's Flight

[lredd011]

Keeliah sat in the dining hall, clutching a fresh cup of klah in her white-knuckled hands, though she had yet to take a single sip. Her feet bounced rapidly beneath the table and she bit her bottom lip anxiously. She knew it was coming any moment now. Lilith, usually gentle and maternal, had been extremely irritable lately, snapping at anything and everything; a pretty good indicator that she was ready and due to Rise any day now. Lilith typically rose about three times per turn, about the same as a Green. But probably with more of a temper.

Although by now Keeliah knew what to expect since she had Impressed Lilith when she was merely twelve turns old, it did not make the waiting part any easier or any more enjoyable. She preferred just to get it over with. She hated this "limbo stage" with a passion and it was more than enough to put the usually cheerful young woman on edge. It was enough to put anyone on edge, really. Keeliah wore her emotions on her sleeve; thus, pretty much anyone she had come in contact with lately also knew what was coming. She might as well have been wearing a sign around her neck saying "Open and Ready for Business" with the amount of knowing and suggestive glances she had been receiving from both the men and women around the Weyr.

~

A deafening screech sounded from nearby, and the nervous woman jumped, spilling her entire cup of klah in the process. "Oh, for Faranth's sake!" she shouted rather audibly as she frantically searched for a cloth to remove the excess liquid from her riding breeches and tunic. Another screech sounded. There was no time. Throwing her hands up in exasperation, she practically ran out of the lower caverns, bumping into a couple poor drudges and cooks on her way out. As if automatically programmed, she made her way out of the winding halls of the lower caverns and up to her weyr, not stopping for anything. By the time she got there, Lilith was pacing back and forth at the edge of the weyr, her eyes whilring a deep shade of purple. Lilith's coral red hide gave off an impressive glow; it almost hurt one's eyes to look at her for too long.

{Mine, it is time! I must go at once! I can not wait any longer. But don't worry, I will make you proud!}

Keeliah, not daring to come closer to her sweet Lilith who was barely recognizable at this point, simply nodded. The hair on the back of her neck and her arms began to rise, sending a shiver down her spine. Her own senses and emotions were ever-increasingly becoming not her own, but Lilith's. Soon she would not be Keeliah anymore. She would be Keeliah-Lilith. I know, Lilith. Fly high, my love.

~

With another deafening screech, Lilith reared, spreading her large, pinkish-red wings, and lept from the edge. She dove down towards the earth, snatching up a poor, unsuspecting wherry in her sharp claws, and in one swift movement, snapped its neck with a sickening crunch. She proceeded to drain it of its blood, its life source. And when she was satisfied, she let it drop carelessly back to the earth, its limp, colorless body falling in a heap to the ground.

Lilith, now energized by her kill, rose increasingly higher into the air, twisting and turning through the clouds, occasionally letting herself drop a couple hundred meters. She was dancing through the sky; she was Solace's Weyr's beautiful red rose! With a bugle, she called them to her, though she knew they would already be on their way. {Come, join me, friends! Join me in a dance! A waltz, a tango, perhaps? Whatever you fancy...But remember, I can only have one dancing partner in the end...Who will claim Lilith, the beautiful rose of Solace, as their prize today?}

~

Keeliah retreated into the cover of her weyr, away from prying eyes. She knew they would be coming soon. It was only a matter of time. Her wavy, red-blonde hair began to stick to her forehead as she began to perspire. Her grayish-blue eyes were wide and sort of frantic-looking. She looked like a wild-woman. As every moment passed by, she was becoming less of Keeliah and more of Lilith.

[danaphantom]

((Fuuuuuuuuuuuh. Something happened and my original post disappeared :<))

The Weyr was abuzz... and for once it wasn't conspiracy theories or just general grumpiness due to Grenth's current condition. Sure, risings were common enough, but it had been a while, and there were several who felt an itch.

Hmm... what do you think?

What? Uh... but, you need to finish mending the straps! There's... that one thing. And... Hezzath fluttered his wings as he shifted his position on the cliffside, trying to think of other excuses.

Oh, you.... Oh?

Hezzath stood, watching as a coral streak crossed the Weyrbowl. The weedy dragon considered, before spreading his long wings, using the span to his advantage to simply glide to his destination. So there was going to be a flight... and a dandy, gorgeous little thing was to be the spoils. Well, he was here, and... well, his rider was rather insistent. Already she was hurrying towards the weyrs, ready to either find Keeliah, or any other willing body.

Another wherry was quickly dispatched and drained, the Blue not daring a herdbeast... not now. Too much, he needed to be fast. That was all he had going for him.

Sweet rose... might I be your violet? His voice was quiet, tentative... Hezzath hadn't even dared leave the beast pen yet, watching as Lilith sank down from the clouds. No. He had made his decision.

Wings flaring, he lept, angling towards the cliff face he had just been lounging on. Their heat would be his boon as he used the thermals to rise almost effortlessly. He would need to save his strength - what little he had would be needed for the actual chase, and, in the small chance he won... He kept his wings wide, still simply gliding, beneath Lilith but with violet eyes trained upwards, waiting for the right moment to sprint forward.

A ballet, perhaps, for a gorgeous rose...?

[mandafloon]

Z'los made it his business to always be on the up and up with what females were close to rising, and more importantly, what female dragons came with female riders. He understood that flight-lust could do strange things to a man, and that often one's own preferences were thrown to the winds at the behest of one's dragon. But still. He had his preferences. And more often than not Meghath was all too accommodating to fly after a female Z'los didn't approve of. And so he of course knew that Lilith was due any time now. And more importantly, that Lilith had a lovely rider by the name of Keeliah. And so he had found himself a seat on a ledge not too far from Keeliah's own where he could watch and wait.

As if to stroke his ego, he had barely waited a half candlemark when a glimmering red bolt shot out, bellowing a challenge to all the males that dared come for her. Well then. Challenge accepted! He stood, and began the slow wandering walk towards the weyr he'd seen the red come from. He gave a gentle but commanding mental nudge to Meghath, who had been sunning nearby after a good meal. There's a VERY pretty lady heading up to the skies. You've been so well behaved, doing all the things I ask in wing drills...why don't you go ahead and have a little chase? She's a red. Lilith. His words were gentle, coaxing, and they got the desired response. He felt rather than saw the blue wake, and take to the skies without pausing to feed again.

I will catch her, wait and see, wait and see. Lilith? Who is she? She is mine. You will see, Z'losmine. Lilithmine! Will you be my Lilithmine, my Lilithmine? You shine so bright, Lilithmine, like the Red star come to make us fall, but I will catch you Lilithmine, Lilithmine! Come to me and I will catch you and bring you down and we will eat grubs and the stars and you will be my Lilithmine!

Such a strange dragon. Even as he rambled Z'los felt himself slipping into the soaring blue. It was always disconcerting, and he swiftly took a seat. Most riders seemed to find it almost enjoyable. At first, with Meghath though, it always felt odd. Z'los felt that understanding of what the blue meant was drifting just in and out of sight, and if only he could fly a little faster (urge Meghath to fly? Meg was flying, not Z'los. Or was he Z'losmeghath now?) he might be able to catch it. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision and look around. He'd made it to the room before he sat at least. The door was just over there. Usually it didn't hit him this fast, but it HAD been a while since Meghath had chased...he'd find out soon enough if the door was locked if he won.

[escape]

NPC Gry'zell & Blue Basyth

The male casually twirled a piece of dark brown hair around his finger as he glanced over different hides. He casually made a note on one before scratching something else on another one. He was the weyr's record keeper or at least one of the various ones. He worked hard and though he did love to spend time with others and have intelligent conversations with them, lately the intelligence was lacking in said conversations. All anyone could talk about was the madness of their gold and the clutch that laid upon the sands or perhaps they wanted to just talk about sex due to all the different dragons rising around this time. Really, none of those topics were ever satisfying intellectually but he bore them just to make his social butterfly of a blue happy. Really that creature should have been born as a green, he certainly acted like one.

Rain rain go away...rain rain go away. The blue sang softly, causing his rider to pause in his work to mentally reach out to the dragon. His dragon's odd singing had made him worry at first, wondering if perhaps the gold's madness had affected others but really Basyth was just bored out of his mind. It's not raining, Bas. Nor is there thread right now. He ran his fingers through his short pony tail and tugged on the edge as he looked over the list of recently deceased. It was always a depressing record to work on.

Feeling so lonely without you... The blue continued, causing his rider to sigh as he finished the hide and rolled it back up to stick it where he had originally found it. He began to make his way back to his weyr, figuring the blue simply needed to take the old wherry out for a good ride. Maybe Basyth would feel better once he got a good flight. He stopped mid step, half way up the stairs to his weyr as the feeling struck him. He nearly tripped up the stairs in his blind haste to get to his weyr and when he flung open the door he found that the blue was gone. Sharddit Basyth! I am a man of intellect! Not a rutting beast in look of something to hump! He cried angrily at his dragon who was already powering his way into the air to try and meet the red that twirled and danced away in the air.

I do not know much of dancing but you may use me in any way you want Lilith! I am your Basyth and I will do anything to please the beautiful rose of Solace! The light blue beast with dark blue spatters called to the beautiful red.

Sighing, the male mentally tried to call up the rider's weyr. It took him a few tries while he was trying to get over the urge to grab someone and tear their clothes off. How humiliating! He stormed into the weyr and would have torn into the person if it wasn't for the fact that his tongue seemed to tie itself in knots as he looked at the beautiful woman. "Ah...you...flight...Gry'zell." He flushed, irritated that he couldn't get a proper sentence out. Now he just looked like some knuckle dragging dimglow!

[lredd011]

She had called for them to come. And come they did, three handsome blue creatures. They were fine specimens, all of them. She greeted each one with a low croon as she glided gently through the sky.

{Dear Hezzath, don't be so shy! We are not strangers! Be my violet? That remains to be seen! For I see more than one violet in this dance of flowers!} She remained hidden amongst giant, puffy white clouds. They were her cover. She did not want to be found yet. In due time she would reveal herself. And then the real chase would begin. A ballet? Perhaps. She had not yet made up her mind what sort of dance this would be.

{Ah ah ah! Not so fast, sweet Meghath! You are eager, I see. But the dance has only begun. You must prove yourself a worthy dancing partner - you must be better than the others!} She continued to glide through the clouds. An occasional flash of pinkish-red hide could be seen perhaps, teasing them, but the clouds were thick, like blankets. They were her allies.

{Basyth!} Lilith crooned again. {Your honesty becomes you! Please me you must, if you can catch me. But alas, I am afraid not one of you will be able to capture this rose!}[/color]

With that, Lilith skyrocketed upwards, breaking through the clouds at once, her location revealed. The chase was on. But they would never catch her! No, not yet. She did not want to be caught. She wanted the dance to go on forever!

~

[/color]

Everything was fairly mild so far, and Keeliah was still somewhat aware of herself. For the moment, anyways. Her cheeks were flushed with color and her breathing was becoming more rapid. Norra was the first to come. Through Lilith, she had known to be expecting her. She beckoned for the first Bluerider to enter her weyr while she still could and gave her a polite nod and a smile. Formalities would be thrown by the wayside soon enough. "Good day, Norra," she managed to spit out, her speech beginning to sound raspy. She stood somewhat awkwardly in the center of the room. "Sit please. Let's both sit." she rushed over, perhaps a little too fast, to the small collection of mismatched furniture she owned to make up a living area - a couple of chairs, a sofa, a soft rug covering the cold stone floor. It was country-esque. It reminded her of her family's farm that she grew up on.

Through the eyes of Lilith, she saw another blue she recognized. Meghath. Z'los's Meghath. She wondered for a moment why he had not come a knocking on the door yet. But it was not out of the question for riders to wait it out. See how things...transpired.

The next individual that stormed through the door was clearly not waiting. She was not familiar with this one, this man who introduced himself as Gry'zell. But she offered a smile, color again rising to her pale cheeks. Her face would soon match Lilith's hide, she was sure of it. She motioned to for him to come in, nodding. "Keeliah," was all she said. Soon, it would not matter if she knew the man or not. Under Flightlust, one could not be picky.

[danaphantom]

There was the slightest falter of a wingtip as Lilith chided Hezzath for his shyness. Oh, surely she didn't mean it... Just playing hard to get. He drifted along, still watching her, casting a wary glance to the other two Blues that showed up. They were bigger than him, stronger... if the Red really wanted to make this a long, strenuous flight...

No time to think! There she was!

Darting upwards at a speed the other two likely couldn't match, he chased after the rising Red, pirouetting as he broke through the cloudwall to emphasize his ballet analogy. He had little strength to spare for tricks, but upon the shards of his mother's egg, he would try!

Be my sweet... a taste of honey... sugar dew for the rose...

He could still try his damnedest to flirt his way in.

Ξ

She was ablaze... heat coursing through her, flaming hair wild.

Much like Keeliah. Though Norra was not in the right mind to really draw parallels. All she knew was that she knew this Rider from Wing Training, and shells was she gorgeous. Though the Bluerider sat as was bid, she was not still - far from it, as a shiver of anticipation shook her being.

All she wanted was to touch that soft skin, run her fingers through the waves of red-gold...

Norra closed her eyes, letting her imagination dance with her dragon high in the sky, oblivious to the men that had entered... and soon completely oblivious to her own body.

[mandafloon]

Someone had crashed through the door to Keeliah's weyr, and through the haze Z'los came back to himself long enough to spot her. Glorious. Gorgeous. He saw Lilith's red wings twisting and flaring in Keeliah's red hair, shining in sunlight that was not present in the weyr itself. He staggered to his feet and nearly tripped over himself into the room, where he sank into another chair. Rocking back and forth, he couldn't look away from her. His normally silvered tongue was lead in his mouth; too thick, too heavy. He'd never wanted anyone more in his life, since the last time he'd wanted someone this much. He had to have her. Determined, he lost himself in Meghath, lending him all his wit and strength.

High high above Meghath soared. Certainly Lilith was beautiful, darting in and out of the clouds, flashes of pinked red. But in this place Meghath was invisible. A perfect camouflage of cloudy blue skin made him fade into the background. Perhaps not the best when one was trying to stand out as the best choice, but he had flown before, and earned that the element of surprise could do more for him than being the boldest of the batch. And so he crept closer and closer, hanging just a breath away as he continued to wax poetic to the darling red.

A dance it is, my Lilith wants, but I have not the wings to fly but to catch her. You shine like the sun, and I your pale lover moon. You dance, while I watch from afar, not intervening, but accenting just so. I will not cast my pall onto your beauty as you twirl, Lilith, oh Lilith mine, for to do so would be like painting rubies with butter. Yet I will wait, just out of reach, until the time is that you must
fall, like a star shot down from the heavens, to rest upon my leafy branches and sturdy limbs. Until my dying breath, if it takes so long, I will watch and wait and only reflect your beauty until the moment you bid me welcome to your nearness. Ah! My Lilith! I will be your comet's trail!

When she broke from the clouds, he was just a wingbeat behind her, emerging less than a dragon length away. He'd crept close in the cover of the clouds, and beat his wings furiously to chase her. Another male was hanging close, and he resisted the urge the hiss a threat at him. No, no. He would devote himself only to Lilith. He would not ruin her dance with petty jealously. That was not what comet-trails did!

[escape]

Basyth powered after the red as she begun the flight. He tried to keep ahead of the other two blues but he fell easily behind them. Mentally the blue would have groaned at his own misfortune if he wasn't too busy focusing on the red as he pushed his wings hard against the air. Go go go go! He pushed hard, wondering if perhaps he would have blooded something for the energy.

Gry'zell stared at the woman with with a sigh finally sat down. glancing at the other male as he shuddered a little from his dragon's eagerness to catch the red. His clothes were too snug and uncomfortable, he wanted nothing more than to shed them as his eyes slowly ran up and down the woman's form. Oh shards, this was embarrassing how much he wanted her.

[[short and fail x.x I'm sorry]]

[lredd011]

Lilith was ablaze, her pale red hide glowing, whirling and twirling amongst the clouds. For once she actually seemed like a true red, though her pale color usually made her more of a subtle, understated beauty when compared to her brighter red sisters. The males were close, too close! Right on her tail practically. But Lilith, Red Rose of Solace was not ready to be captured yet! No, she still had a little energy left in her, having blooded a kill prior to taking to the skies. She teased the blue creatures, letting them get so close. A little closer. They could probably almost taste her now...

With a bugle that sounded oddly like laughter, Lilith shifted into a whole different gear and shot through another wall of clouds, ascending ever-higher into the atmosphere. She would not be able to keep it up much longer. But she would give these boys the dance of their lives! If they were not dancers, well, then they were not worthy of her! She took the form of a rocket now (if Pern had such a concept), nose pointed straight upwards, spinning upwards but with the grace and poise of a ballerina!

~

Keeliah was only vaguely aware that Z'los had now stumbled into the room and taken a seat. She shut her eyes tightly, focusing in on the flight. She could practically feel the closeness of the sun as Lilith ascended ever higher into the sky. A shudder went through her body. The end was in sight, she could feel it. She was getting winded, her breath heavier, warmer. She was certain her heartbeat could be heard by each body in her weyr right now. She could hardly sit still. She wanted to feel warm flesh against hers...any flesh. She didn't care whose it was. Lllith would decide that for her soon enough. Oh please let it be soon! she pleaded.

[danaphantom]

Darting amongst the pillars of clouds as if they were the spires of a mountain, Hezzath chased, inching ever closer. It seemed that the chase was about to end, with three eager Blues hot on Lilith's tail and ready to catch her should she falter.

The most vibrant of the three chasers closes his second set of eyelids, the closest thing he had to squeezing his eyes shut. He was trying to shut out the pain he felt in his chest as weedy wing muscles strained to keep up. Endurance had never been Hezzath's strong point, and so far his speed hadn't given him quite the edge he had hoped for. Still, he powered after Lilith, not yet willing to drop out of this flight.

He couldn't help but squawk in surprise as the Red suddenly turned upwards, causing him to overshoot. Luckily, with his small size, he didn't have as much inertia to battle, and he managed to get himself vertical relatively quickly. Long wings pumping wildly, he used the last reserves of strength to power after Lilith, stretching out as far as his small frame would allow in an attempt to grab her, to snatch her out of the sky before they both collapsed with exhaustion.

[mandafloon]

Meghath was a bit slow the second time she rocketed upwards, but he caught himself, turning down and at an angle, on a wingtip, to sling himself back up after her. He was loathe to lose his near positioning to the radiant red beauty. Looking up up up he could see her. Like a giant version of the red star, but full of beauty and wonder, not fear and danger. How perfectly she sailed through the heavens...He trumpeted his desire, daring not to spin, inching closer and closer wings straining to pump the thinning air.

Lilith, sweet Lilith...come...come to us. To your Meghath. Be your Meghath's. He crooned to her, singing a ballad for her to dance her final (he hoped) waltz to. I will catch you like a cloud. We will glide over the land like mist, like stars, like the smell of a freshly killed beast with blood so red and fine. I will wrap you in wings of silk all of your todays, until our memories grow dim and tomorrow we forget who we are and why we lie together!

He was quite the...poet. His strength was waning though, and far below Z'los' breath came harder, panting, desperate. He desired her...oh Faranth. The things flight lust made him want to do. He tugged at his collar, the itchy fabric so restricting. He would shed it soon enough..if Meghath won or not. Flight lust always left willing partners lingering about. But for now he could not take his eyes off Lilith-Keeliah.

[escape]

There were no beautiful words that Basyth could say to express his desire to have Lilith. There was nothing that he could do to prove that he was truly worthy other than to fly hard and fast after the gorgeous ballerina. He wasn't a dancer, but he twisted and pushed harder and higher after the beautiful red who seemed to taunt and tease them all with her grace. Oh how gloriously she shown compared to the pale and washed out sky! He wanted nothing more than to be the one she called upon when her wings gave out and she plummeted back to the ground far below.

Let us dance tonight, let us sway tonight. Oh Lilith let me be your dragon tonight. He called in his sing song voice, pushing up so that he was closer to the other two males who had gained on the red until she rocketed up. His wings burned and his body felt like it was being beaten from how high they were going. He ignored these feelings and continued to push upward, he would go till his wings gave out if he had to.

Gry'zell shifted uncomfortably as the woman breathed heavily. He wanted her to stop breathing so...so arousingly sharddit! He wanted her, he didn't want to want her but he wanted her! He just wished he could go back to the dusty scrolls and the calm cool company he loved so. He hated this, sitting around when his arousal was evident and his need for a warm body too much to resist. He wished that the sharding red would pick someone so that he could be done with all this embarrassment.

[lredd011]

Lilith's wing muscles began to burn in defiance as they strained to carry her higher into the atmosphere; as they strained to carry her at all. She was losing steam, and losing it fast. She had to save some energy for what was yet to come. It was time for the finale. Who would she choose be her ultimate dancing partner for the descent back towards the earth? Who would get to create the most beautiful of symphonies with her, the Red Rose of Solace?

Any one of her suitors would be a fine choice, a choice she could be happy with. They were each so endearing, so unique in their own way. But alas, she could only choose one of them. Only one would please her today. In the end, Lilith was not wooed by fancy prose or poetry. She wanted sweet simplicity. One might be able to say she had a soft spot for the underdog (or underdragon, rather).

{Hezzath!}[/color] she crooned, calling to him, urgently. {Come claim your prize, sweet Hezzath. Today, I am yours. Your Lilith. And you will be my Hezzath.}

She leveled out, no longer ascending and came alongside Hezzath, her red hide parrellel to that of his rich blue one. The Rose and the Violet. Just in case the others had any ideas about trying to change her mind last minute or thought they might try to snatch her for themselves, she hissed in their direction. She had made her decision and Faranth help them if they got any closer to her. Lilith tucked her wings in and she fell, plummeting towards the ground.

~

Like Lilith, Keeliah’s own body burned and ached. She ached to be held tightly, to wrap herself up in another. Norra. It was Norra she wanted; Norra she needed. Lilith-Keeliah had made up her mind. Rising from her own seat, the petite woman hastily made her way over to where the older woman sat. Without hesitation, she sank into Norra’s lap, facing her, and practically melted into her body. “Hold me,” she whispered, in a surprisingly demanding tone. Her gray-blue eyes searched Norra’s own shocking violet-blue ones and she reached out to touch the woman’s face; a gentle caress of her cheek. “Hold me,” she repeated again.

[ooc: Thanks guys for joining! It was a fun time with more than one chaser! Now go claim your marks! ^_^ And Dana, let's talk...]

[danaphantom]

Oh, gorgeous rose... the Blue whispered as he dove after her, catching her by the wing joints and twining both neck and tail around her. His long wings flared as he strove to slow their decent. They might not be good for much, but the albatross-like structures were great for catching the jet stream, letting the pair cascade downward at a slightly more comfortable speed.

Norra did, indeed, hold Keeliah, pressing the Redrider against her body. Breath heavy, she twined her fingers in the other rider's long hair, whispering sweet nothings into her ear as she nibbled, teasing for now.

But everything else was lost to time.