Discovery (Mittens)

[Epic Squid of Legend]

For once, they had not been scheming. For once, it had just been a day to relax. No one had found their stores of Spores, both dried and alive, since they arrived. No one was questioning them, a very good thing. So today Cris had deemed they relax, finding the spring afternoon had the perfect weather to go swimming.

Harinzzat was the one doing so, diving and chasing fish and ensaring them with a thought. He was not 'relaxing', but has honing his mental skills. All he had to do was think about the fish, esentially stabbing it with a thought. The fish would immediatly stop in it's tracks, having forgotten why it was swimming at all. Then Harinzzat would simply grab the fish, rise to the surface of the water, and throw it in a basket he formed for this purpose.

Cris was near-bye, lounging on a large, flat rock. She, too, was not 'relaxing', but was searching around the Weyr with her mind for anything interesting. While she couldn't do this near as well as Harinzzat could, she could still get a feel for everyone in that Weyr and the immediatly surrounding areas. Unfortunatly, there was nothing interesting going on, so she pushed her mind to touch that of a near-by Dragon's, hoping to startle it.

but what happened was Cris was startled by a sudden and very loud sense of excitment coming from the water. She rose to a sitting position, looking at Harinzzat as he broke the surface of the water with his body, rushing to the shore with something shiny in his hands. Cris frowned at him, wondering what could be so exciting that he would be so... excited. She leaned forward as Harinzzat neared her, ready to beat him for disturbing her, before her mind registered what was in his hands.

"It's some type of ore," Harinzzat explained, opening his hands and letting Cris lay eyes on the sparkly, metallic rock. "With a unique property... I'll bet. There's no sign of erosin on it, though I found it underwater."

Cris lifted a brow at him, wondering why that would be so important. She was still perplexed as Harinzzat shoved the rock into her hands and went rifling through a pack of stuff he carried about with him.

He pulled out a metal flask, sealed with a stopper which he pulled roughly out. //Agenothree// was the word he gave her, and she still didn't understand. But as he grabbed the rock, set it on her sitting-rock and poured some over it, an idea came to her. The ore, as he called it, did not bubble and hiss as the rock she was sitting on did. Agenothree was a type of acid... and by the smell of it what he had in his metal flask was highly concentrated. "I have to keep on switching flasks, as it eats through it with time. But this stuff... this stuff hasn't been scratched."

Cris smiled, ideas flitting across her head. She shared one in particular with Harinzzat, sent as an image to him of them presenting it to D'myn as a type of armour. He looked up at her, his eyes bright, and he nodded once.

//Contact Xannturnoth// Cris told him, knowing his range was much more broad than hers. He immediatly did so, reaching out to find the Amber's mind and touching it gently.

//I have a present,// Harinzzagt said, sending the image of the un-touched ore, //But it needs one final test//.

[Lyrikitty]

Keep moving D'myn, or I'll help you lose a pound or two.Xanturnoth's deep, chilling voice rang into D'myn's mind, sending a cold shiver down his spine. The Amber had woke him early today, very early, and demanded they jog. Without a word the pair had made their way to the beach, and the Amber had started the routine exercise which made him all the mopre dangerous.

D'myn had to grudgingly admit, this was one of his favorite things, the beach jogs, with none but the pair. He rolled his eyes, panting, as she slowed, his hands resting on his knees. He wore a pair of baggy shorts, and nothing else. his torso glistened with sweat, his chest rising andfalling heavily as he sucked air into his burning lungs. Shut it Xan, we've been up for hours. I'm done. He did't have the breath, yet, to speak aloud, and so he had sent the mental snarl to the Amber.

Xanturnoth rumbled, rounding the far end of the beach, his legs rising and falling methodicly, his wings laying smooth along his sides, his tail swinging slighgtly with his momentum. It was obvious he did this a lot, for he showed not the exhaustion that D'myn did, and if anything looked ready for another few hours of running in the thick sand, fighting it as it sucked at his paws and tried to slow him down. Those who were not privy to the knowledge of the early morning exercise both D'myn and the Amber went through often wondered at how toned Xanturnoth appeared, and how the Amber managed it. His great horned head tossed impatiently as he slowed to a prowl, snorting indignantly at D'myn's refusal to run anymore. Is that so? Well, then you-[/color] The amber paused, blinking an sliding to a grinding halt, dark sand flying up around his haunches. A voice entered his mind, then an image, and the amber tilted his head curiously before relaying the information to D'myn.

Presents? Ah, how very fun. "Send... Send Veseleth and Mia. No one will be able to stop them if they're seen." The Amber nodded, his lips curving into a delighted smirk as he summoned up the Wildfire.

True to her color, the female appeared in a blur of motion, Mia strapped to her back, and landed lightly beside the Amber with a warble. Yes, Xanturnoth? Where would you have us go?[/color] Mia remained silent astride her dragon, knowing Veseleth would be given all the information they would need.

I need you to go to Eden, again. Be wary of the dragons there, and fetch me two candidates.[/color] He gave the Wildfire an image of the area that Cris and Harinzzat were located. The Wildfire dipped her head and leapt to the air, shooting up and spiralling before vanishing Between. I am sending a Wildfire to bring you and the gift to me.[/color] His reply to the boy was short, but undercurrents of pleasure rippled through the tone. Jump in the water, Mine, we'll have company soon.[/color] The Amber waded into the water as well, paddling out far enough to submrege himself with a froth of bubbles.

A swim in the cool, salty water sounded far better than panting on the beach, with the black sands clinging to his skin. D'myn nodded in agreement and walked into the water, then dove, surfacing just far enough he had to tread to keep his head above the surface.

Veseleth appeared moments later in Eden, circling once, and then spotting the two candidates she'd been sent for. Going down, Mia. Have you the spare straps?[/color] Mia gave a dry chuckle and slapped the Wildfire's shoulder as the sleek female tucked all six wings to her body and turned herself into a shooting arrow, rocketing down only to flare her wings just in time to land with precision not a whole dragonlength to the left of the two. "Come on, hurry it up. Veseleth and I are far from welcome around here." Even as she spoke, Mia twisted around, fastening the spare straps to Veseleth, and making the needed additions for the two extra passengers. The Wildfire crouched low, not that she was a large dragon or anything, and waiting, her tail twitching impatiently. "Once you're up, be sure to strap yourself. Wildfire's are the fastest dragons you'll ever see, and I've yet to meet a person who can sit one without straps when they fly. If you fall, we aren't going to catch you."

[Epic Squid of Legend]

Harinzzat's lip twitched as he waited for a reply, but he didn't have to wait long. A Wildfire? How nice of the Amber, making sure they could get away before they were even seen.

He looked at Cris, grabbing his shoes and bag just as the dragon appeared in the air. Cris jumped off the rock, grabbing her bag. It was as if they had expected to leave, since they had a few belongings with them. But no, it was more like the pair did not trust the other Candidates to not take their stuff.

Harinzzat ran forward on bare feet, shoving his boots into his bag and tying his shirt around his thin waist. He vaulted up, clutching the rock safely to his naked chest as he easily landed himself behind Mia.

Cris had no problem sitting behind Harinzzat, her leg muscles bulging in her pants. While she was female, so naturally smaller than some males, she was incredibly fit- thanks to years and years of toning and working her muscles. She sat behind Harinzzat, grabbing at the safty straps as Mia spoke, not wanting to fall to her death. She watched as Harinzzat did the same, then patted him on the shoulder for a job well done. He waved her off, knowing their job was not done, not yet.

//We still have to face D'myn, and hope that our present works like it's supposed to... 'cause if not...// He trailed off, looking over his short, thin shoulders at Cris with a look in his eye that made her cringe. Neither of them liked what he was thinking, and would do their best to keep it from happening.

Harinzzat turned back around to look at Mia, his unsmiling face looking at her seriously, he nodded, signaling his readiness as he held tightly onto the straps, ready for the jolt upwards, and then for the cold /between/.

Cris was smiling, unlike Harinzzat, her teeth glistening in the sunlight as her face took a dark look to it. She was going to enjoy this day, very much so.

[Lyrikitty]

Mia nodded wordlessly when the boy informed her that all were strapped in and ready to go. As she turned back to Veseleth's skull, the Wildfire looked over her shoulder, snapping her wings open and crouching. Might as well give these two youths a taste of what a Black Sands dragon could do. Her muscles grew taut, her body seeming to shrink as she coiling in on herself, before throwingher mass into the air, her wings sweeping powerfully and sending her and her passengers rocketing into the air, fast enough that even Mia, so used to the Wildfire's antics, was jerked back slightly, though her hands immediately grabbed hold of the ridge before her, hauling herself to lay flat against it, her cheek pressed against the smooth hide. She chuckled softly, the sound lost to the roar of wind as Veseleth lived up to her color, making them little more than a blur to anyone who might be watching, as she arrowed upward vertically, lean body and multiple wings made for this sort of flight.

She allowed herself to go higher than she needed to, simply for the thrill of it, and to see how short a span of time she could do it in, Mia's mental amusement telling her that she'd indeed done well. Not even a full minute passed befre they were soaring well above the ground, and without warning, the Wildfire carried them Between, the image of their home firmly in the minds of Mia and the dragon both.

Xanturnoth and D'myn had rinsed quickly, and stood on the beach when Veseleth and her passengers appeared above, the Wildfire lifting her voice to announce herself quickly. Lately no one could be sure of friends or foe, and the Wildfire had no desire to be labeled as a threat to the Weyr. She'd not be caught and torn to shreds, simply for returning and lapsing in judgement.

The Amber tilted his head and bugled back, calling her down to join him and His on the ebony sand, impatient to see what sort of present the boy from Eden might have for them.

Veseleth dipped her head slightly, cirling above and gaining speed, before tucking her wings to her body ,archingher back and sending them into a dive, spinning her body freeling in a wild flight. She was curious if she could get either of these two Eden youths to fear sitting astride another Wildfire, she had a feeling she might manage to get one to at least puke. She waited until the last second -not when most dragons would stop, but the last second for a Wildfire to cease a dive and pull out- before she opened her primary wings, the largest set, to slow, curving as she opened the second set, and the the third, her claws skimming the dark sand as she leveled, and let her momentum carry her, her claws lft to drag through the sand and send sprays up on either side of them, until she was close enough to Xanturnoth and D'myn to stop. Her haunches sank to the ground, her fore legs digging into the sand, and her wings scooping air and drawing them to an abrupt halt.

She sank to her belly, folding her wings neatly along her streamlined sides, and settled her skull to her paws, seeming to be utterly unaffected by the display of Wildfire ability. Mia shook her head, unstrapping herself and dropping to the ground, rubbing the Wildfire's shoulder affectionately before looking up at the two and raising a brow curiously.

Xanturnoth rumbled softly as he watched the Wildfire's antics, She could have probably done better, could have made those two lose control of their bowels even, though he disliked the idea personally of having anyone soil themselves while straddling him. Okay, so maybe it made sense she didn't push it too far. He eyed the boy first, for that had been the one to bespeak him, and snorted, his attention shifting to stare through them and off into the distance as D'myn took the forefront.

The man, so like his dragon in presence, strode forward, his muscled chest glittering with beads of salty water, black grains of sand clinging to his legs as he moved, his damp shorts sending little trails of water dancing down his legs and clinging to the muscled thighs."Well? For your sake, this had better be good."

[Epic Squid of Legend]

The takeoff was bad enough for poor Harinzzat, jolted back into Cris with nothing but his straps to hang on to. His eyes went wide as they soared higher and higher, his breath coming shorter and shorter with every wingbeat. He clutched at his straps with all the power he had in his small hands, his knucles going white and his own nails digging into the soft skin on his palms.

His face paled as he looked down upon Eden Weyr, bile rising in his throat as he realised just how high they had gotten in such a tiny amount of time. He swallowed it, though, just in time for the wink /between/.

His alarm was aparent to Cris, who was monitoring his mind with her own. She did not feel as he did, though, but was delighted with the sheer velocity at which they were traveling. A large grin was plastered on her face as she looked down, marveling at how high they were. And higher still they went, until, without warning, Veseleth went /between/. Just a short ride in nothingness, but it was Cris' least favorite part of any dragonride. She had to reach out to find Harinzzat's mind- his panicked, fearful mind- to reassure herself that she wasn't dead.

As they appeared above Black Sands Weyr, the speedy-bullet decent only shook Harinzzat more, now almost faint with nausea and sick from the ride. Her stop only worsened it, as he was sure she was going to crash right into the big Amber brute. Fortunantly, she didn't, and just as soon as all movement stopped Harinzzat unhooked the straps with a flurry of motion and pretty much hurled himself off of the dragon. He took a few blind steps to the side, leaned over, and gagged up a good bit of that morning's breakfast. The steaming pile was gross to look at, gross to smell, but even worse that he could taste it. That coupled with the motion sickness lost him the rest of his breakfast.

Cris, unlike her companion, simply unstrapped herself and jumped down off the dragon. She had a look of exhileration about her, a big smile on her lips and her muscular bulk quivvering with delight. She looked over to Harinzzat, snarling a bit as she watched him vomit, then took his bag from the Wildfire and waited patiently for him to finish. She cast a look over at D'myn, her eyes sparkling with interest as she veiwed him. Her eyes then traveled up to Xannturnoth, and she was impressed. Not scared in the least, as she had come from the home-weyr of the Ambers and had moved to the home-weyr of the Blacks and Ravens. But he was a beauty to look at, the Amber. Each of his muscles were well defined and his hide looked marvelously healthy and v ital.

Harinzzat, finished, coughed a bit before standing back up to his nearly miniature height when compared to Cris. He looked around, his hair disheveled and his pride hurt. He would redeem himself, though... with his present.
He walked swiftly over to Cris, grabbing his bag as D'myn spoke of what had better be good. He reached within, grabbing at the ore and tossing it over to him. "It's an ore I found in a body of water at Eden Weyr. I tested it with some concentrated agenothree, and it did not scratch or weaken in the slightest. I think, if you have some Wraith acid, it might be resistant to it, if not impermeable. I hear the Wraithqueen attacked your Amber, did you, by chance, get a sample of her acid?"

[Lyrikitty]

Veseleth warbled with delight as the boy wretched, ruffling her wings with pride and smirking, her tail twitching and tapping lightly at the sand. It had been awhile since she'd had an excuse to do that to anyone, and Mia simply seemed immune to all of the tricks anymore, praising the Wildfire and going about her business. Took a lot of fun out of it. However, when she was handed new youths who were accustomed to beasts like Ambers, Blacks, and Ravens... Well she simply couldn't help but have a little fun.

Besides, looking at how the girl, if she could be called that, reacted... Veseleth tilted her head, eyeing the female curiously as she waited for her next chore. Seemed anymore that was all she was good for, taking orders from the Amber. Were it not for the fact she knew that Xanturnoth needed her far more than she needed him, she might have rebelled against such treatment. However, the Amber had bonded to her, and so she had her way, and had her own sort of power over him. Mine, I think that the female would be a good rider. Look at how thrilled she seems to be after our little flight. How many could make such a claim? The boy is ill, while she is fine.[/color] Mia looked over, wrinkling her nose in disgust and shaking her head. If you want to Search the girl, wait until D'myn is done. Won't do any good if they disappoint, Xan will eat the pair of them and leave us with nothing. Veseleth nodded her agreement, continuing to watch the female intently.

D'myn deftly caught the ore as it was tossed to him, looking it over curiously at the boy spoke. This had been covered in ageenothree? Didn't look it at all. He studied it curiously, and as he did Xanturnoth called up a small Green, who appeared moments later with a vile, the rider hastily giving it to D'myn and backing away. Just as quickly as they had appeared they vanished again, wanting no part in the Weyrleader's plots.

D'myn dropped the ore to the ground, and crouched over it, opening the vile and tilting it to let a drop slide out an fall to the metal. Xanturnoth swung his head around as well, peering down curiously as the acid trickled over the ore, but did not burn through it.


((-fails at the horribleness of this post-))

[Epic Squid of Legend]

Harinzzat watched carefully, his heart fluttering as the Green appeared with the vial. Good, so they did have a sample. He was still nervous, hoping with all his heart that it would work the way he thought it would. As D'myn placed a single drop on the ore, Harinzzat couldn't help but lean in and watch, despite his anxiety. His eyes lit up as he watched the acid just sit there atop the metal, not bubbling or hissing in the least. The agenothree had only hissed a little, though that was due to the dirt and grit on the ore.

He small hands came together, wringing with delight. His sickness was forgotten as glee came over him. He looked up at Xannturnoth quickly before speaking again, "It's fairly light-weight for an ore, and with a hot enough flame it could be smelted into a sheet to cover a strong dragon, such as your Amber." He glanced over at Xannturnoth, flicking his mind around the dragon to feel for emotions, mostly for the one of understanding. If Xannturnoth were covered in thin plating of the ore, then he'd run a very good chance against a Wraith. "Ambers and Wraiths are very close in size, but Wraiths have their acid. With this... it would level the playing feild," his voice sounded excited, and he had every right to be excited.

Cris, not paying attention to the Wildfirepair's conversation, was pleased with the ore's reaction to the acid. Harinzzat's excitment amused her, and she smirked in his direction. Her dark yellow-green eyes swiveled to look at Xannturnoth, before something caught her attention.
She expanded her thoughts, reaching into the Weyr to search for what had caught her, going through every mind as quickly as she could before she landed on it. Another one like her, another one like Harinzzat. The sudden realization made a almost maniacle grin light up her features, her breath coming out in a hiss. Her eyes glazed over slightly as she prodded at the mind, demanding it explain itself to her. She had not known there were others at New Cove who had eaten the Spores, so it was likely that he left before she arrived.

She clicked her teeth together, her tongue coming out to lick her lips as if she were just getting ready to feast on something tasty. Her eyes came back into focus as she stared up at the Weyr, scrutinizing it and waiting for the other mind to become aware of her, or to at least show signs that it was conscious. She was almost ignoring D'myn and the others now, smelling the air and staring at the Weyr as if she were an animal in waiting for her prey. //Fellow// was the word she spoke mentally, not caring if the dragons heard it. It was directed towards that mind she felt within the Weyr that was so very much like Harinzzat's own level of skill.