Post by Zen on Sept 25, 2023 11:05:14 GMT -5
Turn 2762, Month 4, Day 2
His parents hadn’t been at the Hatching, nor had they attended the feast that night, but he couldn’t blame them as it isn’t as if they knew. He didn’t have a flit to send them messages. So it was several days later, on the first of the month, as planned, that his mother’s flit arrived to retrieve his monthly letter and he was finally able to tell them about his Impression, the cursed clutch his dragon had come from, and the abnormality, Steleneth. He might have found someone willing to let him borrow their flit for the message, but he didn’t trust anyone else’s flit. Waiting a few days wasn’t so bad.
His mother’s flit returned less than an hour after he’d left with a short message for him, that his mother and father were coming to visit him the following day. He hadn’t expected them to come so soon, sure they would be too busy to find the time, but he couldn’t wait to introduce them to Atlath, to show them he wasn’t a failure after all.
The rest of the day dragged by and he could hardly sleep that night, waking up earlier than normal to see to Atlath’s needs, the bronze complaining at the early awakening. Ki’raz oiled him extra well, to really bring out the shine in his bronze hide, and the hatchling went back to sleep while he headed to the bathing caverns. He hadn’t seen his parents since the wedding at Jask, and now he had achieved what they had always wanted for him, a bronze dragon. With his bronze secured, his father would be even more expectant. Though it would be another two turns before he and Atlath could vie for the weyrleadership, if he failed to secure that….
After his bath he dressed in some of his finer clothes and left Atlath to sleep while he went out to the fields, to pass the time until his parents arrived and so he would be able to see when they had. He was lost in his art when there was a bugled challenge from the watchdragon on duty and he looked up to see a familiar bronze dragon in the sky, but no gold. He couldn’t help feeling disappointed that Winnecath wasn’t there. He missed her almost as much as he missed his mother. Had his mother been too busy to come? His stomach churned at the thought of facing his father without his mother there as a buffer.
Relianth’s familiar voice soon entered his mind, smooth and commanding as always, O’zel’s hatchling, meet us in the Weyrleader’s weyr. He has granted us use of his office for our visit so we may have privacy. Ki’raz drew in a deep breath and stood from his perch on a boulder, hurrying inside to fetch his dragon. It would be a decent walk to the Weyrleader’s weyr. Winnecath would have offered him a ride, though he supposed it might be a bit awkward to take Atlath along then.
Must I go? The bronze drawled, even as they were already on their way, You woke me up so awfully early today…. He yawned, as if to emphasize his words.
Of course you have to go. I… if it’s just my father… I’d appreciate you being there. Seeing you… at least maybe then he’ll stop being so disappointed in me….
Atlath looked up at him as he trudged along with his rider, and an undercurrent of… irritation? could be felt between their bond. Ki’raz wasn’t sure, he’d never felt much emotion at all from his dragon, after initial Impression and the bond of love was formed. Even when he argued because he seemed to want to sleep all the time, he never seemed particularly irate, more exasperated. What is there to be disappointed about? You are my rider.
He sighed, I am now. But it took me a long time to find you… I… no one was really sure I ever would.
Atlath huffed, his annoyance plain, If you and I do things in our own time, everyone else must simply be patient and wait for us.
Ki’raz could only smile at that. It was such a bronze attitude to have, That may be so for most, but not for the weyrleaders of Mirran.
When they reached the Weyrleader’s weyr, the door was open, but Ki’raz hesitated outside. Atlath, however, walked right in and his rider quickly followed, There are people in here. The young bronze was peering into another room a few paces inside the door so that’s where Ki’raz went, stepping inside to see his father, and much to his surprise his mother as well. B’rax was there, speaking cordially with the two of them, but excused himself when Ki’raz appeared, giving them the room.
“Ki’raz!” His mother exclaimed, hurrying to him and wrapping him in an embrace, “Oh, my boy… I am so proud of you.” She released him, taking a half step back as her fingers brushed over his cheek, “At long last, you’re the bronzerider I always knew you would be. And a fine rider name… one to be remembered.”
He returned her embrace tightly. His smile was warm and genuine for her, “Mother, it's so great to see you… this is Atlath.” He looked down to his side, where the bronze sat, his eyes whirling with hints of orange as he stared at his father. “Atlath, this is my mother, Weyrwoman Isorel of Gold Winnecath.” Ki’raz also looked toward his father, whose face gave nothing away, “And my father, Weyrleader O’zel of Bronze Relianth.”
Isorel looked down at the bronze admiringly, “And such a handsome bronze he is. Stunning. His wings look almost flaked in gold. It is a pleasure to meet you, Atlath.”
The bronze tore his suspicious gaze away from the father to look up at her, the orange tinge fading momentarily as he spoke to the mother, Mine is very fond of you. It is nice to meet you as well.
“Mother… I don’t understand, when I saw it was only Relianth I didn’t think you’d come…,” Ki’raz looked to his mother with some concern, “She’s alright, isn’t she?”
Isorel chuckled, “Oh, she’s just fine. Have you forgotten the date, my dear? She’s gravid and can’t travel. She was very disappointed she could not come to see you. She was trying to insist that we bring you back to see her, but with your new dragon that simply isn’t possible. She will have to wait until her clutch hatches to come see you.”
His mother’s dragon was having another clutch. For a moment all he could think was that he could have been back home, standing for her clutch, impressing a bronze son of his mother’s dragon. It would have been ideal. Atlath looked up at him, following his thoughts, But you have me. What do you need with some other bronze? Ki’raz glanced down at him, shaken from his thoughts, Atlath… I didn’t mean… it’s nothing to do with you, I just… miss home. And now who knew when he might be able to go back… if ever. His father had given him a task, after all.
“We’re both very proud you’ve finally found your bronze, my son,” his father’s voice brought his awareness back to the room, and he didn’t miss the emphasis on the word finally, “I’m sure you’ll accomplish great things together.” He held his hand out and his mother returned to his side, carefully setting an ornate pouch on the table in the middle of the room. “Close the door, Ki’raz.” He did as his father said before joining them at the table. He recognized the pouch well. It carried his mother’s bone set. “I was hoping we might see this… abnormality you spoke of, but it would be awkward to ask. Have your Atlath share an image with Relianth so I might see it for myself.”
Atlath stared his father down for a long moment before sharing an image of his sister with the older bronze. Ki’raz could see the moment Relianth shared it with his father from the utter shock on the older man’s face. “To think a gold could be tainted so…,” he mused aloud, looking to his weyrmate as Relianth touched her mind as well.
Isorel’s hand covered her mouth in a mixture of shock and horror, “The colors are meant to be separate, this… this is….” Ki’raz felt quite justified in his own reaction upon seeing theirs. It wasn’t right, as he’d thought. His mother loosened the pouch, pulling her reading hide from inside and spreading it out over the table, “I will read for you as well, my dear… but first… we’ll see what this abomination will bring.”
Ki’raz stood with his hands behind his back, careful not to touch or interfere with his mother’s process. Atlath stood at his side, vaguely curious, What is she doing? Ki’raz didn’t look away as Isorel reached into the pouch to place her hands over the bones, willing her question and intent into them. She had told him once it was much like overriding the will of a gold, it took an intense concentration and strength of mind. It was why all goldriders were taught to read them, and why they were the most adept at the skill. She’s doing a dragon bone reading. She’s willing the bones to give her the answers she seeks.
After a few moments she carefully emptied the contents of the pouch onto the table, gathering them in her hands and holding them over the center of the hide. Ki’raz had always been rather fascinated by all the symbols his mother had painted onto the hide. Some were straightforward and he shared them with Atlath as his mother had once shared them with him. The gold dragon represents the feminine, motherhood, family, community, the heart and the core. The bronze dragon represents masculinity, fatherhood, leadership, judgment and punishment, promotion or ascension. The white dragon stands for fortune, memory, triumph and victory, purity, neutrality and individuality. The green dragon is varied and sometimes contradictory… it can be misfortune or pleasure, abundance or stagnation, fruitful intuition or distraction. The red star is death, tragedy, corruption and betrayal, obstacles and failure. Atlath considered all this information, It seems quite a lot to keep track of. Ki’raz smiled a little, It is… reading the dragon bones is complex and difficult, and my mother is the best in Mirran.
She dropped the bones from her hands, letting them fall where they may and studying them intensely for some time. Ki’raz and his father remained silent at either side of her, giving her all the time she required. Each bone was painted with swirls of varying colors, one was dipped in gold, another bronze, a few had thin filaments of wire wrapped around them containing tiny gemstones of various colors.
“The green overlays the gold in the red star…,” his mother breathed softly, her fingers reaching out, just barely brushing over the bones she spoke of, one painted with swirls of green laying overtop of the bone dipped in gold, both just touching the red star on the hide, “She will bring a great upheaval… a corruption never seen before.” She turned to look at Ki’raz, concern clear on her features, “You must be wary, my son. This abnormality is no blessing. The red star shines brightly over her.”
Ki’raz felt a tingle of unease as he thought about having to share the barracks with such a creature, attend classes alongside her. He had a moment of panic thinking about future betweening lessons. How many might be lost thanks to Steleneth’s presence? Upheaval and corruption sent by the red star. It made his stomach churn.
His father studied the bones for a moment though he could no more read their meaning than Ki’raz could, “Will she clutch? Will she bring more of her kind?”
His mother frowned, her eyes roving the bones that had fallen in other places, “It is… unclear to me. The bones suggest that she will and will not in the same breath. The red star obscures the meaning….”
“Is there any hope she might be lost?” O’zel pressed.
Isorel shook her head, “The red star protects her. She is… she is its vessel on Pern.”
Ki’raz felt his unease turning to a sense of dread. Atlath yawned, My sister has nothing to do with the red star. This is nonsense. Ki’raz glared down at his dragon, “Atlath! My mother is never wrong!” He couldn’t believe his dragon had just said that aloud to everyone.
Isorel smiled a sad sort of smile down at the hatchling, “Your loyalty to your clutchmate is admirable little one… but it blinds you. Or perhaps the red star obscures even you.”
Atlath blinked up at the woman, but simply dismissed it all with another yawn and decided against responding. His rider had been ridiculously upset by his comment.
“How should I… I’ll have to interact with her… we’re in the same class. Will it… will it corrupt Atlath and I, being so close, being… related?” Ki’raz questioned urgently.
“Such was not part of the question I asked, so the bones will give no answer on this reading. We shall see if your reading has any answers for us,” his mother explained, gathering the bones up into her hands again. She shifted them carefully in her hands and finally blew gently on them to cleanse them of the last reading. She took a few more moments to will a new intent into them before dropping them on the hide once more.
This time Ki’raz couldn’t help but lean forward slightly, as if that would somehow help him better determine the meanings in the placements of the bones before him. He shifted impatiently as he waited for his mother to study them, to glean some insights into his new future. “Keep her at a distance and you will be safe…,” she told him, still studying the bones intently, “Do nothing to draw her attention and the red star will pass over you.”
Ki’raz let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, relieved to hear he wasn’t inherently cursed as he had feared.
His father spoke then, posing his own question, “And what do you see of his future? Will he attain leadership here?”
Ki’raz felt instantly tense again. What if his mother said no? What if he was doomed to more failure in his father’s eyes?
“The possibility is open,” she replied, “But not yet certain….” She frowned, “The abomination throws many things into question. The red star obscures her future… and through association, yours as well, my son. The bones tell of conflicting possibilities and give little clarity.” Ki’raz looked over the bones anxiously, and even he was surprised to see how many had landed so near the green dragon. He didn’t know what each bone meant, the meanings of each individual bone were quite personal to the reader and his mother had never shared them with him. But the green dragon’s contradictory nature was clearly at play. Isorel sighed in frustration, gathering the bones up and placing them carefully back into their pouch, “I would do a second reading if I thought it would bear fruit, but I fear nothing more will come of it.”
That even his mother couldn’t see through the fog the red star cast over his future was concerning. She turned to him, touched his chin gently to draw his attention, “Do not be so disheartened. If the future was certain I would have seen it through the red star’s attempts to conceal. Your choices have great power to shape your destiny, my dear, so choose wisely. May Ruth guide you.”
All was not lost, it seemed, or his mother would not sound so hopeful. If the red star truly was casting its crimson light over his future, she would be upset without a doubt. “Thank you, mother.”
She gave him a soft smile and glanced back at her weyrmate, “Well… why don’t you show us around Mavros? It is our first visit… and I would like to see where my son is living.”
O’zel grimaced, “We really should get back, my love….”
“Pah!” she waved her hand at him, “I shall be stuck on the sands for some time, let me enjoy my visit with my son.” She wrapped her arms around one of Ki’raz’s own, “Lead the way, bronzerider.”
Ki’raz couldn’t help but smile a little when his mother called him that, but he cast an uncertain look back at his father, saw the look of irritation flit over his features, but the man simply waved a hand, “You two go on then, I shall see if Weyrleader B’rax is available to discuss some matters between us.”
“As you wish, my love,” Isorel replied happily enough, then patted Ki’raz’s arm, “Come, come. Let us go.”
Must I go with? Atlath asked petulantly as the two of them headed for the exit.
The weyrling barracks are ridiculously far away. It would make more sense to go there last, he explained, And I don’t want you wandering off by yourself, you’re likely to get lost.
Atlath heaved a great sigh, Wonderful. I cannot wait until I can fly.
You and I both, Ki’raz agreed, leading his mother down the hall toward the dining caverns, listening to her remark on the lack of any sort of decoration in the halls and lamenting with her over the utter lack of culture on display. But that was why he was here, to share Mirran’s glory.
tovaana (for Stel mentions lol)
