Claiming The Crown

[Alyx]

Melana and Gold Sularenth
Month 11, Day 27, Turn 2761, Late Morning, Clear Skies

Mine.

Melana shot the Dragon a look, her lip curling into a touch of a sneer. The Gold lay stretched out on her bed, a soft hiss filling the air as if to punctuate the failed claim. Sularenth’s eyes were red edges, focused on her rider through the opened curtain. ‘You can drop that now, you know. It’s getting old.’ The Gold’s jaws opened partway, the hiss escaping around her teeth lower than the one before. Mine. Mel growled back, fighting the reflex to fling one of the precious books piled in front of her in the direction of the sulking, temperamental creature.

Over the past few sevendays, the normally sour beast had just become more so. So much so, that the rider felt the irritation, and knew it was the Dragon and not her own. Tao remained on Melana’s bed, his striped tail flicking back and forth as he if could hear the whole conversation and was trying to understand it. Sularenth hissed again, and Mel frowned, turning her back to the Dragon to return to her sorting.

It was amazing, for a creature that has the memory retention of about half of the time it took a ripe Redfruit to rot, that Sularenth continued on a regular basis to profess her ‘claim’ over Mavros and its Dragons. Melana had to admit, it had been fun to play at the job when they’d been timed back. But the amusement had faded quickly when they’d returned to the present. Sularenth’s bitterness at returning to a junior queen didn’t fade as Melana had expected; the dragon seemed to all but cling to the faint shadow of a memory of her temporary glory.

Melana was sure part of that was on her. The Chaos they’d returned to had thrown the whole Weyr into an unbalanced state. And Karredy’s removal and Talera’s placement as the Interim Senior? Melana had stepped up pulling her weight with the duties given to her with a veiled, eager hope. First to rise would be the new Senior, she could almost taste the shot at power. They’d returned to the present when they had to keep the twined golds from rising again in the past – surely, this was her shot.

She’d been so sure; the timing was perfect, Sularenth should have risen in the late days of the seventh month. Should have, but didn’t…. neither had Danovelith. Melana hadn’t really wanted both the golds to go up together again, but that neither had was unbelievable! She’s been so sure, so very very sure, and the chance had slipped right through her fingers like sands in the waves.

At this rate, Aerroth would rise before either! Not that Talera was a bad Senior; at least she did something besides stitch and whine as Karredy had. But still, it stung to be so close and have it just turn to ash. Mine. Melana spun on a heel, glaring at the Gold again as her temper snapped. ‘Oh would you shut up!’ Sularenth’s head came up and the gold glared at the dark-haired woman. ‘It’s not yours! It never was Yours!’ Sularenth’s eyes narrowed, her jaw gaping as she snaked her head over the distance between her and her rider. It’s MINE. ‘Ash it is! It’s Aerroth’s at the moment, and will probably stay her’s!’

Sularenth’s temper was quicker than normal to flare and the rider and dragon faced each other over the distance like fighters sizing each other up. It wasn’t the first time this week, by the First Egg, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. “Oh don’t give me that look. I’m not scared of you.” The Gold’s red eyes narrowed more, her head snaking low over the rock-work floor. You should be. Oh, no, this wasn’t happening. Mel’s own eyes narrowed back and, without thinking, she snatched up one of the random books on the table and hurled it at the dragon.

Massive head snaked out of the way and then whipped back around. Teeth snapped down in the air, ending the book’s unwanted flight, pages scattering in every direction. Sularenth shook her head like a canine, rumbling as she ending the book’s failed existence, and then spat the broken binding back at her rider. The remains of the cover and part of the spine slid across the stones to stop just a foot or so in front of Mel’s toes. The rider crossed her arms and glared at the dragon. Sularenth lifted her head, pinning the woman with her enraged gaze.

MINE. Melana gave a snort of laughter, rolling her eyes. Her temper was raging, feeding off her dragon’s emotions. “If it’s yours, then do something about it and stop sulking like an ashen child!” Mel tossed the last words as an insult, pivoting away from the Gold’s raging aura. She was done with this conversation! Sularenth was being totally unreasonable, more so than usual, and it wasn’t worth wasting her time and energy fighting with the blasted beast-

Then pain – like something clawing at her stomach to escape – knocked her breath away. Melana doubled over, her hand catching the side of the table as she gasped. What the… Mine. The claim was low, possessive. Melana shot a look over her shoulder at the Gold, meeting the eyes that were not focused completely on her. Mine. Neither moved for a moment; then Sularenth lunged to her feet, breaking the eye contact. Mine. Melana cursed again, stumbling toward the ledge as she felt the hunger, the heat crawling up her nerves.

‘Blood only!’ Sularenth snarled in her direction, her jaws parted around the herdbeast she’d plucked from the grass. You Do Not Command Me! ‘I am the only one that commands you!’ Mel straightened, her hand pressed against the stone of the wall as she stood on the ledge. ‘Blood only. For speed, for power.’ Sularenth hissed, lashing her tail out at a bronze that got too close. Mine...

‘Ours.’ Sularenth’s attention struck back to her rider, red-orange eyes swirling. ‘No other has risen, Sularenth.’ The surge smashed into Mel’s chest. Mine. ‘Yes.’ Mel’s pride hissed back over the link, watching as Sularenth’s teeth closed on the beast in her claws. She could taste the blood, her own fingers flexing against the stone wall beside her as the Gold reached out to claim another beast. Mel’s anger melted away, the excitement making her body tremble.

Blood still painted Sularenth’s jaws when the Gold discarded her fourth and final kill and launched into the sky. Melana’s heart slammed up into her throat, watching the Gold, her Gold, painted with blood and sunlight against the afternoon blue. ‘Make them work for it. Wear the weak down. Only the strongest.’ Sularenth’s rumble was the only response she got at the huge Queen led a flight of Bronzes and Browns off over the plateau, in the direction of the ocean’s waves.

Melana could hear the first of the scuffed footfalls behind her; the riders of Sularenth’s pursuers would flock to her now. Her lips curled, the woman stepping back and turning toward the sound a moment before another Dragon’s roar shook the walls. She froze. Somewhere, someone was screaming; loud, uncontrolled, panicky… Sularenth’s attention was pivoting around, the Gold’s thrill of the Rise morphing into a rage in a bat of an eyelash. Melana felt the Gold’s rage, flaring and flooding over her to the point the woman thought she might drown.

‘Sula!’ The massive Gold was already banking around, her suitors forgotten as the other Gold launched from the ground at them, challenging the rising Queen’s claim. MINE! Sularenth’s broadcast rattled in Melana’s thoughts, the goldrider stumbling back the few steps to the ledge’s edge just in time to see the pair of Gold Dragons collide. She wailed, lunging for the edge, and someone behind her caught her wrist and pulled her back. Rage, hate, pain flooded from Sularenth, mingling with Melana’s fear. How dare you! This is my Sky, my Weyr! Mine!

Melana could taste the ichor in her throat, her tongue darting over his lips. She hissed, yanking her arm away from her would-be rescuer. Fool! Was Karredy seriously so addled in the head she’d let her Dragon try to claim Sularenth’s rise?! The pair of Golds peeled away from each other, only to scatter the flight of Males before they locked claws again. Sularenth was barely in Melana’s control, or maybe she wasn’t at all? It was all Mel could do to try to pull Sularenth away from Zalmaranth.

It was a moment, too fast and frozen in time all in the same breath. She felt Sularenth’s jaws close, felt something give. Over them, a pained screech, then the Golds parted a final time. Zalmarath dropped, a mosaic of green ichor on gold hide, and then it was over. The shrill noise cut off as the older Gold vanished. Sularenth’s voice rose over the fading screech, bugled her victory. Somewhere, a keen went up, but it was lost on the flyers, their riders, and the bloodied Gold.

Sularenth hissed at the Bronzes closest to her; even as ichor stained her own skin, she wanted to fly. She wanted to make them work for their victory. Only the bravest had remained in the sky, be it for ego or stupidity. ‘Pick one.’ Melana flung the thought at her Dragon. They haven’t earned it. ‘Pick one. You are hurt, it’s over. Just do it and have it finished.’ She felt the Gold consider fighting her. ‘Please…’

Sularenth scanned those closest; Fath, Gamath, Doriath. Her last pick, Mastromideth, cooed to her. Jarath, with his unique stripes, glided next to her with his throat and shoulder painted with ichor from the battling Queens. Even Zenoth was still in the air, but he was dropping away. ‘Pick.’ Melana pushed Sularenth, trying to force her will on the wounded Gold. Ash, she’d take Fath as a pick, if the sharding dragon wanted it. Just to have this over with. She needed Sularenth on the ground; she needed to know the damage the fight had done.

You. Sularenth shifted as if she would reach for Jarath – only to find Gamath dropping in between them. The Queen hissed for a moment, fighting the talons of B’rax’s Bronze for only a moment or two, before relenting to the catch and ending the flight’s chaos. You will do, I suppose. A hand caught her arm, and Melana reluctantly let B’rax pull her back from the view of the sky. Her heart was in her throat, her body shaking as he pulled her against his chest. She didn’t resist… after that, she needed comfort. Something to remind her they’d survived it.

Dragons scattered. Somewhere, a wail again, but Melana didn’t hear it. Mine. Sularenth’s voice was rough, tired, but victorious as it invaded Melana’s thoughts. This time, there was no reason to correct her.

(OOC notes: For those that might be confused, the basics are this; Sularenth rises into mating Flight, which would/will make her the new Senior of Mavros. Karredy’s either unwillingness or inability to control Zalmarath made it impossible to keep the Gold on the ground. The fight injures both Golds, and Zalmarath’s mortal wounds drive to her death Between. Sadly, given Karredy's poor physical and mental health, she could not handle the loss of her dragon and her heart gave out when Zalmarath was lost Between.)