Mating Flight: Wisteria Wanting (Attn: All Male Dragons)

Anarath is mine.

Vorganth's vehement declaration to any who would listen woke R'fariel from a rather fitful sleep.  Where V'tayn was already up and moving at this time of the day, the cobaltrider was usually still in bed, so it wasn't out of the ordinary.  The poor sleep he'd had due to the events of the day before was, however, and in any other situation, he would have complained loudly to his dragon about waking him up.

But in this instance, he was glad Vorganth had, despite the fuzziness still invading his brain.  "Hold on, hold on…" he muttered, throwing off the covers and searching for pants and boots and maybe a shirt, if he managed to find one close by.  His shirts were always finding themselves flung haphazardly away from the rest of his clothes, though he wasn't entirely sure the fault was always his own.

Mine.

Raf could tell his dragon was one step away from leaving him stuck in their weyr, so he snagged the closest bit of dark cloth in the hopes that it was a shirt and climbed up to the cobalt's neck.  Vorganth was aloft before he'd even settled into his seat, making his rider clutch tightly at the closest neck ridge so he wouldn't fall off.  "Hey, take it easy.  You can catch her without dropping me first!"

A short trip down, and they were landing near V'tayn just as Anarath launched into the air, challenging the males to come after her.  R'fariel hurriedly slid down the cobalt's leg and pushed away.  He narrowly avoided being dumped, but was still showered with rocks and dust as Vorganth pushed away to give chase.

A hand roughing up his already morning-mussed hair got rid of most of the dirt that stuck, but when Raf straightened from his bent-over position, he could do nothing but stare at V'tayn.  His heart was hammering in his chest at the adrenaline rush from being so abruptly wakened, and he knew it was unlikely to calm any time soon.  His fingers were wrapped tightly in the material he'd grabbed from his weyr, twisting and wrinkling it in a grip that would become painful if he didn't release it soon.

But none of that mattered.  His thoughts were no longer as cloudy as they had been, Vorganth's single-minded focus and desire cutting through the remains of sleep and taking over his brain.

He might yet snarl at any other would-be suitors crowding around the scarletrider, as his dragon would likely be doing in the air.  But for now, he was simply watching V'tayn and slowly inching closer, stalking as a great feline would its prey.  Because Anarath was his.  His.  And none of the others were going to have her.

Osgilath was but a moment behind Vorganth and Anarath, coming in from his morning bath. L'thyr, understandably, came but he was dripping water from where his cobalt had unceremoniously splashed him with a great torrent of water. It wasn't hard to find the other rider's; in a way L'thyr felt like Osgilath had given him a momentary flash of an image as he passed.

'Oh great.' L'thyr thought nervously, siding up to the other two. A distant bellow from Osgilath emboldened him and regardless of his dripping wet state he pushed back his brown hair and tilted his head up, blue eyes flashing.

Ha! We shall see about that! Anarath is not won yet!

Always a dragon of few words, Vorganth's only response to his cobalt clutchmate was a growl and a snapping of teeth.  There would be no poetry for Anarath from him, but she would know he was present, waiting for her to choose, all the same.  He would make sure of it.

Though he might not have experience to put behind his chasing, instinct went a long way.  It drove him now, allowed him to choose the right air currents that would take him closer to the brightly-hued scarlet ahead of him, helped him keep up with any tricks she might pull as she flew.

Others might fly around him, might even pull ahead slightly.  But he would still win.  Anarath was his.

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On the ground, R'fariel echoed the sentiment in a gravelly voice, his teeth bared as he spoke a single word.  "Mine."  A claim and a declaration of intent in one.

"Really?" He mumbled under his breath. Not that he had been sleeping. Sh'lor had been up early, per his usual routine. Aren't you tired like the others? The brown who had heard the scarlet's challenge to fly her, insisted he felt great. Flying fit. Besides he wasn't going to allow any of the mutated dragon colors think there was anything at all wrong with him. He had everything in his favor.

Even if that meant chasing a scarlet. Sh'lor was not in the habit of denying the beast his needs, so he shook his head and walked toward what were called flight weyrs. He didn't really know the place well but he had an idea of where he might be going. His brown's mounting desire making him a little more certain of his direction until soon he was standing beside the two cobalt riders, arms crossing in defiance of anything they might have to say.

His brown let out a loud challenging bugle before closing in on those already in the air. He was built for stamina more so than agility but it never stopped him from trying to fly even the smallest greens. Sh'lor had not known when he Impressed the brown that he would be so randy but given that he was, there was nothing to be done about it but allow him to be himself.

The large dragon pushed himself forward with great muscular wings. Anarath didn't belong to anyone. Not yet. He didn't like to see the possessiveness in the Cobalt so early. While the other Cobalt was more of his mind he didn't much care for him either. Anarath is not yet won, cobalt. The brown said, the word cobalt spoken as if it were an insult.

So that they all could hear and understand his vehemence he spoke, though normally not one for such things,Why should a beautiful female limit herself to one who thinks he can keep her to himself?


Growling in agreement with his dragon he moved in closer to V'tayn as his dragon moved closer to Anarath, "Not so fast R'fariel."

Anarath was pleased beyond the scope of her ability to articulate but she bugled that joy across the sky, a sharp brassy exultation of pleasure. Two daring cobalts, an exotic brown and another deep bellow sounded across the air as Manticath dropped off his ledge. The bronze rippled as he beat his wings. The sunlight dappled off his tarnished hide, hinting green-gold in places. Manticath would make no grande announcements of his arrival other than his bugle His voice would be his harbinger; his shadow carrying the promise of both power and strength.

Z'ash found himself the group of riders and found himself a place in the ring. A male rider stood in the middle, his grey eyes trained on the quickly disappearing dragons. Z'ash realized the pink and violet Scarlet dragon must be his. He recognized all the riders suddenly, V'tayn, R'fariel, L'thyr and of course Sh'lor as his old classmates. He found himself smiling to see them all together, even given the competition of the event.

Looking good, gentlemen. Come, find joy in the freedom of this chase. So good to see you all, how strong and marvelous a host you make!

Vorganth bared his teeth and hissed at Imioth.  Osgilath was a clutchmate, but this new contender, this brown, was not.  There was a clear lack of respect for either cobalt in his voice, which only served to fuel Vorganth's determination.

Anarath would not choose Imioth, he was certain.  And if he had a chance to cut the brown off, to throw off his flight path, he would make sure of it.  But Vorganth's goal was the glowing scarlet dipping and soaring ahead of them-- he would not sacrifice his position just to keep the other male from winning.

Anarath would choose him because he was the best-- and that would be all that was necessary.

Of course, he hadn't counted on Manticath joining the fray, but the bronze, at least, was also a clutchmate… and offered no insults when he chose to make his presence known.

--------------------

R'fariel found himself no longer able to stand completely between V'tayn and the others as they closed in.  He attempted to block Sh'lor anyway, staring up at the older rider with defiance in his blue-gray eyes.

No acknowledgement was given to Z'ash when he arrived, probably because the familiar presence posed far less of a threat.

It was a merry chase then and Anarath trilled with the sheer pleasure of having so many choices of suitors. She spiraled high into the air, pushing herself into the scattered clouds. Sunlight slipped over her hot pink and amethyst purple hide, causing her to glitter like a thousand ruddy jewels. She felt so alive, so beautiful and so very free.

Bugling encouragement to the rutting males behind her, the Scarlet whirled through a thick cloud, trailing thin lines of white fluff in her wake.

The large, muscular brown ignored the threat from Vorganth. What was the Cobalt to him? Nothing. All he seemed to care about was the Scarlet. She was a pretty thing. Imioth, being one used to flights, was confident. Perhaps even overly so, where fights were concerned. But his confidence meant he felt less concerned about his competition.

Even as his rider's shoulder brushed past R'fariel, Imioth increased his speed.

The look he shot R'fariel was murderous as he came closer to V'tayn. There was a feral part of himself that took over. He might regret letting the savage side out, later. For now, he was just as competitive as the Cobalt riders. Even more so knowing that R'fariel was acting possessive.

Imioth followed the beautiful Scarlet into the clouds. From this height the world below would be lovely to behold if he cared to look at anything other than the almost lavender hued dragon he chased.

Vorganth easily followed Anarath, attuned as he was to the scarlet's movement.  Months of training together should have evened the field against Imioth, despite the older brown's greater experience in chasing.  It remained to be seen whose abilities would prove greater, however.  Not that the cobalt doubted himself by any means.

On the ground, R'fariel's lip curled in response to Sh'lor's obvious disdain.  Whether it was simply a response to the dragonlust, or carried an additional overtone of disgust for the mutant riders, the younger man wasn't in any state of mind to analyze.  In a different situation, he would question it, given how he knew Kyabree had been treated at the hands of her family.  But for now, he was simply responding to Vorganth's desire for Anarath, and his own for V'tayn.

Anarath crooned throatily back at the males and shivered as she sensed their presence behind her. There was such a power in their efforts; it seemed to shimmer in the air like heat. There could only be one winner but Anarath allowed herself to consider each in turn for moment.

Imioth was a noteworthy contender, a true credit to his color. He was strong and well muscled. Anarath chuckled her pink tinged wings and soared higher; a brown could easily overtake her if she wasn't careful. She put on the speed and climbed high, increasing the angle of her ascent.

She knew could have to push the limits of her own endurance to outpace the young bronze that tailed her. Anarath couldn't place to but the color of his hide made her nervous. She peeled away from Manticath suddenly, veering sharply toward the sun.

She was aware that somewhere Osgilath was somewhere down there and also, Vorganth. Anarath knew her energy was reaching it's limits but she would lead them through one more go around before submitting to the craftiest of the all.

He pushed himself forward, chasing the lavender lady through the skies. He had all but forgotten the others. The brown edged his way closer, finding a warm updraft when he could, allowing his wings to extend fully, pushing the air under him, propelling himself upward.

She was a fast, high flying female, and he had to show her that he was strong and worthy of catching her. He would leave her with no doubt that he was capable of doing what she wanted him to. Imioth followed with a hunger Sh'lor had not felt from the brown in quite some time. They were dealing with so many emotional things outside of the Flight, that perhaps some of them were fueling their need more than usual. A release from all that had been happening would be most welcome.

Sh'lor's desire to touch V'tayn grew though he resisted with the others standing there. The other man could be his soon enough.

On your guard! Osgilath bellowed to the other males, charging up the line. He bellowed loudly and his mass forced Manticath to slide to keep from colliding with the Cobalt. It put both dragons near Iminoth's air space and Manticath hissed in anger at the crowded conditions. Dropping back, the bronze peel off from the pack of rutting males.

L'thyr blushed hotly at his cobalt's behavior and Z'ash shook his head, backing off and walking away. His heart wasn't in it, he supposed. Manticath snarled as he angled for the lagoon.
***

Anarath sensed more than she saw of the male's exchange below. She was nearing the end of her flight. With one last push of strength, she made for the scant cloud cover.

((OOC: Thank you all for a great flight. I will be sending the winner a private message for the catch. Cheers! -V-))

Vorganth barely heard Osgilath, so focused was he on Anarath.  The scarlet's hide shone brilliantly against the sky, her form coming closer and closer with every second that passed.

Perhaps it was because she was slowing, or perhaps it was because the currents were shifting in his favor.  Whichever the case, the cobalt took full advantage, following Anarath higher and higher, his powerful wings beating heavily through the air.

-----------

Though he wasn't the one doing the work, R'fariel was breathing heavily, heat coursing through him as his vision narrowed to lavender hide and fluffy clouds.  His fists were clenched at his sides, the dark material he'd arrived with somehow still clutched in his grip.

So close.  He was so close.  And she was tiring, looking for a way to evade them all one last time, a place to hide..

And then he saw it, the thermal that would take him up into the clouds, and straight into her path.  There was no question of whether he'd use it-- he wasn't giving her the chance to get away if he could help it.

He burst through the the clouds a heartbeat after she did, the air current angling him to intercept her before she had the opportunity to correct her own flight path.  His momentum carried them both around as he reached for her, and they spun uncontrollably for a moment, a tangle of darkness and light.

And then they fell.

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Vorganth snapped out his wings just as they broke through the clouds on their way back down, his neck and tail twined with Anarath's.  After the fury of the chase, he allowed himself to slow, reveling in the catch, the scarlet's hide against his own, and the knowledge that they'd both be satisfied by the time they drifted back down to the earth.

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R'fariel blinked away the dizzying drop, almost stumbling backwards into V'tayn as he re-planted his feet on the ground.  A victorious smirk slowly curled his lips upwards as he stared at Sh'lor-- the brownrider wasn't coming anywhere near his V'tayn.

Finally able to release his death grip on the material in his hand, the young cobaltrider tossed the garment in Sh'lor's direction in a dismissive gesture, not caring whether it reached its mark or not.  He had better things to worry about, and the brownrider was most certainly not invited to participate.

Once Raf turned to face V'tayn, though, all thoughts of the other participants flew out of his head.  All of that heat and dragon-fueled lust was waiting for him, and he didn't care if any of them got an eyeful.

Reaching up with one hand, the cobaltrider drew V'tayn's head down for a deep kiss, the other reaching for the hem of the other man's shirt in a search for the warmth of his skin.  Whether they made it inside the flight weyr before he managed to bare too much of it was up to the scarletrider-- or someone else-- though.  R'fariel just wanted V'tayn, whatever way he could get him.

Anarath felt the powerful wings of Vorganth, sensing his mind even as she turned her head to twine necks with the handsome cobalt. Her body was taxed but Anarath's blood was hot and alive with song. She happily surrendered to Vorganth's dominance as they began their descent.  

Vorganth, my darling.

Anarath purred, her warm hide against his. Her skin burned bright pink laced with rich wisteria purple, made only more intense by her mating heat and her proximity to the dark cobalt who was her mate. Anarath's eyes whirled a rich, intoxicating blue of adoration and pleasure.

On the ground, V'tayns mouth dropped open as the furious wave of pleasure fell over him. He staggered a little as he turned his body toward R'fariel, one arm raised and palm upturned as he met him. Their lips met with such heat it wrested a moan of delight from V'tayns lips.

"Come with me." he said hoarsely, breaking the kiss. He took R'fariels hand and let him off to one of the alcoves in the cliff that had been designated a 'flight weyr.'

(end on your note, Jess?)

V'tayn didn't have to ask twice.  At that moment, the cobaltrider would likely have followed him anywhere.  It was good, then, that they were heading to a private room, instead of about to step off a cliff.

Allowing himself to be led away didn't mean that R'fariel was passive, however.  Once they were alone, his hands resumed their previous search, and this time, there was no reason to stop.