Flights

Ceygha-zaed tilted her head slightly, nostrils flared; something seemed different to her senses and she wasn't entirely sure she liked it. Somehow or another, Zeta' had found her way to another world and utterly refused to leave until her business was finished. When prodded about what kind of 'business' she would have on a world she knew next to nothing about, the starry dragoness would grow frustrated and embarrassed. Now, she smelled odd, although Ceygha was hard-pressed to pinpoint why or how.
And then there were the males. Several, in fact, that seemed to take a liking to the starry. Only one really bothered to talk to her, though, something which Zetaorionisth -- after making a general show of indifference -- spent many hours discussing with her bond in a giddy, utterly uncharacteristic mindvoice. Unusual enough, but the former Judge was finding the matter more troubling if only because she didn't understand it.
It took several more days of her bond's nervous and fidgety behaviour for the half-dragon to finally realize what was going on. Zeta' glided hastily to the feeding pens -- pens shown to her by Jasperth -- and began the rather messy process of catching, blooding, and tossing various herd animals. The males had come in a multi-coloured throng, their riders running after. They didn't see Ceygha there, however; once she realized her bond was to rise, the half-dragon had locked herself up in her room to keep herself pure, even if her dragon could not.
Zetaorionisth swung her head, blood flicking from her jaws in a fine spray. There was quite the collection of suitors available to her ... but which among them would be worthy? Which would win her heart ... or at least her flight? Her glowing, lustful gaze fell on a bronze-sized brown with black wings, Dotwi'Suah ... he was young, inexperienced, but surely had a chance. The equally large Cadilivith spread his bronzed wings white, blood spattered on his white hide. Another fine choice, of higher breeding; his children would be strong and beautiful. Bhijoth, on the other hand ... her muzzle twisted in a slight grimace as she regarded the clouded brown; he was brutish and mean-spirited, cursing often, and with little regard for anyone. Ombreth, on the other talon, was born from the same Cathair as she, and his blended colouration was rather striking. He seemed speedy, quick, although he spoke a great deal.
Finally, her eyes fell on Jasperth and, there, lingered longest. Of them, he seemed most interested in talking to her, in helping her � in knowing and befriending her. His black hide and green wings were striking combination and he seemed most sincere and honest of them all. She was unafraid to consider him her favorite ... but all of them -- with the exception of Bhijoth -- were quite suitable, with good qualities.
Zeta' couldn't bear to contemplate the situation further; with the blood of the beasts running hot in her veins, she surged skyward, a pulsing golden beacon against the midday sky. She beat her wings in a steady cadence, gaining altitude and speed evenly; her goal was not to outmaneuver, but to endure. Behind her, in a flurry of wing beats, the males gave chase; the largest of them -- Dotwi'Suah, Cadilivith, and Bhijoth -- were in a tight formation, jockeying for the best position amongst themselves. Ombreth was not far behind, with Jasperth lagging at the tail-end.
Banking to the left, the starry caught a strong upward thermal and soared high, her wing beats slowing as the thermal carried her even higher. Bhijoth, seeking an early catch, twisted to one side and snared the thermal at a slight angle, shooting to spiral upward and tackle her from below. He slapped Cadilivith's muzzle with his tail, cackling with wicked glee; he was mere seconds from grabbing the starry's tail and finishing the flight before it had truly begun.
Dotwi'Suah wasn't entirely pleased with the idea, however, and spat a gout of icy black water at the clouded brown's underbelly. Bhijoth bellowed, his flight slowing somewhat as he felt the chill seeping into his bones; though he would press on for a while longer, he was getting the distinct feeling that this wasn't going to be his flight after all. Cadilivith pressed on ahead, leaving Bhijoth to snarl and sneer at the brown-black, and for Dotwi to outmaneuver the slightly smaller male.
A few dragonlengths behind the ruckus, Jasperth and Ombreth were still plugging doggedly along. When it seemed that the starry dragoness was one of few moves and great endurance, Ombreth finally dropped out with a heavy heart; he simply wouldn't be able to do it if Zeta' were going to be a straight flier. Jasperth, however, wasn't quite as able to give up; he needed to do this, to finish it to the last. And having been born at Darkling Dawn, he wasn't entirely without some help. The green-winged black took an unorthodox course, weaving amongst the various thermals and keeping an eye on Zeta's progress. If he couldn't outfly the other males over the long haul, he'd just have to do things a bit more intelligently.
After spitting curses at the black-winged brown, Bhijoth finally began the slow spiral down and out; he was just tired of the whole thing, even though he still had a lot of fight in him. Dotwi bellowed at the descending male, craning his neck to watch; in his inattentiveness, he didn't see Zeta' dip slightly nor Cadilivith altering his course to compensate. He ended up colliding with the white-bronze's belly, his wings fouled in the other male's talons. As the pair disentangled themselves - Dotwi suddenly knowing he was out of the running - Jasperth, exhausted and struggling, found the final thermal along Zetaorionisth's straight and narrow course.
By the time Cadilivith began to regain his speed and Dotwi was spiraling downward, Jasperth was already within reach of the glowing dragoness. Zeta' tilted her head, catching a glimpse of black and green behind her, and felt a giddy, gleeful trembling in her stomach; she tilted, sun flashing from her wings and an inviting, lusty brilliance in her eyes. Jasperth used the last of his energy to twine himself with her, his heart thudding with excitement in his chest; an excitement that didn't fade during their slow descent nor even when they parted as the first tendrils of dusk darkened the sky.
It was, at least in Ceygha's mind, a fine flight indeed.