Flights

No one questioned when Eienpaia chose to rise at Darkling Dawn; she was never wrong, so no one told her otherwise. Much as it was with her rider, whatever she wanted ... she got. Tenshi had been planning something for as long as she discovered her beloved black-silver bond was ready to rise and, finally, she was able to share it.
(( Are you sure this is necessary? )), the black dragoness swung her head, eyes swirling a murky red-purple. Rider and dragon were in a set of high guest quarters, rooms that overlooked the rest of the Weyr. (( Dragons have been doing this for generations without any assistance. ))
Tenshi looked up, ebon-dark hair tied back save for a few stray strands that graced her cheeks. A smile pulled at her lips. "I do this for you, my darling. It isn't assistance ... after all, dragons drink blood before their mating flights, don't they? This is just a small supplement." The vampire's slender fingers went to the large pewter jug that sat before her. "Very small, in the grand scheme of things."
(( If you are sure it is necessary. )), Eienpaia had learned a long time ago that Tenshi was not one to question or argue with, especially when it came to her blood-alchemy experiments. Though she'd never been subjected to any of the bloody concoctions, there was always a first time ... and it looked like this would be it. (( It smells ... potent. ))
The vampiress laughed. "It should be. There's enough of my blood in there to feed the coterie for a month." She stroked the jug and finally lifted the elaborate object, the contents barely moving, the vampiress not even straining under the immense weight of it. "And I had to go to Hell for the rest of what's in there, so you'd best not waste it."
Reluctantly, Eien' opened her mouth and accepted the coppery gift, drinking it steadily. There seemed to be far more in the jug than at first it appeared and as she drank, she could feel a low thrumming in her muscles and veins; her wings ached for the coolness of the night sky. With eyes that whirled a blazing crimson-purple, Eienpaia turned and walked to the ledge, her wings stretched wide for the cold wind that they hungered for. Tenshi was beside her, laughing her biting laugh ... and the vampiress slapped her bond hard on the thigh, sending her off into the night. Eienpaia bellowed an earsplitting challenge, winging sharply toward the feeding grounds.
"Take them through hell and beyond, beloved!", she called, "Cull the weak and break the strong!" Tenshi turned slightly, cold gaze catching sight of her own suitors. Her lips twisted into a wide smile. "I know I will."

***

The males knew something was different about the silver-touched dragoness as she descended, with her tail thrashing and muzzle slightly agape. It wasn't that she was rising ... but the fact that she wasn't even touching the beasts that milled about. She waited, body pulsing with vampiric blood, hide gleaming and throbbing with a brilliance forged by the heady combination of a full moon and intoxicating vitae.
She took her time to observe them as they blooded, her frantically whirling gaze settling briefly on each before disregarding them; blue Yithith was barely worth a second look, being too small and too ... well, common for her tastes. He was skittish, perhaps showing some of his rider's more restrained feelings of fear and confusion. Utath, on the other hand, was handling himself well. The red-obsidian dragon struck her interest more for his colour than anything; likewise did the dragon Hidama, termed a 'Greater Fire' on the flight form. Greater than what, she didn't know, but hoped he was greater than most of the other males. That would be stiff competition, however; the xeno-hathian hybrid Raqurac -- a rich blue-black beast with gilded plating -- was flinging beasts with carefree abandon; he'd gotten into a bit of a food fight with the only other truly unique dragon there. Sezukar was his name, Rys'Hathian his breed, and he glowed with gilded fire that raced along his silvered body and wings that bore no sails.
She had no time to ponder whether he could fly or not as a pulse of strength took her skyward, a bellow of lust and rage trailing after her. In no time, the black-silver female was in the skies and above, moonlight racing down her hide like liquid platinum. Behind her, the males wrangled for position, Raqurac shouldering out the smaller Yithith while Sezukar swung out of reach of Hidama's impressive wingspan. Utath was already at the back, struggling against the aerial backlash caused by so many creatures taking flight before him.
This would not be an easy flight, not by a long shot; Eienpaia had decided to take heed to her rider's advice and drive them to the limit before finally letting the greatest choose her.
Her flight was at first steady, an upward arc that brought the string of males high into the clouds, their bodies gleaming like twilight jewels. The ranks didn't break, the males maintaining their position within the pack; knowing this would be an endurance trial, none really wanted to test their luck against the resilient dragoness.
None, that is, except for Raqurac.
Using a hidden reserve of strength, the xeno-hathian forced his way past Hidama and Sezukar, wingarms pumping furiously. He scrabbled for her tail and was greeted not with croons of pleasure, but with a cry of rage; the ebon dragoness whipped her tail out of the blue-black's grip and twisted in the sky, lunging for him with open jaws. Her talons found a grip in his hide and as he struggled against her, his lust forgotten, another male moved to take the opportunity.
Eienpaia's head whipped around, catching sight of Hidama as he tried to latch onto her. She cast Raqurac aside, leaving him to tend his wounds elsewhere, and used the chest plates of the larger male as a jumping off point, vaulting higher into the sky.
Utath darted forward, sneaking into the opening left by Hidama and Raqurac; he tackled Eienpaia, talons finding purchase in her slick hide while his tail sought hers. There was no time to consummate his stolen opportunity, however; Yithith had the same idea and barreled forward, tearing the red-obsidian male from her back. He overshot and ended up tumbling in the ai with the other male while they sorted themselves out. Eienpaia turned and belched a gout of fire, both males getting a bit singed in the process. Utath and Yithith both dropped out of the flight; her warning shot was dangerous enough and neither wanted to see what would happen when she really got riled.
Short three chasers, things were starting to heat up for Eienpaia. They were so high in the sky that the clouds were a distant memory below them; the star-studded night stretched around them, and she felt she could fly into forever without tiring. But they would catch her eventually and with that sobering thought, she cast a glance back to see how things were shaping up.
Sezukar and Hidama were wingtip to wingtip, snarling and gnashing their teeth at one another. Hidama saw his chance as Eien' slowed to watch; the greater fire surged forward, leaving Sezukar to struggle in his wake. The silvered-black twisted into a barrel-roll as Hidama approached and the large male jetted right over her, her belly to him, his talons reaching and capturing nothing but air. Laughing her wicked laugh, the dragoness righted herself as he passed, laughed as he tried to right himself and ended up tumbling muzzle over tail in the sky. While he desperately struggled to regain his stability, Eienpaia went to surge upward again, wings pumping mightily although her strength was beginning to wane.
Dawn would be coming soon and the vampiric vitae in her veins was sluggish, feeling the pull of the sun. It was this, more than anything, that lead to her capture. Sezukar twisted past the disoriented Hidama and pulled higher, coming up from below. As her wingbeats slowed and her thoughts slid from evasion to ending the whole thing, the undead male collided with her and twined his tail with hers. She did not resist; her body was too tired to do anything more than glide with him through clouds painted with dawn.

In her quarters, Tenshi had a fine time chasing Arrin and Th'nol around, leaving Oehler and Vrygas more or less alone. The only other one that held her interest for any time was Rakyn and when her beloved Eienpaia was captured by Sezukar, the vampiress decided it was high time she celebrate her bond's fine choice.
Tenshi's jaws distended as she launched herself at the human 'gift' brought by Rakyn. As she crushed the young man's throat with her teeth, her suitors began to flee the room out of fear, exhaustion, or the need to feed. She drained the mortal and cast his body aside, setting her coldly glittering eyes on Rakyn, the only one who remained in her quarters. Coldness transmuted into a sleepy kind of lust, fueled as it were by the blood of the still-thrashing mortal.
With the sun sealed from her quarters and sleep staved off by fresh blood, Tenshi was more than happy to see what Rakyn had to offer ...