Excellence Sought (Green Lira`s Flight)

[kia]

Under my belly please! I itch Mine, Rhyolith asked, turning over on her side to reveal her belly. O`ris was oiling her today in the spots that were cracking and itching. This meant her neck, tail, and belly. Rhyolith was so happy to receive the oiling. O`ris would have oiled her the day before, but he had been busy running around and doing Weyrling business. But now that O`ris had the time, she was glad he could spend it oiling her. She crooned to him, thanking him mentally and showing her appreciation with the swirling blue in her eyes.

O`ris smiled at her, glad that she was enjoying the time that they were spending together. As he oiled her, he took note of her growth. When she Hatched, she had only been around knee-length, now she was a little taller. She no longer struggled to lay her head in his lap, she could easily do it without straining her neck. He was pleased with her small growth. It at least it meant that she was healthy and there was nothing wrong with her.

Lira was sitting in a window, staring outside and pacing. Pacing and pacing. Her normally just green hide had turned a brighter shade of green the day before, but did her Mine notice? No, he had been busy doing his lessons, and she had nearly went after his face for ignoring her. But once he came back to the weyr, he had smothered her and Rhyolith in love, which made her forgive him. But he still had not notice, and she was not waiting anymore. Jumping into the air, she made a loud thrill that almost sounded like a screech.

O`ris looked over at Lira and saw the Green spinning in circles. “Lira!” he shouted.

She won`t listen. She is just thinking of food and blood. Why is that, Mine? Rhyolith asked.

O`ris groaned. “Not again. I hoped she wouldn`t do this again till summer,” he shouted, watching the circling Green turn direction and head out of the weyr.

She had to find food, and fast! She followed her nose to the kitchens and zoomed in, eyeing the food that the cooks were making. She found some sliced roast wherry that a cook had put to the side to season later. She thrilled and went after it, quickly latching on one of the slices and not willing to let go. Even when the cook came back and yelled at her, she hissed at him and threatened to bite his finger. The man must have not realized that she was about to Rose. He reached out, terrible mistake, and she bit him. Blood filled her belly more than the roasted wherry had. The man shouted and shook her until she let go, flying up into the air and out the kitchens.

Now that she was filled, she was ready for her Flight. She sent her call out, taunting the males nearby to come after her. She would fly fast and true! She would do her color proudly. She was Lira, the Green fire Lizard whose Mine was O`ris, Rider of among the first Cyans in Pern. She would not stop for average, she would only pick excellence!

[Kila]

Oblivion sat hunched moodily in the weyr of the Weyrleader. As always, he glared unpleasantly out at the room around him, poisoning the air with his sourness. His scarred and tattery black wings he held at a funny angle on his back. Unpleasantly-colored eyes peered out over his sharply pointed muzzle and shot daggers at anything that the breeze dared to move.

O'sho was gone again today- off with his great, nasty Bronze herdbeast to play with his hatchling, if it could even pass for that. Oblivion considered Osro to be painfully stupid and ugly. Why, he wondered, would His like it so much? It was flabby and pink and had the most obnoxiously-colored swab of fur on it's head. The sinister Black didn't want to be doted on by the rider, per say (he actually detested the man most of the time), but he was HIS and should not be paying to such a detestable little tunnelsnake as that instead of catering to HIM!

Wisely enough, O'sho had not allowed his small black companion to accompany him on that or any other play date, and Oblivion scorned this rejection. His vile conscience positively thrived with an actual reason to be hateful. It was HE should be doing the rejecting. Which he would. Dolt of a rider- he didn't want his attention anyway.

Lira's sudden call jarred him from his stagnant thoughts and he hissed nastily at the sound, turning his head so he could glare towards the mouth of his weyr. The call embodied everything that he was not- particularly at that moment- excitement, passion, energy, love. The stubborn challenge of it, however, was not a piece of character that was unfamiliar to him.

Oblivion rose, hissing again, but louder this time. If opposites attracted, this was a perfect example of the phenomena, for he found himself drawn to chase her. His desire, however, was tainted with malintent. Yes, perhaps he could take out his anger on something after all. Perhaps he needed to be the winner of something- to dominate and own and not be looked down upon. This female must have though she was the worthiest thing in the world, but in actuality he was only rising now, streaking out into the sky like a bat, because he wanted to topple her challenge. So he called back as she came into view, his voice mirroring with intensity her challenge and his strength of intent. Yes, he would take her down.

[kia]

Somewhere, in another weyr, there was another Fire Lizard that was sleeping peacefully on his Mine`s desk. Flare had fallen asleep next to Nia as she sat at her desk, reading over something that she had received as a young girl. Flare, content that his Mine was happily reading and not worrying about the world, decided to take a nap. But, shortly after he woke up, he heard something that made him look up with curiosity. There was a pretty little Green that was Rising and calling out to him to join the Flight. Okay, she was calling for any available males, but still he could dream. Spreading his wings, he flew into the air and after the Green. He knew that his Mine would not care if he joined. After all, she had expressed several times that she wanted him to enjoy himself as much as he could at Dalibor. So, catching up to the Flight, he chased after the Green and began his crooning, his love songs for a pretty Green named Lira.

~~~~~~

Lira saw that a Blue and a Black had joined her Flight. She was happy that some suitors had finally taken Chase. She crooned to them for a second before thrilling again, turning upward to fly over a ledge that they were approaching. Well, now that she had suitors, she would give them the Chase of their lives. She turned up to avoid the ledge at the last second, coming over the top and spread her wings, gliding for a moment to see if she had lost the males. She did not want to lose the males, but she wanted to make it perfectly clear that she was not going down without a fight or without some flirting in the process. After all, she was Lira, bonded to O`ris, a great Green Fire Lizard in her eyes. No, she did not thing she was better than every Fire Lizard, but she did consider herself the best Green Fire Lizard out there. She was loyal to her Mine and loved him dearly. She had stuck by him through the worst. And today, she would be rewarded with a mate and possibly soon a clutch of eggs. Yes, eggs!

[Kila]

Lira would not be chased today by only two suitors. As she drew farther away from the Weyr and farther into the Western Continent, her presence became known to the unbonded wilds and to those who could almost pass as such. Flit, Hen, and Cocori, the rebel Y'nis's three flitters, were out hunting. As it were, the trio had a small critter cornered in it's burrow and were trying to harass it out- chittering as they poked in their muzzles in claws futilely. At the sound of Lira's calls, though, Flit and Cocori looked jerkily up to the sky in curiosity and excitement. The Blue and Brown were run by whim and instinct, and such a thing was no different than hunger or defense. The noise called them to the sky and then obeyed without a second thought, cawing and scrambling over one another and shooting off at a dizzying speed towards the chase. Hen, their Green sister, they left behind. She chattered at them crabbily when they jostled her in their haste to go and when they actually did abandon her, but once gone she quickly forgot about them and continued to taunt her future meal.

Lira seemed happy that there were males giving chase- another foreign characteristic between herself and Oblivion. The mangled Black hissed and jeered when another Blue and a Brown burst eagerly onto the seen, trilling and calling and making an obscene amount of noise. Already he loathed them. Fueled by this fresh burst of hate, he pumped his wings and drew closer to Lira. He would have to be fast and cunning to beat these two seemingly tireless newcomers.

[kia]

Flare noticed that another Blue and a Brown had entered the Flight finally. Flare chirp in unhappiness, seeing that there was another Blue. He did not like it and yet he liked it. He wanted to prove he was a great Blue and that he was worthy of many things. But if another Blue had not shown up, then he would not have more a chance to prove this fact. He thrilled at Lira, trying to get her to notice him. She was a pretty little Green, a worthy Green that deserved the chance to have a Clutch with the best and strongest male. And he aimed to prove that. He had too! He must. He pumped his wings harder, trying to catch up with Oblivion, the Black who had started before them all and had the lead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lira thrilled again, seeing that two more males had decided to come chase her. Well, now that she had more suitors, it gave her some more choice to pick from. Bringing her wings a little closer to her body, she dove down and headed toward the alleys of the Weyr. She flew over someone`s head, hearing their shouts, and quickly made an abrupt right to avoid the wall. The alleys would be perfect. It was like a labyrinth. She could make turns quickly before others could, possibly losing them, narrowing down the competition, or it could lead to her end. She could suddenly come around a turn and run into a lost male. Or a male may be able to predict her and attempt to get ahead of her to catch her. She would have to be careful in this maze. But she was fast. Maybe she could outlast some of them. But, because she was fast, she did not have the stamina like most. So she would have to be careful about that as well.

[Kila]

Where on Pern was the little Green leading them? Flit and Cocori regarded this game of chase as great fun, of course adding their own purposely confounding screams to the mayhem when they swooped low over the heads of some unfortunate weyrfolk. Causing chaos was such fun! Their haphazard flying was put to limitations, however when the sun winked out as they entered the labyrinth of alleys.

Oblivion too harassed the passing weyrfolk- they being too close to bring in his actual path. The antics of the two wilds that had appeared and the incessant ruckus they were making grated terribly on his little nerves. The entrance into the alleys, however, did not affect his flight at all. He, unlike they, had a straight path and was totally focused on his goal.

But this was ceasing to be fun! The wilds had to rein in some energy and not fly willy nilly to avoid striking rock. These man-made structures were so organized; how did humans get around at high speeds at all?! Flit, the Blue was particularly bothered by this. He didn't want to fly in such a boring way after the speeding Green beauty! He wanted to go faster! Pumping his wings insanely, he shot forward, coming up on Oblivion. The Black did not like this, and when Flit got close enough to him that he was in striking range he lashed out with his claws, knocking the crazed Blue off balance and careening into a wall. He was quickly left behind, momentarily dazed from his spill.

Cocori had followed suite, but pulled back to avoid the same fate as his brother. The Black fellow was no fun at all- how rude! The Brown was fully aware that he was bigger than Oblivion and did not know the meaning of fear, but he had enough sense to stay out of the range on his competitors claws. Cocori was a tad more controlled that Flit had been, and speeding along at the head of things suited him just fine (much to Oblivion's venomous distaste)!

But wasn't there another Blue back there? The two striving at the front had all but forgotten.

[kia]

Lira almost chuckled when she saw the Blue get attacked by the Black. And she was rather grateful to the Black for doing that. She did not like anyone close to her. Speaking of close, where had that other Blue gone too? He had been decently close to her till she led them into the labyrinth that was Dalibor Weyr. She was looking around while she watching her direction, almost chasing into a wall again. She turned sharply around a wall, seeing the exit of the Weyr in the distance. Maybe, at the end of this maze, she would have a mate chosen. And when she thought this, she noticed something in the corner of her eyes.

It was Flare! The Blue she had wondered where he went. And he was diving down toward her. She squawked in her own manner, watching him and trying to zig zag to avoid him as he came at her. It was close. Very close. He had brushed up against her wing tip, missing her by an inch or two. Flare`s dive had cause him to risk everything based on that one move. Now he was on a crash course for the floor. He spread his wings, trying to avoid a terribly rough landing. And, with a great thud, he landed and skidded across the stone. He looked up, seeing the Green racing away with a Black and Brown on her heels. He had flown well, but he would not try that move again. Lifting into the air, he betweened back to his Mine`s Weyr, unsuccessful and little sad but grateful for a good Flight.

That was two down and two to go, Lira thought in her head. So it would come down to the Black and Brown. Well, she would have to choose soon. Or get caught by one. Which sounded like the better idea? The end of the maze was getting closer and closer. Who would be her winner? Her mate? The father of her Clutch?

[Kila]

Oblivion screamed when the impudent Blue shot forward and tried to make a grab at his prize. How dare he? See how he failed and fell- a fate which he certainly deserved in the mind of the twisted Black.

While Oblivion took sick pleasure in this humiliating and painful rival defeat, Cocori, the only other remaining suitor trilled with laughter. What fun! It was, after all, all a show, wasn't it? The Black was silly for taking himself so seriously, why, how could he be enjoying the reckless flight through the dark labyrinth they were on like that? Cocori was indeed enjoying the reeling turns and dangerous flying, though not so foolishly as Flit had. It did however, blur his slightly blur his focus and objective.

Oblivion had no such problem. Ever since he had decided to win, which was as soon as he had lifted into the air, his objective had been clear and his focus keen and infallible. And as the tunnel at the end of the maze rapidly approached, his focus honed in and he decided to take what was rightfully his.

With a final slash of his tattered wings, he shot forward and latched himself into Lira, binding her to him and sailing safely out of harms way. She was his for the time being. An uncharacteristic sense of pleasure took over him at his victory. For now, his tiny fury was quelled.

[kia]

Lira continued to fly forward, the exit coming closer and closer. And she needed to consider her choices. There was the Brown and the Black. The Black had been chasing her the longest and furthest, right down to the beginning when she first echoed her call, her dare for any male to come for her. But he also spooked her, unnerved her in a way that he seemed menacing in the way he acted and appeared. But there was the Brown, the strong and respectful Brown that had joined her flight almost mid-way. He seemed brave, the perfect father to father her clutch, even if she was a Green. But, wouldn`t that be cliche? To choose the Brown because he was the largest and strongest of the group? Strength was in the eye of the beholder, and there were different kinds of strengths. But if she chose the Brown, it was only to produce a strong and healthy clutch of eggs that would eventually Hatch into strong and healthy Fire Lizards. And then they would find strong Mines to Impress to, or perhaps between forever. No, that could not happen to her clutch.

The thought made the Green slow down without realizing it. And by the time she remembered that she was in Flight, that this was the reason to produce that lovely Clutch, it was too late. Out of the corner of her eye, she something black and fast coming for her. But she could not react fast enough as she had with the Blue before him. Squawking in surprised, she found herself being latched to the Black. She tried to fight him, but there was no strength left in her to fight her opponent. She conceded the fight, resigning herself to intwine herself with him. Well, it was like she had thought before. Strength was in the eye of the beholder. And this Black, Oblivion, had proven his strength by catching her in Flight. He would make a fine father to sire her clutch, she thought. Relaxing her wings, but still holding them out, she let Oblivion carry her safely out of harms way, for now.