Flight 02 
(Teset's Flight Story)
|
Teset hopped out of the elevator, her Rukel bond in tow (along with her co-bond,
the white-striped Tyuan'Assp), swinging her head from left to right as she took
in the upper-flight deck. It's cold down here... she commented, raising her pale, webbed wings, and then settling them at her sides. Thinking twice about all of this? her chosen questioned from her shoulder. Some might find it amusing that a dragon Teset's size--or current size, at least--would be able to fit any rider at all. Ah, the advantages of having a rider the size of a house-cat... Of course not! Look at these lovelies... she crooned, gesturing with one wing-spike. There were plenty of other dragons roaming the upper deck... some were looking for mating flights to take advantage of, others were down here simply to stretch their wings. The little dragoness swiveled her neck to catch the eye of one particularly handsome yellowish, golden dragon. He blinked at her, raised his nose to the air, and then cocked his head in hopeful curiosity. Teset let her gaze shift off of him, leaving his unspoken--or even thought--question dangling. Finally she shook her head, causing the Rukel Tyreon to leap down and out of the way. He lighted on the floor, and looked up at his bond, a cat-like smirk on his muzzle. Teset gazed back at him for half a second, and then seemlessly began to grow. One of her abilities, being born Wyld on the world of Mythicalae, was of being able to size-shift... it was an incredibly useful in circumstances such as these. And she would make it more useful when it came to the actual flight. When she was of a size to look relatively average amongst the locals (and the few off-worlders who happened to be on tour), Teset hopped away from both bonds, towards the hatch that had been assigned to her by one of the flight-administrators. She glared back over her shoulder brazenly, ruffling her head-crest at the white Tyuan. The small male sighed, shook his head at the display, and followed a short distance after her. What do you think you're doing? Teset squawked at him. You just asked-- I didn't say anything! She fluffed her head-crest more, an impudent twinkle in her eyes. Tyuan'Assp narrowed one eye, then deemed it better to remain silent. The red dragoness threw him a a semi-amused, semi-smug look, and then returned to male-hunting. Well, look at the little Wyldling,, a voice materialized in the dragoness' head. Teset swung around to meet the cocksure gaze of a dark-blue dragon, himself a Wyld and not much bigger then her. Excuse me? 'Little'? I wouldn't talk, sparkles. Oooh, ouch! the blue stretched his wings, the webbing of which literally glowed at some points. He grinned and sauntered closer to her, You've hurt my poor heart, little-miss-stripes! Teset lashed her tail and glared at him. What do you want, anyways? Me? Oh... I'm sure you could guess. He winked one eye, and then let his mouth gape in draconic grin, revealing rows of pointy teeth. I'm Seram, nice to meet you... ? Teset! the dragoness all but spat. Filthy-minded dragon... she turned to see if there might be any more... suitable suitors, and Seram took the moment when she was turned away to tug on her tail. Teset squawked again, this time indignantly. Want to skip the formalities? Excuse me?! Seram cackled and let go of her tail, and Teset stalked away. Filthy, dirty dragon! She glared over her shoulder at him, tail still lashing. In her distraction, she bumped into something... leafy. Paardon mee, a new voice entered her mind, and as she looked down Teset realized she was pinning the tail of one snake-like, ...plant like... dragon? It didn't have eyes, though its head was turned up towards her. Teset made a face and removed the offending paw away from the creature's tail-tuft-foliage... ...Sorry... From cocky to creepy... and just a moment ago she had been thinking these suitors were 'lovely'! Enough was enough. Teset turned back towards the hatch, glaring balefully at the four who had taken notice of her. Without another word, she hopped through, and was away. The males, after a moment or two, took chase.
 Aedelian Landwerlen had been in Star City for only a few short days, here to study the dragons and to see the sights, and he couldn't get enough of them. Originally, he'd come when he'd gotten wind of a 'flight' call, and indeed, he had signed up for for one event. But now he was stretching his wings, down in the chilly lower flight deck. The whole station was bizarre in that the floor was always sloping up--every time he felt like he'd stabilized his flight, Aedelian would feel as if the floor was coming up to meet him. It was a novel experience, to say the least. Just as he was correcting his flight for the hundredth time, a little red flash dived past him. Aedelian cried out and backwinged until he was holding relatively still. What the... And then another shape blew past him, then another. He graced their thoughts, as he was wont to do, and finally realized what the matter was. A flight! 'Wait a moment...', he pried an image out of a blue-coloured dragon, and nearly swore. The image was that of a small, biped dragoness--the very same one that he'd been presented a holograph of upon signing up to fly, himself! It was Teset, and she was dwindling away, then was gone behind one of the many metallic pillars on this deck. Aedelian decided that he'd have to catch up.
Teset rowed through the air with perfect wing-beats, her body an arrow of red and black and white. Let the males fly as they like, there was no way they'd catch her. She might not be the biggest, but she was fast. Saelm, the dragon that looked more plant-like then mammalian, seemed to see this right away. She was fast, too fast for him, at least. He slowed himself, gnashing his huge, semi-fleshy teeth together. Ah well... another day... The cocky Wyld, Seram, and the yellow lad, Kaveriith, flew one just behind the other, both intent on Teset's form, both fighting for the lead. Tyuan'Assp let them perform their aerial acrobatics just ahead of him: they would weary themselves, and in the mean time, he'd get a free ride on the air currents they beat up. He could feel Teset's exhilaration through their mutual bond, though she had managed to block any of the next moves she was going to try. In truth, Teset wasn't even thinking about the next moves she was to make. She'd let instinct take over, allowing it to guide her. Every moment was up to chance... Aedelian was fast enough to catch up with the hind-most of the dragons, probably fast enough to blast past the two ahead of him. That, however, would waste his reserves, and while the flight itself was entertaining, he thought it would be better if he managed to catch the lady in question. Tyuan eyed him as he came closer, and the Air grinned, showing large teeth. The smaller dragon didn't seem impressed, then again, neither did he seem to be smug--or show any other emotion, for that matter. Meanwhile, Seram had managed to get the upper hand over Kaveriith, and cackled as the yellow tried to gain the upper wing. It'll take more then that, sunshine, he cried, whapping Kaveriith over the head with his tail as the dragon drew too near. The yellow snapped at him, getting irritated, but refusing to return the Wyld's jabs. Seram was enjoying himself far too thoroughly. Screw the dragoness, the flight was amusing enough in itself. But then again, screw the dragoness... life was so full of choices. Teset slowed a little, allowing her suitors to catch up. She glared at them over her shoulder, her eyes like molten rock, roiling a fierce red-orange. She turned her head again, saw a pillar coming up ahead of her, and grinned devilishly. Seram and Kaveriith, Tyuan behind them, shot past the column and then looked about them in confusion. Teset was nowhere to be found! She smirked as she rounded the great pillar, pulling as close to its cold, glass-like outer wall as she dared. Such dense chasers, they wouldn't see her until she was too far away to notice! But then a shadow fell across her. "That was a clever move," Aedelian laughed, having followed her perfectly throughout her maneuver. Teset shrieked. How could he have caught her? How had he known?! This, he sent psionically, is why you don't think your strategies out loud! He descended over her, but she was too furious to allow him near her. She suddenly shrunk, perhaps to the size of a house-cat, and the Avengaean was left grasping air. "Hey, now!" Aedelian said, half laughing as the miniaturized Teset swooped out of his reach. Tyuan had taken Teset's disappearance as a sign, leaving the other two and winging his way back to the hatch he'd emerged from. Kaveriith and Seram, on the other hand, weren't so easily dissuaded. The two of them spread out, the yellow continuing forward, the Wyld circling and raking his gaze over the convoluted surface of the floor below. Maybe she'd gone into hiding? But no, he felt a projection of rage from the smaller Wyld, and upon glancing up, saw Aedelian heading towards him. Oh, don't tell me he's gotten him mind muddled or something... the blue sniggered, I'm not the damn dragoness, you wattle-head! You're far too ugly, I agree, came the just as amused response. Before Seram could form a retort, however, a ball of red-white-black came hurtling after him. Teset! He swung into position, and as she came bowling at him (still in her cat-sized form), he neatly plucked her out of the air. She hissed and scratched, and when that failed to stop him, she tried her size-changing-trick, shooting up into her largest, elephantine size. Seram kept hold of her tail, wings beating hard to keep them both aloft. Really, now, you think that's going to turn me off? Seram cackled again as the smaller Wyld spit something obscene at him. Like I said, care to skip the formalities...? Teset struggled for a few more moments, but she realized that the flight was over. Finally, she reached around on her serpentine neck, and bit him squarely on the chin. That's for being so incredibly rude. Seram didn't stop grinning. I'm hurt. So what do I get for being the winner, then?
And Teset showed him.
|