Kansas

HATCHING
It was late afternoon, right before supper, when the white-rainbow dragoness bugled to announce the hatching of her clutch. The candidates were given the traditional white robes and ushered into the Hatching Sands as guests filled the stands. Several people wondered if, or rather, how many rares there would be. Everyone watched in silence as the first of Hyperith's clutch hatched.
The first to hatch was a green. Then two more eggs hatched. A brown and blue dragon emerged. the blue quickly found his bond, but the brown hatchling was slower to Impress, looking over all the male candidates carefully and even a few of the girls. Finally, he decided, and butted his head against his chosen's leg. "Hello, who are you?" Kansas asked as he stared down at the brown dragonet.
"My name's Anubith, and you, Kansas, are my rider." The brown said to the young man.

Brown Anubith

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WEYRLING
"Anubith!" Kansas called.
He was furious. Kansas had never been a person who got angered quickly, but lately, most likely due to the ritual he had troubles keeping himself calm. It was maddening how he went haywire over such little things as his dragon teasing him about having a sister complex. Maybe it was the stress the dreams caused that made his mind seem on edge. There seemed to be no end to them.
Kansas had dreamt every night for the past week about Rebecca being in grave dangers. The desert surrounded her and she was running. Running from the sand and the powers that he'd embraced to stay alive. It hurt.
"Have you thought about the fact that you have those powers and that your dreams are connected to them?" the soothing voice of Anubith asked.
"Connected?"
"As in they're happening."
Kansas grew silent and the rage left him. He felt Anubith's presence in his mind as a cooling blanket that subdued the pain he was feeling. He was there and suddenly images played before his mind's eye. Rebecca running from the sand. Rebecca being chased by the image of Seth. Rebecca being engulfed with sand.
"It's showing you what the price is."
"It's my fault." Kansas realised and fell to the ground.
"You can help her." Anubith said, "With me there to watch you, you might be saved."
Tormented Kansas balanced between fear for what might happen to his sister and the fear to go back to the desert. He was not even close to ready to face Seth, he might never be. Anubith was still only a weyrling. He'd only lived for two years. Had only been flying for one. Slowly, the guilt of having his sister be hurt because of him grew stronger. For she would die without a doubt if no-one intervened.
"Don't worry." Anubith said, "We will thwart fate."

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ADULTS
Kansas picked up the scrolls he'd dropped and cursed Pern for using scrolls when paper was so much easier. Darkling Dawn at least had migrated. They resided in a safe dimensional bubble now where Kansas did not need to fear Seth. But the fear of the god of dead paled by the fears that sometimes came over Kansas when the rage that had awoken in him tugged at his mind.
It was an anger too pure and powerful for Kansas to understand. It was almost as if it wanted to destroy everything he held dear. If he ever let it gain control of his mind  Kansas knew he'd be feeling guilty beyond whatever guilt he felt now for having brought his sister into danger.
"Don't be so gloomy." Anubith interupted, "We have lived for 4 years and we are strong together."
"But it's still there." Kansas objected.
"Then I'll find you a stronger solution."
"Stronger than you?" Kansas asked just a tad sarcastic.
"Granted, there aren't many stronger than me." he said, playing along, "But I've recently come across a very able gold dragon who has a rider with just the talent needed to help you."
"And she would just help me?"
"According to Jasmith her rider likes to help people."
"And where did you find this Jasmith?"
"On our trip to Maura Lynna Weyr. It is closing and she, her rider and their pupil are thinking of going offworld. I told them Darkling Dawn is nice."
"Just like that?" Kansas asked not believing a word of what Anubith said.
"Well, it helps that Jasmith likes me." he confessed.
"You have a gold chasing your tail. No wonder you want me to think she'd be able to help me."
In Kansas' mind the draconic equivalent of a giggle sounded and Kansas thought he even saw some red patches appear in Anubith's brown hide. Would it just be solved like that? On the other hand, 4 years ago his problems had been solved just like that as well. But what would happen when Anubith and this Jasmith dragon got together?
Kansas had joined a couple of mating flights already and though Anubith hadn't won yet the sensations of even the losing dragons had left Kansas fighting the rage as desire wiped out his conscious mind.
"That's where Qanyina will help you." Anubith said, "She's psychic."
"She'll read my thoughts?" Kansas hesitated.
"What. I read your thoughts too." Anubith interjected,
"She's really nice-looking for a human too." he added and showed her a mental image of a tall red-headed woman with a sensual air around her. The smile on her face was friendly, but seemed rather cold.
"Women like that wouldn't like me." Kansas said.
"Ah, but human hearts follow where dragon hearts lead." Anubith wisely spoke.

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FLIGHT
Kansas and Qanyina had travelled though the forests around Darkling Dawn and had found a secluded clearing where their dragons could land. From here Jasmith would launch her mating flight. It would be a closed flight and only Anubith would try and catch her. Kansas hoped the distance to Darkling Dawn was large enough to make sure of that.
"Afraid someone else will catch her?" Anubith asked hinting that his initial hesitant rider had really fallen for the red-headed sensual woman with a psychic talent.
"Shut up." Kansas replied, trying to keep his cheeks from blushing.
"It's very endearing to know that he wants me so bad." Qanyina entered their conversation.
Kansas looked up shocked that Qanyina had overheard their thoughts. She'd firmly told him that she wasn't a mindreader. Her talents were omens and reading the future and then something else that had given him the peace of mind to finally forget the rage fighting inside him.
"Jasmith helped. You can ask Anubith too."
"That would invade your privacy." Kansas said.
"We'll be married soon. There will be no privacy."
"Should I be scared?" Kansas asked, only half joking.
"Enough of this." Jasmith called, feeling that the attention was slipping away from HER, you know the gold dragon who was about to rise and she did not like that. She launched herself from her haunches and spiralled straight into the air as if she was a rocket taking off. Anubith was airborne only seconds later and chased her.
Privately he told Jasmith: "You can let them have their moment too."
"Today should all be about me. For this, you'll pay."
On the ground Qanyina concentrated herself as the bond between her and her dragon intensified. She felt freer than she'd ever felt before. Stronger. More beautiful. But also less inclined to let just anyone near her. She felt Jasmith think about how she could escape Anubith.
"Now who has commitment issues?" she asked herself.
"I only want what's best. I need him to prove that he's strong enough to father my babies."
"Maybe I should run laps before I let Kansas close."
"Hardly. Your mate can create sandstorms. I say he's proven himself."
"I should mention that Anubith has kept Kansas from dying by the hands of an Egyptian death curse. I say he deserves some credit."
"But only you got rid of it completely. So that makes me stronger."
"What a weird logic. Especially since I didn't do anything."
"Anubith and Kansas do NOT need to know that."
Qanyina smiled as her Jasmith flew up and down, east and west, trying to dodge Anubith as he charged and grasped. He was big for a brown and seemed to be strong enough to keep up with her. of course, Jasmith was the older dragon...
"Do not bring my age into this." Jasmith growled, "I'm not THAT old."
"I got you!" Anubith called.
"No you haven't." And Jasmith pulled herself free from his clutches.
The chase continued. The two dragons had been flying for over 20 minutes now and Kansas wondered just how long this flight would take. He felt like his head was about to explode.
"I'm getting closer." Anubith told him.
And then, "She keeps evading me... and she is stronger because she's bigger."
"Then be smarter." Kansas told his dragon.
On the ground kansas suddenly felt Qanyina lean on him. She and Jasmith must be feeling the strain as well. In his current mindset all he could think of was the woman he felt so close. He forgot about the flight and went with his feelings, tilting up her head a bit and kissing her full on the mouth.
"Oh! Something's happening to Jasmith." Anubith called.
The brown dragon lurched forward and was surprised to see Jasmith turn around mid-air and come straight toward him. The two of them brushed sides and Anubith knew that Jasmith had ceased running. Excited he grabbed hold of her large body and together they raced through the air, wings folded and bodies aligned with the ground.
"I won." was the last thing Anubith signalled to Kansas, but his rider did not much care.

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Read Kansas' Story
Read Rebecca's Story
Want to known more about Qanyina?
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Kansas impressed at Darkling Dawn Weyr
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