Flight 14
Purple Kaywinktra and Brown Arajaxth
Purple Kirawinktra and Blue Ciqantath

by weyrwoman Quaira

Lantessama was nice, 'Xeth admitted, but he would have been a lot better off at home. Interdimension travel was awful, regarding time changes. When Kirawinktra's voice sounded in his mind, 'Xeth didn't even move. 
'"Xeth, come outside! It means the world to us that you supervise the flight."
"Oh, please. You'll mate, clutch, and be off the Sands again in no time. Besides, I'm still tired. I was up late."
He could hear her snort, even though she was outside and on the Feeding Grounds. 
"I'm quite serious, bond-mine. The suitors are waiting and - get OFF me, you scoundrel!" The bright Ryslen-born violet sounded angry and distressed. This pulled 'Xeth outside to his bond.
"I'm coming, Kira, and I won't let them bother you!" he roared into the morning air, awakening the Isle's people and gathering spectators. The purples bugled, their suitors jumping back in bewilderment, as they raced after their prey on the Grounds. Kaywinktra and Kirawinktra were blooding almost quicker than Milineth could imagine. Milineth felt the tip of a stormy-black tail twine nervously around hers.
"Worried?" she asked her mate, looking him in the eye.
"Don't tell them, but yes," 'Xeth replied in a wavering tone.
"Don't worry. So am I." Then the gold looked to the skies and beheld the flight in progress - the twins were finishing their meal, glowing brightly as the sun shrouded with violet.
Quickly they overlooked their suitors. Leading the pack was a burly brown, Zoatch. Following were Mooith and Valorith, looking rather content as they stared at the prize awaiting. Yotogi and Iramara were duo yellows, and last came Arajaxth and Ciqatanth, a blue and brown bonded pair. Kira and Kay surveyed them with draconic grins.
"Ready, sister dear?" Kaywinktra asked mischeviously, eyeing the suitors.
"Oh yes."
So the flight began in a whirl of violet, yellow, brown and blue, and Kirawinktra soon found Mooith grasping her tail. "Gotcha, sweetie,"  he smiled, but his happiness was short-lived. Kirawinktra wheeled around and smacked the poor violet into a nearby rock. Dazed, Mooith regained his vision to find that the nebulas and their suitors were heading back in his direction - and smacked into him again.
"Ouch," he managed before flying back to the ground to meet Vevanya, his rider.
Valorith, Yotogi and Iramara were closing in on Kaywinktra in a tight circle. To their bewilderment, she dove straight down, and while they were gazing down, bemused, at her, she rocketed back upward and pummeled the three dragons in the heads. Yotogi and Iramara hissed, looked down at Riyagh on the ground, and chose to continue the flight, while Valorith, bruised and feeling cold in his heart, drifted downward on a dying thermal.
"Yotogi, I don't feel well," said Iramara quietly, coasting quickly beside his comrade.
"Neither do I, but determination is important for this flight."
"I cannot continue," he said sorrowfully. "I must see Riyagh. Go, make him proud."
"I will," replied Yotogi as he watched the other yellow drift to the ground. Then, fired up, Togi went after the purples in the distance. He could see them fending off the brown Zoatch as he talked to them.
"Which one to pick?" Zoatch asked to himself as the purples flew in dodging circles in front of him. "They both are beautiful, and deserve the strongest dragon as a mate!"
"This guy is plain stupid," said Kaywinktra to herself. Of course, that was just an opinion, but it made the brown angry anyhow.
"Now I know which one to go for," he said.
"Good riddance to him!"
"Geez, show a little sympathy for the one who's being chased by the big lug!"
Suddenly the brown was out of her sight, and Kirawinktra felt herself being caught in the embrace of the much-neglected Ciqatanth. She could feel his love for her in her thoughts and became calm. "Ciqatanth," she crooned as her eyes whirled pink and beautiful blue.
"Kira," he replied, the joy resounding from his mind to Arajaxth's. "You'll make a fine mother, and I'll take care of you."
"I trust you to do that," she replied as they spun to the ground happily.
"That's beautiful," 'Xeth sniffed back on the ground. "It reminds me so much of our flight."
"Kay's not that happy, though," replied Milineth, worried. "She doesn't have much choice."
"Don't worry, she'll pull through."
Kaywinktra bugled in protest as Zoatch tried to catch her with all his strength. Then she saw a yellow streak rocket through the sky, coming towards her. She wasn't sure what to expect of an Apocalypse dragon, but it seemed her only choice was to pair with him. She was about to surrender to Yotogi when, from above, a dragon's gentle claws swept her up and twined his tail with hers. She saw soft brown hide and screeched, thinking it was Zoatch catching her, but her eyes softened to pale sea-green when she saw her mate.
"It's just me," he said. "I do hope I'm worthy of you."
"I could have no other catch me, Arajaxth." Like Kirawinktra and Ciqatanth before them, Kaywinktra and Arajaxth spun in joy to the ground, meeting their bonds - more like family now - as the sunrise illuminated them more brightly than ever.
"A sign," 'Xeth sighed dreamily. "A sign that you will have wonderful children, and that I will get used to this place."
"Come, oh sleepless one. We should be leaving this soil to those who must rise next." Milineth began leading the six dragons onward to a new birth - that of their children.