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 Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:22 pm
It was twilight, and the Weyr was - for a bustling community - relatively quiet, as if the whole world was catching it’s breath. Out in the bowl, B’tes was talking the latest (tiny) class through a relatively brief lecture on the mechanics of threadfall, trusting his older class to weapons drilling under the eye of an assistant, while not so very far away the youngest of the Weyr’s whers were just about to undergo aptitude testing in scent-finding with the Huntmaster. There was an early-morning fall due, and the riders in the wings scheduled were generally getting ready to get their heads down: no-one wanted a late night, or to face a fall with a hangover.
T’gall had finished going over the patterns for the predicted conditions in the morning, and now was on his way to an early bed through one of the less-used corridors of the Weyr - not something he did often, but when you were to be up before sunrise to prepare and eat and give good cheer to those who might die in a few brief hours, it paid to sleep as well as anyone could the night before.
The Weyrleader squeezed past a drudge who was going the other way with an armful of trays with a friendly grin, but kept walking - he had somewhere to be, after all. A moment later, a candidate barrelled past him, clearly late for something or other, yelling “Sorry, Weyrleader!” into the distance.
He was fairly certain that Chessa was pregnant - or rather, they were fairly certain - something that had elated and terrified him at the same time: though he was exhilarated at the thought of a son, he knew well enough the dangers of any pregnancy, and the idea that he might lose her scared him. On top of this, he was still dealing with the repercussions of that sharding clutch: though it would have been a thousand times worse had they lost Hiraeth, it was still not good, and taking G’vian’s toys away from him had only made the man more irritable. For all he was no longer a Wingleader, he still had political supporters.
So it was that he was deeply absorbed in his own thoughts when the first blow struck.
Out in the bowl, Balith screamed, the brown rearing up from the ledge where he had been peacefully stretched out. HELP HIM!> an image of the lower corridor burned itself into the brain of every dragon in the Weyr - and probably a few of the more sensitive humans. B’tes swore and ran, shouting at his charges to stay where they were… and probably not believing that they would, based on recent evidence.
He was, in the end, the first one on the scene - and grabbed the first person to come to hand, bawling for them to fetch Amarid. To fetch Amarid, now, he didn’t care where she was or what she was doing. Beyond him lay a huddled body, the dark braids making it all too clear whose body it was. Ko’ren arrived a moment later, the Wingleader taking charge of the situation and rolling over his Weyrleader to check that he was still alive. Anyone behind him would have seen that something terrible had been done to him: where his eyes had been were only bloody sockets.
ooc note: There will be an investigation thread running from tomorrow, but this thread will remain open for NPC responses until the end of the week.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:51 pm
Zarike
Despite the things that had been said, and were still being said by some about their clutch, Zarike was grateful that B'tes still saw fit to give them a proper education as dragonriders. None of them had any problems with their wings after all. Well, maybe Hortoth but they wouldn't know how well he flew until he tried. Zarike had faith in the multi-fingered blue.
Zarike's attention span during non-hands on lessons was usually terrible, and even with such an interesting and important topic as threadfall, he found himself drifting in and out of the lecture despite his best attempts. At least it was to be brief and soon they would be released.
Then Balith screamed. A second later Peth's eyes flashed white and Zarike felt his heart stop in his own chest."Peth!" Peth! The hatchling's body stiffened before collapsing with a strained whine as his chest muscles contracted. "Shaff!" Whatever had happened it had driven Peth into a fit. For a few moments he was eerily still before the spasming began. His neck twisted, his limbs flexed and twitched rhythmically while a small trickle of ichor leaked from where his clenched jaws had caught his cheek.
Zarike had no idea why the Weyrleader's dragon was in a panic, nor at the moment was that as important to the young weyrling as the trauma his own dragon was going through. Zarike couldn't get close until the spasms quieted down. Between the wings, the tail and the claws it was too dangerous to get in there. The larger Peth grew, the more dangerous it would become too. The moment they slowed though Zarike was kneeling beside Peth's head, doing what he could to roll the brown onto his side without damaging his wings or causing him to choke again. Rolling him and keeping his airway clear was all of the first aid he'd learned so far that had shown helpful during a fit. All it really did though was prevent the brown from choking until he woke up.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:08 pm
Kialynka
Though startled, Kia froze in her chore as she heard the first dragon scream. Wha's goin' on out theres? She looked around for answers. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with the common folk that she could tell. But the riders now. She narrowed her eyes as a number of riders headed for deeper into the Weyr. So something was up that involved them.
Curiously she slipped away from her task and followed. Kia let the riders run past her and followed at a jog. Coming around a corner she found herself near the back of a crowd. She stood on tip toe to try to see. The press of bodies shifted and she got a good enough view to wince back. Ew. Summat really messed him up. But why? Why not just kill 'im when he had the chance? She moved further back down the hall with a frown across her face.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:58 pm
Z'fer
Z'fer had been double checking his straps and getting his gear in order for the next morning when the screaming began. Cal what's going on?! He dropped the heavy leather onto his bed as he jumped to his feet.
The Weyrleader's been attacked! He paused as the first reports came in. ... It's bad. The brown lumbered to his feet even as Z'fer was climbing up between his neck spines.
"Get me down there!" The 2nd Wing rider gripped his dragon tightly, not bothering with any gear for the short drop to the weyrbowl and the tunnels into the lower caverns. With Calanoth's guidance he was able to find his way through the chaos to the side of his wingleader. "...Faranth's golden egg..." He breathed, his skin paling as he finally laid eyes on the Weyrleader and the state he was in. "Wingleader what do you need?" Murder wasn't their wing's specialty, attempted or not, but they were the first ones there. He pried his eyes from T'gall's face and scanned the crowd, his height giving him some advantage in seeing over heads. Still, unless the criminal waved the bloody knife in the air, it would be hard to spot them just like this. Cal, try and keep an eye on everyone leaving the lower caverns. If you see blood on anyone stop them! The brown wouldn't be able to watch all of the entrances and exits, and who knew if their target even had blood on them, but it was something Calanoth could do for them for now. They might get lucky.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:33 pm
“I need the Weyrhealer” Ko’ren said sharply, his fingers on T’gall’s neck to check his pulse, kneeling beside the unconscious Weyrleader. Balith was still keening somewhere in the background, entirely ignorant of the effect he had had on his offspring. “Z’fer, I’ll take his legs, you take his shoulders. We’ll bring him straight to the infirmary. Morth is telling Hiraeth to shut the skies”
He snapped his fingers, looking straight at Kialynka through the crowd as the first drudge he could see. “You, drudge! Run to the infirmary, tell them we’re coming, that it’s the Weyrleader’s life on the line. B’tes, man, see to your sharding weyrlings! Get them back into the barracks”
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:57 pm
Yevalee and Sleuth
Yevalee listened to the lecture, mostly healed though his back was sore and tight, he had scabbed over and started to slowly peel into scars. He was glad to finally be able to care for Sleuth by himself, being able to dress himself, and actually being independent again was a plus.
Sleuth rumbled, her tail twitching. She replied and froze, head jerking up at the scream. She proclaimed and determination started after B’tes.
“Sleuth,” Yevalee hissed and started forward after his green. That was dangerous, and Peth was seizing and maybe he wanted to know… “I’m going to get B’tes to get someone for Peth!” He called out and ran after the green as she moved fast and graceful towards the scene.
Sleuth sang in Yevalee mind as she trundled on. She came up on the small group, ignoring the shouted orders and leveled her glaze down at the man. she hissed, eyes whirling and flaring her wings, unsettled at the sight..
They really shouldn't be doing this. Yevalee kept quiet, keeping pace with Sleuth. B’tes had a lead on them and froze, staring at the bloody mess. “Ooh,” he whispered faintly, frozen. Where were his eyes.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:34 pm
Brishen and Hazmath
Weapon drills, weapon drills. Brishen enjoyed weapon drills for it gave him something to do with his time and not worry about the clutch and the hatching and things he really couldn’t do much about. They were just sooo itybitty and adorable!
Hazmath trailed off, giving a startle honking nose as Balith screamed and the image was dumped in his head.
Hazmath cried out, wings flapping in distress and lifting slightly before falling again. Things were wrong.
Brishen danced slightly in place, thoughts racing before bolting in the direction of the healers. “Amiarid! Amiarid!” he bellowed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 5:04 pm
Kialynka
She wasn't allowed to stand there long. A sharp voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Kia looked in the direction of the voice's owner as he dictated his directions. Message. She could run a message. "Weyrleader coming in, in urgent need of treatment." She repeated the message swiftly then turn and darted back down the hall. It would take awhile for the riders to carry the unconscious body to the infirmary.
Kia dodged those that will still running down toward the scene. Was that a green weyrling in the hall? Her surprise barely had time to register before she was past dragon and rider.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:11 pm
Z'fer
Well duh. Z'fer wasn't about to say that out loud though. Not to his Wingleader and definitely not in this situation. He couldn't look back at T'gall's face even as he knelt beside the wounded man's head. He shoved his hands beneath the shoulders and in time with Ko'ren, lifted their Weyrleader off the ground. "Calanoth is watching entrances inside the bowl for anything suspicious." He grunted as they began to move. With the skies closed they could hopefully trap whoever had done this inside. At the very least, they wouldn't get as far on foot if they did manage to leave the weyr.
Zarike
Zarike glanced up at Yevalee as he ran off, barely registering what his fellow weyrling had said even as he nodded. He chaffed his hands across Peth's cheekbones and rubbed his eye ridges, attempting to coax the faint buzzing in his mind back to consciousness. It never came quickly, but with the running and shouting and a dragon was keening, Zarike's anxiety was ramped up off the charts. He still had no idea what was even happening in the rest of the weyr.
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Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 5:30 pm
Marloth snarled, literally and figuratively, as Keralder stepped in front of her again, his heart in his ears the way she was in his head. "No, we have to get the others together. Someone's attacked the shaffing weyrleader himself. They're pretty damn clearly sending a message!" Honest to Faranth he did not think he ever would have been considered the voice of reason, and he was dying of curiosity, not helped by Marloth's own desire to investigate which hummed in his veins and mind like something alive and invading, but he knew there were risks to the bond between himself and Marloth at this age, and this was a little different than dancing in front of a man with a sword. And he was honestly afraid that whoever had done the attacking might not be done yet. "NO! How about you tell Sleuth and that pampered IDIOT to get back with us, and then we'll find the others! He and Marloth stared at each other intensely for several moments before she sent out an sharp call to the others, happy enough to bark and order at least. Besides, she might be able to learn more from Sleuth, even if it wasn't as good as seeing it first hand. She wasn't clear at the moment what the big deal was. They'd seen plenty of blood in butchered meat... and the Weyrleaders dragon was massive.... The last bit at least made it sound slightly less as though she had declared herself the high lady of the clutch... though apparently she sort of had. ... Or... never mind. Still bossy.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:15 pm
“Good man” Ko’ren said, hefting the bigger man with a grunt of his own: T’gall was no light weight, especially unconscious and limp. He was well known for liking his riders to take the initiative if they were smart about it - and for rewarding good work. “No-one out by air or foot”
B’tes obeyed a moment later, the weyrlingmaster turning back on his heels to race back to his charges - something accelerated by Sekimith informing him that Peth was having another fit (albeit on a significant delay, thanks to the sudden chaos). Though he was a little more used to them then the first terrifying outbreak at his ‘hatching’, it still alarmed the man. Even with the Weyrleader incapacitated (not dead, surely) he still had a duty to his charges.
“Yevalee, return to barracks!” he ordered as he sped past: as capable as Zarike had proved of caring for his dragon in those moments...
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:20 pm
"Is there anything we can do, Zarike?" Vanavia wanted to help, Horteth too, but neither of the pair really knew what they could do. Before this whole thing Vanavia had just been trying to keep Horteth to stay put and after she hadn't known what to do. Balith's scream had managed to frighten Horteth quite effectively and it hadn't taken much for that fear to infect her. Someone was attacking the Weyrleader. If they could get to the Weyrleader then surely they could get to anyone. Could their class also be targeted? Then Peth had had a seizure and fear had swiftly moved into panic. The two had hovered nearby, trying not to crowd the hatchling. Zarike hadn't called for a healer, so did that mean he didn't need one? The seizure ended, but Peth remained unconscious. Was that normal? Horteth crept closer to his clutchmate. He didn't dare call out to him, but he was worried nonetheless. He looked up at Zarike and let out a low croon. Was he okay? It was important that Zarike was okay too.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:13 pm
Yevalee gave a soft sound and shook his head, coming to and watched B'tes speed off. "Something tells me he already knows." He muttered and paused, looking over at Ko'ren and Z'fer. "I apologize for keeping you a bit long. But do any of you have a clean sash of some sort to put over his face... If just not to scare the staff then to keep his identity secret." Not all of them had dragons and it was a rather serious crime. Though the gossip chain of such a thing had likely spread. He rubbed his arm and started to slowly walk off. Sleuth turned and started following her chosen, turning thoughts in her head.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:08 pm
Keralder felt Marloth tense like the cord of an taught bow beside him, and had she been sharing any more information with him, he probably would have attempted to pin her to the spot. On the down side for Sleuth, her bargaining tool was... not the strongest either, in addition to being enormously offensive to Marloth's sense of justice, which was so sharply defined you could cut yourself on it, and only Keralder's sharp reflexes... and the fact that after a month he was starting to get to know certain tells about Marloth, let him dive to grab her around the hind legs when she suddenly bolted in the direction of Yevalee and Sleuth with apparently every intention of taking her displeasure out of her chubby sister's hide, since the information gathering was pretty easy. Everyone was talking about it after all. You didn't carve the eyes out of the Weyrleader, especially after he'd been involved in such a stir, and have it not become a hot topic of discussion. She bellowed, making Keralder grit his teeth at the thunderous headache it produced. "YEVALEE WHAT THE HELL DID YOUR DRAGON DO??" He bellowed, scooting forward to get a better grip on his struggling dragon.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:17 pm
Yevalee and Sleuth Sleuth gave a scratchy sounding snort. She leaned against her rider, pushing him to a stop. she ordered to her rider. Sleuth was not going to put her rider at risk. “Sleuth…” Yevalee groaned, placing his head in his hands. “Who are you arguing with? It isn’t Leoth is it?” Sleuth twitched her tail, nostrils flaring. “Public baths might be best.” Yevalee sighed and turned around. “I would say with Ko’ren and the other rider but I rather not bring your sister’s wrath on a wounded man.” He started to walk. “You get to tell Sekimith why we are not returning as B’tes ordered.” Sleuth gave a smug twitch of her tail reaching out to Sekimith.
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