Threadfall! [Skies are Clear!]

[Thread!]

Flames leaped through the sky, colorful dots became grander shapes. Dragons soared through the air above the Weyr and goutes of flame erupted from them. Streaks of ash smeared them like war paint. Spinning clumps pirouetted in synchronized waves. Spurts of wind pushed them across the skies and forced them downward in an endlessly spiral. The clouds of Thread diminished till t'was only whisps of individual threads. Here and there. And these the ones most missed by dragonriders.

Whilst over the mountains, the dragonriders found the necessity to spread out. Such a formation led, ineviably, to a handful of clumps escaping notice. Not many... only two. The first rogue clump came from the side. The young Jayranth above her, didn't see them. The green's rider, T'viz, didn't see them either. Didn't see them, or if S'yloa's surmise somehow held truth, didn't exist. A shadow dragonrider that could no more help those below them than a wisp of cloud. Either way, the clump of dangerous spores swiveled downward. It drifted across the bow of the Golden Glow Wing, on the outer edge so that it threatened both Surperith and Kaith. From a near vertical position floated a second late-comer clump. It snuck directly between the Storm Brink and Storm Front.

Tendrils of silver charred black and now as ash finished their life cycle. They scattered through the air. The cloud drifted across the Rim and into the Weyrbowl. It fluttered into the midst of the waiting dragonets and their youthful riders. To what end did the groundcrew stand poised and at-the-ready but in hope of an attack? For now, naught save the remnants of the Thread fell upon them, freckling each individual hide, cloth or flesh with black. To those below, those who waited with eager and concerned glances to the sky, the wait continued.

[Klissi]

A'zrl (Kaith)

An hour of fighting thread, even with the short breaks, was tiring even for the rider. A'zrl unhooked the next bag of firestone for Kaith as she reached back for it. The hard work of the upper wing apparent by the layer of ash that clung to him and his green. She still had enough in her system to burn more thread but Kaith wanted the stone now so she did not have to wait for now fuel. There was a breath between the fighting that allowed this exchange, A'zrl took a moment to care his googles. That was when he saw it, the thread coming towards them. Both rider and dragon knew they could not burn it in that moment, Kaith still had firestone in her mouth. Surperith! Thread here! Kaith angeled her body to bank away from the menace and chew her firestone as fast as she could to clear her mouth. If she finished chewing in time it would be met with a dragons rage of flame.

[D'nel]

Carona saw A’zrl pull his firestone sack for Kaith. She and Superith has been flaming the strands that got past Storm Brink and Storm Front. There hadn’t been any large clumps yet. She knew they would need to do the same for Superith very soon. Carona wiped a particularly big clump of ash from her goggles, and glanced up, almost as if accusing her twin of sending it down on her. In the short distraction, she nearly missed the clump of thread headed for them and Kaith and A’zrl.

Carona and Superith turned as one at Kaith’s cry, and saw the thread drifting toward them. Superith growled, a fiery glow starting in her mouth. Not yet Love! Carona said. Give Kaith a chance to move out of the way! As her fellow green twisted out of the way, Superith aimed her flame and with great precision, burned the thread clump to ash, her flames just licking at Kaith’s side.

Done! Superith called to Kaith. I’m out.  the green said to her rider as she exhausted the last of her flame. Carona was already working at her getting the bag of firestone ready. Hopefully another stray clump like that didn't get through while Superith refreshed her fire.

[Kitti]

Kitti stared up at the sky, and watched the battle being fought in the sky. She felt self-conscious sitting as Unit Second to T'nik. She still wasn't sure she had what it took to be a leader. Trying to imagine herself as a Weyrwoman was hard enough. Being made Unit Second of the Second Unit wasn’t helping. She glanced behind her to J’zeni, who was looking so confident and focused. She wasn’t like him. He’d lived in the Weyr his whole life. Fighting thread, even being Candidate Master; it was like it was second nature to him. Not for her. She had been a performer, staying undercover during threadfall, and staying behind afterwards. Her brothers were usually the ones on ground crew. Even though this wasn’t her first threadfall, it was far from it. But she couldn’t shake these doubts. She felt them every time the skies turned grey. She turned back again, so J’zeni wouldn’t see her looking at him, or the doubt on her face.

Tezorath stood tall next to the mere blue who was to lead them. Like her twin, she didn’t like the idea of following a chromatic, and a blue at that! It could have at least been a brown! She had made her feelings known about the situation, lending her forceful tone, but also like her twin, she relented. Now, she stared skyward, her eyes whirling a fast red, her leg muscles taunt, as if ready to launch into the air to meet their foe. Only Kitti’s tight grip on her harness and firm hold on her mind kept the gold reigned in. She exuded a confidence Kitti didn’t immediately feel, but was eventually persuaded into feeling. Tezorath roared in response to Tuirith, joining her thunderous voice with Alvoradath’s. Kern, Kitti’s bronze fire lizard, sat up on her shoulder, his eyes whirling fast in anticipation of the hunt to come. He always joined Kitti in threadfall, quick to find any strands or small clumps that got back the wings, and even slurping down a treat every now and then.

Kitti looked back up at the sky, and focused herself, like she would before a performance. She stood up straighter, and started to look the part of leader and someone worthy of the queen she was bonded with. One day she would do more than look the part. She hoped.

[J'zeni]

This was why Alvoradath hatched. His entire reason for being here, and all he wanted was to destroy those things above them. His singular purpose. This was a glorious moment. His twin joining with a roar of her own thrilled him, filling him with even more confidence. Let's go!

No, Vor, not yet. Stay steady. We can't go yet, but soon, Tuirith will tell the Wingleader to release us. Or someone up there will need firestone, and they'll send one of us. J'zeni took a few steadying breathes as he focused his will and forced Alvoradath to settle onto all fours. There we go. Thank you. Still looking at the sky, J'zeni patted his dragon's shoulder and felt all the tension in their muscles. He wanted to be up there as much as Vor, but it wasn't time yet.

A growl built in the young dragon's chest, and still desperate to be up there, Alvoradath tensed himself, ready to try again. This time, before he jumped, something distracted the bronze. Stray tendrils of emotions from the unbreakable bond he shared with his other-mine. Even in the throes of his adrenaline hazed mind, Alvoradath sensed his other-mine's stray emotions of nervousness.

He didn't know his other-mine's thoughts, but he felt her uneasiness. Felt it as keenly as J'zeni's confidence and force of will that kept him on the ground. Alvoradath didn't like the tendrils. They were so unlike his boisterous other-mine. They made him uneasy. Using the telepathic and empathic bond they shared, Vor reached out to Kitti to sent his thoughts of his love for her and shared his confidence. 

[Kitti]

Kitti felt the wave of love coming from Alvoradath wash over her. Its warmth mixed with Tezorath’s reassurances and helped to push back the doubts that troubled her. For a moment she felt guilty that she had distracted Vor, and in return, sent him feelings of gratitude and renewed confidence, bolstered by Tezorath. The gold snorted and clawed at the ground, picking up Vor’s enthusiasm. Kitti held firm on her dragon, keeping her in place and formation. They would be in the fight soon enough, and she knew they would be fine, with J’zeni, Vor, and all the others in the Weyr. She made one last quick check of her flamethrower. They were ready.

[Thread!]

Through the quick thinking of the green riders, the errant Thread clump did not make it to the waiting groundcrew. Nothing made it past the tiring dragonriders. Those on the ground watched in tense anticipation as K'ivan and his dragonriders battled in the sky. The current took the Thread southwest and out of the visual range of those on the ground. Behind these courageous fliers, a cloud of ash drifted and left a thick haze in the wake of the fight whereupon it fell upon the land or drifted out to sea. For now, the Weyr remained safe from Thread once more...

[K'ivan]

Baizynth stretched his neck and canted his head to catch a handful of strands in his fire's blast. He turned his head toward K'ivan who already had his hand out with a small bag containing firestone. A quick toss closed the distance and Baizynth faced forward again to chew the stone that renewed his incendiary attack. 

The Weyrleader watched the other dragonriders give their dragons firestone. He did a mental count of their remaining bags.

The dragon watched the skies around them, his eyes full of crimson and orange. Rage kept in check through Turns of practice. Some of us will need more firestone soon. Some will not have enough to finish the fight. 

K'ivan nodded. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and wiped off his goggles. Before the 'Fall, K'ivan considered using greenriders to relay firestone due to the age of the Weyrling class. But he worried the greens wouldn't be able to take off again if they landed on the ground.

Bai, relay a message to the others. "If you're low on firestone now is the time to ask. We'll be over the mountains soon and it will be too far for the Weyrlings to fly." He paused as he put away the cloth. A shift in the breeze drew his attention to the Thread, and he saw it continue on its course over the mountains and toward the skies above the Hold. He bade Baizynth move forward faster to keep pace with it. We'll need Tuirith to send us Weyrlings with firestone.

Baizynth wheeled to follow the path K'ivan chose. He sent the message dragon-style to the Wingleaders and the Wingseconds (well, he sent the message to their dragons). As the dragonpair flew over the Weyr, Baizynth reached out to his mate. Tuirith some will need more firestone. Who can deliver it?

[Klissi]

Tuirith passed the call for Firestone along. Klissi knew what to do, making decisions during battle was a trait of a good leader. The weyrwoman turned her attention to the Weyrlings. "Flight leader! The flight above calls for stone." Her commanding voice rang out over the weyr bowl. It was up to T'nik to respond. Would he select the ones or would he dictate that part to the wing leaders? Would he speak or would he use his dragon to talk to the others like when they fly?

T'nik jumped slightly at her words. Jaxtorth lurched forward ready to take off. "Ah. Um." All his confidence at the start of the day seems to turn to thread ash on the wind. Any thoughts that he had vanished in an instant. It didn't help that he was one of the recent transfers to the weyr from Crashing Seas. He wasn't used to leading so many dragon riders before that. T'nik gaze wandered over to Kitti, his mouth moved to form words however no sound came out.

[Kitti]

Kitti looked at T'nik expectantly, her expression changing to a look of 'are you kidding me?' as he seemed to falter. She turned her head, looking first toward J’zeni and his riders, then to S’varr and his, her mind already working on the problem.


Alvoradath! Runihurath! Tezorath called at her rider’s bidding. The wings above need their Firestone replenished! Tell Yours to pick the three fastest and stronger riders under them. Alvoradath, you'll take care of Storm Brink. Runihurath, you've got Storm Front. The Wingleaders will coordinate with you who needs what. The young queen then addressed the senior. Tuirith, please have the wingleader from Storm Brink pass their request to Alvoradath and Storm Front to Runihurath.

[J'zeni]

The order filtered down to the Wingleader, and J'zeni furrowed his brows as he frowned. Shouldn't T'nik tell us that? Maybe he told Kitti to do it so she can practice leadership. It is better this way. Blues should not lead a queen. Alvoradath's comment surprised J'zeni, but such was the ingrained nature of the dragons that even seeing chromatic leadership with his own faceted eyes, and knowing Great Cliffs had a history of it, Vor favored "the old ways". Perhaps it was Baizynth, Tuirith, and the other Old Timers' influence.

Well... let's leave that discussion for another time. J'zeni considered his Wing. Though his natural inclination was to send the other bronze, he didn't know much about Ta'ist and didn't know Aloigenoth's strengths. How the other bronze reacted in training if he'd had any at all. That left the chromatics. No matter who J'zeni chose, this was among their first Threadfalls, and that inexperience made J'zeni nervous. He kept his emotions tightly reigned, as tight as possible, but with Alvoradath already nervous, the bronze snorted and pawed the ground again. J'zeni felt his restlessness again, racing through him as though it were his own, and he felt his heart pound faster.

Focus. Focus. This is IT. This is the cumulation of our battle preparations. J'zeni decided to assign Phaedrath because out of all the Weyrlings under him, he knew the green could keep a calm head. Presumably, bronze Aloigenoth could too, but again, J'zeni didn't know him or his rider well.

Alvoradath reached out Tuirith. Phaedrath will deliver the bags for those who need them. He told Tezorath too even though she probably knew since they shared a mind.

[Narrator]

Time Passed.... 
Time Left: ~1 hour...

---

FINAL ENCOUNTER

Relentless were these warriors, they fought in the skies above the Weyr as the groundcrew looked on, anxious and concerned for what was to come. A strand here and there trickled down between the dragonriders, but always one dragonrider or another swooped in from above or perhaps broke from their assigned position or craned their neck far enough to destroy the silvery menace. Nothing reached the Weyr. Only the crackdust. Throughout it all, the chosen green and brown Weyrlings flew new firestone sacks to those 'riders in need.

Two hours later...

In the end, the dragonriders conquered the last of the Thread over Great Cliffs. Then, they flew on, attacking with relentless flames, and ventured away from the airspace above their home. They left the skies clear, and the ordered aerial fighters continued their pursuit of their mortal enemy further south-east.

So far, through careful planning and skill, no one sustained any major injury. But, now the weary dragonriders faced the most dangerous stage, a final confrontation above the landscape southeast of the Weyr, including Kajano Hold, and multiple cot-holds. Gold Dawn Hold wast not in danger this day, lest a fierce wind set the Threadfall astray. Well passed the halfway mark of this 'Fall, it also meant the energy of the chromatics flagged, and that enemy Fatigue began to creep on its crippling path. Few blues or greens could fly for more than a handful of minutes without rest.

One hour to go...

Over Kajano Hold, a chilly wind blasted the combatants and the Thread alike. The force of the wind shook the knotted Thread clumps apart into smaller patches with some clumps collapsing completely into their individual strands. So the final battle began, with the sheaves of silver "rain" more spread out.

For the inexperienced, the spread-out Thread might seem easier to contend with due to them being smaller now with only a strand or two here and there instead of the huge, menacing clumps with which they'd previously dealt. Yet, this spareness belied the seriousness of the situation. The further apart the Thread, the more difficult it was to see each strand, and the more the individual dragonriders had to work to chase and catch it, and therefore to ensure to incinerate every strand.

[Lord Herron]

Superith was exhausted, and Carona was feeling it. Every wing flap burned in her back. The green dragon coasted on air currents as much as possible since whatever energy they may have been trying to conserve was long since spent. It was sheer will that kept Carona going and determination to eradicate the silvery strands that kept Superith airborne. The pair thought of nothing else as they scanned for the strands of thread that now fell. A moment’s slip of concentration could be disastrous to them or the ground crews below.

Carona wiped ash from her goggles again as she looked for any signs of the silvery menace; a glint from a strand, a sudden movement in the air, anything that would give their enemy away. Spotting some strands that had escaped the wing above to her right, Carona sent Superith a mental image of where they were. The green craned her neck just in time to spit a flame that turned the threads to ash. Carona’s attention was so focused on her right that she didn’t notice the strands that came from above and to her left, until they made contact with Superith’s wing and Carona’s back. Dragon and rider screamed in unison as the thread burned through skin and hide. Exhaustion delayed both dragon and rider’s reaction, searing both before Superith jumped between. When they reappeared, Superith tried to spread her injured wing to steady herself, but the thread had burned down the sail, like a rip in fabric, and started to tear more. She roared again, and Carona gave her coordinates for the Weyr floor. There was no way they could continue the flight.

I’m sorry! Superith said to Soreynth and Baizynth, pain lacing her mind’s voice, before they vanished between again, reappearing over the Weyr floor, near the dragon healers. Superith tried to hover for a landing, but her injured wing gave out again and she fell to the ground, hitting it hard.

[Lord Herron]

R’dan and Voraidith were holding up, fatigue not really an issue with the large bronze and rider. With fresh firestone, Voraidith’s fire was hot, and the pair was flaming the strands of threads that rained down. R’dan tried to seem nonchalant about his concern for his sister, but in reality, he was worried about her making it through the full fall. Both he and Voraidith would sneak looks down to the green pair. As long as they were in the air, he wasn’t going to make a fuss.

R’dan felt it first; the moment of panic as the strands burned both his sibling and her dragon dragon. Then Superith roared, the sound cut off by the pair vanishing between. R’dan turned to look where Superith had been and saw only empty sky. Barely a moment later, the pair returned, but he could see something was amiss, and then the pair winked out again. R’dan was shaken out of his shock at Carona and Superith being injured by Voraidith banking suddenly to the left, to avoid some more falling strands.

The healers will take care of them, Voraidith told his rider, trying to get him focused back on the task at hand. He swung his head to flame the thread he had just avoided, catching only the tail ends as it drifted out of reach.

They’d better, R’dan replied darkly. His focus returned to the thread, but in the back of this mind, he was already thinking of what he would do if--no when he found out who had missed the thread that hit Carona.

[K'ivan]

After a short reprieve, the next wave shrieked into existence and rained down upon the dragonriders. No sooner had the silvery menace appeared then some dragon in the lower flight screamed. It took only heartbeats to realize it was green Surperith's mind that felt more distant than everyone else's. Even if he hadn't figured it out on his own, the Weyrleader's dragon received dual reports about her disappearance from Sorenyth and Rasuith, topped off with Surperith's sudden apology. Baizynth had enough time to ask: Are you - then Surperith disappeared again. The scarred bronze rumbled his concern, but upon, sensing the green again, his mood settled. He could not tell directly where they'd gone, but an educated guess suggested back to the Weyr.

K'ivan thought the same thing. Send Mira and Rasuith. K'ivan knew the young greenpair must be flagging too, and felt they'd serve the Weyr better taking care of Carona and Surperith instead of fighting fatigue and Thread.

Surperith, be strong. Najjath and his are there. Rasuith and hers will be there soon. Baizynth sent to Surperith and filled his thoughts with a strong calming urge to sooth the younger dragon. Neither dragon nor rider could tell from this distance if the Thread struck Carona, but Baizynth sensed Surperith's lingering pain. Even experienced dragonriders could have the shakes after such an encounter. They'd managed to get to the Weyr on their own, and Betweened twice. The injury cauterized in the cold of the nothingness, so neither should die from blood loss. It was all the time they could spare for Thread came upon them again. The Weyrleader turned his attention once more to the fight and the dragons who remained aloft, still under his care.


Though there were healers still at the Weyr, none of the learned dragon healers were there, for even the senior apprentices had gone to battle. Only Kai and her blue Najjath remained at Great Cliffs to keep tabs on the injured, and as an AP1, the small Weyrling knew only little about the art itself. The best she could do was to apply liberal amounts of numbweed to both rider and dragon, and ask Najjath to focus on keeping Surperith calm until the others returned. It didn't take long for Mira and green Rasuith to return to the Weyr. Between the Rasuith, Najjath, and Carona, the wingsail injury should not, in theory, send Surperith into the Between trip of no return. At the worst, the girls had the option to call in Tuirith.