Libertas Weyr

[Deryn]

It was a dull throbbing ache that permeated every single muscle on his body, sending prickles of pain into his brain, telling him to slow down, to stop, even as he felt slap of the cold air on his hide and the burning fire in his stomach that told him that stopping would be the single worst idea ever. He still had energy, still had strength enough to fight and jump and chase. Tongue lolling in the freezing air, ice crystals shattering off his hide with every moment, sparking in the air before vanishing from view. Alexsesk had no time to watch them, although normally he would be rather interested in their beauty. Right now, they were nothing compared to the wavering form that Nayask presented.

Even in her weakened state, Nayask still managed to elude their grasp, twisting and turning, always before them, always one single step ahead. She might be smaller than Alexsesk, she might have to take two steps for each of his, but she was lithe, so quick, that she danced across the ground, her paws moving her so gracefully that she didn't appear to touch the ground as she wound her way away from them. They tried to follow. He tried to follow, and he managed it, to a degree, his own paws slipping and collapsing under him as he pushed himself again and again to keep going.

Then the rocks under him collapsed and he fell, his shoulder scraping against the rough rock face, and he landed heavily on his side, his tail caught underneath him. The scream of pain from the spinel wher was not for his tail, however, but for his wing, which had been crushed by his body as he fell. The scream continued on and on as Alexsesk thrashed, pulling himself to his feet, eyes a horrible mixture of yellow and purple as he staggered forward, clawing his way up the wall, now at the back of the pack that was chasing. The pain from his crushed wing ran along his side and he had been slowed considerably, but he was a wher, a creature of violence and pain, and he shut it away from his mind as he staggered after Nayask, still managing to just keep up with the others, despite the pain and the constantly shifting rocks.

He reached the top of the cliff just as the cry of defiance left Nayask's throat. His body quivering in pain from the now useless wing that hung limply against his hide, ichor dripping down his side from where the splintered bones had poked through. It would not be easily repaired, but, for now, the wing and his gashed tail, along with the numerous scratches and gashes, were all ignored. Staggering slightly, Alexsesk moved forward, a low thrumming his escaping between his teeth as he watched the green. Her challenge had been loud, his answer, soft.

Just as Alexsesk screamed out in pain, so did Alexsei, writhing where he knelt, one arm detaching from around Nayan's waist to grope at his back, where the pain blossomed. After a moment, it subsided, and Alexsei could relax against Nayan, his free hand sliding under the green handler's shirt to rub his back, fingers splayed against that beautiful skin as he regained his composure. It wasn't just his back that hurt, but all over his body, and he knew instinctively what had happened. Panting heavily against Nayan's stomach, Alexsei kept his eyes closed as he listened to his head beat a painful tattoo against his ribcage as he felt his own rising emotions in response to Nayan's body.

Alexsei fought against it for a moment, keeping his eyes closed and his body as still as he possibly could, baring the twitching and the muscle spasms which were what was left of the phantom bond-pain. Turning his head slightly, Alexsei nuzzled into Nayan's shirt, gently kissing his love's stomach through the fabric of his shirt. For a moment he was content with not moving, just staying there and shielding all of Nayan from the others in the room and shielding them from Nayan. He both wanted the run to end and he didn't. The pain told him that Alexsesk was in bad shape, and that his chances for winning had just dropped significantly. If he... if Alexsesk didn't win Nayask, he was going to have to deal with one very angry handler, no matter what Nayan said. But, at the same time, if the run ended, then he would get everything he wanted.

But, Nayan was making it very hard to concentrate. Heat was searing his body, along with the chill of the night and the throbbing of the bond-pain. Heat, pleasure, desire, relief... He wanted it all. Tilting his head upwards, he opened his eyes to stare at Nayan, his tongue flicking out to run along his lips. It wasn't long before Nayan's grip slackened and Alexsei was thrown back, ears ringing with Nayan's cry of dismissal for the others.

Lips, so sweet, were pressed softly against his for just a moment, before Nayan became more feral, and the pain started, but Alexsei couldn't complain. For a moment, he just lay there, before he let his tongue slip between Nayan's lips and he leaned forward and upward, ravishing Nayan's mouth with his tongue. He honestly didn't care if the others stayed and watched or left. The only one who mattered was Nayan, and Faranth....

Alexsei had been a bastard, and he knew that, but Nayan tasted so sweet. So delicious against him... He had tasted others, but Nayan was different. It wasn't a kiss of a lover that he was experiencing, it was the kiss of someone he loved. That was new and wonderful. Sliding one free hand along Nayan's side and down to the top of his pants, Alexsei trailed his fingers across bare skin, his other hand finding Nayan's and clutching it tight, intertwining their fingers so that Alexsei could make sure Nayan didn't leave. Didn't run. Didn't go anywhere ever again.

[kusuri]

The bulky Blue could feel his stride slowing and he very nearly flailed to keep his pace. The wind wasn't helping with this, as he lowered his head and thrust out his broad chest against the chill. Talosk growled, sinking his talons into the rocky ground to hopefully keep his footing. The large wher stumbled several times and he chanced a glance around, seeing that his Spinal rival was having just as hard a time with the surface. A scream echoed in the night and he bared his fangs in a crass imitation of a human's smile and trudged on, hide trembling incessantly.

It seemed like he was in the lead, seeing as how the Spinal had fallen and the Brown had started late. He would have to watch out for both of them a his tiring bulk faltered...His bulbous eyes, which had been locked on Nayask, widened with horror as his swift emerald slipped, hanging onto a ledge with just her claws. As he drew nearer to the green comet, the scarred wher grunted in relief. She had pulled herself over and she was safe. With that knowledge to comfort him, he leaped as far up as he could, scrambling over the obstacle. He winced as soon as he set paw back down on even ground. Glancing at his pained paw, he saw why. His thick talon had torn off on the rock, the quick broken. Hissing, Talosk galloped gamely on, his paw adding to the green trail of ichor left by his chest wounds.

Was his beauty slowing!? No, it seemed she was injured! But the scream she let loose warned her fevered suitors the trial was far from over. He slowed as he approached, throwing back his head and bugling breathlessly, to Nayask, to the moon, to the crisp sea breeze. The Blue flexed his muscles, neck arched and practically prancing before the Green. His swirling violet eyes, his gasps for breath and his skittering, ichor stained claws seemed to say,
I'll dance for you Nayask, sing until all the stars fall from sky.

Argh! This old guy was going leave questionable bruises on his shoulder!!! Geeze, what was he gonna tell the boys? It was bad enough he was at a Run where the Handler was male, now he would have rumors following him for weeks as to what male bagged the homely BlueHandler. Talox growled softly as the man started talking to himself. Great, the lunatic was having a breakdown and seemed legitimately insane. Then the guy apologized. I was about time he-
Ufh!
Talox suddenly found himself face first on the hard,cold stone floor and lay there,dazed. What!? Did that old man just shove him!? He felt his chest bubble with rage and he wanted sink his teeth in the guys neck and-
The fifteen Turn old could feel his cheeks heat and he knew they were bright red. He could tell that he was moments away from losing himself to the Lust, as his pants had grown uncomfortably tight. Ugh!!!

The teen was distracted when one of the pair screamed, actually screamed in pain. Was it bad that the guy had sounded kind of hot right then? He held his hands in front of his pants and backed painfully towards the door, eye flickering self consciously around the room. Then, Nayan whipped around and ordered his suitors out. The GreenHandler didn't need to tell Talox twice! The clumsy boy stumbled out of the room, wincing and clutching his pants. He hoped he didn't see Saliya on his way back, he didn't know what he would do if she found him this way....

This post has been edited by kusuri on Sep 16 2009, 03:00 PM

[Ricci]

Gheorn booked it.

He had shoved the BlueHandler away, the GreenHandler had declared his partner and had not been declined, and Gheorsk was still Chasing, and Gheorn was running away.

He did not remember when he left, or what route he took, he couldn't remember the look on people's faces as this bear of a man barreleed past her, and she stared dumbstruck after him. d down the halls, his ugly mug screwed up horridly, his pants very clearly too tight. He looked like some sort of rapist. Indeed, he rounded a corner at one point, a girl screamed and stumbled and pulled her skirts down in abject terror... and then he blast

It was a little ridiculous, really. This, Gheorn decided, was why an "old" (if you count your fiftieth decade to be old) man ought never to Bond to a wher infant. They all matured, and they all Ran or Chased or did something to drive an old man crazy. He disappeared into his room and clung to his door as if it were his wife long gone. He was supposed to be calm, he was supposed to be strong...

He was supposed to be great...

He was thinking like Gheorsk.

Gheorsk felt incensed, enraged. Gheorsk's was giving up on his half of the chase? The Brown bellowed a brutal response to Nayask, and Gheorn quietly urged him forward. Let him enjoy the pleasures that Gheorn had lost to the mines. Let him. It was the first time that Gheorsk ever felt so fully... supported by His, and he would not take it lightly.

The Run had been long, and the Run had been hard, but Gheorsk put on an additional spurt of speed and came leaping over the ledge that Nayask had slipped on. He was agile, he was young, Gheorsk did not stumble. He beat his wings in the air, and though his wings did not allow him flight, and indeed were essentially useless, they did offer some brief lift as he initially jumped, and he scrambled out, claws scratching on the stone.

Gheorsk slowed as he neared Nayask, the others near him, in front of him and behind him and beside him, perhaps. He was uninjured, unlike the other competitors, and perhaps it seemed unfair, but to Gheorsk, it just proved to him that he was supposed to be calm, to be strong, to be great.

Gheorsk was the best.

The cinnamon hued brown lowered his head slightly, snorting in a bull-like fashion.

The others were clearly inferior to be dripping ichor. Of course, Nayask was not so inferior. Nayask, tonight, was Queen. Her injuries were more like battle wounds, though the Green did not bleed. She had only proven her worth, her willingness to be strong with each movement she made in spite of the pulled muscle. Gheorsk did not know what was wrong, but all of them knew that Nayask was no longer in perfect condition.

She was, however, perfect.

The brown stared at her, ready for her next move.

[Kaedryn]

Nayask stored the whimper that would have slipped from her throat as she tried to rest her weight on her injured foreleg, instead turning the pain into anger, but as soon as that, she heard the scream of pain and the rumble of rocks, felt it oh so vaguely, though this made her pain and anger quiet only a bit, leaving her silent and staring instead of snarling and slavering. The blue, handsome Talox, was first over the ridge and her sharp eyes caught ichor staining the purity of his hide, smelt it in the air as her nostrils flared to catch the acrid scent. She raised impressed eyeridges as he danced for her and his bugle, crouching down further and flaring her wings high over her back before arching her neck and crooning, just as another appeared. Gheorsk was next, landing easily as if he had glided, and that was even more impressive, especially as he seemed uninjured, and this time she actually took a step forward to croon for the brown, tugging her injured foreleg and holding it close to her body so it would not hamper her overly much. Alexsesk was last, and she stared at his injury, noting how his side had been nearly shredded when the rocks had tumbled, yet he still thrummed for her. She did not know whether to class that as stupid or smart, and her tail swished violently from side to side.

The pain the man kneeling before him was quite visible, his scream audible, and it made Nayan hiss, wanting to protect him, and flashing for an infinitesimal second back to his green bonded, who showed him what had happened, which made his eyes widen and his breath his in. That was going to be a mark that would never leave, and if Alexsesk was ever to regain the full use of his wing and side, it would take all the healer's he could get. His mind, still touched with Nayask's, recoiled from the cold way she watched him, judging his wounds and how he had dragged himself over the edge, not knowing whether to be impressed with his strength of will or disgusted by the fact that he had hurt himself, and took the opportunity to look through her eyes at the other chasers, one missing a claw and bleeding, the brown appearing healthy, if tired. He faded back into his own body, coming to to find Alexsei leaning against him, hand gently stroking his back under his shirt and face resting against his flat, scarred belly.

He couldn't help himself when he threw his lover back, nor when he kissed him, it was a visceral need more than anything else. Nayan relaxed into the body beneath him when he felt and heard the other's leave, mouthing a kiss along Alexsei's neck rather happily, nuzzling under his ear and breathing in the scent of his skin.

The green felt it through her bond when Nayan made her choice, and felt it too when the blue and the brown lost part of their strength when their handlers fled, though the brown surged with power all the same, snarling deeply at that, but knowing what it meant. For a second she hated her bonded with all her self for driving off her suitors, something he shouldn't have been able to do, but then the next second that hate faded, replaced by resignation as she hopped forward, passing the blue, passing the brown, her head nuzzling both as she walked by them, calm for once to them when it would have been well within her right to drive them off with claw and fang. They had been worthy suitors, but even she should have known she could not fight the strength of the bond she had with her rider, which would color all her dealings with males. And, she had to admit, he was not unworthy of her, after all, even on his own merits. Wounded, he had still stood through an injury that would have turned others off and come to her.

"Mine..." Nayan purred, even as Nayask curled underneath Alexsesk, running her body fully along his good side in one shuddering move, curling her tail and looking over her shoulder coyly at him before she nibbled one of his tail ridges, a curious light in her eyes.