[HARVEST] Winter's Flame

[Arcane]

The time has come for the Harvest weyrlings to begin chewing firestone. The greenriders have an important choice to make- will they let their green chew or will they trust in the flamethrower, for the possibilities of someday laying a clutch? Both flamethrowers and firestone have been provided and no one will judge your choice either way.

[Windra]

F'yore was always taken aback by this foregoing of Weyr rules. The others would scoff at the prospect of having clutching greens all over the place. Only golds! And sometimes garnets. But greens? Considering Golre's hold over the hearts of those who survived her, it was a given reaction. Totally understandable. And there were more greens than golds! High Reaches could be sustained without proper metallic leadership!

"And what's proper anyways?" she blurted out loud. "Just because humans are making the rules about golds being the queens and becoming the Weyrwoman ... but those are human rules. Golds are bigger for sure. Lots more intimidating. Just look at Serapheth! But it all boils down to who has a better mindset. Survival skills! Leadership qualities!"

Absently she chucked a rock of firestone into Geminith's mouth, who munched loudly on it. She gave a reflexive belch and a spurt of fire burst from her fanged maw. It's cool! I wonder what it is exactly about firestone that makes 'em stop being able to lay eggs?

[nineofswords]

Ry'n of Green Yuelith

This was a difficult decision. Ry'n had tried to talk to Yuelith about it beforehand, but she hadn't seemed to really grasp what they were asking her about. When they asked if she would rather have eggs or flame, she'd asked what she was meant to do with eggs. When he tried to explain, she'd said that babies were great! Lovely! Where would they be getting some? And when he asked her about whether she wanted to spout flame, she said that sounded great! So cool! Like the dragons in the tapestries he'd shown her! When did that get to happen? And when he tried to explain that she couldn't have both, she just said she trusted him, he could pick! And they just went around like that for a few times before Ry'n gave up and realized it would have to be his decision.

Which meant research. Lots of research. The odds of firestone allergies, the odds of dragons dying from that allergy, the odds of getting hurt or dying from unrelated firestone issues. Researching the odds of flamethrower malfunctions, how generally successful flamethrowers were vs flaming dragons. And that hadn't really helped them make up their mind.

And now the day had come where he had to decide. And he still wasn't sure he'd made the right choice.

So which are we doing, Ry'n, huh? The weyrlingmasters said we had to pick one or the other, right? The weird shiny thing or the rocks. She sniffed both, then recoiled, sneezing. Oh gross! These both smell yucky! She turned to look at Ry'n. Do we have to pick one of them? I don't think I like the smell of either of them...

"Actually...you know what?" Ry'n said. "We don't have to pick. If we take the flamethrower now, we can always take the firestone later."

Mmm...still stink, but...okay! That sounds good, as long as you say it is!

She was so happy. So easily pleased. It was delightful and endearing. And terrifying in some ways. "Glad you approve," Ry'n said, finalizing his choice officially and taking a flamethrower. Better for him to be the only one at serious risk until they knew for sure what Yuelith wanted.

[emil]

Haspa of Green Chiradath

Haspa grunted as they hefted the heavy bag over to their side, grabbing a suitably-sized chunk of firestone before rolling it away -- to be snatched by the next pair of nervous hands. The anxious energy was palpable. Some riders, they noted, had tentatively chosen the flamethrower.

Haspa, proud of their archery skill, would not hesitate to defend Chiradath if she asked.

But... how could she ask if she didn't understand? They were trying their best to convey a rudimentary definition of 'flamethrower' to their thoroughly-puzzled dragon. It was going rather poorly.

The firestone, Haspa hoped, would trigger a more instinctual reaction. They offered her the pungent slab. She craned her neck and inhaled deeply, then licked it once. Twice. Testing it. She wrinkled her nose, decidedly unsure. T'was... shiny and pretty, she admitted privately. Only a little bit. Barely. Not enough. Well... . Haspa held in a giggle as she not-so subtly ogled the brightly-colored rock.

"If you chew this," the greenrider warned, "you won't be able to lay eggs. Ever."

Chiradath's eyes widened. Now her silly, yapping rider finally had her attention. As a dragon, she did not care to understand the ungainly human machines -- but she innately grasped the concept of 'eggs' in an abstract, animalistic way. No... eggs? What?

...never?

"Never ever." Haspa intoned solemnly.

I... .

She paused, throat quivering as she swallowed down the growing lump. The Green compulsively nosed into her rider's sweet-smelling palm -- prying it open, such was her insistence. Chiradath was not the broody sort. Haspa found it disturbing.

"We don't have to make a choice now." The weyrling continued, struggling to remain even-toned as she viciously pressioned their hand. "But soon. Because of -- Thread!!!" They yelped. She was pushing too hard, now, causing them to lose balance -- sending the chunk of firestone flying into the dirt.

"Chiradath, what is the matter!" They complained as they righted themselves, dusting off their sleeves with measured disgust. "The flamethrower can protect us both! It's fine."

That contraption could never, ever, measure up to me. I am a dragon. She groused.
Ahh, they realized, feeling somewhat exasperated. Her pride was hurt.
But also, she felt heavily conflicted. Part of her wished desperately for the opportunity to clutch -- to possess the same attention-commanding, status-demanding power as her metallic sisters, and yet-- Chiradath was painfully protective of Haspa. She was not the sort of dragon to leave her rider's safety up to a defense she felt was insufficient. Inferior. Wrong.

The beryl dragon strode silently over to the forgotten firestone chunk, enveloped it with her maw -- and bit down, swallowing fiercely. Haspa gawked as she recklessly tasted flame, sealing her fate. Tears ran freely down their cheeks, welling from the immense brightness and heat.

Chiradath would not hesitate to defend Haspa.