Close of an Era (Tashe; PLOT)

[Requiem]

He'd taken the chair by the door, the furniture turned so he could both see anyone who entered and keep an eye on the others in the room - just in case their guest gave them any trouble. Surveying the small group of men, all spies who had been at Selenitas for over a turn, Y'ln drummed his fingers slowly against the arm of the chair. "You look uncomfortable, Weyrwoman," Y'ln commented quietly. Gesturing at one of the four stationed at the other end of the room with the point of his dagger, he added. "She looks unpleasantly warm, M'nek."

They'd taken her well before the wings arrived, just outside her weyr as she left, dragging her back into the unused, dusty bowels of Selenitas. Silth had told Millieth that there were dragons she knew in the Weyr, dragons who were not loyal to her, but to Benden. If she tried to raise an alarm, they'd know. If she attempted to Command any dragon, Selenitas or otherwise, they'd know. And Kaegan would be dead. She was supposed to die anyway, but Savitri had never given them the opportunity to take her without raising the alarm. Nevermind that. The Weyrleader would see the little mousey traitor dead in due time. For now Millieth could prove useful, if they needed her.

Which they hadn't. It was Selenitas, after all.

M'nek had stepped over to the redheaded woman. Her cheek was bruised from a backhanded blow to her face, a cloth shoved between her teeth and tied behind her head. They left her feet unbound, but her wrists were tethered tightly behind her back, the rope wound around her forearms all the way up to her elbows, pulled through a few times to make sure it was secure. Y'ln knew, from personal experience, that such bindings were very uncomfortable, forcing your shoulders back and stiff. And she'd been bound that way for hours. M'nek reached down, pulling the laces of her shirt apart violently and tearing the material down nearly to her navel, exposing her. Y'ln spared it a glance, then sniffed. Not impressive. But the point was just to emphasize her helplessness, anyway, not give him anything to look at.

Morsrath and Baith come, Y'ln's Silth told Millieth, from his position on the sands. No Selenitas dragons would be free to come and notice him. Then it will all be over. The words should have been soothing, but they were spoken with a cold glee.

[Tashe]

Her shoulders had fallen asleep over an hour ago, and by now, she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to move them successfully if they decided to unbind her for some reason. Rolling her wrists to the best of her ability, Kaegan continued to try and work sensation back into her arms. The task had so far proved to be a failure, but it was one of the few things she could actually do. Leaning back into her chair, the Goldrider glanced up from her lap as Y'ln began to talk. In normal circumstances, Kaegan would have been cowering with fear from the Benden attackers, but they had chosen to come at an in opportune time for her. Millieth's rage, controlled only by the threats, was seeping over their bond at a constant rate. The Gold Dragon was about to clutch, and she was a monster when it came to her children. Therefore, because of the seepage, she had spat out insults right and left when they first grabbed her. Kaegan had right off the bat received a blow to the face, the bindings too, were also a result.

Transfixing a glare onto M'nek as he came closer, the Goldrider tried to hit his hand away with her shoulder, ultimately failing to prevent anything as her shirt was ripped. Aiming a kick at the Rider's knee when he pulled back, tossing a few names at him through the gag, thought. Although she was imbued by the dark, hateful feelings her dragon was feeling toward the Benden dragons, the Senior Weyrwoman still felt fear. In fact after her little episode, Kaegan dropped her gaze back into her lap, teeth sinking into the gag as a that exact emotion sank its claws into her chest.

The one thing she knew for certain, was that she absolutely and with out a doubt, hated Benden with all her worth.

--

Her eyes had not once lost the intense red that they had adopted hours ago, she was horribly agitated. Not only had Benden invaded her home, taken over the area where her eggs were going to lay, but they had separated her from her Rider also. And the fact the eggs had become incredibly uncomfortable didn't help the situation or her mood at all. /...last time you tried to take over ended up with you lot running away with your tail between your legs./

[Requiem]

The pair was vastly incongruous...and notably alone. She went unadorned but he, he deigned to wear his knots at the heart of the enemy's Weyr. This hall was blocked off from the rest, guards stationed just out of sight at the end of the hall, so there was no danger of anyone coming upon them unannounced. She shuffled listlessly forward, so thin her bones could be seen through her loose, dirtied clothing. Her pale hair was a mass of oily tangles, her eyes darting at every moving shadow. She clung to him almost desperately.

He wasn't at all handsome. A crag of a man, broad and powerful, who stood just under six feet - only slightly taller than the cowering woman. It was the animal magnetism flashing in the dark eyes above the hawkish nose that compelled something like reverence...or perhaps just terror...in the other dragonriders he passed, though they were his. Perhaps especially because they were his.

The man, suddenly irritated by the slow pace of his companion, grabbed her by the arm and thrust her forward and away from him, kicking her as she passed. "Speed it up, woman," he growled. He didn't leave this wreck with his riders, perhaps out of mercy to the men...she was always cowering and whimpering. He was disappointed that the younger goldrider had not been taken, actually; he'd intended to take her as his and get rid of this simpering fool. That only left bringing Arga with him, and perhaps accounted for C'leon's exceedingly foul mood. A growl sounded in his throat as she glanced fearfully back at him, and the woman started, stumbling ahead in a pathetic imitation of a run.

Useless thing.

At least she knew enough to wait by the door instead of bursting in without him. C'leon entered first because of Baith rather than Arga, as he needed that gold...at least for the next candlemark or so. Seeing the dragonrider on the ground clutching at his knee caused the Weyrleader to hiss in exasperation. "You can't even control a bound, cowardly woman?" he snapped ominously. The bronzerider stalked across the room, Arga slipping in behind and pressing herself against a wall...edging as close to C'leon as possible without risking a beating by getting in his way.

He grabbed M'rek by the hair, yanked him to his feet, and stabbed the man in the throat without so much as blinking an eye. Tossing the writhing body at one of the other men in the room, he sniffed. "Clear out the garbage." His eyes were full on Kaegan, drifting down to her exposed chest with a smirk. He raised a brow. "You should have stayed, mouse. I might even have taken to you." Stepping closer, he ran the bloodied dagger down between the curves of her breasts, leaning forward to pin her legs to the chair with one arm. A crimson trail marked the passage of the blade. M'rek's blood.

"Is Baith ready?" When Arga didn't answer immediately, C'leon whirled on her, backhanding her hard enough across the face that she was thrown a short distance before crumpling to the ground. "Answer me!"

**

The brown didn't so much as twitch a muscle. He watched Millieth in open amusement. Don't worry. All the kinks have been worked out this time. Haven't you heard all the death cries? Even if you were to survive, there'd be no one left for you to lead, he stated cheerfully.

[Tashe]

Footsteps announced the arrival of two more Riders, but she paid their progress no mind. Only when a male's voice, /his/ voice, rang out did the arrival elicit a response from Kaegan. As C'leon stepped into the room, a shiver ran down her body, as if the Benden Weyrleader had entered in a blast of icy wind. Glancing up as he spoke again, the Goldrider winced violently as some of the blood from the Rider's throat hit the side of her face. Eyes widening, Kaegan felt nauseated by the feel of the blood, equally distraught about the way it smelled. She had not forgotten how merciless C'leon was, his actions speaking far louder than his words... but even his words seemed to be imbued with a power that struck at your nerves.

Squeaking as the Leader directed his attention onto her, unbridled hatred mixed with fear as he drew closer to her. Even with the effects of her bond, C'leon was the one person that could involuntarily draw out completely the submissive side of her. Trying her best to push away from the man, Kaegan made a small noise as he called her by her pet name. Fear made time slow, and it felt as if the blade crawled down her skin at an excruciating pace. Dropping her head as he pulled away, she inhaled with a small shudder, muttering something horribly nasty under her breath in response to the Bronzerider's words. The gag making the comment indistinguishable. Again, the feel of blood on her skin made her feel sick. His violence was both frightening and disgusting at the same time.

Although she had never been close to Arga, Kaegan harbored a temporary pity toward the woman, she had been around the murderer far longer than she had.

--

/You underestimated Selenitas before, and you will do so again./ She wanted to sink her talons into the annoyingly happy Brown, if only she could, but she didn't want to risk to her Kaegan. She was sure she could rip the guts painfully out of Silth, and she was completely sure she'd relish hearing his last howling cries. The thought made Millieth flex her claws in anticipation. Selenitas would triumph over Benden, they had done it twice, and they would do it again. And as soon as someone came to rescue Her's, that Brown would fall and she would bloody her claws, it was tantalizing imagery. And the death cries? They were probably more Benden than Selenitas. They would win, and maybe, be rid of the fools forever.

She had been at Selenitas long enough to put her trust in the Dragons she now Commanded. Nothing the Brown said would shake her. He'd get his in due time, if not by her, then by someone else.

[Requiem]

"I-I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Arga shrunk away from him, eyes wide with terror. C'leon thought about pursuing her, but then turned away with a sniff of disgust. She says to just tell her what you want, when you're ready, Morsrath rumbled in his mind, annoyance behind his mindvoice. He hated playing messenger, but that was one thing Baith fought him on; she would not speak directly to His. C'leon touched on the bronze's mind in silent inquiry. All wingleaders report everything is under control. You can put it off for a little longer...they seem to be enjoying themselves. The bronzerider couldn't resist a smile. Of course they were. It was basically a slaughter, wasn't it?

C'leon stepped again toward Kaegan, stopping just outside of range of her feet before circling around her slowly. Stalking. "You know, Selenitas would still be at peace, sitting here in their trees, oblivious to everything and everyone else. If not for you, mouse." Pausing, he knelt beside the chair, cupping her chin in his hand. The other hand rested on her thigh, blade pricking slightly at her belly. A finger stroked the length of her jaw. "Benden goldriders belong to me. Millieth is Morsrath's spawn. I don't take very kindly...to my property running away." The man's knifehand slid up her front, slicing through the gag, which he drew from her teeth surprisingly gently.

C'leon moved to straddle her legs, gathering her hair in a firm hold, though he didn't pull it. The knife came to rest against her cheek, just below her left eye. Leaning forward, he kissed her, using her hair to pull her head back. "Not kindly at all," he murmured. With a sudden viciousness he was standing, Kaegan yanked up by the hair and slammed into a wall. He pressed against her from behind. "Selenitas whore. Maybe you should be used like one. But frankly, I don't think any of my men would bother to dirty themselves on you." His knife sawed through her bonds, but he still pressed against her, the hand in her hair. He caught up her right wrist, setting it against the wall beside her head, released her hair to hold it in place and then plunged the dagger into her wrist, deep, pinning the arm to the wall.

"Everything is your fault, Kae," he whispered, bringing his lips right by her ear. With an abrupt jerk, he broke the pinky of her pinned hand. "The dead weyrlings." Another finger broken. "All the attacks on that little bitch you used to call a senior weyrwoman." Middle finger. Arga could be heard whimpering in the background, but, aside from that, everything was quiet. "The last time we came here. Ah, mouse. You'll be begging for the flames by the time I'm done with you." Another sharp crack of breaking bone. He pressed even closer, breath hot on her ear. "And now all these deaths. Do you know how many? At this moment, all of Selenitas is in agony. They weren't prepared for an attack like this. Hundreds, Kae. And that's being generous." He lingered over her thumb, running his fingers down it, toying with it. "They're all dead because of you. Every. Last. One." And then he broke the thumb.

Turning her head, he kissed her again, biting down hard on her lower lip. "How does it feel, mouse?"

**

Will we now? The brown made a show of stretching out, claws gleaming in the light. Tell me. Is she screaming yet? I do hope so. Morsrath's isn't likely to stop until she screams very prettily for him. Mine says it's the monster's favorite music.

[Tashe]

She could feel him circling her. It was like a sick game of cat and mouse, her body tensed involuntarily, expecting an attack of some sort. It wasn't her fault... They... they would have come here eventually. It wasn't... Trying her best to lean away from C'leon as he knelt down by her chair, Kaegan's attempt was thwarted when he caught hold of her chin. Her temper flared, the shards she belonged to him! But she shivered again when he drew his finger down her face, the Bronzerider's touch reminding her of things she really didn't want to remember. She flinched when he cut the gag away. The Goldrider hadn't expected any release from her bonds, though, C'leon knew she wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Again, she tried to sink into the very fiber of the chair as the Benden Leader drew closer and grasped at her hair. Squirming violently as C'leon pressed his lips against her own, Kaegan gasped as she was pulled from her chair and slammed against the wall. Arms numb from being tied up for so long, the Weyrwoman couldn't resist his grasp, the knife sliding into her flesh. Eyes widening as she stared at the weapon for a mere moment as her brain didn't comprehend the fact it was in her body, Kaegan screamed a moment later, shuddering sobs breaking the scream into sections. Legs going weak, the Goldrider pressed against the wall. The pain in her wrist distracted her from the Bronzerider's words, but not from the added pain of her finger breaking.

Another finger broke, and then another. C'leon's words began to sink themselves into her mind, drawing out sobbing 'no's. She wanted him to stop, the pain was too much. Finally her thumb. Gasping for air, Kaegan clang to the wall, the fingers of her good hand pressing into a groove and somehow keeping herself from falling to the floor. If the pain hadn't abducted her mind and ran with it, the Goldrider would have been surprised that she hadn't blacked out. Her arm went numb, the pain receded as her nervous system shut down most of the pain receptors in her hand, it was receiving to many signals at once. She was going into shock...

--

As soon as Kaegan recognized the pain, Millieth did also, roaring in anger. That was it! Rolling to her feet, the Gold snarled and crouched down, lips pulling back from her teeth. The Brown was going to die, slowly and painfully if she could prolong his journey into the dark. She hissed, her wings flaring slightly before snapping in close to her back. Lifting her foot, Millieth stepped slowly forward, as a great predator would when stalking their prey. She wanted blood for what was being done to her Rider...

[Requiem]

The brown's tail flicked, but nothing more. That's a good idea. Really. I'm sure they won't do anything to Yours, yellowtail, if you decide to attack me. Clearly the queen had taken leave of her senses. He didn't feel threatened though, not yet anyway. Most dragons wouldn't do something as ridiculous as endanger their own riders. Self-preservation was such an interesting concept.

**

"Women," C'leon muttered, spitting to one side. He could read shock well enough. Grasping the injured hand in a crushing grip that managed to break several of the still intact bones in the hand, he yanked the dagger from the wall and threw her down, glaring at Y'ln. The brownrider rose gracefully from his chair and helped Kaegan to her feet, taking her by the uninjured arm and torquing the hold on her wrist to force her to follow or break the wrist. He followed C'leon and Arga, the latter clasped by the bicep in a purely possessive gesture.

They crossed out into the open air, C'leon certain that the stench of burning corpses and the keening of the dragons - along with the rain and the cool air - would bring the Weyrwoman back to her senses long enough to despair before he killed her. Baith and Morsrath loomed in the distance, but C'leon never made it that far. A dark form hurtled across the grass, slamming into his waist and driving a knife down toward his thigh. C'leon backhanded the man savagely as they fell, grappling for the knife and breaking the man's wrist with just the strength of his grip. Still his attacker fought, writhing, kicking out and attempting to get the Benden Weyrleader in a chokehold. C'leon drove his knee into the figure's solar plexus, taking advantage of the brief respite to bust a knuckle against the side of the man's face. His attacker fell back with a groan.

C'leon thrust him off, catching hold of his collar and dragging him over to the others who had waited in silence for the outcome. His eyes found theirs, narrowed. Wishing he'd been killed, were they? "Bring runners," he commanded shortly, kicking R'non solidly in the side, the snap of ribs punctuating it. Two ran to obey, leaving Y'ln and C'leon with Arga, Kaegan, and R'non. Arga crouched, trembling, a short distance from the group, wringing her hands in silence. C'leon kicked the other bronzerider again, landing a knee in the small of his back and using the rope Y'ln had slung over his shoulder to bind the traitor, the bindings looping over R'non's shoulders, drawn tight from elbow to palms of the hands so he couldn't get free, then binding the hands to the ankles. He jerked R'non to a kneeling position and moved to crouch in front of him.

"You've betrayed me one too many times." He caught R'non by the head, stabbing into the bronzerider's eye and twisting. Pausing at Rath's bellow, he smirked. "And that would be your dragon. I give him...three seconds." The death keen sounded swiftly after that, C'leon waiting for the screams to die. "Hm. Five. Well, he always was something of a fighter." The man took R'non's other eye just as his men returned with the runners. Ropes were tied at thighs and biceps, lashed to the saddles of the beasts. "Probably should leave you blind and dragonless, but..." C'leon shrugged, though R'non couldn't see. "I'm feeling a little more merciful tonight. Must be all the death...such lovely music, those screams."

He nodded, and the riders drove the runners forward. R'non's body was suspended for what seemed like a long time, but was really a fraction of a second, pulled apart by the beasts. C'leon wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve and glanced toward Morsrath. But...Baith was refusing to command the Selenitas dragons into the open space beneath the waterfalls. C'leon's brows descended dangerously.

This brutality shared furs with the Weyrwoman, the woman who had drifted close to Kaegan and Y'ln, apparently taking cover behind them. Suddenly, her arm whipped up around the front of the brownrider, clutching him close as she drove the blade hidden in her boot up through his spine, severing it instantly. Tears mingled with the rain running down her face, the woman fighting the bile clogging her throat as the execution of R'non replayed in her mind. He had been...nice...to her. C'leon was already whirling on her in nothing short of a murderous rage as the woman stepped forward and pressed something long and sharp into Kaegan's grip, glancing at the girl with a pleading look.

Arga tried to fight him off, but the dagger was prised from her fingers, C'leon pinning her down. He didn't notice what Arga had given Kaegan, or that his men were content to watch and hadn't stepped in to restrain the Selenitas Weyrwoman. His hand was around Arga's neck. Baith rolled to her feet, starting slightly at the little shriek from below. She'd...killed a human...and now had his goop all over her, but the gold didn't have the time to be disgusted about the Pepsi pancake painting her underbelly. The queen growled at Morsrath, eyes whirling red. Command them, Baith, the bronze stated, unphased. We can force Millieth to if we must...Mine won't hesitate to kill Yours.

Arga clawed at the hand steadily squeezing the air from her windpipe.

[Tashe]

Sliding down the wall as the blade was removed, Kaegan curled into a ball, resting her head on her knees with a sob. Moaning as Y'ln grabbed her arm, the Goldrider had to lean heavily on the Brownrider, she felt as weak as a newborn feline. Injured arm hanging uselessly at her side, Kaegan withdrew into herself, barely noticing the rain as they stepped out into the night.

Flinching as C'leon went down, she watched in silence as the two figures tussled. It wasn't until he dragged the attacker over that Kaegan recalled a face and a name, her brain working slowly because of the stress her body had been through. It was R'non. Although she didn't necessarily like the man, the Goldrider didn't think he deserved the loss of his eyes. As the runners arrived a small part of Kaegan was relieved to see that they hadn't taken her own Runner from the stalls, but that emotion came and passed with a flicker. Confused as to why C'leon had R'non bound to the Runners, Kaegan eye's widened a few moments later as she was splattered with blood once again. Trembling as she looked down at her good arm, the Weyrwoman stared at the blood. Had this really all happened because of her? If she hadn't come to Selenitas... everything would have been different. Dropping her hand to her side, Kaegan continued to tremble. She had brought this upon Selenitas. It /was/ all her fault. The people who had died would still be alive and happy. Shmee would still be alive and Benden would still be only involved with the North. It was all her fault... her fault.

Feeling something press into her hand, Kaegan instinctively closed her fingers over it. And then, something snapped. It was as if the act of C'leon breaking her fingers also slowly began to chip away at the confines of her mind. Rage, sorrow, hatred, fear, love, shame. Everything that had built up from the time she was searched broke free, completely claiming her. Her muscles moved suddenly, sending her forward and toward the pair on the ground. She didn't care anymore. She wanted retrabution... she wanted blood.

Slamming the weapon into the middle of the Benden Weyrleader's back, Kaegan twisted it as violently as was possible for her. Removing the dagger, the Goldrider stood above C'leon before stepping far back from the man and turning her head to glare at the others, a sadistic smile spread across her blood spattered face. She began to laugh. So they thought they could betray both her and Shmee? Men were so silly... so very silly. But they'd better be smart now and leave.

---

Millieth was half way to the Brown when he betweened with a kreel. She was under no watch, and no guard now. Leaping into the air and rising up, the Queen began to worry about her Rider, Kaegan's mind had been getting cloudier and cloudier. It wasn't long before she was high enough in the air to see the billows of smoke. Roaring in anger, Millieth reached out to the Benden Dragons, exerting a commanding pressure against their minds. A right reserved for Queens. /Benden Dragons! You are commanded to leave Selenitas. Leave now, and do not hesitate. GO./ Whirling around, Millieth set off in the direction of her Mine, she needed her now more than she had ever needed her. /Mine I'm coming.../

[Requiem]

Morsrath and His are dead, as promised, Baith told the Fort riders hidden just outside of Benden, which had been stripped of over half its fighting wings. You will kill only those I have indicated will follow Morsrath's into death. The rest are to be allowed to live. Any divergence from this order, and I will order you to fall on each other until no one is left. Is this understood? Apparently pleased by whatever answer she received, Baith moved quickly in the wake of Morsrath's jump Between, a long tail sliding to block off Kaegan from the other dragonriders...though who she sought to protect from who was difficult to determine. Millieth's seemed crazed.

As did Millieth herself. Dragons were converging upon the gold, unphased by the command. She was a young gold, she was, and not Benden. Not anymore. Besides which, it was Baith who had ordered the attack on Selenitas, with the command that no one was to cease fighting until she commanded otherwise. Millieth and Hers had served their purpose well. She'd known they would. But her daughter was a foolish one, it seemed. Do not attack Millieth, Baith commanded sharply. The fight here is done. Morsrath's is dead, and we are needed at home. Form wings and prepare to jump Between. Some of those dragonpairs would return to Benden only to be slaughtered, but Baith had seen too much death...too many of her children destroyed...to mourn individuals. The time had come for Benden to be rebirthed, and she would not allow any still loyal to the terrible regime of Morsrath's to prevent that rebirth from occurring.

Mine, Mine, come away from him. The beast is dead, she directed Hers gently. Arga shook her head like a weyrbrat, clutching at C'leon and running her hands through his hair as her breath came in harsh sobs. "B-but why?" She'd given Kaegan the dagger, but C'leon...he was...she was his and without him... He has hurt too many, love. Now he won't hurt anyone again, not you or anyone else. "W-what do we do now?" She still clung to his body stubbornly. Now we go home. You get clean. Rest. Would you like that, Mine? The gold's heart was breaking as Hers nodded slowly, sliding out from beneath her tormentor - her lover - and stumbling over to Baith.

Rebuild, child, Baith told Kaegan. We leave. And...thank you... Arga clung to Baith's neck as the gold took to the skies, the remnants of the Benden attackers forming up around her. In a matter of moments the sky was completely clear of Benden dragons, leaving only firelight, rain, and death in their wake.

[Tashe]

As the Queen's tail settled in front of her, cutting the other Riders from her sight, Kaegan's knees gave out. The dagger clattering as it hit the ground, the Weyrwoman sat heavily back onto her bottom, taking in a shuddering breath. She had stopped laughing, but shock had taken over again. Feeling her body go weak, Kaegan fell back onto the ground, not having the will to keep herself sitting up. /Mine I'm coming.../ No... No, she couldn't. Not yet. The Dragons hadn't gone away yet. Soon though... but it was too late to stop the Queen. She knew that Millieth was already on her way. Glancing up at the clouded midnight sky, Kaegan closed her eyes, feeling the rain for the very first time that night. "And so the Rat King was felled by the paws of a mouse."

Rebuild, child. We leave. And...thank you...

A small smile flickered across her lips before her body succumbed to the silence that announced the grasp of unconsciousness. Her body needed to rest, to heal, it couldn't keep going at the pace it had been. It was then that Millieth appeared, tired and bloody to curl around Kaegan, using a wing to block the rain.

--

Snarling as she ripped into the first Dragon who had appeared before her, Millieth pushed off of the male as more Dragons appeared in her peripherals. But then, for some reason, the attackers retreated. Baith must have called them back...

Flapping her wings, the Queen made her way to her Rider, landing close to her as she arrived. She was bleeding, but she was far more concerned with Kaegan. /Someone... please... help./ Curling tightly around her Mine, Millieth shielded her from the weather with her wing, and from any further harm with her body. The attack was finally over...