Dijo - Male, age
28
Partner/Offspring: Transience (Zekiran shifter as female), child Deliverance
As sharp as his air psionics are, Dijo loves to use a long straight sword for fighting and sparring. He is not often invited on hunts with the more rambunctious members of the tribe, because he tends to be picky about what he kills and how it gets dead. His sword is one of the best quality weapons the tribe has - and some feel that it is lost on him. But he weilds it quite well, and so far no one has managed to get it away from him.
Dijo's powers are strong and focused. He uses air currents of all kinds to his advantage. From causing a slight breeze on a muggy afternoon, to knocking down trees with a steady gale-force blow, Dijo's power does not weaken until he is unable to concentrate any longer. He can actually levitate himself and objects, but he doesn't like how silly he looks when he is up in the air. He can also use the air to bring him secrets: his hearing is aided by the smallest sonic vibration, and his powers are all about that.
"Oooh, there are so many juicy bits to this conversation," Dijo giggled as he dug his latrine. While the rest of the males were up in the cavern, or wandering about on their own, Dijo was casually listening in on Temih and Bol.
He didn't normally care to do so, but in the interest of having a good contest idea for the morning, Dijo twisted the air until it brought every little laugh or guilty admission.
Omaciyu would surely die of embarrassment if that 'big feet' thing came out. Perhaps he could time it right... No, that would be wicked.
Besides, he'd already found out. His voice too could be heard on the wind above the main cavern. Dijo swept back his kimono and cleaned up, and went back into the caverns to rest for the night. Perhaps a good night's sleep would be what he needed to inspire him.
***
When he awoke, there was a Lion in the cavern. Imagine that. A big, ratty-furred old male. Dijo almost mentioned that he'd stolen several kills from them in the past, but quite frankly the big old guy looked about on his last legs already.
Uncomfortable near the big lion, Dijo managed to slip out to the stream and wash up before anyone really noticed his absence from the chambers.
"I'd say have a speed running competition," Irole chuckled, "but you'd beat us all if only old Tivro there was behind you."
"Is that his name? I never caught it." Dijo said distractedly. His short tan hair was wet, but dried quickly in the morning sun - plus the breeze he created around himself effectively 'blow dried' him.
"You didn't ask."
"And you did?" Dijo said, "I'm rather surprised."
"He is old. When you are that old, I hope someone cares enough to send you to a nice place to die." Irole said, and bounded off to find his own sunny patch. He clearly didn't want to fight, he just wanted to assert himself in the tribe. But he didn't seem to even really want to participate in this strange thing the tribe was setting up.
Dijo didn't either. Everyone did know, didn't they? That he really didn't much care for a female's scent. That he would in fact rather be wound up around another male? Naturally, only as kits had the group really entertained such things. But as they grew older, he hadn't grown out of it.
And Temih? She was pretty and all - in a dangerous kind of way. Between she and Dijo they could actually cause some structural damage to objects like large old trees, or boulders - or ships.
And sure, he'd considered what would be best for the tribe. Dijo held no small opinion of himself after all. But Temih wasn't ... his type at all. Dijo watched Irole's tangerine-colored hair as he bounded around trying to catch mice. Silly kitten.
Then something odd came to Dijo's ears. He perked up, trying to listen over Irole's excited thrashing about in the underbrush. Abruptly, Dijo bolted to the younger Kin's side, and pressed his thick fingers to his muzzle. "Hush - do you hear it?"
Surprised, but not angry, Irole sat on his haunches and tilted his ears. Blinking, he shook his head.
"No, I can't hear anything, and you scared off the voles."
"They'll be back. But this... I wonder if this was the thing that ... Tivro was talking about to Oma?" Dijo stood, tall over the grass, and looked into the distance. Something was moving above the hills to the south, on the horizon where the Inner Ocean haze rested.
***
"It sounds like flapping," Dijo said, panting. He and Irole had sprinted back from the field, and skidded into Omaciyu while he was busy worrying at nothing.
Omaciyu nodded, and stood. "Coming from the south, yes?"
"Yes - why didn't you tell us about this thing?" Dijo asked.
"Because I did not get a good look at it. Tivro did, but it was still night time. Perhaps it will be coming back this way. We must be prepared."
At that, Omaciyu gave off an alarm chirp - a short quip of a sound, more like the sound of a distressed bird. But to the tribe, it meant - gathernowquickly!danger!
Dijo was asked to stand guard - his ears would let him listen in and his power would let him alert the group should this strange creature turn into a threat.
(( had moved from one character to another but I'm removing that link, page 2 was separate now included here ))
Dijo looked around him and marveled at the world. The locale, Darkling Dawn, was equally impressive on the inside as it had been from above. Because he was 'friends' with the air, Dijo had no trouble seeing through the wind, or hearing the slightest muttering in the halls when they'd landed.
There were people - mostly Human people - everywhere in this Weyr. But they for some reason didn't bother Dijo much. In fact a lot of the females seemed to think he was pretty.
He ate that up, of course. But it wasn't like he was interested in taking them up on any of their well-meaning offers. He did spot a couple interesting looking people who were eating what looked to be some kind of bread and drinking from mugs.
He was barely settled in, when he'd already offended half the male population by his innocent prattle. The girls liked him a lot better. He could stand for hours and gossip with them - and he fell in line as one of the 'grrlz' as the candidates were summoned to the sands.
The eggs were hatching. He'd hardly been there long enough to get into trouble and the eggs were bouncing about on the sands. He felt their minds, there were eggs with real dragons - little minds - and they all wanted one thing.
Well, two things, if you counted "getting out of the egg" first. The other thing on their minds was food. But this was interrupted when they actually did get out of their shells!
For it was at that point when most of them realized how big the world was - outside their shells of course it was big. It could be an intimidating place, even with friendly people.
When the first egg broke open, a dark green hatched and everyone was stunned when it turned out to be male. Dijo guessed that was important - greens were usually female? Hmn. Something for later.
Then two more eggs broke open upon one another, smashing to bits and revealing a pair of slightly-different reds. The darker of the pair bonded to a female over on the side of the sands, speaking out loud - which was also somewhat different than people expected of dragons.
It was when the other lighter colored red snapped at Dijo as she sat next to him, when his attention focused on the hunger in his mind - her mind - their minds...
Well, Dijo, aren't you going to feed me? Her mind demanded. Her red face tilted a bit urgently - this was why he'd been thinking about food!
"Rubyth," Dijo said, surprised. Since he could technically sense the other dragons he hadn't realized that this one wanted his attention so much! But now that he looked at her swirling eyes, he knew that they were going to be trouble together. "I - I didn't even know you wanted me!"
Rubyth snorted and shook her head, but then the swirl to her eyes turned a brighter blue-green, happy color, Of course I want you. There's no one else here for me. She set her head on his furry thigh for a moment and then they went off to the kitchens for the meal. She was happy, and fast. She almost lost him walking around the other candidates!
"Hey sweetie, slow down!"
You're a cheetah! You are supposed to be fast!
"How do you know that?" Dijo laughed, and began to hum a happy Human tune he'd heard once long ago.
***
Dijo and Rubyth kept up with the others in the weyrling training class, but it was with heavy distractions. Dijo hardly noticed the time going by - mostly because he was noticing all the rather handsome riders.
This was no coincidence: because Rubyth was also starting to notice the handsome dragons around her.
I like him, and him. Oh - and him. And those two.
"Easy, easy... I think I can only handle one at a time, Rubyth," Dijo laughed. But he also got wind (literally) of how some of those riders weren't quite what he was looking for.
In other words, they were male riders, looking for a girl to chase, not for a tail like his.
Don't be sad. There will be someone. There are many others, aren't there?
"Yes, Rubyth," Dijo said, with a little tinge of sadness, "but I just wish that I could say when we get home there might be someone there..."
***
The wind was strong under the scarlet and ruby wings of the medium sized red dragoness, and that was certainly halfway because of Dijo. He could easily create updrafts that the dragon he rode could soar upon. He would not have to over Planet Twenty's plateau.
Their home, his home.
I hope to meet your friends, and I do hope that they will have the right kind of dragons for me. Rubyth commented as they came out from the nexus over the big wide plain.
Dijo and Rubyth saw the brightly colored wingsails of a dozen others - they'd all returned, they were all together at last!
| Dragon |
Name: Rubyth |