Bond Story of Istin Istin was, to say the very least, almost devastated as Jeyann awkwardly glanced between her mother and Istin before explaining that Lucifidith had decided to go solo rather than bond. What she left unsaid was, rather than bond to you. But Istin knew. It wasn't that hard to figure out. Keeping his face blank, Istin nodded shortly and smiled. Makis, who had been running around not far from them, turned perked ears towards Istin and whined. “I understand.” He said quietly, and Jeyann’s face relaxed as she gave a tiny smile. “Are you sure? There are still three clutches for you to bond from, and more coming...” “Thank you, I understand.” He said, still quietly but more firmly. Tiyanni and Jeyann stepped aside to talk and Istin struggled to keep his face and stance calm. Clearing his throat he smiled at the two women and turned to leave, figuring if he could get away before the eggs got too hard, they wouldn’t come looking for him. Hopefully. Walking along the flat of the Weyr, Istin had only Makis’s harsh yip to yarn him of the approaching bronze. Looking back, Istin saw only a huge Lucifidith bearing down on him….and he was not veering for his path. Before he had time to do anything, react, jump, yell, he was encompassed by two very large bronze claws and was being carried away. Shock didn’t even have time to register as he looked down at Makis and his baggage, both slowly disappearing as Lucifidith carried him off, chuckling and cackling to himself the entire time. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Istin wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Lucifidith informed him it was time to go back. Heaving a sigh, Istin decided to try and convince the one-track bronze that no, he didn’t want to go back and no, he wouldn’t be. That notion was quickly quashed, and Istin once again found himself being transported by the bronze, only this time it was back to Ryslen and he didn’t want to go. “You could let me off here. Send Makis my way, no one would ever be the wiser.” Istin suggested as Ryslen peaked over the horizon. Lucifidith, happily winging his way back to his birthplace, ignored Istin and started to slowly spiral. The hatching has started, Istin, and we are late. Behave yourself. Lucifidith said as they backwinged down to the dunes. Istin caught glimpses of startled faces, and a shivering Makis, before he was face-planted in the sand. “Get off!” He roared, though it came out only as a muted rumble. Lucifidith, however, seemed quite content to stay right where he was, and to keep Istin on the dunes. Deciding that it was a now-or-never kind of situation, Istin started to struggle. He twisted and turned and squirmed, he even tried digging down and crawling, but Lucifidith, almost unconsciously, shifted every time Istin did and he remained pinned. Well, at least I can watch the hatching. Istin said wryly. Truly, watching hatchings were one of the hardest things for him to do...ever. And he decided to hate every moment. Starting with the iridescent blue who decided to hatch during his struggle. Continuing to twist every once in a while, Istin watched as another blue hatched and bonded, followed by a huge egg exploding to reveal a large queen. Had not he been pinned to millions of grains of boiling grains of sand, Istin might have enjoyed looking at the queen, knowing full well that he could never bond her. As it was, he saw her out of the corner of his eye, spit sand out of his mouth, and started into another tirade about why Lucifidith should let him up. The bronze remained deaf. A beautiful little iridescent green was next, looking a lot like her mother, and Istin enjoyed both her and the cool breeze that swept through the dunes. It wasn’t to last, however, and Istin gladly looking away from the iridescent brown who followed. Sharp claws suddenly dug into his side, and Istin could almost feel the bronze’s attention waver from him to someone else. Time almost seemed to slow, then, and Istin would remember the next few moments for the rest of his life. Kelkerli, half brother to the new Leader, Ke’l, stepped forward to bond a brilliant looking red, and Istin saw finally what had caught Lucifidith’s attention. Another of the bonder’s, Rakield, was standing in the shadows, aiming a crossbow at the newest dragoner amongst them. At the same moment Istin opened his mouth to call for help or…something, Lucifidith launched off of the dunes at Rakield, just in time to take a bolt deep in his shoulder. Shaking his head and raising himself up on his arms, Istin watched as Lucifidith pinned his new prisoner to the sand, and Istin was happy to see he was just as unhappy as Istin had been. A third green iridescent quietly made her way to another bonder and Istin realized that no matter what happened now, the bonding would continue. He would have walked off the sands had not a couple of things happened. First, Makis was suddenly at his legs, jumping up and pawing and panting and talking and barking, and secondly, a small egg had cracked and a hatchling was crawling out of the egg…backwards! White hindquarters made way for a brilliant purple, and Istin grinned as she quickly made her way to her choice. And then a bronze hatched, and Istin dropped to his knees, pulled into a sort of deja-vu. He watched the bronze make his way to Lucifidith and Rakield, and at the same time he could see himself leaning over the body of a graying bronze body, only a couple of days old as the breath slipped out of the lungs for all time. “Istin,” Makis whispered, and he looked up in time to see the last egg on the dunes rocking violently. It split open, on its own, and a bronze made his way into the world. You have waited a long time, my friend. I am sorry. Istin looked up to the bronze and sighed. “It’s not your fault, Ilybikyfth.” And with a start, he realized it wasn’t. What did Lucifidith want with you for so long? The bronze asked, and Istin laughed for the first time in…years. ”That is a long story. But I suppose we have a lot of time.” Istin bonded at Ryslen Makis is from Lantir-Setia