DRAGON'S TREASON

CHAPTER 1: ONE SEARCH, ONE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME

Day 18, Month 4, Turn 100, 9th Interval

Clouds drifted through the sky—small white puffs against the splashes of blue. Flowers were just beginning to blossom, joining the trees in returning the green to Pern. Spring was here, and the entire planet was prospering. Asha had managed to slip away from the farm to take a moment to enjoy nature. She had gotten her runner, and rode off to the outskirts of their land to get a moment to herself. The farm had been very busy, with the new growing season.

Asha was content to lay down on the grass, gazing at the sky as her runner grazed a little ways away, ground tied. She had been here for about an hour now, just relaxing and watching the clouds inch by. A warm breeze tugged at her clothes and stray strands of hair. Her eyelids began to droop, as the coziness made her drowsy. It would be so nice to just take a little nap right here…

But right as her eyelids were about to flutter closed, color flashed. Her eyes shot open, and she jerked upright. There, blocking out the sun, was a bronze dragon. He was so massive, she could see him pretty clearly even at a distance. A moment later, another dragon blinked to existence, swaying a little away from the bronze. This dragon was still fairly large, but his hide gleamed brown in the sunlight. Then, the two dragons took off, flying in the direction of the farm.

Dragons… going to the farm. That only meant one thing. They were on a Search. This had happened once before, when her brother T'kan had been chosen as a candidate. He was now a bronzerider of Fort Weyr. She needed to get home, and fast. Asha scrambled to her feet, rushing over to her runner. She hopped into the saddle, and immediately launched off at a gallop.

Regardless, it still took a couple of minutes to get back to the farm. She slowed her runner to a canter, and then quickly pulled the mare to a halt next to the paddock. Rylan immediately came rushing over to take the reins as she hopped down from the saddle. The two dragons sat on the other side of the yard, closer to the front gates of the farm. Bright turquoise eyes watched them with curiosity.

"Whoa girl, steady there," Rylan said, patting the runner on the neck as he tried to get her to calm down.

"Rylan!" Asha turned towards him. "The riders—where are they?"

Rylan was the same age as her—nineteen. He'd been working as a farmhand for her family since he was nine years old. There wasn't anything particularly special about him. He stood at about average height. Even though he worked on a farm, his muscles weren't particularly impressive. His brown hair was just growing out of a haircut, the waves falling down into his face, and he had brown eyes. His tunic, which had once been white, was now a pale beige color, smudged with as much dirt as his brown trousers.

Still, Rylan was a reliable young man. Asha would be lying if she said she wasn't fond of him in some sense. Without their… liaisons in the barn, she might have gone crazy from stress a long time ago.

"Oh." For some reason, Rylan sounded… disappointed. "They went inside to speak with your parents. Kirana jumped on them fast. If she batted her eyelashes any faster, they'd fall out."

Asha fought the urge to groan. Of course her sister would be all over the dragonriders. As T'kan often said, Kirana acted like a green in heat. She was flirtatious to a fault. Everyone in their village knew that she was sleeping with Byrne, the rich merchant who basically kept their village afloat. But Asha didn't dislike her sister because of that. No, she disliked Kirana because of the scar she had carved into the left side of her face, barely missing her eye.

"No surprise there," she muttered under her breath. "Did the riders say why they're here?"

He hesitated, before nodding. "Yeah. They're on a Search. For a gold egg."

Asha's eyes widened. "A queen? There hasn't been a queen egg for seven years…" This could be my chance to get out of here.

Rylan stroked the runner on the neck, his gaze flickering down to the ground. "...You're thinking of volunteering to be a candidate, aren't you?"

She frowned. "Yes… why not? This place…" She waved around at the farm. "...doesn't really need me."

There was more to it than that, of course.

Asha wasn't happy with her life on her parents' farm. For one, she had never had the best relationship with her sister. When her brother left, she had no one left to look out for her. Simply put, her sister made her life living hell. No one wanted to marry Kirana with her promiscuous reputation and no one wanted to marry Asha because of the scar marring her face. Thankfully, Pern was slowly pulling itself out of its old-fashioned ways, but still so many people clung to the past. The dragonriders had always been so open and accepting, and that drew Asha to them.

"I-" Rylan quickly cut himself off, once again returning his attention to the runner. "Never mind. If you're that interested, you should go inside before Kirana steals your chance."

"Uh, all right." She gave her runner one final pat on the shoulder before turning to leave. "Wish me luck!"

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Asha headed for the house. She scaled the front steps, opened the door, and stepped inside—perhaps all too quickly. Five pairs of eyes were suddenly on her. As the door clicked shut behind her, she couldn't help but balk. All of the confidence she had felt just moments ago drained right out of her.

"Um… sorry if I interrupted, but…" Her blue-grey gaze flickered to the two riders.

Well, they weren't what she was expecting.

She briefly glanced over the first rider. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, standing not especially tall, but built muscular and stocky. He reminded her of a brick wall; this man was made of pure muscle. His sandy blond hair was cut short on the top, with the sides shaved—a undercut—and his eyes were brown. His jaw was very square, rough with stubble that ended in a neatly trimmed goatee. He was dressed to fly, wearing a dark brown fleece-lined jacket, a white turtleneck sweater, brown trousers, and leather hiking boots. He was handsome, in a rugged sort of way.

The second rider she actually had to look up to see his face. Also appearing to be in his mid-twenties, he was tall and lanky, towering above them all. He was obviously muscular, but in a more lean, wiry way; he was built more for dexterity than strength. His black hair fell down towards his deep blue eyes in waves, nearly falling into them, and his skin was bronzed with tan. He was clean shaven, unlike his companion. He was also dressed to fly, though his jacket was black, he wore a loosely fitting white tunic, black trousers, and leather boots. Handsome was too weak of a word to describe him. Something about him was just… captivating. She found herself staring at him.

"Did you come here because Rylan told you there's a queen egg?" Kirana's snide voice snapped her out of her daze, and she quickly looked away from the attractive rider.

"...Yes," she said stiffly. "I thought I might volunteer."

Seeing her sister was always a glaring reminder of how different they were. Kirana was everything she was not. She was beautiful, like their mother. Her red-gold tresses fell down to the small of her back, braids woven around the sides of her head. Her complexion was fair; she burned very easily. The only trait the sisters shared were their blue-gray eyes. Kirana was slightly shorter than her, but she had a voluptuous figure that filled out her periwinkle blue dress very well.

Kirana rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip. "You really think you'd Impress a queen, Asha? Don't make me laugh."

One would think that by now, Asha would be used to her sister's biting words. But they still cut deep. They still made her flinch. They still made her question her decision, her choice to even come here to speak with the riders. Mother opened her mouth, most likely to reprimand her eldest daughter for being so rude, but she was cut to the chase.

"...You don't know that."

Asha looked up to see that the taller rider had spoken. His voice was surprisingly calm, smooth like honey. And it turned her insides to jelly.

"I am J'lan, rider of bronze Romanoth," he said, ignoring the insulted look Kirana gave him. "My friend and I came here on the Search for potential queenriders."

The shorter rider nodded. "Yep. I'm C'zar, rider of brown Yezmuth." He flashed a cheerful smile. "You're Asha, right? Well, the more the merrier, I always say. If your folks are okay with it, you're welcome to come with us as well."

As well? Of course they agreed to let Kirana go. She looked like queen material, unlike Asha. Plus that meant her parents could finally get rid of the most problematic member of the family. As much as she wanted to get away from her sister… the idea of bonding with a dragon… of leaving home forever… it was so much more appealing. For once, she wanted to do something for herself. For once, she wanted to do something her sister had no influence over.

"Can I?" Asha asked, looking towards her parents. "Please? I know you need someone to take over the farm someday, but… I… I want to do this."

They exchanged looks. After a moment, Father closed his eyes and nodded. Mother gave a soft sigh, before turning towards them.

"All right, Asha… if this is what you truly want. We won't stop you. You're a grown woman now." Mother smiled sadly. "But if doesn't work out, both you and Kirana are always welcome back home."

Her eyes widened. "Really? I can really go?"

Father chuckled softly, giving her his own sad smile. "Yes, really. Now go pack your things. You too, Kirana. Don't keep the dragonriders waiting."

"Don't worry about it, we're in no rush," C'zar said with a light laugh. "We'll be out waiting with Yezmuth and Romanoth. Make sure you have everything you want to bring."

J'lan nodded. "Thank you for being so supportive of the Weyrs. Not many are still so… accepting."

It was true. A century ago, Thread had been permanently eliminated thanks to the discovery of AIVAS. For a hundred years, the Weyrs no longer had a purpose. Tensions between the Weyrs and Holds had only increased drastically in the recent years. No one really knew what the future would bring for either group. All Asha knew was that something about Pern had to change.

"You and your dragons saved the world," Father said. "It's the least we can do to support you."

"Well, you have our utmost gratitude," J'lan said, turning towards the door. "Let's go, C'zar. We shouldn't distract them any further."

C'zar nodded. "Right. Well, you know where to find us when you're ready, ladies!"

Asha hastily moved out of the way as J'lan walked towards the door. The two riders left the house, C'zar giving a way goodbye as he stepped through the door. As soon as it clicked shut behind them, Kirana whirled around towards her. But Asha ignored her. She didn't want to fight. Before her sister could open her mouth, she made for the stairs and hurried to her bedroom.

She always knew she would be leaving this farm permanently one way or another. And now she had finally found the opportunity. She would make the best of this. She wouldn't let her sister ruin it for her. She refused.

For once, the future looked good.

Full Summary: A century has passed since the Red Star was pushed out of range of Pern, eliminating any chance of Thread in the future. Thanks to the discovery of AIVAS, technology has been advancing, albeit slowly. Even a hundred years later, telephones and radios have only been reintroduced. Thankfully, living conditions have improved, with running water and plumbing. Pern is slowly pulling itself out of the medieval stasis Thread had put her in. But some people do not appreciate that times are changing, and cling to the old ways.

Without Thread to fight, many Lord Holders believe that the dragonriders are useless and they should not have to pay tithe. As the weyrs continue their struggle to find a new purpose, tensions are rising. With Pern safe, Holds are expanding. More and more people are moving away from the stone walls that once gave them sanctuary. New villages and towns have sprouted. And as the nobility's power extends, they grow more and more threatened by the presence of dragons. But the holders aren't the only ones who are restless. Some riders believe they should be the ones ruling Pern. After all, they are the ones who saved the planet.

But there is only one thing every Pernese knows deep down inside: change is inevitable, for the better or for the worse.