Kolten [ The Descendent ]

What was supposed to be a story, but is now bullet points

The Beginning

• Kolten is born on good old fashioned Pern, to good old fashioned Pernese riders, in a good old fashioned Weyr. It is the type of Pern where thread falls, if only occasionally, and dragon riders are respected. Where the Old Weyrs exist, strong and proud but there is just a little hint of other. The beginning of dragons that come in different colors, the quiet whispers of the ‘Nexus’ and other worlds. Kolten’s family knows of this only because they can trace their lineage proudly to a famous searchrider; B’nir and White Pikceth, the dragonrider who followed his Weyrwoman off Pern to a different world, and lived happily ever after.
• Kolten grows up as a Weyrbrat, mothering children younger than him in his own way, and making sure that his direct siblings stay out of trouble. He is searched at a young age, but his first hatching is unsuccessful. He likes to think a few of the dragons looked in his direction, but it is nothing more than passing curiosity.
• “Be patient” the dragonriders advise. “One day, you will meet your bond on the sands, and it will all be worth it.”
• Kolten wonders if maybe, this Weyr (this Pern?) does not have the dragon for him.

Elsewhere

• Namiya is enjoying tea and coffee with Shy. The Vella Crean is back! She finds this world amusing and exciting, but wonders; what is her purpose now? She is a Project created using the genetics of Naeodin the Empress (with maybe a little bit of Shy), for the sole purpose of finding the Vella Crean.
• “You are the child of an Empress.” Shy advises her. “A Weyrwoman who founded an entire planet, and an intricate court system of dragons. What is there that you cannot do?”
• Namiya privately thinks that maybe Shy is full of it, but it does give her ideas. Wouldn’t it be nice, she wonders outloud, if she could find the other descendents? Maybe, she wonders outlout, she should form her own Weyr.
• She immediately discards the idea. All the responsibilities, the paperwork. That does not sound like the life she wants to live. Maybe! She should be a pirate! Exploring the Nexus.
• “Why do you have to be a pirate to explore the world?” Shy asks.
• “For treasure.” Yes. There is something decidedly romantic about the thought of traveling the Nexus, building her own family.
• Shy informs Namiya that he has the perfect accomplice for her.

Namiya and Erinas meet Kolten

• The flurry of activity in itself was not unusual for the Weyr. But being called specifically by these newcomers is. Kolten meets a young dragonrider named Namiya with eyes that seem to laugh at him, and a striking woman with dark skin and hair that seems too bright for Pern. She wears a hooded cowl but lets the children peek at thickly braided hair that seems to glow in the dark.
• “We are travellers recruiting fellow partners in crime.” Namiya says by way of introduction. Her dragon is white with subtle markings, and Perdeth privately introduces herself as a dragon from Istabitha’s.
• Kolten knows of Istabitha’s. That is where his great great oh so many great grandfather had searched for.
• We know Perdeth answers laughingly. That is why we have come for you, son of B’nir. We’d like to recruit you.
• Kolten is delighted at the thought of adventure, but also dismayed. He is not a dragonrider, and he does not want to be a burden.
• The woman with glow in the dark hair finds his words highly amusing. “Maybe the dragon for you is not on this Pern.” she answers. There is a dare in her tone, and Kolten decides, well. Maybe she is right.

Kolten is Searched for Meridien Weyr

• Kolten is enthralled by Namiya’s plans, to explore the Nexus and rediscover lineage and destinations. There is something called a ‘flurry’ that Namiya is trying to time coordinate for, but they are waylaid on their journey by a brief stop to Meridian Weyr.
• “It won’t take long.” Namiya reassures her new family. “The Weyr exists in its own little pocket dimension, we can pop in and out without any time having passed.”
• Erinas is highly doubtful that they will manage this sneak visit and offers instead to project illusions of themselves into world.
• Namiya is adamant that they need to visit the world. Now. While a certain set of eggs harden on the sands. “Maybe I am to be the searchrider this time.”
• Kolten arrives at Meridian Weyr, where he meets other dragonriders who have impressed at Istabitha’s. What a coincidence, he thinks to himself. That they happen upon a Weyr with Istabitha dragons.
• (Coincidence, surely. For Namiya would not have deliberately planned this out.)
• They decide to stay at Meridian for a few days. It is a good starting point, Namiya decides, for Kolten to learn about the Nexus, and other worlds, to learn terminology that he may not be familiar with, and dragon species.
• Kolten decides that this is going to be quite the adventure, and what a coincidence, that the eggs on the sands have hardened just so.

The arrival of two more blue hatchlings caught the candidates’ attention. The first, his hide still glistening from the egg, made his way confidently to Kolten.

You’ve come a long way to meet me, haven’t you? he chirped, and the boy broke into a grin.

“You’ve no idea,” he replied. “I can tell you the whole story if you’d like!”

I want to hear it over some nice bloody red meat! The blue’s eyes swirled with hunger and anticipation. I’m Dzibanth – onward to adventure!