-- TOUR SUSPENDED for hatching! --
"You guys were terrific! You rocked!" He said, seemingly excited for the very first time about their work. He'd always been happy with their musical talent, but for him to be this giddy was an unusual occurance.
"What's happened to our manager?" Kmarks said, laughing and pushing his sweaty fur away from his face. "You've replaced him with someone who gives a shit about us!"
"Oh, be nice!" Leevi chided the lion, "he's happy because we're making him rich, and you know it."
At that, Bhargol became ever-so-slightly sedated, but he still grinned.
"We've gotten an audience with someone, I think they call themselves a cathairix or something. She seems important. Rides a dragon."
"Ooh!" Leevi said, "this will be great! I wanted to see those beautiful dragons up close!"
"Well you're getting the chance," Bhargol said, as they were escorted through the back labyrinth of the stage - their equipment was being handled by locals, with delicate care, and would be waiting for them at their hotel later. They were taken by a fairly simple coach to a large keep-like place, the Cathair. Dragons were in the air, and Leevi couldn't contain her excitement.
"Leevi, you're going to explode. I didn't know you liked dragons so much." Prax said, leaning out her window to get a look at one which flew right overhead. "It looks like there's something important going on, too. Look at all those dragons arriving!"
The others looked, and the driver of the coach pulled the cab up to the entrance of the cathair. "Here's your stop - you're expected, so go right in. There is a hatching going on, you're to attend it, and I think the Cathairix wants you to perform something afterwards, if that's all right with your team?" He asked Bhargol, and the otter nodded.
They entered the sands area, and barely got a shoulder in when someone dressed in a dragon rider's outfit pulled on Enoi's arm. "You, and you, all of you. Get to the dunes quickly! They're hatching!" He announced, and the group put a hustle on. "Wait! You've forgotten these!" He tossed each person - including Bhargol to his surprise, a robe that the people nearer the eggs were wearing. If the significance of the robes struck anyone in the band, they didn't show it.
It was while they were scampering through the mess of people that a couple of the members of the band noticed the distinct black shape of Soverign Fate himself, nestled among the shadows.
"Great," Prax muttered to Kmarks, "look who's here..."
The lion glanced over the pronghorn's head, easily done, and grunted. "As long as he keeps to himself, I don't see a problem. He's on our side, remember?"
Prax was silent. Then, the eggs began to hatch! One green hatchling swayed out of her egg and ambled somewhat drunkenly toward a candidate, and the first bonding was made. A lovely pink dragon hatched, then a blue-green one. Then, abruptly, two eggs came open and they began to snarl and spit at one another - just like Soverign Fate was doing with the other black-panther looking male at the sands. They were stopped by a pair of adult dragons, but Soverign Fate seemed quite pleased with the results.
He approached the dragon which had amazing gold-and-black hide, and announced, "Assassinezth, it seems we'll get along nicely." He stroked the dragon's neck, with his claws covered, as the dragon responded, If your tastes suit mine, and it seems they do.
Shocked, Bhargol managed to recover from his little bout with gravity as he saw his blackmailer the hired assassin on the sands. He'd not managed to get off a payment quite yet - he wondered if he would have to hand it over in cash or what...
He walked away with the brilliantly colored hatchling, thinking on ways he could expand one of his beautiful land holds on a faroff world called Zekira to hold this wonderful bond of his.
The purple who had fought with the dramatic flame-black, bonded quietly and they left the sands in a different direction as Fate had.
Bhargol was worried by the buzzing in his head. It surprised him though that the third of the trio of eggs which had opened up - this one was unseen because of the hubbub - had loosed a greedy little brown and red hatchling who pawed through Bhargol's money pouch.
"Why Gloutonth! You little thief!" He was even more surprised to know the dragon's name...
Since you and I are one, it stands to reason that your money is mine as well.
He couldn't argue with that, he didn't want to upset the little guy - but he also didn't want his hard earned cash being mauled by the hatchling, so he put the pouch away as his band laughed.
Moments later, another purple dragon hatched and bonded, followed by a lovely mint-green one. Then a dark green and purple dragon holding balloons in its paws bonded to someone else. Odd!
A grey and blue one hatched next, and then another multicolored green-red one. They bonded, followed by a dark violet one. Then came a truly amazing rainbow shaded hatchling.
Prax stared at her, in wonder. Inside her mind, there was a word - a long one. "Univoqueruseth," the pronghorn gazelle whispered.
Yes, that is my name. I'm surprised you can pronounce it. But that proves your worth, of course.
"Hah, of course..." She said, hugging on to the pastel-rainbow dragoness.
A purple and cream, then an indigo clouded dragon hatched and bonded. But it was a silver blue marked dragon who approached Enoi with care. The snow leopard adjusted his bass (never without it) and nodded to the dragon. "So you made it at last, Plath?" Enoi said, knowing that he would have been taken for a madman if he told the others he knew they would be bonding this day - he'd dreamed it the night before.
Nodding toward the meat bowls and the dangerous assassin/dragon pair, Plath spoke into Enoi's mind, I wanted to wait until it had calmed down a bit.
"Good choice," Enoi said, glad that the dragon hadn't been brought into that fray.
Everyone expected another egg to hatch, but it took quite a while, and so most people left the sands to get something to eat, drink, or relieve themselves. Apparently while they were gone, one candidate bonded his dragon. Then as folks got back, a girl bonded her teal-blue dragon.
One of the big eggs shattered open to show off a bronze-copper brown streaked dragon, who ran straight off to Kmarks. He took a running leap, and finally bowled the black lion over. Then he attempted to drag the drummer off to the meat - he was clearly impatient and hungry!
"Hold on, Vaillanth!" He said, following the dragon away.
A yellow-green and tiny dragoness similarly tried bounding to the meat, but she at least turned to her bond Leevi and asked, I hope this doesn't bother you too much, Leevi!
"Not too bad, Lacinath, it doesn't seem to bother you a bit!" Leevi chuckled, she would just have to get used to the munching meat-eaters...
At long last, the two remaining eggs hatched and bonded - a fantastic hatching!
Bhargol's worry about what Sovereign Fate was going to do continued: the panther had not left. But then, what could he do? They were now being told that it would be a while before the dragons were going to be able to travel, they would need training and proper care if they were to grow up able to fly and perform any other duties.
So on Danach, at the Utopian Cathair, they would remain. Even Fate seemed to like this idea a bit - he wanted a vacation and here he would have one. How long would they be able to keep from his bad side? How much money could Bhargol make off his band now?
Wait to see what happens when the dragons grow up a bit!
Male
Age ??
Black Panther
Bonded: Gold-Black flame Assassinezth
An assassin known for his supreme prowess and stealth, and also known for his expensive tastes in homes, art and the like.
Male
Age 35?
River Otter
Bonded: Red Brown Gloutonth
The band's manager, a money fiend, consumed with greed most of his waking hours, and many of his dreams too.
Female
Age 20's or so
Pronghorn Gazelle
Bonded: Pastel Rainbow Univoqueruseth
Strong willed and fairly smart, vocal and sensible about things.
Plays flutes, reeds, and sings
Female
Age 18
Red Deer
Bonded: Yellow Green Lacinath
More simpleminded than complex, worries a lot, but enjoys herself.
Plays laser keys, and several stringed instruments, vocals
Male
Age 22
Snow Leopard
Bonded: Silver Blue Plath
Quiet, observant and smooth, rarely bothered about anything.
Plays bass guitar
Male
Age 28
Black Lion
Bonded: Copper Brown Vaillanth
Brave, but not stupid, dependable, pleasant.
Plays drums of all kinds