Lovanith eyed thee other greens with an expression at once loathing and boastful. Seven milky ovoids shivered sporadically in the red sands, quaking with their inhabitants need to get out. Her rider had gone to summon the candidates - they should all be in bed since it was nearing mid-night.
Ainchisth spread her - or was it his? - multiple wings over her eggs, warily. They likely had another fortnight before they as much as twitched.
Aderynth curled around her eggs, lovingly, protectively.
After a few quiet moments, Tauryn returned with thirteen candidates in tow. Some were human, some not, each with a short-sleeved robe draped over their sleepwear (or whatever they'd hastily put on at Tauryn's call). Some of the Terran riders had jokingly referred to them as "bowling shirts."
Tiyanni and J'kosh, and the younger goldriders and other riders hovered in the reconstructed tiers around Lovanith's circle while the candidates looked at the creamy spheres with bleary eyes.
The slender silver beauty Vee sought comfort in eye contact with her other half Nor, rider of Night Brown Azth across the circle. The young brown was growing well, even with the constant fear that Vee was out to get him.
Rajen, older brother of Bluerider Reija, stood calmly - he'd been the first "searched" by White-Bronze Erynduth after the flurry dragon had been abandoned.
The Komodyr Hazari stood on the sands, determined to Impress. Even being called a dragon by uninformed folks would not stop him now.
Emyrcieth, an abandoned green watched from the ledges; Aderynth had decided she was a threat, and would not allow her on the sands proper.
Le'ivren stood calmly, black hair shining in the darkness with a jewel-like undertone. They said she dyed it that horrific shade - but why? Her sister Ruavin had bonded with the beautiful metallic green Tsi'emeth, sister of Erynduth the bold - did that bode well for her?
Darreon, a man much older than his outward appearance let on, stood calmly on the sands, not a trace of worry in his presence. He'd lived so long alone, he could not be bothered - though having a life-companion to fly through the skies with...
Kalla attempted to cease the chattering of her talking Falas flits, but to no avail. It took a roar from G*non's blue Dorth to finally hush them. Tiyanni suppressed a smirk. It was nice to see blues take charge sometimes.
Then there was Caller; a young girl, 13 at most, with a young brown flit on her shoulder. Chan dozed, and Caller's mind revisited all her dreams of being a dragonrider and protecting the people from the Menace.
The pest of a candidate Naeodin had brought from the Vella Crean shouted back and forth with G'nat until J'lenn threatened to drop them both - and Impatienth - somewhere between. They hushed, briefly, then began to make faces. Someone muttered that Ailan should act his age, and it was all Tiyanni could do not to laugh. Act his age?
Volan, a good natured former jockey stood still - well, as still as a high strung racer waiting for the gates to open... His sister Cally hung nervously on Greenrider Texia's leg - and curiously Texia didn't seem to mind all that much that she was surrogate mom to this youngling. The Alskyrian boy had been somehow nudged into candidacy by the efforts of Metallic Blue Varioth - another Flurry abandonee. Strange how these things happen...
Eric, a former military man, stood at attention as Lovanith glared in his direction. He had a little red dragon-thing that just kept pestering and pestering...Key had no wings, and the Ryslen dragons found her quite curious.
And then there was Lhunlygion, a halfling who was denied his rights as firstborn for that very petty reason - with his strange pet Maegro, he was quite often the object of gossip. Both the Flurry Queen Xhorieth and her clutch-brother Erynduth the bold had spoken highly of him, though he may not know it.
Most recently come was Shonnor the wanderer, and his trio of firelizards. The young man had shown much potential, and the Searchriders were paying extra close attention to see what color he'd impress - they knew he would, they could just tell. But would the dragon settle him?
The first egg to crack revealed a blue - but in opening his shell, the cerulean-hided creature banged into another egg, giving it just the momentum it needed to spill the pristine Light Green out into the soft sand. "Pretty!" squealed Moon Beam, and Flash, not to be outdone, opened his mouth too. "Darling!" Kalla tried to hush them, but to no avail. Don't hush them, Kalla. My name is Harrath... And thus the first impression of the night was made.
The blue, bombarded by flits himself, let out a roar - small, due to his stature, but loud for a hatchling. The trio raced back to their owner as someone muttered about keeping flits off the sands. The blue marched right over to that young man and butted his knees. Shonnor, I am Nimith.
With a flash of white, a light green burst from her shell, sending fragments flying like glitter all around her. A startled gasp came from somewhere, but the green didn't pay it any heed. She headed directly for the silver woman who she adored. Vee! "Zath!" Azth? Zath? Uh oh.
Following her came a sharp crack from a largish egg, and a broad-shouldered blue pushed his way out. He had a commanding and determined presence, and no one was surprised when he chose the Komodyr. Hazari; it is time. the blue said, and with a nod, Hazari accepted Trynth.
The rest of Lovanith's eggs hesitated, it seemed, until the smallest remaining split, and a grassy green tumbled out. She called out; and Caller responded: "Cryspith!"
Across the way, another dragon pushed out of his shell like the sun coming out on a cloudy day. The light blue patiently made his way to Rajen, who called him Ahroqaanth.
The last egg stood still; would it hatch? Six candidates and one lonely dragoness looked on, knowing that all but one of them would go back to bed as candidates, and only that one would be able to bond with that creature inside. Echoes of a female voice rang in one of their heads - "Don't leave me, too..." The same voice uttered a gasp as the last egg cracked, and a large brown stepped forth with none of the expected hatchling clumsiness. Tell her not to worry, Volan... The young man blinked. "Cally... his name is Kiemorth."
The remaining candidates trudged back to bed, weary from being awoken in the middle of the night, and exhausted from the trial of standing for a hatching and not impressing. At least there were fourteen more eggs hardening... it wasn't too late. It was never too late.
Shonnor and Blue Nimith Vee and Light Green Zath Hazari and Blue Trynth Caller and Green Cryspith Rajen and Light bleu Ahroqaanth Volan and Brown Kiemorth |