The morning brought the hatching of Aderynth's clutch, and an hour or so before the hatching feast should have started, Ainchisth cried out - 'her' eggs were hatching this day as well. The 17 candidates and guests hurried back to the sands.
While they'd been gone, Green Myith laid six eggs sired by Light blue Nariveth, and the golden Xiorayith clutched a surprising 14 sired by Ryslen's own brown Fivrith. If the queen looked a trifle gray, no one commented - she was probably just worn out from laying soymany in such a short time. Duowinged Flurry Green Ainchis and Ambroseth, the sunset-winged Flurry Brown who'd sired this clutch had already vacated the sands. Their children would be spectacular; of this they were certain. They had no riders - bonded to each other, and knew their offspring would be capable of handling anything.
16 candidates and the green dragoness Emyrcieth hovered in a habitual semi-circle around the eight quaking eggs. Ainchisth had taken very good care of them, considering what an abnormality he/she was.
The first egg, an all-but-spherical cream colored one craceked, and pieces fell away from the shell in what felt to the onlookers like vicious slow motion. A purple dragonet looked out from her shell's remains, and with a sharp cry, flared her wings. Sunset-colored, just like her father. The youngling walked a nervous unsteady line to the female of her choosing. Emyrcieth... she said slowly as if questioning. I will not leave you; you are perfect for me. If dragons could cry, Emyrcieth probably would have. Some of the spectators with strong telepathic or empathic powers had tears running sown their cheeks.
Jainoreth... Emyrcieth said, hugging the dragonet to her with a green paw. One of the telepaths relayed the sunset purple's name to the recordkeepers as the second egg cracked open.
From within came green. Lots of green. The dragoness rolled out of the shell and spread her wings wide to catch the sun's dying rays. All four of them. The darling duowing looked very much like her mother, save that she dod not have the flurry snowflakes. She held that stance just long enough for farmers and biologists to begin to wonder if she was capable of photosynthesis with those green wings. Mikio wondered too, seeing as how she had been a tree. The green dragon's head turned towards her like a flower orienting to face the sun. Mikio, will you protect the innocent? Save the trees?
"I will, Chloryth, if you will help me."
The duowing settled her extra limbs and walked towards her chosen with grace like a breeze ruffling tree leaves. Few, if any, were surprised.
The third egg revealed a slender long limbed green - just a green. No extra wings or funny colors. Unlike some hatchlings, this one was not at all clumsy. Her step was so sure that she made Chloryth look like a klutz. As she approached the candidates, the tiger Meix took an agressive posture; protectiong Rikki from the dragon. Why the otherwise calm tiger did this was not certain. Perhaps he would explain later. The dragoness stopped far enough from the tiger that his claws could not possibly reach her. Life is a dance, the green said, We each have our part, and when we miss our cue, the structure crumbles. I've made my choice, Rikki. Will you accept and join me in the dance?
The Alskyrian dancer stepped forward, Meix rising and standing calmly at her side. "The dance has begun, Canrysth..."
The fourth egg shattered, and the purple dragoness within wasted no time in scrambling out of it. The spectators wondered at the appearacne of three purple dragons in one day even as they breathed a sigh of wonderment. Not only was she purple, she was a duowing! Who would she choose? Lhunlygion. she said calmly, naming her choice as she settled her four wings aobut her like a rich royal purple cloak. Was his whole life spent waiting for this moment? or was he shocked? Only time would tell as all he said was her name: "Railyanath."
The serenity with which the next dragon made his appearance may in fact be an echo of his calm demeanor - or not. Throwing open his sunset wings, the brown bugled a challenge - or so it seemed. Was this dragon what he seemed? or did he seek someone who was not what they seemed? The seemingly young Darreon answered the challenge. "Liojuth; what is the meaning of this?"
Testing, Archmage. Testing. The brown's eyes flached with intelligence. What would come of this?
The next egg did no more than begin to crack when a boy who was almost as annoying as G'nat rushed out and pounced upon it, shattering it to smithereens. The blue dragon within gave the boy a shove and righted himself, flapping all four wings to get balanced. I'll get you for that Ailan! the duowing said and readied himself to pounce.
"You think so, Pezth?" Ailan replied and ran; the dragon on his heels.
The next dragon appeared in a much calmer and far more normal way. The Light green made her way directly to a young man. Hiroshi is happy now; you've done good Mitsui. she said.
"Sakurath..." he said, kneeling to gather her in his arms. He probably would have acrried her out, but normal hatchlings are a bit too big for that.
The last egg trembled, and with a determined shove, the cream dragoness pushed her way out. Four wings poised delicately, she turned faceted eyes to the candidates. She knew hers was here; she could feel the power of her chosen's mind as soon as she'd arrived at Ryslen.
Four duowings out of a clutch of eight. Who would have expected it? Surely somoene had, as money changed hands in the gallery. The dragoness walked decisively towards the most unusual candidate - the Zekiran Threen - a pretty girl with four arms.
Some things are meant to be. the cream said.
Threen smiled. "Niylkezth." If anyone thought the young woman looked like a certain reclusive older Alabaster bluerider, they carefully kept their silence.
With two more clutches on the sands and two dragonesses bearing eggs, the remaining 9 candidates did not worry - they only waited.