Like Sands Through the Hourglass - Hatching

[icefire]

"Mine, mine I am here! I have come for you! I am Mirrideth" the green had tried to get mirriums attention which seemed to be to intent on the gold egg to hear her warble joyfully.

Forest screeched at her bonded as the green came over to them. Mirrium looked at her firelizard before catching a glance at the green standing right in front of them. She shrieked and backed away. "No!" She shook her head. This couldn't be happening to her. How could this green think she was her rider. "Absolutely not!" she screeched as she looked up at the weyrleader then down at the green. Her body was quivering with hate and fear. She wouldn't leave Southern she hated the North. "I won't go to the north." she hissed as she was now up against the wall that surrounded the sands.

The green blinked a couple of times before leaning forward to her rider. "Mine, why are you so upset? Do you not like me?" the little green asked. The green was clearly confused by her rider's reaction to her. The green moved closer trying to comfort her bonded.

Mirrium bit her lip and looked at the weyrleader again. "Is there no way to fix this?" she pleaded with the man. She glanced back at the green not wanting to answer. How could she live with herself now that she was to be sent away. She stopped as soon as she heard another girl talk to T'ran about the tradition. There she actually found hope her eyes made contact with him pleading and willing him to let her stay.

[stolenhart]

"Stupid?", he hissed turning to look at Cresce, there was a pain in his eyes, and resolve as well but a quick glance towards the Stands and the pain faded. "If I do not put Mirrium on that boat I will be dead before the night is over", he told her through clenched teeth, "Do not try to change things you do not understand", he added turning back to Mirrium. "I am sorry Mirrium", and he truly was, he hated doing this. He understood what it meant to be taken from your family, forced to do something you didn't want to do and it had to be three times as hard for her, so newly Impressed. "Come along, bring Mirrideth with you. We have things to discuss", he told her, handing her the bucket of meat and stepping off the Sands. Not towards the exit where the rest of the Weyrlings went but towards the beach, where a large ship was anchored, waiting for it's passenger.

[icefire]

Mirrium looked back at the other girl and whispered a quick thanks after receiving the bucket of meat. She looked down at the green "Come on Mirrideth" and with what pride she could muster followed after the weyrleader silently. she dared not look at anyone else if she could help it. She knew she would burst out in tears if she saw anymore pity. She looked back once more to look at those that she knew and said one last silent goodbye before resting a hand on the green's head weather for the greens comfort or her's she wasn't sure. She continued to follow the weyrleader after swallowing her pride to say anymore that might embarrass him in front of the crowd.

[shouriko]

From the moment D'von accepted Seratanth he was immensely consumed by the need to feed a certain hunger that gnawed through one personality into another. If he could but satiate the hunger that came from the infantile brown, then perhaps his could be fought back or maybe even met as well. For the moment, though, his hands went from bloody bucket to eager, open mouth of healthy red gum and bright sharp white teeth. He had been one of the very first to impress and as such was unable to see how his fellows were doing, all except for those who had already impressed and joined the little, but growing group of Weyrlings. He glanced up when he heard a low groan sweep through and wanted to know the meaning of it.

One of the dragons, a green, had violated a Southern code without knowing, completely unintentionally. D'von could see that the girl was distraught and that she was fearful, but it was not entirely her fault. It was simply how things were done. This somewhat harmless deviant was now going to need to be expelled. Green dragon and female rider would leave the Weyr on boat to be deserted somewhere.

He cast his blue eyes down into the bloody bucket where few more cuts of meat remained. He could not watch her go. It would not be fair for her, nor her dragon, and he did not wish to see the pain in her face. D'von focused then back on Seratanth who waited patiently for him to give him his next 'bite'.

[headwoman]

Inside, Arosia's anger was bubbling, boiling. She hated the laws and rules that the Weyrleader had to follow, ignoring the fact that his Weyr was losing valuable dragons that would be needed to fight Thread! She so wanted to walk off of the sands. An easy way of showing everyone gathered that what was being done was not right, to the dragonets and to their riders. Either T'ran knew that or he didn't care one snit about keeping the Weyr prepared and at full strength. Arosia crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at T'ran's back, and then throwing her glare at everyone that was watching the dragonet being led away with her rider.

[Edward]

Beyral hadn't really paid much attention to the green that had been near the girls, so he looked over to see if there had been any progress in that situation. From what it seemed, there had been barely any progress there. The male looked forward again, Beyral noticed that the blue that had been jabbering earlier had shut up once his new rider told him he should stop. At least it was obedient, ya know~ The brown came about three males away from Beyral as it impressed to some guy, not a surprise, and after having spoken the dragons name, the boy would walk off the sands in order to feed it.

Caramel optics refocused on the green that had been moving toward the stands. It came to a stand still as it realized it wouldn't be able to climb the stands, and there it sat; choosing from afar. Since nothing else was there to catch one's attention, Beyral's eyes went back to the sands where more seemed to happen. Two more eggs had hatched. One released an odd looking bronze. Not many even glanced at it after seeing what it's form was, but all dragons had potential. Even those that didn't show it right away. Very shortly after that, a green would hatch and run right around her weak looking bronze family member.

The lower colors were coming from every which way it seemed and they were constantly claiming their own people, and this green had not been a exception. Not only had all this happened, but the golden egg even began to move slightly. That wasn't Beyral's main attention, though. yes, he cared who would be the next queen, but she had yet to hatch, so all the others that could be his, who knew, were more concerning. It wouldn't be long till once again even more eggs hatched. Two more of them to be exact. The green was quick to impress, just like the rest had, and the brown that had hatched as well simply laid there as it was in no rush to do anything.

Beyral saw the weyrleader walking out into the sands; something had to be wrong. He looked over to the group of girls and noticed that the green had finally chosen. It was obvious what was to happen now. She would be sent away. Beyral watched for a second as the girl was led away. It WAS sad to see someone have to leave, but focused, he had to stay. Anything could happen at hatchings, and he didn't want to miss out on any of it. He focused his attention, yet again, on the remaining hatched dragons on the sand in front of him.

[fauxfox]

He should have felt more surprised, when the talkative blue found his rider in the good looking young man called Istel, but something about the pair seemed to fit rather well. Even from what little he’d seen or knew of the kid, Aimry had the impression that no other candidate was as capable of putting up – shards, even enjoying – the bubbly little dragon’s temperament. It still didn’t change the fact he’d likely drive his barrack-mates mad, however. As the duo wandered off his attention turned reluctantly back to the ongoing drama of the two greens, the first of which seemed perfectly confident that her life-partner was among the females, while the second was giving those on the front-row a heart attack. Even Hallek seemed slightly wary of the hatchling nearby, though he was saved the effort of having to move when the little creature had the wits to stay where she was, for the moment. Aimry was glad for his seat behind the Overholder for the first time; by the time she ate or mauled her way through his bodyguards surely she’d not have the energy to attack the small apprentice Harper behind them all.

The excited ‘ooh’s and ‘aah’s that accompanied yet more hatchings from the still substantial clutch of eggs was overrode abruptly by a cavern-wide groan of dismay, and his eyes immediately found the first of the green sisters and the unfortunate girl she’d decided to call her own. While the majority of avoidant stares were cast back to the main hatching proceedings, whether out of respect or disgust, Aimry couldn’t help but watch with a morbid sense of interest. He’d become used to travelling, and hadn’t been close with his family for many years besides, so could only puzzle as to what it must be like to face banishment from ones home and kin, like a scholar observing the behaviour of an entirely different species. She did not appear to take it well initially but despite Feminist-Bitch’s attempt to reason with T’ran the girl was inevitably lead off to the harbour, much to the approval of the onlooking crowd.

“Sharding Northerners will be pleased,” growled one man nearby, and both Harpers wisely kept their mouths closed on the subject. Unbiased as their Hall was there were many who judged a man entirely on their bloodline, and neither of them wanted to exit the Hatching Grounds with a black eye. He’d never been to Northern Weyr, but it was a common joke on the upper continent that they were perhaps the only weyr to benefit from both their own, and their rival’s hatchings. What Southern thought below them, Northern would happily add to their ranks. As the doomed pair faded out of sight Aimry allowed his focus to be drawn back to the hatching itself, making quick note of the two new arrivals. The slightly piteous bronze had yet to make his choice, though some had already written it off as an anticipated between-er, while the lounging brown was quite obviously in no rush. Another more fortunate green had Impressed, but the object that commanded almost everyone’s eager attention was the golden egg – unhatched, but shaking and fracturing as if it was close. Indeed, the sight was apparently enough to make most people forget the lowly males still awaiting Impression, or the determined green scouring the stands, and Aimry was include to snort under his breath. Maybe women were rarely allowed to stand for Impression and maybe there was only one colour they were officially allowed to ride, but that one dragon commanded an instant respect, reverence, and power that no male could ever hope to achieve.

[stolenhart]

With the reappearance of T'ran, a few skeptics glanced out to see checking to make sure the ship was indeed sailing. A few of them had taken a macabre sense of delight in watching the tiny green load the ship before turning back to the Hatching at hand. No doubt that would be the word on everyone's lips later that evening at the Hatching Feast. Now that the sun was well and truly up, the rest of the eggs seemed in no hurry to Hatch. In fact besides the young green avidly looking for her's and the brown just as nonchalantly waiting on his, nothing was happening.

Then the green's eyes whirled in excitement, her tail thumping on the ground in excitement as she seemed to find her's. Mine! Your Genilth has found you! Come down here and feed me, she gave, for a youngster, a very pretty littel hum of joy at having found Aimry as her rider. Everyone in the stands was turning about, hoping to be the first one to spot her rider. "You there, 'Prentice Harper", an older fellow yelled out, following the bright green's gaze.

It was, at this point in time, the moment when the gold egg began to rock, a tiny fraction of a shell falling away as the nose of the gold within began to push out an escape route. It was clear, despite the vicous liquid of the egg sack she was a true gold and eventually she got her entire head and one claw out. Vandyith lowered her head to nudge the egg and the gold dragonet actually growled at her. More amused than upset, Vandyith nodded and relaxed.

[shouriko]

T'ran had personally seen to the escort of the young girl and the deviant green to the boat that awaited them. Good, and clearly she had been deposited there for here he came on the return trip. No, he was not happy, but that was because this was something he had no choice but to do and in some way, Hallek was the reason. All the more reason he be there to witness the hatching. He had to be certain that his dear brother upheld long withstanding Weyr tradition. If he did not berate him, then the entire Weyr would and T'ran would cease to be Southern's Weyrleader. Hallek smiled to himself, proud that his presence had such a strong effect.

The other green had suddenly taken up a great interest in someone. Apparently her chosen was in the stands. As Hallek watched her, an older rider had turned and looking past him, called out to the Apprentice Harper behind him. Behind him?! He turned to look, a sharp glint of interest in his eye to see that indeed the little green was looking at none other than Aimry. Retaining a smile, he looked at Aimry and said, "Congratulations."

This hatching was indeed very promising. Though the sickening to look at bronze remained and the brown that was out there remained still and calm, no interest in the candidates. There was disappointments out there. Like the lost green, but at least she was taken care of, hopefully no more would occur. It would be such a bad mark upon a clutch sired by his brother's dragon. The only good thing that might truly come from it was the gold egg.

Ah yes, the gold. It was stirring more and more, this time there was a chip in the shell, an obvious sign that she was getting more urgent in her appearance. Hallek liked that, soon she would hatch, no?

[Femisis]

“I understand it plenty.” She hissed back, fists clenching at her sides. “Hallek has you wrapped around his finger. Some Weyrleader.” She spat before whirling to return to the spot she had been previously standing by, seething with rage. She’d nearly missed the whispered thanks from Mirrium, but she felt she didn’t deserve it. The poor girl and her Green were still being sent North and nothing was going to change. “Faranth…” She sighed, threading her fingers through her hair for a moment before remembering that she’d braided her hair. Something had to change, but with Hallek having so much influence over so many important people, no one could do anything.

She nearly laughed when the Green Impressed to someone in the stands, later revealed to be the little snot who’d insulted her at the Touching, but she was just too angry for much of anything to change that. Right now, the only thing that would make her feel better would be kicking T’ran in the head, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

The golden egg caught her attention as the little Queen pushed her way out and she forced her temper down. As pissed as she was, such emotions would only disrupt the hatchling and lose her a couple limbs. She seemed like a real bitch, though, and that brought a small smile to her face despite the situation. Hopefully whoever she chose would be able to make this stupid Weyr work.

[shouriko]

That was it, she was gone already.

Fakir thought about how everyone pitied the girl, but he didn't. She knew that by being a candidate, there was a chance that rather than impressing the single gold, she could impress a green. Instead his feelings did not go out to Mirrium and Mirrideth, but rather to T'ran. Though not everyone else could see it, he could. The Weyrleader did not like having to do this, he was unhappy with it and was probably even disgusted with himself. Did no one else understand that with great power come great responsibility and though he was the leader, he was just one voice among many? Did the other girls not hear the consensus of the entire Weyr in the approach alone?

He knew it and though he agreed that it was grim, it was necessary. A leader had to keep the peace and make the hard decisions. Your own ideals could not come before the masses. That would be selfish. If he said this, some might agree, but others would surely shun him. They thought that girls could not do anything but please men and yield young, but were there not healers and harpers and weavers? Fakir knew it was hard for everyone, but he was certain that it was harder for T'ran.

[fauxfox]

It seemed that after all the drama of those few Impressions and the green being escorted from the sands there was to be another lull. The gold seemed to be taking her sweet time in working free of her eggshell prison – the future Queen’s prerogative, he supposed – the hatchlings still on the Sands were apparently content to soak up the early morning rays rather than find their future riders, and the green was conducting her very own headcount… or something. From the patient way she’d chipped her egg to convenient pieces before emerging, to her calculated scouring of the candidates (and indeed, spectators) on offer, Aimry got the feeling she was not a dragon that was going to be rushed. Good for her, so long as something happened soon to take his mind off the searing heat. Sunrise had called an end to the relative coolness of night, and trapped in a crowded shell of an extinct volcano with heated sand creeping up through the floorboards, he could practically feel the temperature rising by the digit. He couldn’t even sit comfortably since every sneaky attempt he made to slouch would earn a cautionary frown from Josef, who wasn’t above returning to his old-school methods of making his apprentice sit pretty.

Reduced to fidgeting with the empty mug of water he’d been handed earlier he merely looked up when the green’s tail gave an unexpected thump, and looked around for the girl whose voice he heard. The only women nearby were similarly engaged in searching (as were the rest of the Stands for that matter) and it was only when one old man pointed and shouted at him of all people that Aimry thought to look in the dragon’s direction – and found himself staring directly into a pair of facetted eyes. “What? N-no…” he dropped the mug and heard it rolling benignly at his feet, his fingers moving to grip his seat, white-knuckled, as if to anchor himself there. Fumbling mentally to remember the voice he’d heard the apprentice felt a dawning sense of awful revelation as he replayed it, and struggled to comprehend. He wasn’t a candidate! He didn’t even want to Impress, was only there because a random and frankly miserable set of circumstances that he’d had no control over! This… this wasn’t fair.

“Oh, go between,” he practically snarled at Hallek when the galling man turned to ‘congratulate’ him, forgetting protocol or pretence in his defensive confusion. Finally daring to glance at his master, Aimry found him strangely calm, and the fact scared him more than if he’d been swearing like a sailor. “Is she…?” Josef raised an imperious eyebrow, and the boy looked slightly frantically to the brilliant green little dragon. “I’m sure she’s just confused. I’m not up for Impression. I’m not yours.” He stressed, directly to poor Genilth. Who said denial wasn’t an effective form of defence.

[stolenhart]

While the drama was going on at the stands, the Sands were an entirely different story. The ugly bronze was working his way slowly, but with an easy sure-footedness, through the group of boys. Then he bumped one and turned to look, and then gently nudged the boy again. I am Atizmath F'kir, your dragon, despite his ugly appearance there was a sense of maturity to the bronze and an underlying intelligence. He might be ugly but looks don't count in a world where actions make the dragon.

Now that all the visible Hatchlings had finally Impressed, the brown stood up, stretched loudly and moved towards the boys. This was a predatory brown, long and slim, he moved with a feline's easy grace despite the dragon's awkward shape. He didn't waste any time in picking a rider, Impressing the first boy that he came to, rubbing against the weyrling as if the dragon was indeed a feline. With Dianth's Impression there were no more unImpressed hatchlings on the Sands and only nine eggs left to finish Hatching.

Well eight if you count the fact that the gold finally made her appearance, falling rather clumsily out of her egg. She slowly climbed to her feet and shook herself, sending damp clumps of sand and egg go in several directions. A distinctly orange gold it was easy to see that she would fade to a true gold in adult hood while whirls and flashes of fiery orange and canary yellow would remain. Though she was slightly scrawny, as all Hatchlings are, she was rather pretty in very girlish way as she made her way towards the Stands, ignoring the girls that had been brought for her.

While the gold waltzed across the Sands, two more eggs quickly hatched. One released another green while the other added a blue to the tally. Both were large bulky Hatchlings and both moved towards the boys as if they had a significant purpose. It didn't take either one long and the twin calls of "Firnath" and "Likoth" rang out across the Sands. With those two Impressed and fifteen of the twenty-one eggs Hatched it seemed the event was slowly wearing down.

And then, in a quirk of fate, another bronze just suddenly appeared. Only his fractured egg shell at his feet evidence that his appearance was not magic. But in the midst of the oohs came a snicker of laughter. He was pink! Well not a bright true pink but in the morning sunlight th emetallic glints coming off his hide had a defininte rosy glow to them. He did not care though, he lifted his nose into the air and marched towards the boys. HIS would not care if he was pink and besides he was still a handsome bronze despite the unfortunate metallic highlights of his hide.

[Femisis]

The ugly Bronze was moving to find His rider after all, she thought idly as she watched the dragon over her shoulder. Though he wasn’t anything to look at, he was rather sure footed for a hatchling. When he bumped into one of the boys and apparently Impressed, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was something better on the inside than the outside. The feline Brown, as she’d come to think of him as, got up once the Bronze had Impressed and found his Own as well, rubbing against him… well, like a feline. A small pang of envy hit her for a moment, but it was gone in a flash along with her anger. She was finding it hard to stay angry while she was hot, tired and stressed and was looking forward to this whole thing being over.

She let out a small sigh when the Queen finally tumbled out of her egg before shaking egg goo all over the place. The blond had to admit that she was rather gorgeous, but who would she… “Son of a bitch.” She muttered, watching as the little Gold passed by every single girl gathered around her egg and headed. Couldn’t she at least have the decency to PRETEND to consider any of them?! “Faranth…” She shook her head as she watched the Queen go before turning back to the shards of her egg. Considering that it was mostly men in the stands with the exception of a few older women, the Gold was going to have RATHER slim pickings amongst them.

The oohing of the crowd made her turn back to the sands in time to see the newest Bronze, but he wasn’t COMPLETELY Bronze… He was pink. Well, tinged with pink, really. She kind of liked it, though it seemed as though few others did. Well, sucked for them. At least they were stuck here looking like an idiot.

[shouriko]

Suddenly the gold was free of her egg. She was such a strange sort of gold though, more orange than yellow, but she was clearly feminine. Fakir could see that from where he was. She certainly did catch your eye though, there was no denying that. So when she started to veer away from the gathered girls and towards the stands, everyone of course was watching. He was certain that at least one of the girls there was probably going to be upset, maybe even have a conniption. That might be a little funny to see considering how high and mighty some of them felt they were.

As he stood there watching the gold, a hand still on the leather strap attached to Ahiru, the bronze that had been dubbed the ugly and unlikely to live was up and about. In fact, he was meandering through the boys practically unnoticed. It was all thanks to the green and blue who hatch and impressed simultaneously. It happened so quickly that Fakir was having a suddenly hard time keeping up. Out by the eggs another bronze hatched and he snorted as he attempted to hold in his laughter, he was not a very masculine bronze with that pink sheen to him. Fakir could not help smiling at this point, even though it was not a very wide one.

"Huh?" Fakir was bumped suddenly and he turned and looked down and as he did, his gray eyes went wide in surprise. It was the scraggily bronze!

Atizmath your dragon I am, you F'kir, my rider be. The bronze had unintentionally bumped into him, but unpon turning and meeting with the gray eyes of Fakir and was very pleased to find himself there now.

F'kir stared back at the bronze and his body condition. It did not seem to match with his personality, but he was still young. He had a lot of growing yet to do. It made sense that he was not all that he was meant to be since he had only just hatched. The smile he had widened and though he said it quietly, he said aloud, "Atizmath." Of all the dragons he could have impressed, he had impressed bronze.

Atizmath was walking beside Fakir as they headed in the direction that all the other dragons and newly made Weyrlings had gone. Young we are, much growth is there made to be. Change in time we will, you and I. The bronze commented as if he did not only knew, but fully understand everything F'kir had ever thought and thoughts and words of others who had been so sure that he was a failure as a dragon. There was confidence and maturity in this dragon and F'kir was happy for it.

[knight]

The Green Impressed to a girl. Guess there was no way to get around it, but still, it was a waste of a perfectly good dragonet. Besides, she could've pulled off being a good fighter, if it hadn't been for the fact that she Impressed to a girl.

T'ran left with the green and her new rider, returning rather rapidly. Tylar was among the few who glanced to see if the ship was really sailing. Females didn't deserve to ride fighting dragons - they were far too fragile to do any such thing.

The green who'd been eying the Stands Impressed to an Apprentice Harper. Well, that was interesting enough, but it still wasn't his issue. Tylar glanced towards the Stands as someone bellowed out "You there, 'Prentice Harper. Couldn't they keep their sharding mouths shut and let Tylar watch without bothering him?

Alright, finally something interesting was happening. Tylar eyed the newly Hatched Gold dragonet, though she refused to examine the female Candidates - instead she headed right for the Stands. Stands Impressions were popular these days, weren't they?

The ugly looking Bronze Impressed, and Tylar applauded absently. At least there wasn't any chance of him Impressing that, you know? After all, if he was going to Impress to a King, it should be to a good looking King, not an ugly scrap of a thing (even if he wasn't all that small).

The Brown got up from the Sands and began to wind his way towards the Candidates, Impressing rapidly. Tylar applauded for him and His as well, but he still wasn't paying them much attention. Instead, he was eying the eight remaining eggs.

A Green and a Blue Hatched rapidly, Impressing just as quickly. Six eggs left. This Hatching was moving quickly, from what he could see of it. Missing a large chunk of it had affected how he viewed it, but things were happening rapidly now. Impressions were moving faster and faster now that Rukbat was climbing slowly upwards.

Another Bronze Hatched at last. His egg shards rested at his feet, and the early morning rays sent off gleams off pink. Well, that wasn't too bad. At least he wasn't an ugly Bronze, even if there were streaks of pink in his hide. Not that bad for a Bronze. Tylar shrugged to himself as the Bronze lifted his nose into the air and moved towards the boys.

Five eggs left. Time was passing quickly now. Impressions were happening all around him. Wasn't that bad to watch, really, but Tylar was getting a sinking feeling in his stomach that was worry he refused to show. He might not Impress this time, or, and this was probably worse, he could Impress to a Green or something like that. Who would want that? Greens had very little prestige, really.

[stolenhart]

It would happen that just as the gold passed an egg, it rolled towards her, bumping her just a little bit, enough that she turned to see what it was that hit her. A brown Hatchling, half her size, plopped out of the egg and landed at her feet. With a quick bound, the brown shot to his feet and the two hatchlings proceeded to mirror each other for a couple minutes, moving in a circle until both were pointed in opposite directions. The gold smoothly got her neck around the brown and was off, but this time she was moving towards the assembled gold candidates. And her pace picked up as she seemed to spot the girl she wanted.

Meanwhile the brown headed for the boys only to be cut off by the pink bronze. This brown couldn't help it, he gave a snort of laughter for his larger brother and was tapped on the head with a wing joint for his trouble. Immediatly the brown lept to his defense, falling back because despite his tenacity he was very small for his size. Mine, Your Taveneth needs you to defeat this brute, the brown called to Tylar for help. While in return the bronze bugled out, Your Imperioth requests you remove this algae eater from my presence, the bronze sent to Beyral. It seemed the two hatchlings had similar personalities which could create interesting conflicts in the future but for now were mostly harmless.

While the brown and the bronze paired off, the final four eggs hatched. A medium sized brown quickly found his rider, "Jilanth!", was his name apparently. A large burly blue found his among one of the drudges watching from the entrance, the stunned young man could barely get Vigayth out of his mouth. The final green, shot around the queen and quickly Impressed another candidate and with the name Rekalth still ringing across the Sands was escorted out. With only the final blue remaining the gold studied her choices.

She glanced from Arosia to Alowiha to Crescentia, eyes weighing each one as if she was deciding if they should live or die. For a moment all was still, then Alowiha straightened up. The Hatchling turned to regard her and then turned back to her rider, Anaelth is here. I am yours. "I'll play at the Feast tonight Crescentia", Alowiha said, a big smile on her face for her newly Impressed friend. Now that the gold had Impressed the final blue found his rider and with a muttered Ewapth, the Hatching was over.

[knight]

As the gold Queen pranced, an egg rolled towards her, revealing a Brown Hatchling. It took them a few minutes, but the brown managed to get the Gold circling back towards the female Candidates - perhaps that was his intention all along? Tylar didn't really care either way, it was merely entertaining to watch.

The Brown headed for the boys, only to be cut off by the Bronze. The Brown gave a snort of laughter, which was foolish on his part, as he was promptly whacked upside the head by the Bronze. Tylar applauded this move silently, rolling his eyes. A Brown shouldn't give himself airs to be better than a Bronze, especially a Brown as small as the Brown on the Sands.

Mine, Your Taveneth needs you to defeat this brute. Taveneth said it imperiously, glowering at the Bronze, who bugled for his rider. He is bigger than me, but he is not better than me.[/i]

The Brown’s words caught Tylar, well, T’lar, by surprise. Well, what did you expect? You provoked him.

I’ll have you know, Mine, that I am far better than any pink Bronze that ever walked Pern.[/i] Taveneth circled around the Bronze, aiming for His. He would take offense to this later, when His could actually take care of the Bronze that Bronze’s. Taveneth didn’t like either of them. They didn’t deserve to be considered better, not when he was the best there was. This offended him greatly, and besides, he was the greatest, Brown or not.

”Taveneth…” He mused. It was a regal name, wasn’t it? Also, it seemed to be a rule that you shouted out the name of your dragonet these days. Now, however, he needed a nickname for Taveneth. His name was a bit of a mouthful, after all. Taveneth… It took too long to say, maybe Tav would work. ”Tav.” he said aloud, considering it.

It was met with a vehement rejection. Nicknames are beneath me, Mine. I would appreciate if you didn’t shorten my name to make everything easy for you. Not everything is about you. Most of it is about me, or it will be, anyways.[/i]

T’lar chuckled to himself, patting Tav’s head, ”You can tell me not to you that all you want, I’m still calling you Tav. Taveneth in public, I can do, but I much prefer Tav.”

Oh really? Well, I don’t.[/i]

[Femisis]

It was fortunate that there weren’t many eggs left. Cresce was starting to feel woozy, probably from a lack of sleep and standing in the hot sands for so long. There may have been a bit of disappointment mingled in there, but she wouldn’t dwell on it. This wasn’t something she had much control over, if any, so it’d be a waste of time being upset over it. She cocked an eyebrow when the Queen knocked another egg over, a tiny Brown spilling from the shell to land at her feet. They then proceeded to mimic each other for a few minutes, matching each other move for move. It was rather comical to watch, though the Gold seemed to become bored of it and snaked around him to come back the way she came.

“At least look at us this time.” She muttered, massaging her forehead to attempt to dispel the headache that was rapidly forming. She managed to glance over at the Bronze and Brown who looked ready to duel to the death, but there wasn’t any fight, fortunately for them. Even as hatchlings they could kill each other or at least do serious harm. Hopefully their riders wouldn’t instigate any more fights. Once they were paired with their riders, the last four eggs hatched two blues, a Brown and a Green, three of which found their riders almost immediately.

The Queen was studying them intently and she couldn’t help but glance around at the other girls for a moment, giving Alowiha a gentle good luck nudge. She saw the other girl straighten up and was almost sure that Impression had been made before a voice pierced her mind.

Anaelth is here. I am yours.

Her legs felt like jell-o as she regarded the gold for a moment almost as though she was dreaming. Maybe she was. It was still early in the morning, after all… “It’s about time.” She finally managed to get out as she wrapped her arms around Anaelth’s neck to hug her tightly. This was all too surreal… “I was wondering where you were going.

That does not matter. She replied, thrumming happily . I am here now, and you should feed me. I’m hungry. The hatchling added dolefully, shifting to nudge her rider. VERY hungry.

“Sure, we can go get food.” She replied softly, still too stunned and feeling a bit sick to really REACT. It would hit her eventually, but not until she’d gotten some rest first. “Thanks, Alowiha.” She gave the other girl a small grin before practically screaming, “Her name is Anaelth!”

[Edward]

The hatching continued rather smoothly. The dragon that went to the stands finally found hers in one of the harpers. After that the brown that had been lying there finally got up and impressed rather quickly, after every other dragon on the sands had impressed, including the ugly bronze. To the first boy it came into contact with, actually. There was but a moment of calm before the gold then showed herself to the crowd and all the candidates. She didn't even give the girls on the sands a chance as she went straight to the stands. Beyral couldn't help but laugh in the inside, of course he wouldn't do it out loud. Not yet at least. While the gold took her time making her way across the sands two more eggs had hatched and impressed just as quickly. To a pair of twins, none the less, which shocked Beyral quite a bit to see. Beyral watched as the twins made it off the sands and back then focused back on the eggs.

Where once rested an egg, now stood a bronze. It was as if he had appeared from thin air, except for the egg pieces that were lying there to tell of his hatching. There was something off about the bronze, however, and what that happened to be was the pink that lingered on his hide. The bronze didn't seem to care at all, though, as it walked to the boys, nose in air.

Beyral wold take a second to see the progress of the gold and let out a small chuckle when an egg collided with her, lightly, and let out a brown that was about half of her size. The two seemed to copy each other for a while until the gold seemed to grow bored of it and by-pass the small nuisance. The next thing that happened would successfully grab Beyral's attention for the rest of the hatching since not much was left of it.

As the brown and the pink hided bronze made their ways to the males, their paths would cross and the brown would let out a laugh. What the brown didn't expect, however, was for the bronze to retaliate with an attack with his wing. The bronze would push the brown and a voice, which didn't feel to weird anymore to Beyral considering his family, would speak to him in his mind. Your Imperioth requests you remove this algae eater from my presence The words were big, and the dragon seemed like he could back them up if he had to as well.

A chuckle would escape the caramel eyed male as he spoke up. "Imperioth!" The name being spoken out loud, B'ral would respond to the bronze in his mind. 'Don't waste your time with a simple Brown. You have plenty of chances to show your superiority. Let's go and get you something to eat. I'm sure you are hungry.' B'ral waited and watched as he saw the brown move to his rider and Imperioth would watch the brown as well. You are correct. We all know that I am the better of the two. Their is no need for comparison. Will you feed me now--

The response of the bronze was phrased as if it was a question, but B'ral wasn't too sure if it was or not. Taking one last look around he would see that the gold had finally chosen. He looked at the female that hung around the neck of the gold. He would need to get to meet her. Eventually... Turning back around, B'ral would walk beside the bronze as they made their way over to get Imperioth some food. He had quite the name. Imperioth...