Hatchings

It was a bright, sunny day, and everything from the bright green grass to the budding trees and flowers practically shouted that spring had come. And a little after midday, Shteth's and Ditzth's clutches began to hatch.
The copper mother bugled proudly and announced the hatching to her rider, followed shortly by the queen's shriller whistle. Their mates' voices soon joined their own. The candidates were ushered onto the hatching sands as guests and spectators filled the stands. As usual, there were more eggs than there were candidates; several hatchlings would probably go unbonded.
The eggs wriggled and rocked a bit, and everyone waited. In fact, the clutches kept the crowds and the candidates waiting for almost an hour before they finally began to hatch, but when they did, they all did so at once.
With a crash, five dragons broke their shells. Five dragonets wandered around the Hatching Cavern, searching blindly for their bonds or, failing that, food.
The first dragon to decide was a large blue, who strode up to Mino and stared at the older man imperiously. Mino smirked down at the hatchling and chuckled. "Very well, Olysioth."
A small brown hatchling crept around and behind his mother, and the golden dragoness turned her head to see what he was doing. He crooned, and was answered with a reluctant creel as a dark green head appeared from the sand. Don't worry, Shayeth, I'll protect you. The brown reassured his bond.
The green stood up and shook her wings out shyly, revealing their dark sunset membranes. Really, Polth? Okay then. The two hatchlings ignored everyone else and went to find their food. Shayeth stopped at the exit, and said, I think me 'n Polth are going to go to Starburst Weyr. Right, Polth? Her bondmate nodded, and they left.
The next two dragons to hatch were both Shteth's. One was a male silver, slightly larger than a brown, the other an average-sized green with red stripes on her legs, wings, tail and muzzle, like her sire.
The silver was first, and announced himself as Izuith. He would not bond, he decided, and would live at the Kshau Protectorate.
His red-striped sister paused, unsure. She wasn't sure she wanted to go unbonded, but she didn't see her bond anywhere.
Here I am, Sleath! The green jumped, turning to see a bright blue dragonet grinning up at her from the sand.
She hissed at her clutchmate. Nirath! Don't do that! You scared me.
The blue sat up sheepishly. I'm sorry, Sleath. I wanted to surprise you.
Sleath's eyes softened. Well, alright then, I'll forgive you...Come on, let's eat, and then we can go to Dragonwillow Weyr.
Nirath perked up happily at the mention of food. 'Kay.
Two more eggs hatched at once, one from each clutch. Shteth's bore a blue dragon with green siamese markings and green wings; Ditzth's hatched into a green hatchling bearing gray markings on her hide similiar to her father. The blue-green siamese declared himself as Dynhatenth, and the gray-marked green called herself Shafth. Unaminously, they both decided to go to Enzan Shi.
The next two dragons to hatch were both Shteth's, and both greens. One was a dark forest color, the other a lighter yellow-green shade. Simultaneously, they both spread their wings-revealing the two-toned membranes.
The dark green, with brown fading to green wingsails, declared herself as a green green-brown and trotted over to the candidates. The male candidates.
She halted in front of a young man named Digitalis, he raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the hatchling and smirked. "Are you sure, Skelath?"
Skelath crooned an answer, and the man laughed. "Alright then, food it is." He said as he led his bond away.
The other green, with gold and green wingsails, watched her sister bond, before trotting over to the candidates herself. She gazed up lovingly at Daisy, who gasped in shock and delight. " Really, Aoxoth, me?" The green green-gold just crooned and butted her head against her rider's side impatiently. Daisy threw one last, reassuring look back at her husband and left with Aoxoth.
Two eggs rocked at once, and crashed into each other. The two dragons who spilled from the eggs stumbled to their feet dizzily. The smaller of the two was a gray-marked blue. The larger hatchling was a deep brown male.
The brown was first to move, shaking his head as he stood up. My name's Korath. He said. I'll go to Moire Ytiam.
His clutchmate watched him leave silently, and had to be goaded to speak up. Umm...My name's Vorth. He said shyly. I'll just go to Dragonwillow, if that's all right with you. When no one protested, he strolled off the sands after his siblings.
A dark green female broke her shell. She climbed out of her egg as two other hatchlings from Shteth's clutch did the same. A medium-sized copper male dropped to the sand while his blue-winged sister was still trying to struggle out of her egg. They joined in the center of the sands, and seemed to converse with themselves.
I'm going to Shivran Aerd on Mythicalae. The dark green announced.
The green-blue dragoness snorted in protest. No fair! I was going to go there. She complained.
Too bad, I spoke up first. The other green said, sticking her tongue out at her clutchsister as the green-blue hissed.
Umm, you know, we could just all go to Shivran Aerd...The male copper spoke up.
The green blinked. Oh. I suppose so...
Yay! Shivran Aerd, here we come! The green-blue cried happily as they all raced to the exit. They all had to be stopped before they could leave, however, to announce their names.
Oh, right. I'm Movuth. The blue-winged green giggled.
Ildroth. The copper said sedately.
Hmmph. I'm Perth. The dark green said impatiently, and they all left.
Two eggs cracked open at the same time, but from opposite sides of the sands. From one came a dark blue hatchling, the other a lighter blue dragon with white stripes like his sire. The lighter blue shook the sand from his hide, and looked around at the candidates. Apparently finging none worthy, he spoke up for all to hear. I am Vienth. I won't bond here, so I shall go to Moire Ytiam. He stated.
The dark blue watched him leave, then spoke up himself. And I am Doorroth. I, too, will go unbonded. I will make my home at Kshau Proctectorate. He flicked his tail, spraying sand over the remaining eggs, as he left.
A gray-marked brown climbed out of the sand and looked around. Not finding what he was looking for, he sat down and waited as his clutchmate hatched. A red and white muzzle appeared at the top of the egg, followed by a bright green head. The red-white striped dragonet climbed her way painstakingly from the shell and dropped to the ground.
This beauty did not hesitate as her clutchmate did, but raced straight to the bear-shifter, Solange. Do you think my stripes look pretty, Solange? The dragon asked her shyly.
Solange smiled and rubbed the hatchling's head, who crooned delightedly. "I think you look beautiful, Eusyscth." She reassured her bond.
Satisfied, Eusyscth crowed impatiently and hurried her rider away to feed.
The gray-brown dragon had watched this silently, and looked again towards the remaining candidates. Huh. Well, if no one seems to want me, then I guess I'll take myself off to Moire Ytiam. The brown grumbled. He stopped at the exit and craned his head backward to look at the crowd. Oh, by the way. My name's Olivardith. He said sullenly, and trotted out.
An egg seemed to be hiding in the shadows, but attention was drawn to it as it began to rock more furiously than its remaining siblings. Finally, it broke and shattered. A dark blue form stepped out, and when it spread its wings, they were almost black. Almost, because they rippled with dark blues and reds and purples and greens, in a beautiful dark rainbow.
The hatchling looked around, caught sight of the one he wanted, and strode smoothly over to one of the candidates. The hatchling looked up into Osheon's startled eyes, and seemed to smile. I believe you'll do, O'sheon. My name is Cejaeth. I think I'll be called a blue-night. The hatchling's eyes sparkled amusedly as he awaited the boy's answer. O'sheon smiled, reaching his hand down to scratch Cejaeth's head and eyeridges. "Well, then, Cejaeth. Let's get you some food, then, shall we?"
The blue-night snorted smugly. Yes, I think you'll do just fine. He said as he followed his rider off the sands.
Two more of Ditzth's eggs hatched, spilling a blue dragon with sunset wings onto the sands, followed closely by his bright green sister. The hatchlings turned, not to the candidates, but to each other, and crooned. Well, Cynnath, where would you like to live? The blue-sunset asked his sister and, quite obviously now, his bond.
The green paused thoughtfully, but shrugged her wings noncommitedly. I don't care. Wherever you want to go, Kjedoreth. She said easily.
Well then, how about Draco's Inferno Weyr? Kjedoreth suggested quietly.
Cynnath crooned. That would be perfect, bondmine.
Draco's Inferno it is, then. Let's go eat. The blue-sunset said with amusement as they stood up. With Cynnath following close behind, they both left to find their meals.
The next dragon to hatch showed a light green hide marked with gray. Unlike her earlier sister, however, this one spread her wings, revealing their dark sunset hue. The gray-marked green-sunset looked around her haughtily, and quickly decided none of the candidates were good enough for her. I am called Cyth. I suppose I'll go to Kshau Protectorate. She grinned smugly and strode away to be fed.
There were only four eggs left now, and they all started wriggling at once, as if racing to see who would be first to hatch. It turned out to be one of Shteth's; a pair of brown paws appeared at the top of one egg, followed by a muzzle the same color. The main body of the hatchling, however, was blue. The siamese blue-brown struggled to his feet and shook himself off before trotting happily to the remaining candidates.
The blue-brown stopped suddenly, and looked up at Coet. Oh, there you are. I was looking for you, Coet. The hatchling said accusingly.
Coet just grinned at his bond. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Oedyth." Oedyth accepted the apology gracefully, and impatiently demanded his food.
Ditzth's last two eggs cracked at once, spilling two hissing hatchlings onto the sands, a growling brown and a much larger bronze with gray streaks. They stood hissing and growling at each other until their sire reprimanded them, and they strode off in opposite directions.
The bronze became a new novelty; the first bronze to bond a female rider. The gray-marked dragon strode over to Karamex and looked up at her imperiously. Well? He asked scathingly.
Karamex pursed her lips, though whether from anger or to keep from laughing, it was hard to tell. "Well what, Ktelth?" She shot back.
Aren't you going to get me my food? He asked sulkily. At Karamex's affirmative answer, he jumped up and hurried his rider off the sands.
The brown, meanwhile, had found Viento, and was spilling out all his larger sibling's faults to the slightly overwhelmed boy. Stupid, overgrown lizard, thinking he can boss everyone around just 'cause he's a bronze. I'm not scared of him, I could take him down, even if he is bigger!
V'to tried to placate the brown. "Slow down, Fauoth! You can take care of that later, can't you? Aren't you hungry?"
Fauoth paused, then allowed himself to be lead away. From a different exit than the one Karamex and Ktelth took.
The last egg shivered as cracks formed over its smooth surface. The shell split down the middle, and a brown, black, and white shape tumbled out of it. Polyas watched the dragon anxiously, not sure if it wanted him. The dragon looked up. Well, P'yas? Aren't you going to help? He asked plaintively.
P'yas grinned in relief. "Of course, Roculth, I'm coming." He rushed over to the hatchling and helped the dragon right himself. The dragon shook sand from his pearly white hide, and it seemed to stick to his legs and muzzle. On closer inspection, however, he had light brown siamese markings. His wings hung loosely on either side of his body, so it was easy to see their rich black membranes.
Roculth nodded in satifaction. That's better. What say we get some food now, P'yas?
P'yas grinned. "Gladly." He said as the last new rider pair of the day left the hatching sands.
Both clutchmothers stood up and stretched, relieved to be getting off the sands at last. They crooned and nuzzled their mates affectionately, and joined their riders as the stands emptied in anticipation of the feast.