Hatchings

Zetaorionisth's steady hum echoed through the stone walls of the hatching cavern as her eggs began-at last-to hatch. She crooned as her mate, Black-Green Jasperth, joined her, standing beside her proudly. The candidates began to stream into the sands as the first egg cracked.
The egg was one of the larger ones, with a mottled creamy-brown shell, and it rocked back and forth roughly as a giant crack began to appear. With a sudden crash, it rocked wildly and slammed into another egg. Both hatchlings broke free of their shells and slid onto the warm sand.
The first of the hatchlings was a large, sturdy brown dragon. His half-splayed wings betrayed his two-tone nature-the sails were colored deep, inky black. He blinked idly and looked at his brother, a dark blue. The second hatchling climbed unsteadily to his feet and looked around at the candidates. With a creel of joy, the blue stumbled to one of the boys, and plopped down at Foster's feet. F'ster! F'ster, I'm here. It's me, Vheyth! Grinning, F'ster helped the hatchling to his feet, and they walked off to the kitchens.
The brown-black watched them leave, and then he blinked again, simply staring at the candidates. It was almost assumed that he would go unbonded-but no, finally he stood up and walked over to one of the candidates. He looked up at his chosen rider sedately, with an almost lazy expression. Chadim? I'm Deveth. The black-winged brown cocked his head to the side. Can we go eat now?
Chadim nodded at his new dragon. "Sure we can, Deveth."
Another egg began to wriggle, and all at once, the shell broke apart, leaving a bright-eyed green female sitting in the bottom half of the shell. She stood up shakily, tripping over her egg's shards and falling to the ground, but she didn't seem perturbed in the least. Hi! She said to no one in particular, looking over the candidates eagerly. She seemed to deflate a bit when she didn't find any girls she liked among the candidates. "Oh...I guess my bond's not here..." She spoke aloud in a disappointed voice. "Okay, I guess I'll go to Star Thief then, okay? My name's Onuyeth." And she walked off the sands alone.
Two more eggs hatched, leaving a bronze-winged silver and a large brown with coppery red-brown wings. The silver-bronze moved first, and he rushed straight over to Gabriel. "Gabriel? I'm sorry I took so long to hatch, all your friends have Impressed already...But I'm here now, and my name's Vith!"
Gabriel smiled, stroking the hatchling's head. "I think it was worth waiting for, Vith." He assured the dragon as they left to eat.
The brown-copper, meanwhile, was staring in fascination at the pet of one of the candidates. She was a reddish-gold, dragonlike creature with jewel-studded faerie wings. Whoah...What're you supposed to be? The hatchling asked, awe-struck.
Amberwind stared back at the hatchling, fluttering her wings as Jifanit noticed the dragon at his feet. "Feth?" He said, surprised.
The dragon perked up at the sound of his name, and responded cheerfully. Yep, that's me! Can we go eat now, Jifanit? I'm so hungry!
Feth's pleading tone made Jifanit smile, and he quickly agreed.
Another green hatched, this one a darker, forest green shade, rather than the grass green of her earlier sister. She looked over the candidates calmly, and when she saw the one she wanted, she strode over to him and looked up at Nylias imperiously. N'ias, there you are! Come, let's leave now, I'm getting hungry. She walked off to the kitchens, clearly expecting N'ias to follow her.
He grinned and shook his head wonderingly at the green's personality. "Whatever you say, Minath."
Three eggs hatched at once, leaving only two still rocking, though they too showed imminent signs of hatching. The three dragons that appeared were a bright blue male, a large copper, and a tiny, blue-winged black female. The female black-blue looked around shyly, and seeing no one who stood out to her, turned to her parents. "I'm Asheujerth. Umm, my rider's not here." She said quietly. "I guess I'll go to...Winya Yesteae? Is that right?" Her parents shrugged, and she took that as a yes and rushed off to the kitchen.
Her copper brother looked excited. You mean I don't have to bond? He asked, relieved. Good, I didn't like any of them, anyway. Anyway, I'm Nath. Can I go home to Shivran Aerd with you, Mother?
The Danachian Starry nodded, and he rushed off to the kitchens to fill his belly before leaving as the last of the trio stepped forward.
He was a plain blue, but large for his color, and he stepped forward confidently, stopping in front of Meery. Meery? I'm Devinth.
The next egg to hatch revealed a pure black hide. The dragon was slightly smaller than his brother Devinth, but disregarded the candidates disdainfully. With an arrogant expression, he turned to his parents. No mere human is good enough for me, Juth. I'll be at Kshau Protecterate. And he walked away from his perplexed parents.
Finally, the last egg cracked. A large, pale gold head appeared from the top of the egg, and the starry hatchling fought her way out of the tough shell. At last, she fell to the sand and climbed to her feet, spreading her gold-sailed wings for balance.
She spared hardly a glance at the candidates, but walked straight to one girl. Mondriel, however much she might have been expecting or hoping for it, looked astonished as she faced the high-ranking dragoness, staring up at her with a smirk. Mondriel, love, I'm Ukubith. What say we show them just what we can do together. Yes? She asked, glancing at her sire, who looked strangely disappointed.
Mondriel grinned in reply, and they went off together.
And the hatching was over. Zetaorionisth stretched, glad for the chance to get off the sands at last, and crooned a goodbye to Jasperth before heading to the kitchens to check on Nath. The stands had emptied as everyone dissipated to the Feast. The hatching sands lay empty now, except for broken eggshells-and one black dragoness, Eienpaia, who lay in a corner, curled around her own soon-to-hatch brood.