Clutch 38--Karaiment and Kurrerr/Rychwynth/Ghost

  Karaiment’s clutch was taking longer than usual to hatch; more like the hatchlings were taking their own sweet time. For Karaiment, that was far too long. It was already now getting cold and she didn’t want her kids to break shell while it was snowy. When at last all seemed lost and she was guarding a dead clutch, hope arose in the female black dragon and the urge to guard the seemingly lifeless eggs was very strong. Suddenly, during what seemed to be the last warm afternoon, a loud bugle was heard through the stone Weyr.
People surged to the sands. The candidates revived their joys at the hope of bonding and had to be held back a bit to keep from running straight to the clutch itself. When the candidates had aligned themselves on the sands, eggs violently rocking, an eagle flew into the ground. It perched itself on one of the seats and Karaiment recognized it as her bond when it shifted into the girl the dragon so loved.
A loud cheer let up when an egg hatched. It was a female black, just as dark as her mother but with white markings. She had ruby red eyes and she beheld a rather dark aura. The dragon child stepped up to the sea-monster shifter, Lochar. The man’s skin almost matched the color of the hide that was on the dragon in front of him. My name is Spirit, Lochar, she said, her voice completely level.
The man stared at the now silent black dragon. Her silence and aura fitted her color, to Lochar, which amused the man a bit. He couldn’t help the fact that the hatchling made him feel happy, but in the public facility he didn’t show his joy. “So it is, Spirit,” he said. The pair walked off the sands, allowing the other dragons to bond.
Almost on cue with the leave of the black female, a pure, markless white male hatched. He ran up to the daydreaming owl-shifter, Ines, bumping his shin. Stop dreaming now dear bond! Feed me! he cheered at the pigment-less male, his eyes holding the grey ones of his bond.
Ines smiled and crouched to be at eye level with the male. “Then I will, Eidolon,” he said.
Another egg rocked and bumped into another, making it hatch. Out of it spilled a white-grey female dragon. While she cleaned the goo off of herself, like her mother did the day she hatched, everyone’s attention turned to the egg out with the candidates. It split cleanly down the middle and spilled out a green furred dragon. “Manes?” it called towards the clutch as it rubbed goo off of its eyes so it could properly see.
The grey winged hatchling looked up from her cleaning and saw the dull green male. Yes, Cahnor? she replied.
“I can’t see a blasted thing!” cried Cahnor in distress.
The white hatchling sighed and walked across the sands. She tapped Cahnor and saw the lot of goo that had collected near his eyes. Grab my tail so you don’t run into anybody and we’ll get you cleaned up.
“But I want to be able to SEE!” protested Cahnor.
You will when you get cleaned up. Come on, I’m hungry! scolded Manes.
Sellae couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the hatchlings that had just left the sands. But her giggling subsided into a polite “What?” and then a gasp as she turned to find a pale blue dragoness asking what was so funny.
“Oh, it was the pair that just left!” she said to Etherealan. Etherealan giggled a bit and she urged Sellae towards the food.
As that pair left, three eggs hatched all at once, two revealing Kurrerr’s genes and one with Rychwynth’s. The biggest was a gold chrome female that glowed a faint blue. She scanned the candidates and then sighed, sitting back. I guess I’ll be staying here. Nobody looks too interesting. My name is Lethe by the way. Lethe walked off the sands, following her newborn nose to what she deemed would be food.
The other two dragons had already bounded forward to their bonded. The first to choose was a very intricately marked female. She had blue-white wings, blue-white points and was over all mostly green. B’noyeal! she yelled across the cavern. The blue dragon was watching an insect crawl up the stone wall of the cavern. His attention turned immediately to the green attacking him. Hey. It’s me, Mokele! the female said.
“Hello Mokele!” B’noyeal said to the younger dragon now attached to his tail.
The other dragon that had bonded was a blue chrome male. Cocytus had bounded up to Targai and said he was bonded to him and how hungry he was.
Two eggs hatched as the cavern fell silent again, a white-pointed red and a red chrome with rainbow ridges that glowed. The red pointed pounced on the red chrome and Krakenth and Achilles went off. A voice was heard as they rolled towards the wall. Krakenth! Get off! Why can’t we just go to Mindspace? At that the two had rolled into the wall, and were now bounding off to the kitchens.
Another egg broke and another white hatched, a male who seemed rather confused. Targai? he asked, touching the blue’s mind.
He stopped walking and despite Cocytus’ protest that he feed him, turned around to see the white sitting on the edge of the sands looking a little hurt. His dark blue eyes looking into his. I thought you were going to leave me, Targai. he said.
The blue walked up to the little dragon kit and picked him up with his paw. “I wouldn’t leave you, Waheela. I was going to feed Cocytus and come back.” At this answer the little dragon cheered and the trio continued for the kitchen.
After that event a red winged, white pointed blue sat on the sands. He seemed to have just popped out of nowhere, but the egg shells near objected to that. Who needs a bond? You know what? I’m staying here. Gonna find out what this is all about. And so you people don’t go off wondering who I am, my name is Ness, announced the dragon, his voice holding some formal tone as if he dignified himself without any reputation. He walked to the kitchen without another word.
As if racing to hatch, five eggs began rocking violently, each a different size and different mottling. The first to hatch was a white pointed brown. The brown was so pale it looked almost tan. Next was a black-brown winged brown, its hide so reddish it looked like mud made from red dirt, but it was dark enough to be called brown. The next two hatched simultaneously. One a solid black, the other such a dark blue it looked almost black, it’s wings a pale white. The last to hatch and first to do something other than clean himself was an orange chrome with rainbow ridges and glow.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m headed off to Starburst. My name is Charon.
The dark blue watched as Charon walked away, but immediately walked to Zhara, disregarding any and all other hopefuls trying to grab his attention. I know you are uncomfortable here. So am I. My name is Revenant, said the hatchling. Zhara simply nodded and followed his bond away from the crowd.
The tannish brown was a little more cheerful in her bonding, almost prancing up to the Yuatja mutt, Beca. I think hunting other is wrong too! I’m Onza, said the dragon.
“I completely agree with you child. Now I’m sure you must be hungry,” Beca said. Onza nodded and the two walked off.
The solid black looked around and found Kyrothen. Silence ensued as Wraith sat down in front of the man, the other dragon sitting there watching. Suddenly, Kyrothen and Wraith walked off the sands.
Labete, the other dragon, sat on the sands, tail curled neatly around her feet. I’m leaving with Midori, she announced, stepping away from the egg shells surrounding her.
Three more eggs hatched as two greens and a rainbow blue found the heat of the sand, all males. The second green, a chrome-rainbow found his father, Kurrerr. Dad, I’m going with you. My name is Castor.
Castor was cut off by another voice. And I’m Pollux, it said as the other green ran up to his father.
The other dragon left on the sands watched his brothers and then turned to the rest of the candidates. He walked up to a sponsor, Terithanirunoth, trying very hard to pronounce the name. Uh, yeah, can I go with you? he asked.
Terithanirunoth looked down. “Sure you can, Acheron.” The next eggs to hatch revealed a white female and a yellow-white male. Apparition ran up to the anthormorphic sting-ray, Kahdra, while the yellow Poltergeist found Tanjur, being careful of his ill-temper.
The last two eggs in the mound shook, very casually at first but later violently, enough to do harm to each other. A dark green dragoness burst from an egg. She moved away from the other egg and quickly found Sukiyomi. The very dark green walked up to the lambeosaurus shifter, her swamp-muck green hide contrasted by white markings on her eyes and neck. I’m Banshee. And right now I’d like to be fed, the hatchling informed the girl.
The girl bent down and touched Banshee. “Then I’ll feed you,” she said.
The final egg had stopped rocking now. A male brown with white points hatched. He was a chestnut brown, looking kind of like a horse. He sat down on the empty sands. Nobody’s here, he said. He didn’t sound hurt or frustrated. Just a little surprised. Well then, I’m going to Starburst! he said with great enthusiasm.
As he headed out to the kitchen he tripped on one of the shells. Falling over, his nose was driven right into the sand. He lifted his head to find one of the sponsors from Starburst come up and help him. Dusting off his nose he walked with them to get fed.
With the sand now empty and all the eggs hatched, Karaiment swept up the egg shells back into the mound to make clean-up easier for whoever did it after hatchings. “Fly, be free my children.” Karaiment sighed.
“Now I’m hungry. Dang it!” she said. Standing up she shook off the sand from her body and walked away. The girl she was bonded to followed close behind.