Xanadu Weyr - Observation Level
Dark blue seats form a semi-circle around the sands below, the lowest row separating from the sands themselves by merely a railing. The seats climb upwards, each row a bit higher then the previous, and they are broken up into sections by 3 sets of staircases. Lights are evenly spaced along the outer wall, lighting the seats and the sands easily, though they tend to be dimmed unless a major event is taking place. A large balcony looms overhead, darkening some of the seats, providing a place for observers of the draconic kind to watch without obstructing the view for others.
When one looks over the railing, the oddly hued sand below can be seen easily, the circle-shaped area of the sands spread out to the far walls, the sand itself a unique mixture of red and white grains.
M'nol is a late arrival to the observation level, and judging by his damp hair he was washing when Faraeth told him the eggs were stirring. He glances around, then finds a quick seat near someone familiar.
No sooner than the call had gone out than a certain greenrider, her self-chosen ward, and her ward's mentor were gathered up and dragged off to Xanadu. While Allochkath watches from wherever dragons can observe, Lyuba, Galina, and an old senior Journeyman Healer by the name of Grigoriy are now parked at one of the lowest tiers of the observational level. The girl is flat-mouthed and staring blankly out at the sands with a journal in her lap, while Lyuba speaks to her in low tones. Periodically, the gravel-growl of Grigoriy can be heard, but only intermittently and always, always with a question attached that goes unanswered by either of them. The fact that it's the middle of the night — or early morning, depending on one's view — doesn't matter … it's clear that none of them seem to keep 'normal' schedules in the slightest: they're just too darned bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, so to speak.
From the sands, Candidates, freshly roused from slumber, trail in after the Weyrling staff. Some are skittering nervously, while others seem calm and collected. There's a little bit of everything presented in the range of candidates. Though as they enter, one by one they bow to Seryth and Zaqalekhth, showing their respects.
From the sands, Avani pauses at the edge of the Sands, her gaze sweeping the rows of seats above until her mud-green eyes settle upon the Lord of Sea Foam Hold and his Lady. She also spots one of the many suitors her Father paraded her before seated beside Chin. It's only when Thor appears before the group, his overly bright hide easily visible from the distance, that she breaks out of the semi-trance and steps onto the Sands. Breaking from tradition, she lifts her chin and first offers her Father and his entourage a respectful curtsey before turning to offer the Sire and Dam deeper curtseys and then turning the same greeting to their Lifemates. As Seryth is between the entrance and the Clutch, she stays there with the others, resisting the urge to start shifting her weight just yet.
From the sands, Satoris does not appear to mind Natishen coming up to his side at all. In fact, he thrusts a hand out towards the boy to give him something else to hold onto. Sat has done this before, but it doesn't make it any less nervewracking. Once they're upon the Sands, he makes sure to slow up and stop along with the others- especially with Seryth there in their way. He bows to her, making sure Nat does the same beside him, but waits.
From the sands, It is before dawn in Xanadu and while there might be some folks up and about, it's too early for most people. Stirring in the hatching arena heralds activity as some of the eggs begin rocking and Seryth begins humming, the news spreading to the other dragons and rousing her rider and the weyr - at least in part - in the process. Those that decide to throw on some clothes and head to watch do so, while others may simply cover their heads with pillows to drown out the noise in search of a little more sleep. In the candidate barracks, the AWLMs awaken candidates and hustle them into their robes. In the weyrbarn Thea rolls out of bed after nudging the sleeping D'had to let him know the eggs are hatching, dresses hastily and sprints to the arena half-awake without waiting for him. The Weyrsecond can make it there at his own pace. He knows how to find it.
Seryth has moved between the eggs and the approaching Candidates, her head lowered to almost touch the sands. Oh, she's not growling or anything, she's simply blocking the way by looming. Thea arrives slightly winded, moves past the group to the young queen's side. "Come on, Seryth, you do this every time. Move back."
From the sands, Timeless Monolith Egg shivers uncontrollably in its bed of sand, sending minute grains trickling downward away from its monolithic sides. The gleam of lights in the hatching arena catches on the glow of sunlight peeking from between twin arms of gray, hope for a new dawn coming, anticipation of the egg's shell cracking.
From the sands, The Face of Time Egg bides its time, waiting for just the right moment to act.
From the sands, Jessamin stops short at the edge of the Sands, closing her eyes tightly. So many times, what would happen now? But, thankfully, experience compels her steps, with a graceful bow to Seryth and Zaqalekhth, and something of a smile. "Thank you for allowing us on the Sands," she offers to dam, sire, and their lifemates. When the others have taken their place in a loose semi-circle on the searing sands, she takes hers, close by to the entrance, to watch… and wait.
From the sands, Rished is with the others, though he inevitably finds his way somewhere near Norela, Avani, and a few others who are a bit more familiar than the others are after he pays his respects as is due. He's quiet, fidgety, and all in all as awkward as one can expect for a lad out for his first time. Of course, with the dam in the way, all he can do is stare, gape-mouthed, for a long moment before muttering, "… is that, uh, normal?"
From the sands, It takes Thea several moments of locking wills with the young queen to get her to move out of the way. When the gold does slink off to one side, she doesn't go far. She lowers herself to a couch as though ready to spring at them, fixing suspicious yellowed eyes upon the Candidates.
From the sands, The Haunted Maze Egg shimmies in its pile of sand, causing it to settle lower amidst the red and white grains. It quivers for several long moments before it finally stills again, no further signs of life evident.
From the sands, Rio is on the sands before he really knows what's going on, bowing and standing with his fellow candidates. He can't see the eggs yet; Seryth is protecting her wobbling clutch of eggs. He's one of them that are calm He yawns briefly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and raises his hands to briefly smooth his hair, before standing properly. Now he's awake! And staying away from Seryth, too.
From the sands, Tay gets the candidates out to where they should be before stepping back out of the way to wait and watch.
From the sands, Osric stumbles onto the sands, not quite awake, but not asleep enough to be unaware of his surroundings. His bow to sire and dam is slightly wobbly, but he soon finds a place int he group next to Avani. A quiet, "G'luck." is mumbled as he blinks some more, trying to clear the last of the fuzziness from his head.
From the sands, Zaqalekhth, for his part, is less than pleased. It's not that he's not happy that his children will enter the world, oh no … but it's that they have to choose one of /them/ that has his figurative hackles raised. As the candidates filter onto the sands, he lifts his voice in a deep bellow of challenge, rocks back on his haunches and flares his wings, red-rimmed eyes whirling rapidly. He is, of course, where he always is … but his form is perhaps all the more imposing for it. By contrast, M'gaal's just … there, hanging back on the platform and watching, arms folded over his chest. From the distancing of his eyes, one can only guess he's there to hold the bronze in check, rather than enjoy the proceedings.
From the sands, Natishen's fingers wrap tightly around Satoris' offered hand, his eyes flickering up towards the older man, his expression a mix of gratitude and anxiety. And, indeed, he almost misses the cue to bow, until that timely reminder from his friend sends him into a stuttering bow that undoubtedly looks comical. However, the boy finds nothing funny right now - still sleep-mazed, he makes each motion automatically, still trying to get a grasp on exactly what's happening.
From the sands, The Faded But Not Forgotten Egg does not appear to move at all, except for a single twitch… But that was hardly there. Not really a movement at all, actually.
From the sands, Timeless Monolith Egg continues to tremble, amps up trembling into outright rocking. Suddenly the mounded sand gives way around the base of the monolith and the egg goes hurtling downslope, tumbling and turning, seemingly uncontrollably before coming to a sudden stop in a slight dip on the sands' surface. Cracks form a fine network all along the incipient dawn, framed between arms of gray.
Jess' appearance is enough to make M'nol sit up straighter, murmuring quietly under his breath, "C'mon Jessa. You can do it."
From the sands, The Haunted Maze Egg gets back into the groove of things, shaking harder as thin cracks begin to connect the dots along its inky shell. It shakes and quakes longer than the last time, but the hatchling within has to pause to rest once more.
From the sands, Timeless Monolith Egg rocks back and forth, frenzied motions speaking to the need for release, for exit. Finally the shell gives away, and a smooth brown head pops out, like a gopher peeking aboveground for predators and bright eyes open, looking to and fro at this new world outside the egg, all laid out for him to explore.
From the sands, Jessamin does take a step backwards at the challenge of dam and sire, but only one. Otherwise, she holds her ground, determined to see this through till the last egg hatches.
| Tripping Through the Rift Brown Hatchling |
| Faded and frayed, this dragonet looks like he may as well be wearing someone's old and cast off overcoat. Bright intelligent eyes sit close together in his face, skipping from sight to sight with keen interest. Built on long, lean lines, his body seems almost too lithe to support the wide wingsails that flutter gaily from dark spars, color paling to nearly invisible cream at the edges. Limbs are gangling but he moves with a strange, energetic grace on broad paws tipped with talons of fashioned brass. |
From the sands, Satoris keeps an eye upon Seryth, of course, but he moves with the others out onto the sands… though he keeps a slow pace in case Natishen needs it. "Just keep an eye out," he murmurs to the lad. "There have been accidents before… but it's rare."
From the sands, Pushing free of the rest of his shell with a roll of his shoulders, the Tripping the Rift Brown gets to his feet with a bounding motion and stands there for a moment, breathing, taking it all in, wide-eyed. A flip of wings dislodges trailing bits of shell and then his head snaps around, nostrils flaring like he's on the scent of something truly wonderful. Bounding eagerly forward like there's no time in the world but the present, he practically bowls over a tall young woman, with klah-dark skin and equally dark hair. Staring open-mouthed at first, Marta lifts a hand to run wonderingly along eyeridges, then bursts out laughing. "Oh yes, of course we'll go find out what this 'food' stuff is, Tennath. Straight away!" And off they go to figure out the world together.
From the sands, Phylicia enters in that line near Satoris and Natishen, though after bowing, her gaze trails momentarily to the stands, trying to find familiar faces. But the eggs demand attention and she's moving with the others further onto the sands as Seryth finally moves aside. There's a nervousness to her body as she waits, startling at the bronze's roar, and the brown, spilling forth from its egg.
From the sands, Avani jumps at Zaqalekhth's challenge and finally decides to settle her gaze on the Clutch as a brown hatches, she watches him, keeping near Rished and Osric if at all posible, though she brushes the former's hand with her own and she offers a gentle, "Good luck, everyone."
From the sands, Jessamin applauds the first hatchling and their lifemate, calling out her congratulations. Still, she looks a bit surprised, perhaps a bit dazed at how swiftly the choice was made. Would it be that way for all?
From the sands, Norela is off with a few other candidates as well, confusion marring her features. She hangs back a step or two, just watching and waiting with the rest of them. She rubs a bit of lingering sleep out of her eyes and, thus, misses the first hatching and Impression — gone in a blink of an eye, literally.
From the sands, Rio edges nearer Rished, Norela, and Avani as the eggs start to hatch…and as the clutchfather makes his challenge known. Uh, thanks, he's staying here. The brown appears, and Impresses immediately and he smiles. "Looks like this is going to go fast, eh?" He chuckles.
From the sands, Another few moment pass in which Thea manages to get Seryth to sink to her belly on the sand. The junior climbs up to sit on her folded forearms. Perhaps to keep the queen still.
From the sands, The Haunted Maze Egg finally gives up the ghost, a particularly stout blow from its occupant causing the shell to dissolve into an army of black and white fragments. Covered in egg goo and shards, the Patchwork Adventurer Green Hatchling is left to sprawl in the sands, stunned by her sudden freedom from the confines of her egg. Time to regroup and do some research before heading into the fray.
| Patchwork Adventurer Green Hatchling |
| At first glance this midsized green hatchling does not stand out among her breed, pear-colored and largely unremarkable in form. While her proportions are hardly ideal she is still streamlined, with smooth curves and planes adorning her gangly frame and bringing balance to the awkwardness of her shorter-than-average forelimbs. A closer look her, however, will reveal that her hide is not as plain as it seems, the soft pear hue crossed by pale tan lines on her shoulders and down her spine in neat stitches around each ridge. Further stitching traces the lines of her muscles down her legs and to the end of her tail, filling the shadows that crease her flesh. Her face is also subtly colored with a lichen-shaded blaze, which extends from the tip of her nose to frame her eyes and coat her headknobs. The end of her tail bears the last accent, with that soft lichen tone coating the forked tines from split to tip. |
From the sands, Osric's sleepiness fades completely as Zaqalekhth roars then the brown Impresses. His eyes widen, expression becoming one of shock as reality hits. "Are they all moving?" He looks around, trying to find the ones that he had admired from the galleries, gaze lingering on the newly hatched green.
From the sands, Tay ushers the new pair off the sands, settling them with food before heading back out to catch the attention of the next pair when the impression occurs.
From the sands, Rished blankly stares when the first egg hatches and Impresses almost immediately, his mouth opening, shutting, and then he manages an eventual, "Uh. that's … yeah. Fast." Yes, intelligent concurrence with Rio has occured. He'll just stand there like a lout, hands offered to be held if needed … but he's not taking any. And grabbing his hands might be bad, anyway; cold and clammy is not pleasant, ever.
From the sands, Jessamin looks as if she might step forward towards the hatchling, her brows furrowing with concern. But no… the young one must make the choice on their own. Thus it is that she clasps her hands together, watching, and waiting….
For Persis and Jaice, 'on time' doesn't exist. The two residents of Boll Hold stumble into the gallery and move through the people, trying to find a decent spot to watch, the Master Mind-Healer's voice low and one hand gesturing. "What about that young man you were supposed to come here with?" Persis asks quietly. "Put it out of your mind, dear. It was his choice to come here, or not. I've his word that he'll meet us at the transports before we go home, if it comes to it, but…" Jaice waves a hand at the thought and the points. "Look! Look down there!"
From the sands, Natishen doesn't seem inclined to linger - indeed, if anything, he urges Satoris to find a spot away from that brooding queen. "I've seen," he whispers to the miner, as his brain finally gives up the ghost of sleep and springs into overdrive. A movement catches his eye, and he reaches out with his free hand, beckoning towards Phylicia with a slightly manic smile. "Oh!" Attention caught, even as he continues to wait for the healer. "Oh, Satoris, didja see it?"
From the sands, Face of Time Egg slowly rolls to one side, bringing the odd markings across its surface to face toward the candidates.
From the sands, Patchwork Adventurer Green Hatchling shakes herself from head to tail, sending egg shards flying to ping off the nearest eggs. Free of this encumberment, she starts to stalk forward, whirling red eyes intent upon the candidates. Only a few feet from her egg, however, the pale green stumbles, nose-planting into the sands. She jerks herself upright with a shake of her head. Erm, let me try that again…
From the sands, Lady's Delight Egg sways gently as if caught by the strains of music unheard by the others around it. The movement increases, rocking at a faster tempo until with a slight hop it rolls against Beyond the Taboo Egg and becomes still once more.
From the sands, Satoris is slower than Natishen to get fully into awake mode and even then, he doesn't get hyper like some of them. Mildly wary, perhaps. But it's a balance to the younger boy's enthusiasm. "I saw it," he says, unable to contain a quiet chuckle.
From the sands, Jessamin shakes her head, taking a step backwards. It is not fear in her eyes, though, but glistening mist. "You can do it… I know you can do it…"
From the sands, Zaqalekhth isn't one to 'settle down', though he does furl his wings after a long moment. He remains on his haunches, however, his mouth agape and a low rattle escaping him instead of a traditional hum. It could be that he's incapable … or he's just that kind of unpleasant. And those candidates? Yes, he has an /eye/ on them. Two, in fact.
From the sands, Rio isn't really nervous, but is keeping on his toes, to avoid getting stepped on in the rush of dragonest looking for lifemates. He grins as the eggs start hatching, though…and chuckles a bit as the green faceplants. "Oopsie…" he breathes softly. He looks to his fellow candidates and smiles. In fact, it's a smile that stays on his face. He's never seen a hatching before, and the event itself is exciting. He seems to almost be bouncing in place.
From the sands, Osric winces as the green stumbles, taking a step closer to Avani without really realising it. He lifts a hand, rubbing at one of his eyes. A short pause, and then he rubs again, harder this time.
From the sands, Patchwork Adventurer Green Hatchling steadies herself, firmly planting each foot as she resumes her advance toward the candidates. The rattle from her father catches her attention, distracting the awkward green at just the wrong moment and sending her to her knees once more. With a put-upon creel, the green lumbers back to her feet and resumes her trek, determined to reach the bobbing sea of white things that call to her.
From the sands, Phylicia somehow notices Nash beckoning to her, and so she slides over that way. And apparently she's dragging Litze with her too, over to the other pair. "They're not wasting time, for sure." She notes. The young healer-girl may just be eating her heart - literally - as it beats in her throat, though outwardly she looks calm, minus the fine trembling of her limbs. And Nash might notice this as she actually reaches out for the boy's hand.
From the sands, Avani shakes her head slightly as her mud-green eyes move over the scene. No sooner is brown Tennath Hatched than he Impresses and a green takes his place upon the Sands. Avani wanders to a place on the Sands where she can watch and her back is to her Father. Those who were at the previous Hatching might remember that the spot she selects is the same were blood was split by a young, confused green.
From the sands, The Faded But Not Forgotten Egg shivers in anticipation, this time. And slowly, thin lines begin forming around the surface of the shell as if the egg can no longer contain the being inside.
From the sands, Jessamin stifles a soft chuckle, one hand coming up to hide her smile as she watches the little green make her way towards the Candidates. How adorable, this one! She spares a moment to glance away, distracted for just an instant as she looks at her fellow Candidates. "Good luck… all of you."
From the sands, Rished is already nervous; rattling dragons and fussy clutchdams just make it worse for the poor lad. He shuffles his feet uncertainly, mouth torn between smiling and frowning with concern for the green. A bit of squirming is had, but he otherwise /tries/ to put on a brave front. "Good luck," is mumbled through numb-feeling lips, but he remains quiet otherwise.
From the sands, A gentle swaying sends True Enlightenment Egg rocking from side to side. A low humming seems to come from the egg, almost as if the hatchling within the egg is chanting to itself as it prepares to escape the cage that holds it tight.
From the sands, The Faded But Not Forgotten Egg slowly, but surely begins to break. Each little crack grows larger until there is but a speck of freedom for the hatchling inside, one finger from the wing pokes through before the rest of the wing follows and bursts the egg open. It is free!
From the sands, Natishen's eyes flicker over the green, watching her warily even as he clearly admires her pale hide. "Hmm. Lookit her," he urges the pair standing beside him, his fingers now firmly nestled in both Candidates' palms. "She's kinda interesting." But his avid gaze can't stand still for long, and rather than lingering on that hatchling, his eyes are off again, searching out new sights in the cacophany.
From the sands, Rio nods to Phylicia's statement. "Yes, I noticed," he replies. "It's going pretty fast…so as long as nobody gets hurt, we should all be out of here in a few more minutes, eh?" He grins. He nods to Jessamin's statement. "Thank you," he offers to her softly, offering a wink. "Good luck, all."
| The Moral of the Story Brown Hatchling |
| Golden brown clearly describes the basic colors of this dragon, from the tip of his nose down to the tip of his forked tail, this color dominates with a fierce presence, but the dullness of this color makes one aware that he is not a bronze in disguise. Mode beige is the secondary color of this large fellow, twisting down his regal headknobs and along his spine in intricate patterns similar to cursive handwriting that continue along the joints of his wingsails. These wingsails are near translucent in color, giving the appearance of being able to see through them while closer inspection gives the faint impression of a featherlike pattern decorated neatly down each section that perfectly form into the shape of his wings. His presence is not one to be missed, large wings that can easily encompass anyone while his frame, even at his young age, is quite large. |
Amidst the hustle and bustle in the gallery, a low form has slipped in the back and around to the far side of the gallery. Tenebrous moves with what could be described as hesitance as he weaves through the people, taking only a quick glance over and down to the sands. He's satisfied with whatever catches his eye, and then he's drifting back and towards the rear, trying to stay out of the way. "Let this be over soon," he mutters to himself.
From the sands, Osric is distracted for a moment, using a fingernail to scratch along the line of his bottom eyelashes. Another few blinks and he tries to find his bearings again, what ever irritation there was there subdued for now. A glance to the side shows that not he has temporarily lost track of Avani, and he looks around completely missing the hatching of the brown in the process.
From the sands, The Moral of the Story Brown Hatchling settles himself upon the sands, watching the candidates with a mild interest for the moment, unmoving and unwavering in his examination of his surroundings. A foreleg is lifted and examined as well, curiously as he then again places it in the sands and plays with the shards of the egg remains. With a soft huff, he lifts himself again and remains unmoving.
From the sands, Norela glances over at Rio and the others, having clearly put aside any differences for the sake of this moment. The green hatchling is watched with curiosity and maybe a twinge of concern, but she's good about not looking as concerned as she probably should. Her arms cross over her chest and her feet shift … and, of course, those eggs and hatchlings are watched.
From the sands, Even when True Enlightenment Egg stills its swaying the humming continues, raising in volume before dropping off suddenly. For several moments the egg is utterly still, peaceful silence resides over it until several sharp staccato shoves from within have cracks forming and quickly riddling the shell with ease.
M'nol catches Tenebrous' voice, head turning with a slightly inquisitive look and a raised hand for the healer before his eyes are back on Jessa and the sands.
Galina is ambivalent to the hatching and oblivious to everything else, it would seem. The young woman occupies herself with some minor note-taking while the dragons Impress and eggs rock … but she is the silent one, flanked on either side by the two talking ones. Lyuba points at the green with a bit of excitement, but Grigoriy just grunts, shakes his head, and mutters something. There's a fervent shake of Lu's head, a flattening of her mouth, and a flat "No," that is barely audible to anyone nearby.
From the sands, Avani lifts her right hand as the green stumbles, but she does not move from her spot. Her gaze only moves from the poor creature to move over the newly hatched brown for but a moment before it moves back again.
From the sands, Lady's Delight Egg returns to the dance floor, its rhythmic back and forth a waltz that becomes a lively quick-step as if prompted by its very own orchestra. Large cracks begin forming in the shell - it can only take so much of this, after all! Claws emerge from inside to curve about the rifts in a cadenza that's perhaps not so unexpected.
From the sands, Jessamin is distracted anew by the hatching of the brown, her eyes going wide at the sight of the rather handsome young fellow. "Oh my…"
From the sands, Satoris chuckles softly in reply to Natishen, his shoulders rising and falling in a brief shrug. "Never had much interest in the greens… Always so flighty. Nice colors, though." He does soften the comment, gaze tracking those eggs that rattle about, as well as studying the brown that stumbles forth.
From the sands, Rio chuckles at the brown playing with the shards of the egg. "Heh…playful one, that," he notes with a smirk. Norela's glance is returned with a wink, and then he turns his attention to the moving eggs once more. Eagerness? Excitement? Yup. He wants to see what hatches from those eggs! The hatchlings are looked at carefully, hopefully they're both all right. The green looked like she was having trouble….
From the sands, Phylicia fixes Rio with a half-sour look. "You're awfully cheery about all of this." While she really is starting to turn into a bundle of nerves. The advancing pear green gets a non-descript look, as does the golden brown hatchling who seems to be steadying himself. Give her some time to get past the nerves, before she starts showing emotion again.
From the sands, The Moral of the Story Brown Hatchling turns his focus to the sands once more, moving forward with a slow amble. A glance up to the female candidates, curious and watching them from a distance before he turns his head to the male counterparts as well. He stops there, watching and waiting…
From the sands, Natishen actually makes a soft noise as the Faded egg hatches, eyes roaming over the now-freed brown. "Oh, I liked that egg," he murmurs, allowing his gaze to linger over the new dragonet in avid curiosity. He does not, however, forget himself, and his gaze soon flicks to pick out the green, carefully pinpointing her location as careful warnings penetrate through his anxiety and excitement. "I don't care what color they are - they're dragons."
From the sands, Patterns in Parchment Egg shudders against the sands, leaving a small impression around the shell as it wiggles about. A scraping sound comes dully from within as life tries to find a way through.
From the sands, Jessamin nods as Natishen's words prick at her ears, drawing her attention. "I know… I hope each of us Impresses, no matter the hide."
From the sands, Patchwork Adventurer Green Hatchling finally makes it across the sands to begin inspecting the candidates, moving quickly down the line. One after another they are dismissed, and the green grows more agitated by the minute as she continues along. But then one of the candidates catches her eye, drawing the green's attention, and she hurries over to the blond, pausing before her excitedly.
From the sands, With a triumphant cry it seems that the Patchwork Adventurer Green Hatchling has found its partner at last and impression is made!
From the sands, Rished blinks a bit at the next hatchling and tries to get a mental count going. "Two brown, a green … right? Or am I missing any-? Uh. Wait, it's …" no, he shakes his head, clearing his thoughts a bit. "No, that's, uh, right." Babbling to himself, of course, or to whatever candidate will listen. "They're all interesting," is added to the somewhat conversation, but he seems to have nothing more to say.
From the sands, In a burst of coppery shards True Enlightenment Egg dissolves in a mass of confetti like shards. The eggs breaking open is all that it should be, it is the hatchling that rises up that seems a little out of place for upon his face is a large piece of his shell that seems to hold warm eyes and a smiling mouth. For now he stands there, wings fanning out to allow the heat of the sands to dry them of the egg goo that clings to them as well as the rest of his well rounded body.
| Peaceful Enlightenment Bronze Hatchling |
| As if weathered by the turns, through sun and rain, season after season, the bronze hues upon this proudly build dragon's hide are tinged by a soft green patina, the cool tones seeming to add rather than detract. Rather than sharper corners, and pointy joints, the green hues seem to round out his form, adding bulk, a sense of pudginess as they cling to his hide. His rounded snout, colored like an old penny, slopes upwards, the color brightening at eyes and again at ridges before it pales, the patina of age claiming his neck with tinges of green and blue before deep brass covers it over wide-set shoulders and his barrel chest. Brass darkens further as it sweeps along his stomach, cast around heavy limbs, while oversized wings are proud visages of pure bronze, sails flecked with hints of gold and rusty brown. Dark ridges ride the slope of his back as it drifts into the sweeping drape of his tail - darkness and light coming together before ending in a clash of power upon the sharp edged spade. |
From the sands, Face of Time Egg decides the time is right and, with a sound akin to thunder, shatters into a multitude of fragments, baring Fastest Line of Blue Hatchling for all the world to see.
| Fastest Line of Blue Hatchling |
| This blue hatchling is vibrantly colored, bright as a cut sapphire. His is medium sized and well proportioned, with darker blue lines tracing across his wings. While he is stocky, his longs legs and tail balance him out, and his wings are slightly oversized to carry his larger torso. |
From the sands, Fastest Line of Blue Hatchling doesn't hesitate when he emerges from his egg. Without pause the blue charges across the sands, cutting around the eggs and shell fragments between him and his goal. With a squeal of excitement the blue bowls into a pair of candidates, knocking one boy to the side and hovering over the girl. A few moments later the girl raises her hands to touch the blue's face. "Yes, you did find me very quickly, Kadrenth," Caitlin says before standing up. "Here, let's get you fed."
From the sands, Osric's gaze jumps between brown, green, and candidates. Eyes only lingerin as the green seems to make her decision and lingers. An elbow is nudged at the candidate next to him, followed by a quick hiss of. "Who was it? Did you see?"
From the sands, Beyond the Taboo Egg quivers in rhythmic vibrations and then, as a ship might ride the gentle swells of an outgoing tide, it sways to and fro upon the sands, marking its passage from somnolence to awareness before settling into inactivity one again.
From the sands, Under the Sea Egg gives a little shake, a little shimmy, seeming to stand upon the waves of sand that make up the hatching grounds. And then, as if it was spotted, the movement ceases as the egg lies silent once more.
From the sands, Rio looks to Phylicia. "Why shouldn't I be?" he inquires, with a smile. "It's new life! And there are going to be new rider-dragon pairs!" Of course he's happy! It's a happy day! The green, as well as a blue, find their lifemates, and Rio smiles to the newly-made riders. "Congratulations!" He offers. The bronze appears then…and his eyes widen. "Oh…." It's a soft sound of awe.
From the sands, Jessamin turns to face the young green, stunned into silence and stillness. For a moment, she raises one hand to her left temple, tapping her head. Was she hearing things? No… no, it was real. "Ninkasith… of course." For the third and final time, she sinks to her knees on the Sands, tears of utter joy finally spilling over their banks as she wraps her arms around the neck of her lifemate. The seamstress now known as Jessa whispers softly, "Yes… let's go get you something to eat. And we'll never be apart again."
From the sands, Rished stares. "Wait, what." Questions? Out the window. The boy just doesn't have the mental capacity to articulate a question mark at this time. His brow furrows while he tries to track what dragonets went where and to whom, but it's a dizzying prospect at best and he just sucks in a breath, forcing himself to let it out slowly. "/Too/ fast," he grumps.
From the sands, Satoris looks this way and that as more dragons burst forth, almost losing track. He clears his throat a bit, noting to Natishen: "I forgot how… overwhelming it is," he says suddenly. And then the green Impresses and when he sees who it is, the former miner's features crack in a broad grin. "JESS! YES! I knew you could do it!" A pause and he laughs, "Now you're stuck here!"
M'nol's mouth slides open a little, then he grins broadly, hands slamming together, "JESSA! Congrats!" From beyond, there's a brassy bugle."
From the sands, Seryth trills at the blue hatchling as it emerges from its egg, her neck stretching to nudge at it with a whuffle of motherly pride. Mine! But it's charging away from her! Her mournful croon follows it. Come back!
From the sands, The Moral of the Story Brown Hatchling can wait no longer, it seems. There's an impatient sound that finally comes forth from the young hatchling and he takes sure steps forward, one foot before the other and finally he reaches who he seeks. With no hesitation as the brown steps before this young man and wraps his wings around his lifemate. There is a gentle croon, loving and comforting, that is loud enough for all to hear.
From the sands, With a triumphant cry it seems that the The Moral of the Story Brown Hatchling has found its partner at last and impression is made!
From the sands, Natishen hears the name ring out and cranes around his companions, trying to see who - and what - Impressed. "Oh, Jessamin," he whispers, lips curving in a smile for the sight of Candidate and hatchling together. He doesn't bellow his congratulations like Satoris - not that he'd be heard over the noise of the Hatching, in any case. "There's so many," he complains softly. "I can't keep up- oh, another?"
From the sands, Osric catches the name being called and grins, bending forward a little so that he can look along the line and call a "Congatulations Jess!" He's quick to straighten up at the snort from the brown hatchling, but the grin remains as he watches it stake its claim.
From the sands, Phylicia's sandal'd feet dance uneasily on the surface of the sands as the pear hued green passes multiple candidates by, before finally seeming to fix on Jessamin. That ginally earns a smile from Phy. "Congradulations, Jess." She calls out, before her attention is back on hatchlings. Chocolate eyes fix on that blue as it charges. She's gone just about hyper aware, though things are still so easily over-looked. Rio just gets another look, before her eyes flicker back to the stands. "It's a new life, is exactly it." Still nervous, it seems.
From the sands, Peaceful Enlightenment Bronze Hatchling gives a shake, a fairly impressive one at that, that sends his mask shard flinging off to land against one of the other unhatched eggs while egg goo flies this way and that. His eyes go first to his wandering siblings, allowing them to go about picking their candidate before he sets down towards the line of wavering white. His first steps are wobbly, his limbs unused to supporing his weight as he trudges through sand and shards only to encounter a female. While he has nothing against her, the bronze shakes his head and snorts..No not that one. Not her, she will not do which leaves him nothing to do but move onward.
From the sands, Rished finally catches up mentally and 'ohs', glancing over at Jessamin with a wide grin. "I knew it! At least you'll have a lot of friends to help you with her." He claps gently, once, and then finds his gaze tracking back over to the brown and … "Shells. Do they even take a moment to /breathe/?"
From the sands, Tay waves to the new pair. "This way." she calls, arms going this way and that, tryig to get herself heard above the noise.
From the sands, Avani while completely lost in the chaos has at least managed not to get injured so far, which is impressive in its own right. She watches the Hatchlings move about, seperated from any Candidates she knows personally except for young Jammar who stand nearly, watching the bronze attentively.
With things happening so rapidly below, Tenebrous all but creeps up to the edge of the railing again, scanning the sands below with a keen eye in the dimness of predawn. M'nol gets a glance and a nod if the brownrider is still looking his way, but other than that, he says nothing, his lips a flat line beneath his hood. His gaze seeks one face out, and then another before he whispers, "Your children move swiftly, mother…" Then he's drifting back from the rail again.
From the sands, Without fanfare, Lady's Delight Egg finally shatters under the pressure of those claws revealing the dainty dancer within to a final encore across the stage of the sands. The egg's finale is left unheeded as the remnants of it are left to be trodden underfoot by others.
| Jazz Dancer Green Hatchling |
| Deep as the forest foliage, as sleek as a feline is this quiet little dragonet. Pine green coats a dainty head with low eyeridges, the hue deepening into a matte emerald that drapes over the rest of her with hints of gold and bronze upon her chest like sequins. Her wings are her crowning glory, glossy like the finest silk, pale like new leaves but as strong as iron. The rest of her body is that same matte emerald, it flows over trim hips and slender sides, long lean limbs and of course her tail and that flickering spade that caps it. |
From the sands, After moving up and down the line candidates, Jazz Dancer Green Hatchling gives a lyrical creel, looking to her dame and sire as she stands there unable to decide just which one will be the right one to complete her song and dance. She sets forth again, tail and hips swinging to her own tune as creels and warbles sound out loudly as she calls, calls and calls for her one her only, the one that will accompany her. A group of boys is passed on, as are a few girls until one steps out from between a set of boys. One older candidate tries to hold her back but Analita waves him off. "Jessiath your song is lovely but I think it would be better if we tried it together." There's a glad meeting of tearful candidate and joyful green, with both of them leaning into each other. "Come I can hear your stomach growling and I know they've got food right over there." The pair turn and head off to join the others with a song now being sung in their hearts and heads.
From the sands, Rio smiles broadly as Jessa and her new lifemate begin their lives together. "THAT is why I'm happy," he notes to Phylicia with a triumphant smile. And then…something inside his head makes him pause. "Wha…?" He looks, to find a pair of brown wings around him, and draws in a breath. His gaze turns, to find the brown's wings around him. He blinks, raising a hand as if in disbelief, to touch the brown's hide. Sight and sound are gone for a moment, and then he blinks once more. "Wh…wha…Neroth?" he murmurs softly. And then he wraps his arms around the dragonet's neck. It's a moment before he moves. "Ah…r-right. Food. Come on, we'll get you nice and fed…."
From the sands, Satoris shakes his head slightly at Natishen, just barely catching that blue Impress. "It's difficult to. It's all so quick." And then there's a brown Impressing and he grins broadly in Rio's direction. "That's a good match," he states firmly. Not as excited about Jessamin's Impression, but that's quite likely because he's been left behind with her, so can only imagine how wonderful that was.
From the sands, Patterns in Parchment Egg moves abruptly, tipping over onto one side and rolling for a few feet before finally getting caught against the remains of an already hatched egg. The movement and sudden stop seems enough to cause a rift in the shell, the life within straining to be free.
From the sands, Norela continues her shuffling, gaze flicking from one candidate to the next and offering congratulations as they're due. Yes, even Rio gets a congratulations, though it's likely lost in the noise from the others.
From the sands, Beyond the Taboo Egg grows restless, shuddering until the stone-faced shell crackles, a myriad webbed pattern of spreading vines that encircle it. The egg appears to breathe as an unseen force from within pushes at the boundaries of its confinement.
M'nol doesn't miss Teenbrous' approach and retreat. Still, he doesn't really know what to say to the man, either, so his eyes stray back to the sands
From the sands, Osric stops grinning like an idiot long enough to call "Congratulations" to Rio. His gaze flicks to the bronze, to the eggs, to the other candidates. Trying to keep track of everything and failing to really pay attention to anything.
From the sands, Natishen's eyes sparkle in joy as he watches the goings on. Oh yes, he's watching hatchlings, but its clear that there's too much activity for his young brain to process. "Rio! Look, he got a brown!" Fingers tighten briefly about those of his companion as he sways on his feet. "An' that pretty green, she just Impressed. Where's that bronze? Didn't I see a bronze earlier?"
Lyuba, on some fey impulse, casts a glance back and spots a quasi-familiar figure. Her features knit a bit, concern emerging, but then she's shrugging it off. A hand is lifted as if to signal him, but it seems she intends to say nothing at all — not even to the studious young woman beside her, who is continuing her strange note-taking. Tenebrous, unfortunately, is also spotted by Grigoriy, who just furrows his brows and nudges his spectacles further up his nose.
From the sands, Inscribed in Stone Egg gives a sudden little shake and a quiver, the pale markings upon the shell seeming to dance in motion — the wings of the stick dragon almost seems to flutter in the heat of the sands. And then as quickly as it moved, the egg lies still, content to wait and rest.
From the sands, The Left Behind Steps Egg wobble wobbles, moving in its own beat. But, there's nothing besides a gentle wobble.
From the sands, Avani blinks, only spotting Rio as he reappears from within the brown's wings. "Congratulations!" is called, though not overly loudly as her attention is taken by attempting to keep track of the Hatchlings.
From the sands, the Sea Egg has suddenly cracked, the persistent force inside pushing against the barrier, pushing past the known constraints of the world, taking the dare to find out what's beyond.
From the sands, Phylicia takes in Rio impressing to the honeyed brown, another smile working upon her face. "As you should be. Congradulations." But the fact that her fellows are getting chosen left and right doesn't help her own nerves anymore, as Natishen's hand gets a firm squeeze.
From the sands, Jessamin looks dazed and surprised and overjoyed all at once, getting to her feet with Ninkasith at her side. Casting her glance about the Sands, she looks to Tay, with a distince 'what do I do now' expression. Oh dear!
From the sands, Satoris can only laugh softly at Natishen's excitement, squeezing his hand in response. "He's still over there," he offers, pointing out where the wandering bronze is. But then he's distracted by a few more eggs wobbling. "It's like a huge surprise party, not knowing what gift each package will reveal."
From the sands, Rished continues with the boggled looking-at-everything thing. But, when he spots Rio and his Impression, there's a laugh and a called, "Congratulations!" to him … even though he's kinda, sorta, nearby. There's a blink at the other eggs and hatchlings, his eyes slowly catching onto the bronze and then to he wobbling of other eggs. "… wow. Wow. This is-" he won't say it. Fast has been abused enough.
Cenlia.. was awake! And late, but she doesn't seem too hurried. The gardener's face has not been seen in Xanadu in some time. The girl comes wandering into the observation level, the activity having drawn her from whatever beachside adventure she'd been on during her short visit back, along with greenrider B'miel who's just sober enough to steer them to seats. With a bottle of booze in one hand and a boozecake in another. Aaand she's drunk. And limping. That huge scar on her leg is perhaps a clue, visible because the girl is quite definitely without pants. Ahem. The gardener girl's wearing a long, loose shirt, at least, though it's likely not quite adequate as she limps right up to the railing and peers over. Whee.
From the sands, Peaceful Enlightenment Bronze Hatchling moves onward, searching, searching, step by step he goes along towards finding that perfect fit to what he has in mind. This male and that are ignored, girls end up with snorts and more as he flows on past. At the end of the line he pauses, turning about and offering a loud croon. Yes, he's sensed something that calls to the inner peace that needs one final connection to bring it all together. Towards a black haired candidate he goes, yes he's found it. MINE! His warble says as wings reach out to curl around the one he wants and will have in this life and the next.
From the sands, With a triumphant cry it seems that the Peaceful Enlightenment Bronze Hatchling has found its partner at last and impression is made!
From the sands, Inscribed in Stone Egg jolts into movement once more, the weathered rocky surface shuddering with motion before streaks appear, like fault lines in stone. There's another shudder, dark jagged lines intercepting each other now. Not even stone can last forever after all.
From the sands, Patterns in Parchment Egg seems to warp as pressure forces the shell in odd directions. Finally, one good push is all it seems to need before the tangled strands at the bottom of the egg give way. Pushing her way through the last remains of the dotted prison, a brilliant colored hatchling shakes herself free of lingering egg-goo.
| Phantom in a Clockwork Form Green Hatchling |
| Brilliant electric green courses over the form of this diminutive green dragon. Unusual touches of mint show prominently on her pointed muzzle, flowing down along the thin curve of her chest and belly. Compact, every part of this lady seems carefully built with no excess of muscle or sinew beyond the minimum of what is needed. Spots and lines of lime highlight the webbing between her wing spars, forming interconnected patterns against her bright hide. |
S'gam, figuring it's better late than never, sidles up into the stands, keeping quite well to himself, obviously tired judging by the bags under his eyes and the way he keeps rubbing at them… But he had promised himself that he'd make Thea's hatching, and so he has. A few of the nearby watchers are eyed, some with raised eyebrows (ahem, Cenlia), some with no expression at all, but in the end he chooses to keep his place along the far wall, hoping to play chameleon. Too cranky for interaction. Bah, humbug.
From the sands, Phantom in a Clockwork Shell Green Hatchling seems to hesitate, as if she were overwhelmed by the influx of sight and sound. Too much information. Whirling eyes look every-which-way as if trying to find some refuge in the tumult. As her head sweeps through the line of white-robed figures, she stops abruptly and seems to lock eyes even at a distance with a boy. Wait, why was he looking away from her? The green dragon doesn't seem to accept this silent dismissal, moving intently across the sands until she's right in front of Doravan. A single nudge to his legs is all that's needed. In one moment, he becomes D'rvan, and a hand comes down on to the green hatchling's head. "Oh. I wasn't ignoring you, Kinujinth. I just thought… Never mind. Let's get you something to eat."
From the sands, Beyond the Taboo Egg stirs once again as from within whisperings and mutterings of sound herald the advent of something that will wait no longer. The shell dissolves in a shower of shards that lie on the sands in a heap of jumbled scree finally revealing the one who seeks, the one who thirsts.
M'nol hears S'gam enter and raises a hand, "You missed it! Jessa impressed a green!"
From the sands, Tay says "Congratulation, congratulations." is called out again. "Come this way and we'll get you settled with food while we wait for the rest of the eggs to hatch and hatchlings to impress." The words seem well recited by now but Tay doesn't seem to mind. "Good looking bunch, I think this'll be a rather interesting class…yes one of my best.""
| Titan of the Elder World Blue Hatchling |
| Bruised nightshade, midnight's dusky cloak, enshrouds the lithe form of this sleekly-muscled blue dragon, casting the leathered hide in astral shadow. Moonless twilight, lent infinity's depth by the distance of veiled stars' iridescence, sweeps across narrow muzzle and down supple neck. The heavens mantle his broad chest and shoulders in dark indigo, trailing afar off galaxies across his flanks and haunches. The eclipsed fire of a dying sun touches the tip of each neckridge with carnelian, bleeding down to the tip of his long, slender tail. Upon his parchment wingsails a jade aurora shimmers with cyan, lending lucent warmth to the pallor upon the thin membranes stretched between stark wingbones of sapphire. Underbelly and corded sinews of his fore and hind legs deepen to cobalt tipped with ebon coralline claws - elegant, yet clothed in powerful grace. |
From the sands, Titan of the Elder World Blue Hatchling emerges from his confinement. He is here! He raises his head regally, surveying his suddenly-expanded world. One long look between sire and dam is all the interest he spares the larger dragons before he turns to study the candidates for a long, considering look. Yes! That one there. He knows exactly which one and thus begins his journey of a thousand miles with one step, then simply pauses to watch 'his chosen' from afar.
From the sands, Natishen has his question answered in the next beat, staring into the bronze's eyes. His own expression fades to peace, the hyperness draining from his body as he releases both Satoris and Phylicia, no longer needing to cling to his friends. As one hand goes out in automatic gesture to brush over the hatchling's eyeridges, he smiles, and tears track down his dark cheeks. "Yes, Taozyuth. We are one, forever and ever." He doesn't even notice the way his treble cracks into baratone, settling firmly in the latter. "Let's get you some food, my friend."
From the sands, Thea watches the bronze's progress with idle curiosity as he makes his way past the candidates. Who will it be? When it stops by the young Natishen she holds her breath, leaning forward just a little. Impression has her laughing softly with giddy delight.
From the sands, Mountain Citadel Egg trembles, an agitated rocking motion begins shaking the stones thereof as if the earth beneath them as it awakens from the deep sleep of winter to displace the snowbound heights with the kiss of spring. This last but a few moments before all movement abruptly stops as the egg freezes and becomes still once more. Perhaps it was only a spring thaw?
Tenebrous' hooded gaze snaps around suddenly, gray-blue eyes sifting thruogh the rapidly filling gallery. Something, apparantly, has caught his attention. For a moment, the commotion below is lost to him before he finally finds what he's looking for. A ghost of a smile treats his lips before he turns again, letting his eyes veil a little.
From the sands, Satoris blinks rapidly as Natishen releases his hand and looks over. There's a broad grin then, for the boy. "Congratulations, Natishen." He moves aside, so the lad has the room he needs.
From the sands, Phylicia snatches her hand away from Natishen as that bronze comes and claims the boy as his. She likes her hand attached to her body thanks. Her feet have her pacing both backwards and to the side as a wider smile is offered to Nash. "Congradulations to you too." She murmurs, probably not heard as now her free hand wraps around her waist, and she's left standing with both Litze and Satoris.
From the sands, Osric lets out a "Yes!" as Natishen Impresses, ducking his head almost immediately after to try to make it seem like it was someone else. His "Nice one Nash." is slightly quieter, but the grin returns almost immediately.
From the sands, Rished catches sight of the bronze and his Impression, tossing a bright grin off to the lad. "Hey! Good job!" There's no time for drawn out congratulations, however, not when one must keep an eye on the still-hatching dragons and the remaining eggs. He squints a little at what remains, his mouth drawn to a side slightly … and then to the other side, as he surveys the candidates that remain.
From the sands, The Left Behind Steps Egg wobbles once more and then, finally, cracks slowly down one side.
From the sands, Inscribed in Stone Egg is a rock no longer — already, shards of sandstone brown have flaked away, and larger pieces lie forgotten upon the sands beneath the egg. Indeed, the egg itself seems to crumble away beneath the onslaught of determined hatchling, the exotically marked blue flopping free with a creel of surprise soon followed by a hiss of hunger.
| Screams Amidst The Mountain Sky Blue Hatchling |
| Iridescent turquoise dominates the palest tint of emerald across wetly gleaming dragonhide — a sort of greenish-blue that envelopes the hatchling from a short muzzle to rather pointed headknobs and down a long lean neck to bulky shoulders and a deep keel-like breastbone. Somewhat short in limb, there is a leanness to the young body, of staying power and distance, blue though he might be. Striking perhaps, is the pattern of darker blue across the lower part of his neck, shoulders, back and wings - a hennaed pattern of streaks and marks that add a dynamic and exotic facade to a unearthly form. |
From the sands, Screams Amidst The Mountain Sky Blue Hatchling lets out another loud hiss, the sound nearly a scream of desperation and hunger, before he's swiveling his long neck towards the Candidates, and with a lurching croak, he shuffles towards them, tail lashing the air behind and wings half furled. Hunger drives him onwards, and he sniffs at the hem of one white robe before snorting and shuffling on. That lengthy tail lashes again, catching the shins of a young Weyrbrat from Ista. With a yelp, the boy nearly falls, almost — but not quite — atop the hatchling who hisses sharply at him. But then, the hisses turn to croons as the gazes of the boy and dragonet lock, and scrambling to right himself, Jammar reaches out to touch the blue-green nose of the young dragon. "Yes, Kranith." says he, "we shall get you fed, and someday, we shall fly together you and I."
S'gam doesn't pause to wonder just /how/ M'nol heard him over a raucous cavern of hatchlings, he just lifts and eyebrow and curves his mouth off to one side in what he hopes looks like a smile instead of a sleepy grimace. "Oh? Good for her." Someone's chosen to be a man of few words, eyes focusing over on the candidates instead, picking out a only one or two familiar faces.
Jaice glances around the room between the various impressions, finally spotting several people. First, Galina, and a wry little smile tugs onto his features. But she's apparantly well in hand, and so he starts to turn back to the sands below, only to spy that hooded journeyman. The smile fades to slight worry, but then there's more noise, and his head cranes over the rail. Was it his daughter?
From the sands, Norela offers up another congratulatory call, then yawns, lifting a hand to cover it quickly. Yup, still tired … but she's here, at least. And still shuffling away, as all good candidates ought to be doing if they don't want their feet to burn.
From the sands, Titan of the Elder World Blue Hatchling doesn't spare a look behind at the remnants of his egg. One always begins to forgive a place as soon as it's left behind, after all. His unwavering attention is still fixed upon the same candidate as he begins a slow, but sure stalking in that direction with belly low to the ground and tail twitch-twitching behind.
F'yr is there as well, somewhere in the crowd. After that night of boozing she vaguely recalls remembering the clutchsire of this current clutch, and it wasn't like she had anything better to do. "Don't fall over," comes Fy's voice as she weaves her way through and spots a certain gardener friend over there. Her blue eyes peer at the eggs that are left, having been there for some time and watching as the hatchlings Impressed. But she didn't know anyone, and therefore there was no one to congratulate.
From the sands, All is peaceful for a long moment, as the Under the Sea Egg suddenly falls still, simply floating upon the Sands of the Hatching Arena. And then, suddenly, the shell gives way and an orangey-brown hatchling is left upon the Sands, staring almost wide-eyed as his whole world is gone, and he faces a new, larger one.
| Explorer of the Seas Brown Hatchling |
| The bright, orange-brown hues of polished mahogany cling to the thickly built frame of this brown, coloring his long chest and his almost too-short neck. Flowing over each shortened forelimb and his curving belly, the same rich hues lay claim to his face, his shortened snout and stubby headknobs uniformly colored. Though fulvous begins to appear upon the fin-like ridges that trail down his back, the true change in coloration begins across wide shoulders, as the paler hue of ochre appears in wide swathes, framed by dark sienna, stripes wide and narrow trailing over sides and haunches, touching upon the smooth hide of his stomach, fading towards his tail until mahogany is once more the dominate, and only, hue by the tip. Heavy sienna spars stretch across his oversized wings, dark framework supporting mahogany sails before they fade into pale ochre at their trailing edges, the bright tones claiming every inch of his body bar the ebony talons that tip each limb. |
From the sands, Explorer of the Seas Brown Hatchling shakes his head a bit as he stands there, blinking at the sands, at his parents, and then at the right of white that seems to be gathered like a reef upon the Sands, signaling the edge of the arena. A soft snort, and then a hesitant step forward, and the orangey-brown begins to carry himself towards the candidates.
From the sands, Seryth shifts restlessly, jarring Thea where she's perched on her forearms. The goldrider tries to hang on and calm the queen at the same time, all while keeping an eye on what's going on out there on the sands.
X'hil isn't here. Nope. This person here, crouched up in the back, hiding, just happens to bear a /striking/ resemblance to the man, that's all. Of course, he's here to watch, so he's keeping an eye on the sands, and the galleries between him and them. Though, at the moment, it appears his eyes have fixed firmly on a visiting gardener. Cenlia. Is that Cenlia? What? …Where are Cenlia's /pants/? STARE. He also seems to be stammering and spluttering, "Guh, buh, whuh?" and starting to attract a little attention, possibly.
From the sands, As if pushed by a capricious breeze, Mountain Citadel Egg stirs . It's an uneasy movement as within a battle to free itself from the constraints of the shell begins. Cracks branch out across the shell to engulf the egg. Bare of leaves, they form stark patterns against the snow-touched stones and sky. Spring is coming!
Galina doesn't look back, of course, but when Lu bends to mutter something into her ear, a fluid creature of red-brown skitters out of Between some distance behind Tenebrous, and fans his wings, backwinging a bit to attempt a landing on the hooded one's shoulder. For her part, the young Healer continues her work, apparently uninterrupted.
From the sands, Avani offers Jammar a thin-lipped smile as he Impresses to his Kranith nearby, then she returns her gaze to the other Hatchlings. There are less about now, certainly, which is a mixed blessing at best.
M'nol has thankfully missed Cen's lack of pants thus far, focused instead on the candidates, known or unknown, and reliving, in that moment, the day he and Faraeth had met for the first time.
From the sands, Osric takes a quick step backwards as Jammar's blue comes a little too close at one point. With a slightly nervous chuckle he comments, "Don't realise how big even the little ones are until they're up close." but it seems this close encounter has finally knocked a little of the amusement out of him. Or perhaps he's just finally awake enough to realise the full danger.
From the sands, Rished blinks a bit at the latest hatchlings, especially that blue that popped out of one of the more unusual eggs. "Oh. Wow. Look-" he begins and then stops, catching himself before he starts pointing. "How many left?" he wonders absently of no one in particular — despite his counting and recounting, he seems to have trouble keeping track anyway.
From the sands, Titan of the Elder World Blue Hatchling stalks right up to the intended target, a young man with shaggy blond hair and mud-brown eyes, then raises himself from that crouch to sit primly in front of him. He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever and thus it is the silent question is asked of the boy. The answer is apparently satisfactory to the night-dark blue as the pair seems to come to an agreement.
From the sands, With a triumphant cry it seems that the Titan of the Elder World Blue Hatchling has found its partner at last and impression is made!
From the sands, Phylicia notes that creeping blue, and the healer-girl looks at it, making sure it isn't coming her way. She shifts against the heat of the sands again, though her calm facade broken only by smiles so far is starting to crack as her lips press together, her hand clutching a little tighter at her waist. "Just… be watchful." She notes to the candidates who might bother to listen to her.
From the sands, Satoris glances over towards Phylicia and gives her a brief smile before he looks back. He regards the dragons and frowns briefly, but his features smooth over again as he watches the blue and the brown that had just hatched.
From the sands, Explorer of the Seas Brown Hatchling draws closer with each step, stretching his neck out a little, as if trying to peer beyond the artificial barrier to the stands beyond. A bit of a snort as it becomes quite evident that there is a lot of world out there, he begins to shuffle backwards, stunned for a moment, before he begins to skirt along the ring of candidates, peering at them and between them with interest.
From the sands, Mountain Citadel Egg thaws at last as pieces of the shell melt from around the dragon within to rain down upon the sands in a puddle of shards. Bound by winter no longer, the hatchling sallies forth to conquer the unknown.
| Windborne Secrets Green Hatchling |
| Dark shadows, thick with foliage, steal across serpentine head and neck to slide down thick, strong shoulders. Tones of somber gayety relinquish to that of mischievous emerald along haunches and tail. Hide thick over her small yet muscular frame ending in gleaming claws, sharp as thorns, at toe tips. A hint of buttercup seeps though the smooth coloration of this young girl's hide, making its mark primarily across her toes. Following over her head and down her back comes a slight speckling of other shades of green-greys giving a slight mottled effect of sunlight through branches. |
From the sands, The Left Behind Steps Egg splits from that single crack and out from that crack the blue hatchling is revealed.
| The Original Score Blue Hatchling |
| Aqua blues and sea greens curl together in a light foamy pattern that dances along his spine and wings like the gentle waves of the ocean. He is a small size of blue, compared to his green clutch sisters. Wings are abnormally large on his small body, colored a deeper shade of blue than the rest of his body. |
From the sands, Avani watches as the last Egg Hatches and there remain three Hatchlings to find their match.
From the sands, Windborne Secrets Green Hatchling pokes at the shards that are the remainder of her mountain home having crumbled to frees the spring. Its only short attention that the shards received before lifting her head to turn towards the ring of remaining candidates. Now, the question is which one is she going to pick. She knows, but do they?
Tenebrous jerks a little when Redwort lands on his shoulder, turning his head a little. "Are you Albatross, little one?" he asks him quietly. "Come to me as herald of unpleasant news?" He glances back down to the sands then, and the distinct LACK of as many eggs as there once was brings a twisted smile to his face. "Or perhaps not…"
From the sands, The Original Score Blue Hatchling wastes no time shimmying over to the boys, not even giving the poor girls a second glance. Eyes whirl suddenly in a shade of red, angry that his movement aren't precise as he stumbles from a step or two in finding his way. And then, in that short moment he makes contact with a weyrbred boy, Crosus. "Tecoth." And that is all the young man says as both tumble into the Sand for that brief moment before he becomes Cr'us. "Oof… Let's eat." And then the pair head off to situate their stomachs.
From the sands, Rished opens his mouth. Shuts it. And suddenly realizes that he's not being answered so much as being asked /another/ question that's of utter importance to answer. "Uh. L-" he swallows, hard and tries again without the threat of a squeak in his voice "Lonarith? I- yeah. Yeah. We- food. I'm hungry, too, let's-" and the rest is lost in a bit of babbling that blurs the line between spoken and mental, even while he reaches to lay a hand gently on the head of the blue.
From the sands, Satoris glances over the hatchlings left… and the handful of candidates left. He makes a small noise in his throat, rolling forward onto his toes, then back onto his heel. A nod towards Rished and a brief grin for him. "Congrats," he offers.
From the sands, Osric is forced to take another step backwards, grin spreading even more "Congrats Rished, he's…" There's a moment of mental digging to find the right word, though he eventually settles on "Really nice."
From the sands, Windborne Secrets Green Hatchling lifts one dainty foot, settling it into the sand as she takes her first steps. Wings stretch open, flutter a bit as if she were thinking about flying already, but are soon enough tucked neatly back in place as she pads slowly towards those in white, curiosity and caution both filling her steps.
From the sands, Tay moves out with a smile. "This way Rished, and we'll get you and Lonarith settled with the others and a bucket of food." She's really in no hurry to get them off the sands. "Nice looking lifemate, very nice." she murmurs.
From the sands, Phylicia offers a shakey smile to Satoris and silently lifts her shoulders in a shrug. And then Rished is also being paired off, leaving a green and a blue left to go. Her hand flexes its grip on her waist. Silence is good, apparently.
From the sands, Explorer of the Seas Brown Hatchling suddenly pauses in his steps, peering up at a young man, a loud croon before the orange-brown is nudging a dark haired young man with his muzzle. You there, you will help him explore what lies beyond this room, what lies beyond.
From the sands, With a triumphant cry it seems that the Explorer of the Seas Brown Hatchling has found its partner at last and impression is made!
From the sands, Windborne Secrets Green Hatchling knew all along which of them was for her, as full of curiosity as her gaze to each of the candidates might have been. There always was a clear path towards her one if one were to pay close enough attention, a lithe yet strong looking young woman with woodsy tones in both hair and eyes.
From the sands, With a triumphant cry it seems that the Windborne Secrets Green Hatchling has found its partner at last and impression is made!
From the sands, When Phylicia is chosen, Thea's face lights up with joy for her friend, watching as best she can until the pair are led from the sands. Softly to herself, "I sure hope things work out for her with Healer Hall."
From the sands, Norela adds yet more congratulations to the mix, of course; that's all she can do between shuffling her feet, watching the rapidly dwindling mix of dragons and eggs, and … well, trying not to yawn her head off.
Cenlia wobbles, wavers, and quickly grabs the railing. "I won't!" she assures F'yr cheerfully, perhaps a little /too/ cheerfully, as she continues to wobble. "Know anybody down dere?" ashed in a slurring voice, "Though I shaw shomebody.. someb'dy…" brow crinkled as the grl attempts t oform some coherent.. something. Oh well, leaning forward again she calls a, "Whoo congratsh!" at random to one of the pairs. Does she know the new weyrling? Probably not. And then the girl pushes herself backwwards toward a seat… backing up unsteadily in an attempt to plonk back down on her bottom - she doesn't quite make it but on the way her eyes catch sight of S'gam, as she's flailing backward. "Shiggy!" comes the slurred, half-giggled greeting as she scrambles feetsward again to.. to.. wobble. Oh yeah, and there's so definitely a flash of pastel pink there. Ahem. She hasn't spotted X'hil yet, though it;s likely only a matter of time. As for B'miel? The poor greenrider has been utterly forgotten.
From the sands, Avani lifts a hand to wave to Rished as he Impresses, but instead just lets it drop and nods her head, mud-green eyes shimmering with poorly contained emotions. "Take care of him, Lonarith."
M'nol finds himself suddenly more concerned with Cen such that he barely notices when Phy impresses, in fact the last couple are mostly a blur, "Cen. Are you okay?"
From the sands, Osric's jaw drops. Between his friend's Impressing and everything else going on around him he had lost track of those still on the sands. He sudders as he's nudged, suddenly cold despite the heat, and his head snapping round to blink at the orange-brown hatchling. "Oceleth?" more blinking follows, checking it's not a dream, but the brown is still there. "Eat. Um… Eat we can do." This time when he looks around it's not sleep that clouds O'ric's eyes it's shock with just a little joy. "Help?"
From the sands, Satoris frowns briefly, his brow furrowing slightly as he glances over the shards. "Huh," he offers, shoulders rising and falling. He lifts a hand to yawn, briefly. "Guess I get to go back to bed."
Redwort might well be a harbinger of terrible things, given his sense of timing. Still, he remains perched on Tenebrous' shoulder, tail lashing a bit behind him while he seems to watch the hatching with far more interest than his owner does. Galina's notes take a stuttering pause when she sees something down below, the line of her mouth flattening, then distorting a little with something unreadable. Grigoriy makes some comment or another and pushes to his feet now that it appears things are nearly at an end; old, limping men need to get a head-start, after all. But Lyuba, for her part, simply looks confused … or concerned on a fundamental level. It's hard to say. The commotion of others in the galleries is simply unimportant to the three — now two — that remain.
There's nothing quiet about either of Phylicia's parents when their daughter finally finds a lifemate. Persis in particular all but screams, clapping her hands wildly and then throwing herself at Jaice, who merely beams with fatherly pride, his eyes moist.
From the sands, Avani simply offers her thin-lipped smile as a brown finds Osric amongst the remaining Candidates. "And you as well, Oceleth."
From the sands, Phylicia shivers then, despite the heat of the sands she stands upon, and her head turns towards that dark green hatchling. For a moment her expression slides into one of nothing, before a smile of greatfulness spreads across her lips, and she nods her head repeated. "We need each other then, don't we, Fauikith? I'll be your strength if you'll be mine." She says shakily as that hand unwraps from around her waist, reaching out to touch that hatchling. Her hatchling. "Oh! Food. Of course we'll get you something…!" And before she's heading off to the sides, where meat awaits, she's looking up at the stands, one last time.
From the sands, Tay arrives as the last hatchlings seem to impress. "Good Good. No injuries, nice smooth hatching." With a hand drawn across her forehead she calls out "This way. We'll see that your lifemates are fed before we get you all moved to the barracks so they can sleep and you can go to the feast for a bit." she calls out as she ushers the new pairs off to the side of the sands.
From the sands, It is over. Shell shards litter the sands and quiet settles on the sands once more. Seryth stirs and her rider slides down to the sands, allowing the queen to rise and stretch. The queen rumbles something to Zaqalekhth and pads on out. Free at last! And likely heading for the feeding grounds before finding her blue friend Siebith to curl up with. Thea absently steps to one side as Seryth passes, eyeing the group that didn't impress. She blows out a long, disappointed breath to see that Satoris is once again among the group left standing on the sands.
A quiet little noise escapes Tenebrous' lips when the impressions appear completed, and with a sudden loss of coordination, he sinks down to one of the benches, his hands shaking. Hooded head bowed, he closes them to fists until they stop, and then he slowly stands again, coughing. One hand is laid in the rail in a kind of silent benediction before he's moving jerkily towards the exit. Above him, Truth and Consequence appear, chittering noisily as he makes his exit. What he came here to do is done.
X'hil furrows his brow, and instinctively gets to his feet when Cenlia starts to wobble, though what he expects to do to help from all the way over there, well… He clearly didn't think that through. Once standing, he suddenly remembers where he is, and eyes the hatching sands. They… they all seem paired. Huh. Okay then. Nothing else to do, he weaves through the crowd, trying to reach Cenlia. He's not sure what he'll do when he reaches her, but, hey, it's better than standing around uselessly?
Zaqalekhth finally settles to the ground fully and follows Seryth off the sands … but only to find open air. His duty is done and he takes no responsibility for what his spawn will do — he scarcely approves of their choices, after all. M'gaal, for his part, remains somewhere in the background, mute support for those that remain written clearly on his features.
Satoris is fairly stoic. In fact, he's really stoic. Maybe he's just tired. In fact, that's what he glances to one of the others left behind to say: "Well, at least I don't have to stay up with a newborn dragon. I can sleep now."
Avani shifts from one foot to the other, finally feeling the heat and the lack of sleep over the past several Sevenday weighing upon her. A glance over her shoulder to give her Father a respectful nod is the next sign that the reality of her situation has sunk in. She turn, waiting for any words which might be offered and the official dismissal from the Sands.
Thea steels herself before approaching the group, draws a deep breath and rather than single anyone out, she addresses them all with regret tingeing her tone, "I'm sorry your lifemate wasn't on the sands today." Her voice takes on a hopeful note, "But you know you're welcome to stay here at Xanadu and since you were searched this time, you'll be welcome to stand for other clutches. Who know, maybe one of them? For now, though, there's a feast awaiting in the Caverns." She takes her leave with an inclination of her head, her steps taking her towards the coastal road and home.
Satoris looks around, looks down at himself. He draws in a breath and plasters on a smile for Thea. "When Seryth was still an egg, I told a Search rider I wasn't the right material." He glances around, squinting again. "Guess I was right. Silly for a man of twenty-five to be out here like this anyway." He jerks his chin in a slight nod to the junior and turns to go to the barracks and retrieve his things. Likely to see about getting deep in his cups.
Norela just blinks a few times afterward, even through the speech as it's given. There's a slight distortion of her mouth … and then she's soon agreeing with Satoris' sentiments of getting sleep with a mute nod. She turns to follow the others out and back to the barracks — either to get some sleep or get her things, it's hard to say.
Avani offers the weyrwoman a curtsey then makes her way towards the exit. Thor leaps up from the railing and pops *between*. When his mistress makes her way off of the Sands, he settles upon her shoulder with a soft croon, going with her into the Barracks to back for the journey home.