Hatching Grounds
It's a large bubble of stone, captured and frozen in time from some volcanic activity way back in the ancient past. Now, the gentle heat from the long dormant volcano heats the dark glassy sands to a temperature just right for hardening eggs. Over the turns as clutches have hatched, tiny bits of shell have gotten mixed leaving the sands half glassy and half opaque.
It's that time of turn again, the time when baby dragons are about to arrive! If you know babies they also rarely ever arrive at the most convenient times. That would be why it’s in the early morning hours (like 2am) in cold, stormy, drenching rain and wind. Despite the conditions at the start of the dragons humming residents and riders brave to venture into the hatching caverns and those who have been searched are rounded up in front of the caverns entrance.
Shawn stumbles over to the grounds entrance. He can not quite keep back a long yawn at the early hour, especially when the lad next to him does the same. Oh no, it's catching! He has managed to fumble into the white robed garment thing and a pair of sandals which are just slightly to large for his feet. Otherwise he kinda sways in place, not entirely unzombie-like.
Thenor follows a number of others over. It seems as if he forgot his attire, but the Weyr has it covered and he finds a few spares on hand to switch into.
Anzi stumbles into the entry area still half asleep, one hand running thru her hair while the other rubs at her eyes. She says nothing what so ever as she moves to join the other candidates.
Yh'val wanders up and down the gathering crowd of candidates helping sort them into two lines. "Wake up now, you have to be alert for those stumbling babies. Their talons are very real." and sharp, very sharp. When it seems in semi-order he leads the way in doing double duty as clutchfather and as a weyrlingmaster.
You step out onto the hot sands.
Hatching Sands(#20RIJQsg)
It's a large bubble of stone, captured and frozen in time from some volcanic activity way back in the ancient past. Now, the gentle heat from the long dormant volcano heats the dark glassy sands to a temperature just right for hardening eggs. Over the turns as clutches have hatched, tiny bits of shell have gotten mixed leaving the sands half glassy and half opaque.
Murky Green Egg rocks once, twice, and then a third time before it stops.
After a brief struggle, the Frozen Fields egg erupts in a spray of shards. The big, suede-hued blue within takes a long moment to shake his great head and whuff out a breath. He's quick to lumber on and stake his claim in a veritable bear of a young man - Mirimus becomes M'imus and he declares, "Of course there's plenty to eat, Surth!"
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC M'imus and Blue Surth leading the new pair off the sands.
Evergreen Peaks Egg shatters into a heap of shards, leaving a darkling green in its wake. She blinks owlishly, her beakish muzzle gaped, and it's not long at all before she's on the move, wings spread. She launches herself clumsily at the feet of a young man named Onorvus, but lands in the sand instead. O'rvus smiles indulgently down at the green and helps her up with a musing, "Come, Xocrath. You can't fly yet. But you will. Soon."
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC O'rvus and Green Xocrath leading the new pair off the sands.
Volatile Vent Egg moves just the tiniest twitch, a shudder rippling on the shell before it once more goes still.
Anzi stops mid-yawn as the first egg hatches and the new blue quickly impresses. The green is stared at as the girl begins shifting back and forth th relieve the gathering heat on her feet.
Thenor feels like he's barely gotten on the sands and, wham, hatching! Gr.. green?! but before he can get his eyes focused she's chosen her partner. OK, this is suddenly very real.
Grassy Ocean Egg takes its own sweet time in wobbling just a bit, moving and then not moving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< The Last Sentinel Green Hatchling >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dusky green and slightly smoky, the hide of this dragon is not quite faded, although not quite bright as it slides over her lanky body. She is all awkward angles and ridges, with a bony and slightly flattened head to the very narrow muzzle, painted in lightest smoky sages. Balanced then with long neck, she has extremely narrow shoulders that meld into her thin body, and leaving her lean and slim before her tail finally slinks behind her , with its whipcord length. Darker smudged greens adorn her paws and those smoked to near black talons, before they pale away into sages as the color climbs up her body, before her belly is nearly a pale icy celadon, crisp and rather clean. Eventually true beauty shows up on her wings, delineated with spikey lines that rise and fall over the crisp pale green wingsail beneath, showing off a green upon green display that ripples like the wind.
Anzi is far more awake as the next egg hatches and the green is revealed. "Beautiful" is murmured as she gives a stretch then smoothes down the front of her attire.
Shawn strides out comfortably, alterness settling in as the adrenalien starts to his. It seems only just in time for he was standing next to Mirimus when there's a snap of shell adn flash of blue and he takes a step back as the blue chooses. So close! He looks both joyed for the friend next to him and a bit sad that the blue didn't go just one person more. Well there are plenty of eggs left and gaze goes back out to the sands as a green emerges and finds her chosen, and then another lady who might be taking a bit more time.
The Last Sentinel Green Hatchling takes just a few dainty steps before her head is swinging around and she creels softly, anxiously at the folks assembled for her discernment. Then it is back to the steps as she keeps searching.
There is no hope for the Leafy Fronds Egg. A medium-hued green with pale green markings bursts out of it without fear. She glares at the candidates, wild-eyed, until she makes her choice. Enosis, now named E'sis, earns a terrible series of scratches for his trouble - but he also gets to walk away with both Healers and the fierce Mellivorath.
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC E'sis and Green Mellivorath leading the new pair off the sands.
The Deep Egg is there - and then it's gone. A mouthy, medium-hued blue coils in the wreckage, eyes bright and glaringly red. When he finally moves, it's with unnerving, darting motions that inexorably take him directly to Porigii. P'gii stares, wide-eyed, at the blue and finally stammers, "Of course there's food, Lophiith. Lots of it. Oh, Faranth, I don't know if there's enough for you, though."
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC P'gii and Blue Lophiith leading the new pair off the sands.
Anzi watches as the green wanders and the blue hatches. "Faster and faster…." is said as peers up and down the line of candidates to see just where the blue went. "Congrats" is called out before she falls si,e
Thenor isn't sure where to watch. Blues and greens emerge and most seem to partner quickly. In a pause as more eggs crack he finally gets to look at the one green who is still stepping around and making her way to the candidate. Well, at least someone is not in such a rush. Still, he remembers the warnings of the weyrlingmasters and doesn't focus on her too much in order to not miss out on trackign where others are hatching and impressing.
Shailaja shifts uncomfortably on the sands, with wide eyes moving from hatchling to hatchling, as if she could track all of their progress all at once. She does her level best not to look at Ixtabith, though; there's clearly some discomfort there, though it's difficult to place. And, besides, maybe it's just the heat and chaos getting to her.
The Last Sentinel Green Hatchling takes a few more steps until she is standing in front of a young lad, looking up at his face. He is dark to match with her and she attempts to push closer.
The Autumn Forest Egg falls quickly. A deep green dragonet tumbles out, egg-wet and glossy. She slither-walks toward the candidates warily and eventually settles on Shoridae - now S'idae. "I know, Caudath," he can be heard saying. "I know."
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC S'idea and Green Caudath leading the new pair off the sands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Copper Brazier Bronze Hatchling >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copper bright and seemingly polished, the hide of this bronze dragon gleams in even uncertain lighting. From the seeming gilt edges applied to his face, with the even brighter brassy accents upon bony ridges that mark above his eyes and are then traced on down his neck. Wings are decorated in that same bright copper with limning of brighter brass alternated with sooty smudges that darken and delineate his wingspars in the bright expanse of his wingsails. Beneath those wings is a sturdy body, solid and rather stocky from his wideset shoulders through a barreled chest. Heavyset haunches balance the rest of him even to the rather foreshortened length of his tail. Each paw is picked out in bright copper before it darkens as it moves down until it finally ends at the tips of his talons in a murky greened smudge of stained metals.
Shawn watches another blue pass by, another green hatch and nthing. He sighs shifting from foot to foot and can do nothing more than he already is as he watches many of his friends impress. Then, oh, a bronze! Even beofre any hints of brown, what an interesting clutch. Still eyes look away towards the wandering green who looks homed in on another and he can but sigh again and look back towards the bronze and wobbling eggs.
A violent eruption marks the end of the Volatile Vent Egg. The brown that shudders forth is a peculiar blending of light and medium browns that's eerily hypnotic. His movement is so fluid that it seems alien and he crosses the sands with unnerving grace. Perljana is his final destination, and P'jana kneels to stroke the brown's head. "Alvinelath. Oh, Alvinelath. You're perfect."
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC P'jana and Brown Alvinelath leading the new pair off the sands.
Thenor is getting rather nervous, so many hatchlings and the chaos is stifling. His nerves just can not take much more of this, but in the quick change of fate it doesn't seem that they will have to. Shocked his mouth goes agape at the green who stops before him and the presence which makes itself know. Did anything exist before this moment. "Oh Lyddieth I'm right here." and knees give way as Th'or wraps his arms around the small green neck. "Always here."
Shailaja seems almost afraid to blink with the sheer amount of, well, everything that's happening. A green there, a brown - oh! "Oh, he's -handsome-," she breathes with a look angled to the bronze. Not for her, but she can certainly admire the aesthetic! She wrings her hands a little and goes right back to shuffling to keep her feet from burning up.
Copper Brazier Bronze Hatchling is shaking himself off, taking his time to unkink his wingsails and only then is he ready to start moving. A stumbling, shuffling sort of walk and he ambles along, taking his time.
Cracks emerge all over the Grassy Ocean Egg and it soon crumbles, leaving a long, pale brown dragon in its wake. He flares his dark wings once, then he's on the move, all but sprinting to the candidates. His nose rams into Hauridae's gut, which elicits an oof and a laughed, "Yes, I'm H'dae, Mungoth. I think the meat is this way."
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC H'dae and Brown Mungoth leading the new pair off the sands.
Better late then never. With weyrlings of all ages, surely there's some excuse for P'wyn to be late. He skids into the sands, adjusting his clothing with a quick tug and studiously avoids looking at anyone with authority. Nope, not late. I was here all the time. He keeps to the back of the caverns, quickly moving into his position in the rotation.
Scarcely seconds after the Fertile Lands Egg begins to shake, it disintegrates into a pile of shards. A pale brown dragonet shakes his head, maw wide, and utters a throaty hiss. He slinks, belly low to the ground, until he finds the one he seeks: Aphoridae the hunter is now A'dae, forever bound to Sinenth.
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC A'dae and Brown Sinenth leading the new pair off the sands.
Anzi wipes the gathering sweat off her face and keeps on watching the hatchlings and eggs.
Copper Brazier Bronze Hatchling continues move, staring up into face after face as his steps carry him along. One plodding foot in front of the next as he moves, only just remembering to look up into each face before continuing on.
Cracks cover the Boldly Bright Egg and the surface of the shell soon implodes. A deep, deep blue shudders out of the shells and studies his curiously curled tail. After a nudge from his dam, he finally waddles on to pick Hyorinae and make him H'inae. Pocamth curls his tail around his rider's leg, making it difficult for either of them to get off the sands.
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC H'inae and Blue Pocamth leading the new pair off the sands.
Shailaja huffs out a breath and glances over to watch the latest pairs as they make their way from the sands. A slow smile emerges at some thought or naother, but it's quick to fade when she seems to remember that there are others out there. Her attention swings back to the remaining eggs, forehead creased just a little.
Shawn casts a smile towards Th'or, not that the other is likely to see. Well he's able to congratualte another who impresses much closes, sending A'dae off with his own growing frustrations. Another sigh as he shifts from one foot to the other and watches a blue emerge next and then he's glancing across the grounds to see where the wandering bronze has got to, and what others are yet emerging while trying to keep his own emotions in check.
A ruddy, medium-hued brown dragonet bursts out of the Lichen Laden Egg. He wastes no time at all in bellowing and charging across the sands. There is no hesitation - he trips and falls, headfirst, before Tyldus and the young man, now T'dus, steps forward to help. "On your feet, now. Come on, Rangifeth!"
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC T'dus and Brown Rangifeth leading the new pair off the sands.
A luridly metallic green flings herself out of the Lush Foliage Egg. With a flapping of wings and snapping of her lengthy tail, she marches right up to a young smith named Morino and makes him M'ino. He cries, "Oh. Oh, you are pretty, Pharomath! Maybe the prettiest!"
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC M'ino and Green Pharomath leading the new pair off the sands.
Yh'val snorts seeing P'wyn finally amongst the crowd. He's busy enough helping the latest brown pair off "No, not to fast he'll choke…" words spoken a thousand times before nad apt to be repeated a thousand times hence. At least there is some consolation in the consistency of certain things.
Copper Brazier Bronze Hatchling finally moves to come to a stop, pausing in front of one likely lad and then trying to push him over in his new found eagerness. He headbutts the brown haired boy, nearly knocking him over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Ice After Fire Gold Hatchling >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sere as the desert, and shaped and angled by the wind this gold is lithe and long, slender to the point of near emaciation. From the elegant but spare planes of her head with its dainty muzzle painted in light golden sand to the sweeping ridges that start on her neck and march down along her body to the deeply cut point of her tail finial brushed in that same antique hue. With those selfsame speckles of golden sand to decorate her neck and fall in greater splendor along her shoulders, her gold coloring deepens as it falls back along her body. Each of her sender limbs is covered in that darker gold, coalescing up from her paws to eventually fade away, but leaving those feet dark, dark gold and glittering in the light. Even the lightness of coloring that floods her wings, does not take away from the shadows that pool underneath, patches of frosty gold that glimmers even in uncertain light before it is lost to darkness.
Boggy Fingers Egg lurches a few times before it inexorably crumbles. The pale blue that emerges from the wreckage is quick to move, scuttling in a sideways, crab-like crawl toward the candidates. He latches onto Poreni to make him P'ni. "Aratuth, come on. We can't get you food if you cling to me like that."
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC P'ni and Blue Aratuth leading the new pair off the sands.
Anzi stops to look at the gold, smiles the. looks at those around her as if pondering just who the gold will go to.
Shailaja's attention is briefly caught by a particularly brilliant green and her eyes widen. "Pharomath? Oh, that's a lovely name, yeah, yeah." She wiggles her fingers at M'ino with a smile - and looks back just in time to see, well. THAT. "Oh. Oh, look- look at her. She's- oh, jays." She blinks a few times, then quickly looks away to track where that bronze got to - just to be safe!
Ice After Fire Gold Hatchling just sits for a long moment after she breaks shell, looking just the slightest bit dazed. She continues to rest even as she gives her head a shake, followed by her wings to try and sort out just all those things.
Fractured Water Egg shudders once - and then it's gone, leaving a deep green dragonet behind. The wolfish creature huffs to herself and is soon on the move, prowling among the gathered candidates with an audible sniffing sound. Curnis, a herder, is finally chosen - and C'nis walks off with his Ulputh, side by side.
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC C'nis and Green Ulputh leading the new pair off the sands.
P'wyn leads the eye watering green off to the side. "Yes, she's lovely." He says somewhat unenthusatically. A sudden tension fills the cavern causing him to turn back in time to catch the arrival of the new gold. "Here we go again." He mutters before motioning M'ino to the side. "Remember, small, slow bites. Don't let her set the pace."
It's with a groan that the Snowy Reflections Egg finally gives way. A pale blue dragon with striking blue markings and deep blue wings stumbles out - and immediately sets forth at ramming speed. M'eric barely has time to register that his name has changed - but he's able to cry out, "Oreamnoth!" just before the impact hits. The pair are escorted off the sands shortly after, no worse for wear.
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC M'eric and Blue Oreamnoth leading the new pair off the sands.
Sh'wn is shifting, emotions churning as much as the chaos of the hatching. Is he destined to be left standing, it seems not! Of course he was looking the other way when something decides to jab itself into his midrift. Legs buckle over and he ends up thumping on his butt which conveniently brings him eye to eye with the eager bronze. There's a stunned moment of 'oh' and then a hearty laugh. "Temurth! You have found me, but um, let's be careful with those claws now." a hand reaches to shift the talons which have come to rest on his leg tenderly back to the sands, while the other reaches to stroke soft eyeridges in amazement.
Anzi chuckles as she looms back at the gold, "Nicely built, beautiful coloring too." is said loud enough to anyone nearby. Then the blue hatches and its back to watching the few remaining eggs.
Ice After Fire Gold Hatchling is finally on her feet after surveying her new kingdom of sand. Then she is trailing along, truly inspecting each candidate out on the sands for who might be hers, just as she will be theirs.
With a wet cracking sound, Stagnant Waters Egg releases its hatchling in a rush. The scuttling green hesitates, wings flared, and jaws snapping. The murky green dragonet eventually makes her way to a young man, Calilus. C'lus bursts into joyful tears and leads Lakibth to where the weyrlingmasters are.
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC C'lus and Green Lakibth leading the new pair off the sands.
Yh'val grimaces a bit at the sight of the queen, the first of two to be doubling the population of the weyr, but not without their own complications. Well, here we go.
Shailaja glances down the line of remaining candidates, as if trying to sort out just how many remain. The eggs are eyed, as is that gold - again - and then it's back to the bronze and- "Oh. Oh dear." She smiles broadly in Sh'wn's direction, a smile that doesn't fade in the slightest when she catches Anzi's words. But then another is hatching and that smile falls away, forcing her to look back at those that still roam with wide eyes.
P'wyn motions to Sh'wn. "He's a pretty, handsome fellow. Bring him over this way. He's sure to be hungry." He points to the buckets of meat cut into different sizes and shapes and starting to bleed all over the sands at this point. With one eye still on the bronze pair, he's careful to watch where the gold goes. These can be especially dangerous moments when the largest hatchlings are on the sands.
Ice After Fire Gold Hatchling finally comes to a rest in front of a younger darkhaired girl, her voice going up just a bit in pitch as she seems to take her time inspecting. Then there is a toss of her head, a sort of you'll do motion while she waits patiently.
Red Rocks Egg is no more. Instead, a bronze with dark mottlings on his haunches - and an especially large snout - is standing there, head down and eyes rapidly blinking. He utters a bellow and charges forth, finally toppling over Solimum, leaving S'mum and Ceratoth blinking in the aftermath. Both are ushered off the sands to be seen by the healers.
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC S'mum and Bronze Ceratoth leading the new pair off the sands.
Anzi smiles as the gold impresses, calling out "Congrats" and giving a clap of her hands.
Shailaja winces and her throat works. Hard. She wants to swallow, but that's just not happening. She settles on staring down at the gold, mouth agape, until something finally -clicks-. Tears well in her eyes and threaten to spill over her cheeks; she kneels and reaches out to touch the gold, only to stop just short. Her fingers tremble and her uncertainty is strong, but: "Ruebalith." She rolls the name over her tongue with a smile. "Ruebalith." And the rest of the world? Gone. For now, anyway.
A faint burbling sound marks the moment with the Murky Green Egg gives up. A deep brown dragon with pale markings tumbles forth and is quick to bounce into the fray, as it were. He tags Laeris, a Harper, and the newly named L'ris laughs, "Slow down, Enhydth! Please! Food is just over here!"
After a few moments a weyrlingmaster joins up with NPC L'ris and Brown Enhydth leading the new pair off the sands.
Sh'wn looks up at a different voice. Oh yes, others still exist. He flashes a silly boy grin at P'wyn "Oh, right." of course he has to get up first and that's a bit of a scramble to svoid talons and wings and reassure Temurth that he's not leaving at all, at elast not alone. The thoughts and words of food however motivate plenty and the pair are eventually able to follow P'wyn. "Look meat!" as if its the first time he's ever seen some.
Yh'val helps the final green to hatch off to the side where food awaits. When he turns back it is all over and he steps out. Shakti looks far too stormy and turns back to her queen leaveing Yh'val to speak to those that remain standing. "Well, as you can see this clutch has hatched. While a fine group have been partnered today, you remain. Do not despair however as although your dragon was not among those you can see that more will soon be swelling our ranks. So please enjoy the feast with us all and look forward to the brighter tomorrow." or at least, hopefully that is good enough.
One can't help but grin at the besotted look. P'wyn smiles back on Sh'wn, mellowing already for his newest 'children'. "Looks like that's the lot." he mutters softly. "Shailaja?" He calls, bowing slightly to the little queen. "If you two would join us as well? She's going to need plenty of meat after that struggle to hatch." He looks over the good sized group of new weyrlings happily, mind already plottin..er planning the future.
Shailaja is, at least for now, oblivious to Shakti's moods - which is perhaps for the better. She finally touches Ruebalith's muzzle and, after a moment, pushes to her feet just in time to hear P'wyn calling. Her grin is lopsided - downright goofy, really - and she nods a few times. "Food this way," she murmurs and leads the way off to the side to join the others. And if she can't help but keep her hand on the dragonet's head, so be it.
