A Moment In Time (Pelegaoth's Clutch Hatches)

[flamewolf]

(OOC: Can I just say EEPPP!! ^.^)

Sunyu > S'yu
A hissing voice made him jump and revert his attention from the girls over to the clutch. His feet remained on the ground, stopped from hopping from the heat of the sands as his attention was drawn elsewhere. Where had that voice come from?

Something suddenly wrapped around his legs and made him snap his gaze down. Shards! "Wujinth...umm...we?" he inquired. He wasn't hungry, last time he checked. But suddenly the brown's hunger slithered over to him and his eyes widened in surprise. Well, he hadn't been expecting that.

I am hungry. Hurry,[/color] the brown hissed, still in the same spot.

"I can't move my legs," he pointed out. "You need to move." He wiggled the two limbs, and could only move them a few inches. Then his gaze fell on Wujinth pointedly.

The dragon gave a hiss of amusement and then relieved his rider from his grasp. His eyes whirled a tad faster. We need food,[/color] he asserted again, more forcefully.

"Alright, alright. Come on," he quickly walked past him, feeling the feeling of hunger heighten and intensify. He led him out of the sands, but paused at the last moment, gazing back to his sister. He felt guilty, a sudden wave that blanketed him for a moment.

S'yu,[/color] Wujinth hissed warningly. The weyrling glanced back, looked forward again, then turned and caught up with the slinky brown to get him (them?) fed.

Keldara
Her gaze was drawn out to the sands and suddenly, her brother wasn't there. She blinked. He's not pulling a G'tet, is he? she thought, then her gaze suddenly was drawn to the entrance. He was there, and following right beside him was...a brown hatchling! Her eyes widened. Her brother had impressed! She felt a swell of pride and happiness; he didn't see her notice, and she couldn't wait until the hatching was over so she could congratulate him.

"My brother impressed!" she said to the others, then laughed at how bad that sounded. "Sorry, over excited I guess." The candidate smiled at them and shrugged helplessly. The Queen egg wasn't giving them much excitement, so hey, anything she could grab on was appreciated so she wouldn't have to think of the heat. It was killing her feet.

[hockey]

(OOC: Yeep! Sorry, I guess that's what I get for skimming posts when I'm only half awake. Completely unintentional.)

A'jun
A'jun's grin widened as more dragons hatched, though the grin was replaced with with a slight grimmace as one over-excited bronze plowed into a candidate. The candidate he wanted apparently, for the exuberant bronze had obviously Impressed. Despite the blood, A'jun applauded the new pair as he had the green pair just before. Forgetting that his boots were still untied (he wasnt' going anywhere for a while anyway) he returned his attention to the gold egg and the girls gathered around it. Had it even mov-

Before he could finish the thought, something or someone had run into him at no slow speed. He threw his arms out to protect himself and possibly catch whoever was falling. The effort was a second too late, and the other man fell to the ground beside him heavily. "Shards, are you alright?" was A'jun's worried question as he grabbed the younger man's arm to help him up. He couldn't tell who it was all sprawled out like that. "Sorry about that. I suppose we're all a little preoccupied at the moment, aren't we?" The rider laughed a little, though he did hope that the other man hadn't been hurt.

Kersha
Standing there in the blistering heat was surely doing Kersha some good, for she did not snap at either of the girls who spoke to her. It seemed that under the stress that simply standing there waiting for the one dragon that held one of their destinies had made her forget the other stresses and worries that she had left outside the sands. She couldn't bring herself to smile at the moment, but at least she was relaxing, something she had not done in quite some time.

"Kersha," she replied. "I've seen most of you around. I'm not very social." It wasn't much, but at least she was talking. Not knowing who the girl that Genet was asking about was, Kersha only shrugged. If she didn't show up, then she didn't show up. Of course it wouldn't be good if she were hurt, but there was nothing they could do about it just then. There didn't seem to be much of anything they could do just then, actually. It was rather dull just standing there, waiting for the large egg before them to hatch. Feeling a bit odd standing so far from the others, she took a few steps closer. Not quite within touching distance of any of them, but closer than she had been.

[dragon]

Torad had just finished applauding the boy who impressed the green when he felt something pierce his mind. It was a feeling unlike any other as if a seperate presence now existed in his mind, yet at the same time wasn't seperate. The impact was something he wasn't prepared for, the impression overwhelming at first. So much so, he did drop down to the positon he was in once before. Where are you? As Torad looked up, he saw the bulky blue before him. He was unlike any blue that he had seen before. He wasn't his color's stereotype, something that immediately impressed Torad.

You are not leaving alone, T'rad. T'rad gave a look that was parts curious and excited as he heard the name. He'd impressed! It came ever so clearly to his mind now. T'rad now had a dragon of his own. Not without Paleoth. Now a smirk played T'rad's features. No, no I'm not. By this point, T'rad hadn't even paid attention to his position or the heat. But now he quickly jolted up yet again. The blue tilted his head slightly. You should pay more attention, T'rad. You're going to hurt yourself. I'd rather you atleast feed me before you decide to injure yourself. T'rad looked a bit embarrassed and started to lead his dragon off the sands. Come. I'll feed you. T'rad smiled to himself as he exited the sands.

[Invisible]

“Oh! That’s wonderful for him!” Genet replied to Keldara after her brother’s impression was pointed out. “Congrats to him! Now we both have brothers on dragons. That’s exciting!” Everything was exciting by now to Genet. Everything but the egg that continued to play so still and silent. It was all she could do not to hop up and down and urge it on. For now, however, she was distracted by thoughts of brothers and once more went looking for hers. “G’tet is so in trouble if he misses this whole thing. I will never forgive him!” Likely her twin is never forgiven quite often for slights real or imagined.

“Oh, it’s fine!” Genet directed to Kersha with a laugh. “I’m social enough for all of us! There has to be something to do in order to pass the time after all. I wonder how G’tet’s bets went. He’d bet quite a bit on the hatching. He wouldn’t say where his marks went for the queen though. Probably because they were not on me. I am fine with that because if I do impress he loses marks and if I don’t he could still lose them.”

An actual conversation would have had more pauses in Genet’s words, but she’d clearly decided the others couldn’t keep up so just carried on. If they had something to add they’d interrupt. That’s what she’d do after all. “We should look for Selvagem after the hatching. Once I find my brother. He can help us because he owes me. I hope she’s ok. I know some people were mad that a Caminar girl was searched.”

[Omnia Munda]

Jordeth watched with keen eyes the impressions of the brown so like him and the blue so much his opposite, his sleek head lowered for a better look. Between he and Pelegaoth something silent transpired, however, for the clutch's sire turned away just as Wujinth found his rider and tucked his head under the curve of the queen's graceful neck to regard her golden egg the same as she did. Perhaps it was only the bronze's breath that stirred the sand and caused grains to sheet gently off of the buried egg's crown, exposing just a little bit more of its shining shell - or perhaps, very slightly, the egg did move.

Hardly a motion at all if so, however, especially compared to the quick and tidy cracking in half of a large egg near the fore of the clutch. Less than half of the eggs were left now; the rest of the clutch lay in shards, occupants having found their counterparts and fled the hot sands for food. But the brown that loomed large from this latest shell stepped with a gracefulness untold by his bulky, umber body between pieces of debris, letting out a low and invitational croon to the boys arranged in their white robes beyond. Even as he approached them - not hurried, but not reluctant either - one could get the impression that he was giving them each quite a bit of thought, his hawkish muzzle tipping this way and that.

While the brown considered his options, another blue spilled free from its egg behind him, followed paws-on-heels by a slender green. Brother and sister darted from the eggs out into the candidates, causing chaos at the far end of the gathering before each found their new rider: friends from the weyr's own caverns, boys who whooped and hollered and slapped hands to one anothers' shoulders before leading their hatchlings toward their first meals.

The banded blue had come almost eye to eye with a lad from Telgar Hold, a tall thin boy who wiggled with excitement and dared to stretch out a hand in hopefulness to the many-colored creature who stood before him. If there was a connection there, however, it failed to hold fast, and with a sudden shaking-out of wings that danced with blue fire, the hatchling pranced away and approached instead the young man whose brown eyes were cast off in the direction of the queen egg. Please pay attention, K'shi, scolded the multi-hued blue, his eyes traced with a hungry and swirling rouge. Apply yourself to me, your Aristeth. There'll be time enough for girls later.

[Xinnai]

Salina shrugged off Genet's snapping retort-no harm, no foul. It wasn't as if the girl had beaten her, so there was no reason to be upset. She glanced at the Egg, so reluctant to move. She glanced back at the boys, where so few were left. The majority of the large clutch had Hatched and here the Queen sat, immobile except for that one twitch. Come on, darling. she mentally urged. Come on. I know you want to make some grand entrance-I would too if I were you-but just give us a little shake. Let us know all is fine in there.

With a sigh, she watched the boys once more, attention focused slightly on them. How could the dragon know which was suited for them, which was their bonded for all of life? How could they sense it just so? She clapped for the other Impressions made, smiling for the obvious success and pride that shined from the boys at they exited. She envied them briefly for they did not have long to wait, they only had to wait for their dragonet to hatch and then all was well. Skip off and feed them and wait for the Hatching to be over-wait for the Queen to hatch.

Salina started slightly then, jumping on the heated sands, as something very large and dark appeared from the corner of her eye, coming closer than anything previous had towards the ring of girls. She blinked. It was Jordeth, the bronze father of the clutch, very regal and proud, viewing from beneath his mate's shining and golden neck the egg ensconced just off from the girls as other people did. She wondered if she just imagined the muttering in the stands or if it was there. The Queen Egg had only moved once...She watched sand fall off the crown, revealing more of the shell, watching the grains fall to join their brethren. Had it moved again then? Well...There was really no telling now. It could have been dragon breath or the motions of the trapped occupant. Come on...

Salina glanced once more at the girls gathered round and wished Ezi could be here. Ezi who had Impressed a blue. She smiled smugly as she thought back to the very beginning of the Hatching. Ezi had been among one of the first. And not to a green. Well, he'd be happy then. He'd certainly liven up what was going around here and help relax her. She could feel the tension building at the base of her neck as this seemingly unending event went on. Salina looked once more at the girls and twisted the ring on her finger, gold spinning with just a flash of sapphire as she settled nerves she hadn't known she had.

"It's winding down now, isn't it?" A sigh. "And there was Jansen, too. The Caminar boy. He Impressed bronze." She couldn't help but smile wide at that thought. The rude and abrupt man who'd caused such mayhem-and he was here for good. "Well, things will certainly be much more interesting from now on."

[flamewolf]

Keldara
She smiled at Genet gently before allowing her to encroach the conversation again, her words seemingly endless. She certainly was the talker here, Keldara realized fairly easily and simply. It was a fact; the others were quiet, withdrawn, or very hesitant. Some for good reasons, too, though they were reasons to not celebrate about. Hm...that made Genet stand out of all of them. She was the most social, easiest with other people. Would that draw the Queen egg to her?

She glanced around her. It was an intriguing thought that tugged at her mind. What, from each person, would the Queen be attracted by? What aspect of themselves would she notice? But, then again, would all of them be noticed, since in fact there were quite a large amount of them there. She brushed the thoughts away and returned her gaze to the ever-so-talkative Genet. "I think that's stupid. Just because she's a Caminar doesn't mean she wasn't meant to be searched," she spoke up with a frown, her gaze suddenly fierce, but not because she was angry at them. She was just angry at the aspect that she spoke of.

She glanced over to Salina. "I hope it's almost over. The waiting and the nerves are about ready to drive me insane," she said with a smile. Well, the waiting was; now that her brother impressed, and she had one less thing to worry about, now she had to try to snag on something else to occupy her attention so the hatching would go faster. The nerves, however, seemed to be lacking. More than likely they were there, but hidden so that when it was all over, she'd realize them for their absence. She didn't know how long the hatching and been going on but it seemed an eternity.

And suddenly there was a shadow draping over some of them. She peered up to see Jordeth, the bronze and sire of the clutch, gazing at the Queen egg. She glanced over in time to see grains of sand trickling away back down to the hot sands beneath their feat. It revealed more of the shell, but was that really all that exciting? What was inside was what they were all waiting for (some impatiently, no doubt). Kel didn't know if the Queen had moved or what. But she couldn't stay dormant forever.

If they were lucky, anyways.

[rigantona]

Another blue and a brown impressed. More than half the clutch was gone now, and Kastashi allowed himself the faintest twinge of worry. He knew there would be other chances. He knew that, but his family didn't, and they were here in the stands now. Oh, he could just imagine the teasing he'd suffer from his older brothers if he was left standing!

Please pay attention, K'shi.[/color]

"What?" Confused for a split second, he snapped his attention back to the sands, twisting his head this way and that and trying to find out which of the other candidates had spoken to him so rudely. They hadn't even gotten his name right...

Apply yourself to me, your Aristeth.[/color] The split second of confusion vanished as his eyes finally met with those of the multicolored blue hatchling before him. There will be time for girls later.[/color]

Such impudence! Such perfect effrontery...yes, perfect, Aristeth was perfect in every way! An expression of absolute happiness worked its way over K'shi's features, making the usual smirk of feigned disinterest disappear. It was all he could do not to fall to his knees, overcome with emotion. "You have my attention, Aristeth."

Good. Then you may feed me. An empty stomach is not good for the mind.[/color] Aristeth nudged his rider, forcing him to stay on his feature and gently shoving him in the direction of the food. K'shi laughed and draped a hand over the young blue's neck, leading him off of the sands.

[Invisible]

All said and done, it was kind of boring out on the sands. There was lots to watch, but Genet had never been much for watching and not doing. Where was the fun in other people getting to have fun? It wasn’t fair! Why should she have to be bored out of her mind? It’s not even like the other girls were good conversationalists. The egg would hatch when it did. There was no sense standing around silently like old nannies! It was all she could do to keep up a stream of conversation and it was making her thirsty. Sure, the others stood around and weren’t so dry in the throat but what about her?

With a nearly silent sigh she moved her feet on the sands. It wasn’t so much the heat that made them move as the boredom. Two steps to the right and then two to the left. Then one back and a little skip forward. Maybe it looked silly to the others, but what did she care? The egg’s occupant couldn’t even see her out here so she wouldn’t mind. And no one else mattered right now. One foot kicked out forward, careful not to send sand everywhere, and then she hopped backwards. It was an odd little dance and done to nothing but the tempo of her beating heart, but it was more fun than just standing there.

Standing around doing nothing was not what Genet was made for! A little of her anger at her brother came out in her steps, but she kept the ‘dancing’ confined to her little spot. She even spun around once to see if her robe would flair out like a skirt. It really didn’t do as well as a skirt, but still, you made do with what you have. Under her breath she hummed a song she’d heard turns ago from her mother.

[Omnia Munda]

It happened sometimes, that a hatchling became confused and went the wrong way. A rich and stocky green that had shoved out of her shell was heading not towards the boys, but for an opening that would let her near the ring of girls watching the buried queen egg. Fast (and possibly foolish) thinking from one slim boy had him darting to place himself in the way of the wayward green. She startled, backing up a step and staring into the face of this unexpected figure. And just like that, a new rider was made. Girls forgotten, the green followed her lifemate off the sands.

This little play seemed to have distracted both queen and sire from their interest in the golden egg yet buried in the sand. Both dragons lifted their heads slowly on unfurling, graceful necks to watch the stocky green depart, even as more eggs hatched in their shadows. From one of them spilled a slender blue. He wove through the candidates on unsteady legs but found, while the song of the hatching grew louder around him, an equally skinny and shaky-kneed boy to escort him from the sands.

The newly made bluepair probably had no idea what caused the murmur of the crowd in the stands to swell so precipitously; after all, they were engaged entirely in the discovery of one another. But the people in the galleries and dragons on the ledges high above raised their voices in appreciation for the wonder of a crack that had formed in the peak of the golden egg, leaking goo down its shining shell to create small puddles in the sand that embraced it. That crack grew wider and wider, revealing the predictably golden color of a bent wing trapped inside. It shuddered and shook, that barely-visible wing, and finally shoved the shell apart. A tiny queen the hue of a polished gold button clawed her way up from the womb of her buried egg, creeling softly in the light.

She was stealing some limelight from the brown still considering his options among the male candidates, it was true. But the faded umber hatchling swept his wings wide, displaying pale sails marked with dark and lively streaks, reared onto his back haunches and sang again. This sound was less like a croon and more like a hum, as though he joined the hatching song, but one slender, gray-eyed teen knew what the big beast was really saying, and how very ornate the lyrics to that tune truly were. I feel such a pang in my - stomach, I shall call this thing in my belly. It's painful, yes, like being stabbed from the inside out; in fact I feel I might simply collapse upon myself, I am so empty. I am hungry, H'tio, truly. The large brown's humming faded away as he strode purposefully to the boy to whom he spoke. I should clarify. My name is Runimeth. There; we are properly introduced. Perhaps now we might dine?

[flamewolf]

Keldara
Her gaze turned onto the talkative one, to find her not talking, but...dancing. She blinked a few times in surprise, then started to laugh. It was so random, in the middle of a hatching in which they were all supposed to be serious and she was dancing. It fit. "Go Genet!" she said with a chuckle, not phased in the least. She didn't join in, however; she wasn't much of a dancer, and she didn't feel cool enough to add in her own bad moves. Seriously, she wasn't cool enough; the heat was unbearable, and if she did anything like that, she'd probably explode.

Keldara's gaze was diverted by another dragon. It was a green hatchling, heading their way. She blinked in surprise. Why is she coming over here? she thought to herself, head tilted to the side a little in intrigue and confusion. But a boy stepped in her way, and impression was made. She smiled slightly and her gaze flickered over to a blue whom promptly impressed as well.

The dragons' song, which had been underlying and low the whole time, suddenly cresendoed and swelled. Startled, she peered around to see what the noise was for. Then a sharp crack echoed startlingly close. Her gaze snapped over to the Queen egg just as she hatched, small and bright. She blinked; it hadn't taken her long to break shell. Shards, just when she thought that they'd all have to wait forever.

Out of the corner of her eye Keldara saw another dragon impress, a brown that had been wandering about for almost the whole time. But her gaze was remaining on the gold. She's what they were all there for, of course, and she deserved some attention. But, really, she'd have all the attention of the others. One less wouldn't hurt. Chances were slim of her impressing, anyways, and she knew it. She didn't expect to impress, for there were other girls there more than willing to join in (and yes, that included Vera) with the oohs and aahs. She gave a sigh but her gaze remained. She had nothing else to drive her attention away, and she still wanted to know who would impress. "She hatched," she murmured, as if they all didn't know that. Won't be long until we can leave these sands. I'm hot! she thought, and it comforted her and brought a smile to her face as she looked around at the girls, wondering who would impress.

[hockey]

The gold egg still unmoving and the other girls' talk turning to people she did not know, Kersha had returned her attention to the boys and all of the lovely little dragons who had them to choose from. Thinking about it, she decided that theirs was an easier lot. Yes, they were held in suspense as they waited to see if some glorious little creature would hatch for them, and yes, they ran the risk of being run over or slashed by some clumsy or disgruntled hatchling. Their fates did not rest on one lovely little egg, however. Many of them would walk off bonded to the one creature that would always be there for them. For the girls, only one would walk off with the golden beauty they all waited for. Yes, she thought, she liked their chances better than hers.

She was drawn out of her deep thought by the sight of one seemingly confused green. One eyebrow raised in interest as the green turned toward the girls, but she was stopped by another boy she did not know. Interesting, she thought. She caught the impression of a blue, her thoughts turning to another blue rider, sitting up in the stands. A'jun probably had high hopes for her. She wished she were as certain about it as he was, but she did not like her odds.

It was odd how much more noise she was hearing suddenly just for a blue's impression. Not that blues weren't important or needed, it was just that they usually didn't get all that much attention. At the sound of a crack much closer than any of the previous eggs' hatchings, Kersha realized that the sounds from the crowd were not for the blue, but for the queen, who was finally deciding to make an appearance.

Her breath caught in her throat as she turned to see the bright little gold emerging. She took an unintentional step forward, stopping herself consciously before she went any further. Her gaze was riveted to the small, creeling creature before her. This was it, here was the point where one of them would walk away forever bound to her lifemate, and the rest would walk away alone, some to try again another time others to return to whatever they had been doing before Search. So many dreams hung in the balance here. Standing before the queen, Kersha was helpless, completely at the mercy of this hatchling dragon, a fact that, if she had been thinking about anything other than the queen, would have rubbed her the very wrong way.

Standing there lost, she was oblivious to the brown's impression, and, aside from thoughts of how bad her odds were, unaware of the other girls around her. She would have hated for anyone to know what she was thinking or how she was feeling, hating the open awe and self-doubt on her face. In her helplessness, Kersha just stood there; not making silly little noises, not trying to make herself seem more appealing to the gold in thought or looks, just stood there, waiting.

[Xinnai]

Time was seeming to drag on but stand still; that impossible flow and ebb that kept one locked into silent struggle where heartbeats reverberated in their ears and the world was spinning about them but standing still; where you seemed to be in the center of everything as it revolved around, your stomach in your throat as butterflies cavorted about in free fall and everything was devastatingly real and yet so, so sweet.

Salina smiled at Keldara, sharing her sympathies even as she felt the heat for perhaps the first time, caught up in all the excitement that it had been but a distant realization, a humming gnat at the back of her mind that she swatted away because she was too focused on other things. But it reared up in full force now, when her attention was drifting and so few boys were on the sands now. The blonde winced slightly, feet shifting on the sands as she glanced over at Genet, frowning thoughtfully. Well, that was one way to keep cool, she supposed, if you had the inclination. Which she did not at all.

She glanced over at the boys, her attention skittering between Golden Egg and the drama that unfolded with membraned wings there. A skitter of nerves, of shock, crawled into her as she saw a rather stocky green lady making her way towards the circle of women. But that wasn't possible. She knew some tended to wander and let out a sigh of relief as a clever boy stepped in front of the creature and Impressed without any hassle. She let out a soft sigh, head shaking at her own folly. She knew greens didn't Impress to women. How silly that she'd be so shocked.

She chuckled, glancing at the Gold Egg in reflex before her breath caught in a ragged gasp and her hands clenched. There was a crack in the egg. She could hear voices and dragons fading in and out of focus. They came in, sharp and loud, before fading out to her shocked and amazed mind. The Queen was hatching and Salina's heart was pounding as she saw the delicate, gold-vaned leathery wing push through and then the entire ravishing, absolutely awesome creature was revealed.

In moments, just moments, one girl's fate would be forever entwined with the beautiful girl before them. One girl would have the honor to call the regal female their own, their mine, their bonded. Forever. Quick grey eyes danced over the girls clusted about. Who? Who could it be? They were all so different, truly a very wide spectrum of the feminime species and who, who would that delicate creature choose?

Salina let out her breath in a whoosh, realizing she'd been holding it for the last few interminable moments. Dimly, she heard the applause that rose as another Impression was made but she didn't care, she couldn't possibly care when the object of all the hopes, dreams and aspirations of those around her was centered directly in front of them, in the form of the goo-spattered and shining Queen.

Pick wisely, little one. Hopes are resting upon you, dreams are linked with your coloring. Just choose wisely, choose the woman that you need, the one that you want and are meant for, if such a thing be true. Hands clenched into little pale balls of her hope, eyes closing briefly and squeezing shut as she let those unconscious wants roar to the front of her mind. She let it linger there for a moment, feeling almost dizzy at the rush it provided, before she inhaled deeply and eyes opened on the exhale. She stood there, nerves gone, grey eyes afire. Waiting for what would happen next.

[neopanther]

((Casual commenting here from Ez'ki.... Don't mind me =3))

The crowd seemed to gain a second lease of life, the hatching was beginning to wane previously, interest in one or two of the higher ranked colours, like the brown that had just impressed to H'tio. Ez'ki stood, ignoring the mental pleas of his bonded for one minute.
Yes, the gold was hatching. She, the new little golden queen was shedding her cocoon and emerging with grace and beauty. Perfect colouring displayed even as she remained damp with the egg fluid.

Miiiine. The hatchling butted his head against Ez'ki's knees, scratching at his leg and looked up at his rider-to-be.

What has you distracted? I'm only allowed to get distracted[/color] Ez'ki smirked, as he looked down at the bllue on his right, his eyesight caught something else incredibly blue, though scuffed and dented here and there, he smiled gently, both at hiss dragon and att the bangle upon his wrist.

You're Golden sister is about to make her stand.
Oh.
Yes, forgive me, I'd like to see who she chooses
The little blue settled down by his bondeds feet, still for a while, since the first time he hatched, eyes twining with colours of yellow, orange and blue as he watched on. He crooned gently to his bonded, trying to reassure Ez'ki against the odd feeling that lapped over their mental link, it was a desire, only not as strong, a wish yet more prominent.

Hope.

[Tabula Rasa]

For a stretch of time, save for the hum, everything was silent. The crowd had fallen into an anxious hush, people leaning forward in their seats to get a better view. Others were whispering to one another, pointing to this or that girl and counting out what marks they carried.

Pelegaoth watched her daughter hatch with still and careful intensity, her posture casual except for the lack of motion. Her rider was equally rapt as she studied this small and bright little dragon who pushed to her feet and didn't bother, even, to shake her wings free. What was a little mess when one had such a decision to make?

The quiet was interrupted by the loud crack of an egg amid the dwindling pile of those few that remained. Perhaps the only time when such an event would not take center stage, a dark and powerful bronze kicked free of his shell and began to prowl across the sands. He had no interest for the girls or the gleaming creature they surrounded. She was of no use to him, yet. Today, he would find the one that was.

The hatchling gold stood rooted to the spot and reserved her movements. She sought, instead, with her eyes. The whirling red-tinged orbs settled on each young woman in turn as if she was, indeed, studying the girls; weighing up their strengths and weaknesses.

One fidgety and smiling and full of things to say.

One that watched but did not watch, unsure and unconvinced.

One that did not know what she wanted, angry and anxious and hungry.

One spinning on hope and offering a message.

When the new gold moved, it was towards this last girl, her head high and her own message offered in return. There was, behind her words, a scraping sound, rough and precise. The noise of of a blade being carefully sharpened and honed. I have, Salina. Come. I must eat, and then there is so very much to do. I am Deoneth. This is only the beginning.

As the small and muscled queen finished her approach and rested her nose against the blonde's clenched hands, a roar of celebration surged up from the stands.