The Luck of Dragons [E] (Archith's Fourth Hatching)

[Shoki]

Hedara merely arched one eyebrow as V’quin hopped over the seat backs. He looked quite relaxed today. Well, a proper excuse to keep away from work would do them both good. Or rather, a different sort of work. She made a small ‘hmph’ noise as a quick response to V’quin’s question.

“In light of my friend’s opinions, I will grant him the ability to be polite if he pleases.” Despite their earlier conversation, Hedara had no great desire to try to become friends with V’lan. Her voice lowered to be in audible to all but the Ironrider. “And of course, I prefer my enemies when they are in the spotlight.” Sharding Tiberax. She glanced over when she spotted the Weyrleader and the Igenese taking their seats. Hedara spied Rilora as well. Her hard expression mellowed into something pensive before it became hard again. She WOULD hold true to what she had told Rilora. But at the same time, if V’lan was not worthy of her friend’s trust, she would be the first one to run the man through.

Her gaze only shifted when the eggs began to hatch, and she nodded approval at the two dragonets now on the sands. But her gaze kept creeping back over.

---

Temperanth made a little polite conversation with the Bronze before other dragons arrived and appeared quite chatty. The Ice Queen rumbled, and after a quick greeting, left them to their conversing. Seemed as though they were talking about their riders. A good conversation, but not one she thought she should join in on. She turned her head, and spied the Abyss making her entrance. Ah, there.

[smear:33ccff]Ah, Sunvoiath! Good morning. A lovely entrance for this wonderful day.[/smear:3366ff] The Ice perched closer to the Abyss and the Bronze-Crimson. [smear:33ccff]And good morning to you as well Aldith.[/smear:3366ff] The Ice seemed delighted to converse with them both. [smear:33ccff]How are you both?[/smear:3366ff]

[Kaya]

The pop and crack of shells were small sounds drowned in the roar of the crowd. Everyone speaking at once, pointing at dragonets and hopeful Candidates and a flashy Abyss overhead, a few close groups making bets, the hum vibrating through it all. But heard or not in the cacophony shells loosed dragonets to Pern. A Purple shoulder, followed by its wing unfurling as the hind legs kicked away yet other pieces. The dragonet rested in place in the large egg on one end.

A dark set of legs clawed out next. It mirrored the egg next to it, each one with a leg pushing away shell here and there. A Black dragon shrugged off his shell and reveled in the moment of first spreading his wings. He paused in the hot sunlight, soaking in the heat and the sound. He then took a moment to look back at himself, and seeing everything was in order, began to walk with a proud step towards the girls. He made good time and walked right up to Sif. He gave her a sniff and walked in a slow arc to the side, bumping into April’s leg. Behind him, back amongst the egg shells the other dragonet had finally freed herself, just more slowly. Small piece by small piece this DarkBlue had found her way into the world. She cautiously looked up at the crowded stands, then dropped her gaze to the sand and headed the way of the Black dragonet. He was still sizing up Sif when the DarkBlue arrived. She gave the girl a sidelong glance, but did not approach. She moved to the side of the line, peering up towards Aislin, but avoiding her eyes.

The Purple by this time had wrested out of the egg, just in time to tumble as a tangled heap into the egg next to him. A yellow hide shone through, only to have both shards and Purple hide stick to her here and there. The little Citrine exploded into a burst of wiggling, extracted herself from the mess and swiped the Purple across the nose. The other dragon recoiled and sat there reeling from the unexpected cut, a line of ichor welling up. Quickly her feet carried her away from the Purple, and she found herself amongst the males staring up at a young man named Leidejid. She looked side to side, paced a few steps, circled and paced the other way.

Amongst the remaining eggs a yellowy orange tail and hindleg had removed the shell around them. In the center the egg set apart shook faster and cracked, a little pieces slipping. A large shard fell away. Eyes strained to see. The hide looked dark but it was difficult to tell. Wild speculations began.

[Kaya]

Rilora peered up as Sunvoiath arrived. She felt a distant glimmer of pride from Archith for her, she had brought forth the Abyss after all. V'lan and a number of others arrived. She gave him a level smile and a light kiss on the cheek. It was all that felt appropriate given the situation, so much of their personalities removed but better to leave a little reminder of her actual thoughts. She surveyed Hedara and one of her Riders off a short distance, gave greeting and pleasantries with arriving Igenese diplomats and seated herself again. More dragonets on the sands now. It started to creep into her heartrate, the delicate situation, the importance that everything go well.

[Kaya]

They're so little! Ornoth exclaimed. They had only just arrived and so had a view that could not in any way be described as ideal. Kh'sol leaned into his Brown's shoulders. Everyone they knew would be in other seats. No use moving somewhere less comfortable and more crowded. It was a hot day, to be sure, but they'd been outside for so long now the unrelenting sun felt almost good again on his darkening skin.

---

Near the top of the stairs leading into the Stands stood Libby. She had removed herself from the kitchens in all the madness of setting tables. Things had long since been prepared for the leadership, her table was ready, and so she stole away to see the dragonets. A sturdy Iron flitt had joined her half way across the Bowl, sitting neatly on her shoulder. A few other late comers intending to sit down pushed passed her as she stood hanging off the corner railing.

---

Lithena was in the thick of it. She had arrived early, blended into a group that had already started their celebrations early, and sat enjoying the crush of bodies and excited faces. There was a DarkBlue Rider she meant to reconnect with, though perhaps after he'd had a drink or two.

[dr3amwe4ver]

A high shriek drew Aislin's attention away from the queen egg. April leapt to the side, clinging to Aislin's arm, as the Black dragonet bumped into her. A small laugh escaped Aislin, and she patted her friend's hand before untangling it from the sleeve of her robe and smoothing out the wrinkles almost compulsively.

"It's alright," said Aislin. "He's just searching for his rider."

"But I could've been mauled," whispered April, her eyes wide.

"There are healers."

"It would still hurt!" exclaimed April. As if she'd only just realized she'd shouted, she winced and ducked her chin, trying to be invisible once more. Aislin gazed fondly upon April. Even though they'd only met a few sevendays ago and were the same age, she'd become like a little sister to Aislin. She felt a protective edge, and slid forward a bit to place herself between the girl and the wandering dragonets. As she did, a flash of yellow caught her attention and her heart jumped. Her eyes darted back to the clutch, but her elation quickly faded. It wasn't the queen, it was a citrine. Still, it was a pretty little thing, her hide like a jewel. Then, Aislin noticed the clumsy purple and hid a giggle behind her hand like a proper lady. Dragons were known for their graceful flight, but apparently that didn't include newly hatched dragonets.

Turning back, Aislin eyed the Black to see if she would make another move at April, but he seemed to take particular interest in an older looking girl, and in that moment, Aislin regretted not taking the time to learn all the candidiate's names. She'd have to remedy that in Weyrling training. A shiver ran down her spine and Aislin turned without thinking. A DarkBlue dragonet stood nearby, looking at her without quite looking at her. Cocking her head to the side, Aislin surveyed the little creature curiously.

[thelifeweaver]

The number of little monsters - ‘Dragonets’ his subconscious offered - now exceeded his ability to track. Overwhelmed by the sounds and visuals of such a crowded and lively habitat he scarcely noticed one of the Dragonets charging away from the congregation at the center of the arena. He couldn’t help but realise just how much of an inconsiderate ass his past, delirious self had been. Retreating was now out of the question as his previous assumption that spacing himself would serve as to aid his fellow candidate also left him further from the exit than he could safely move without breaking into a sprint.

Placing his shaking arm at his side he struggled to contain the paranoia that flowed under the surface. Calm, he needed to be calm, he realised. He had approached this unique opportunity entirely wrong, it was to be an impression, to show oneself and their skillset. And the skillset that he wielded was entirely focused upon survival. Ignoring the unmistakable shiver which ran down his spine defiant of his newfound focus he came to a conclusion.

He was stuck here and would have to push through regardless of what happened and perhaps that was for the best. Inwardly, Rythal fought with his fear and took grip of his situation. A subconscious switch was pushed and the boy’s eyes narrowed as he drank in his surroundings under a new light. He isolated the extraneous from his thoughts, they weren't needed, only the Dragonets and a vague outline of the other Candidates was required. 

Alikening the situation to some of the hunts he’d partaken in seemed like the best option he had. Only this time he was left bereft of his weapons and his ’Foes were of a type that could draw upon unfathomable reverses of strength. In total there would two new targets entering the battlefield with another seven to follow after. There would at worst be thirteen dragonets all of which were entirely unfamiliar with the destructive power they could unintentionally bring down upon an unfortunate candidate.

Vigilance was required in tandem with a fleet foot to dodge any of the current targets and track wherever their senses might carry themselves to. Prioritizing the nearest was crucial but so was observing those that had impressed; as to remove them from a the list of potential targets. A trio of Dragonets were clearly undecided upon their direction; the jungle hued, the purple and the Dark Blue. Each was beautiful and majestic in their own right and to a degree a rebellious part of his mind still longed for his sketch-book.

Perhaps he would get the opportunity, should one of the Dragonets find something of worth from him.

[Cait]

Sif was beginning to wonder if she’d fully thought this whole thing through. She’d thought she’d asked R’vor every question she could possibly think of in making her decision but apparently had failed to take into account just how hectic and intimidating a hatching could be when witnessed from the Sands. As the eggs started hatching one by one, spilling sizeable babies onto the sands, she saw very quickly how this might go very, very wrong. The young dragons weren’t particularly coordinated and Elysif found herself wondering if the tales of maulings during hatchings didn’t have more to do with that lack of coordination than anything else.

When the newly hatched black marched toward her on ungainly legs, Sif held herself perfectly still, not even daring to breathe as he sniff then detoured around her. Once he was well away from her, she let out a sigh only to jump as one of the other girls let out a shriek. Eyes wide, Sif’s head snapped to the side to find that the black had bumped into one of the other girls and startled her. There was a brief squabble with a bit of shouting between the girls next to her that had her frowning. Skittish little thing, though she couldn’t blame her. Sif felt as if she was about ready to jump out of her skin as well.

Turning her attention back to the clutch in time to see the shell fragment fall away from the arger egg, she peered curiously at it along with the rest of those gathered before realizing that there were a few other hatchlings on the sands as well. When had they hatched? How many did that make? It was all too much to follow with any sort of accuracy in her opinion.

[Shoki]

The party of Igenese guests were chatting merrily enough as the eggs hatched. As the Purple, Black and Darkblue hatched, there were far fewer questions, and they watched the Citrine and Purple with some sympathy. There was banter as to if the Black would actually impress the girl he stared at so adamantly. V’lan for his part was playing his part with the best of them. He was still worried a bit. He had been truthful when he said that he would feel at home with a good honest Green, but none of those yet. More important, he was not going to call this a success until he was sure everything had actually gone well. It would be a long day.

“Well what do you think it will be, V’lan?” V’lan’s attention was waved toward the egg in the centre. He smiled, and said the same thing he had before.

“I’m not sure, but for Doramath’s sake I will say it is a Bronze.” There was some light hearted chuckling at that, and the speculating continued unabated. So far, it was an ordinary hatching, he supposed. Though the hides were far more colorful then he was accustomed to. Made it more interesting he supposed. He stole a glance at Rilora and gave a smile, hoping to be encouraging.

---

“Heh.” R’le grinned, looking sidelong down the row of seats. He let his gaze slide back to the sands, with the grin still firmly in place. Well, he’d leave well enough alone. For now. Besides, he had to watch the woman being stared down by a dragonet, for Quiorith’s sake. He watched, and waited to see.

[dr3amwe4ver]

D'lan was late. He'd heard the humming of the hatching well before it started, but fear had paralyzed him. Absently, he'd rubbed the scar across his chest. The first time he'd been to the Hatching Sands at Igen Weyr, he'd nearly died. The second time - against his will - he'd met the love of his life. It couldn't be entirely bad...except that he would be at a completely new Weyr, his one-time enemy and now home. And surrounded by dragons unknown to him. In the end, he'd convinced himself on principle; he had to attend because he'd recently transferred to Rainbow Mists Weyr and it was tradition. It would be rude not to attend.

Breathe, D'lan told himself as he walked stiffly through the entryway to the Hatching Caverns. His palms turned clammy with sweat as he took in the dragons in the viewing tiers above, panic settling into his bones. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Taking his own advice, he sucked in a deep breath and made his way towards the seating area. He was trying to sneak in without anyone noticing he was late; since this was his first sevenday at his new Weyr, he didn't want to start off with a bad first impression.

At that precise moment, the love of his life burst into the Hatching Cavern with a loud bugle, alerting all to her presence. Ignorant of the hatchlings already on the sands, the pale green dragon spiraled through the air in a flamboyant display of skill. She did a few rolls, then swooped down dangerously close to the stands. The green crooned in delight as a few startled shrieks rose and snapped her wings back open, soaring up into the air. Groaning, D'lan buried his face in his hands.

The idea was to be discreet, my love, he told Adorith.

Adorith huffed, performing a few more aerial stunts before she soared towards one of the ledges and nestled herself between a few king dragons, purring to them. We're new to the Weyr, mine. Everyone should know we're here.

Blushing in embarassment, D'lan made his way towards Weyrwoman Kaya and bowed deeply. He pressed his palms to his thighs to hide the way they shook, his face unnaturally pale. It was getting difficult to breathe the closer he walked to the dragons, his irrational fear warping his mind. "Weyrwoman Kaya-" His voice came out a hoarse croak and he paused to clear his throat before continuing. "Weyrwoman Kaya, I sincerely apologize for my tardiness. I was..." He cleared his throat. What excuse could he possibly give? A dragonrider who was afraid of dragons? It was ridiculous. "...I apologize," he finished lamely, and bowed to Archith. "Congratulations on a magnificent clutch, my queen."

Adorith, on the other hand, was not the least bit contrite. Noticing a pair of queens nearby, she bugled a greeting to Sunvioth, Aldith, and the Ice Queen. How do you do, fellow queens! I am Adorith, and I'm new to this Weyr with my rider, D'lan.

[Cait]

Settling herself and S’rico in the row behind Rilora and leaned forward to tap the woman’s shoulder. The greeting was brief and consisted of little more than a smile but it was a genuine and warm smile. Settling back next to S’rico, she sat so that her entire left side was pressed against his right. It was always like this; when she had him here at the Weyr and not out playing war hero, she took every moment she could to stay close to him. Anyone who cared to notice would notice the positive affect his presence had on the Abyssrider’s mood. Resting her hand in a vaguely possessive manner on his thigh, just above his knee, Rekkora scanned the sands. One day, perhaps sooner than she would like, it would be Sunvoiath on the sands with her little cluster of eggs arranged just so. She could still remember the day she’d stepped out on the sands and seen the little Abyss sitting there amongst her court of eggs like the perfect little princess.

Glancing up at the ledge where Sunvoiath had made her flashy landed, Rekkora couldn’t help but giggle. There she was with her court once more. Aldith ever at her side as S’rico was at hers and then Temperanth and a skulking, was that a grey? No much too large. Iron! That was the haze-iron from the North. The one whose rider was brother to that ridiculously hyper girl from her last candidacy at Ice Stone. Sure enough when she scanned the stands, she spotted him lounging beside Hedara, a foot propped up on the back of the row in front of him.

As the hatching began in earnest, Rekki turned her gaze to the sands and watched as young dragons spilled out. She was just as unsure about this truce or the sire of the clutch as the next person but for Archith’s sake she hoped for an uneventful hatching. She watched the way the little black studied the girls, seeming to completely ignore the boys on the sand. She’d always found blacks to be amusing and quite frankly adored her moody little Handsome. The firelizard had been quite put out at not being allowed to accompany her as he usually did. It had taken promises of treats when she returned to get him to stay put and keep his little sisters in check as well.

Of course, there rarely seemed to be a hatching that went without some sort of interrupting and this one came in the form of a pale green burst into the airspace of the hatching sands with a raucous cry and swooped so low over the stands as to cause a bit of panic before she arched back up and wedged herself between a pair of higher ranking male dragons. Blue eyes darkened in annoyance and her fingers curled into S’rico’s leg at the potentially dangerous display. What if the green had scared the hatchlings and interrupted the forming of a bond. Her teeth gritted and high above where Sunvoiath was perched, the black, gold-streaked wings unfurled in agitation. “That dragon’s rider should be demoted.” Rekkora hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes darting to the sands to make sure that none of the hatchlings were adversely affected by the display.


--------------

Sunvoiath had rumbled her pleasure at Aldith’s praise of her arrival and made room for him as he settled on the ledge. The Bronze-Crimson really was good company. He was polite with just enough of an edge not to be boring. She very much appreciated his ability to be ruthless when the need arose while also being clever and tactful as well. Rekkora might half-heartedly complain about how his hide clashed with everything she had to wear but the Abyss found it to be quite handsome with the bronze freckling on his shoulders and thighs and the way that the crimson colored his ever twitching tail and the underside of his wings. As far as physical appearance went, he was quite appealing, not that she’d ever said so or would ever say so. She kept her opinions of others mostly to herself unless riled.

Her attention drawn to the Ice Queen Temperanth as she moved closer, Sunvoiath’s attention was caught by the quiet follower that the other queen had, finding it quite amusing that no queen was ever truly alone. The male was an Iron though his hide shifted with the mark of a haze. Turning her attention back to Temperanth, she was discretely away of the way the Iron shifted into the shadows and surveyed the other dragons, as though wary of a threat.

[smear:#111111]Temperanth. Good to see you.[/smear:#d4a514:0] Sunvoiath was never particularly good at small talk or really any sort of meaningful conversation. It was hard for her to articulate her meaning and so she typically allowed the image of her being a particularly aloof queen to stand but she also didn’t want to seem impolite either. Though Rekkora was skeptical, this was a time for mending. [smear:#111111]We are...well.[/smear:#d4a514:0] Maybe if she just kept to simpler responses. She was about to ask after Temperanth and her companion when a jarring bugle blasted through the sands.

Startled and immediately thinking that there was some sort of attack on the hatching, Sunvoiath reared, her wings flaring and inadvertently buffeting those nearest her as she issued a low, warning rumble, her eyes were roiling with rage and hints of fear as her head swung around to find a green swooping low over the crowd and causing several people to scream. It was no attack but an ill-behaved green who seemed to think that this was some sort of playground instead of a venue for future prosperity. As the green settled herself on a ledge, Sunvoiath eased her wings closed most of the way but looked full ready to lash out should there be a need.

When the little green finally took notice, however, it was not with contrition or embarrassment. No, she greeted Sunvoiath and the others as though she hadn’t just dangerously disrupted a monumental occasion. Not only was it a hatching and the very future of the Weyr, but if this went off smoothly, it would be a large step toward ending the war. Rekkora had explained this to her when she’d failed to see the significance of a bronze from Igen catching Archith. She supposed it made sense by human standards. Her gold-streaked tail lashed once more and her teeth bared as she hissed at the green. [smear:#111111]You will cease your bellowing this instant, Adorith.
[/smear:#d4a514:0]

[Cait]

Pulling a face at the idea of having to interact with the Igenese bronzerider, V’quin’s expression took a turn toward the murderous side though he did his best to hide it. The iron rider had a very personal reason for wanting Tiberax dead. He doubted he would ever get the image of his sister out of his mind, that first day in the infirmary, her face scarred and her neck and shoulders covered in burns and blisters. Suffering from infection, shock and mild hypothermia. He wasn’t entirely sure how she’d survived but he’d made sure that the healers had kept her close to T’vax because his presence seemed to keep her calm. How a man like T’vax could’ve been born to a monster like Tiberax, V’quin would never know, but he was grateful, for all that he’d been skeptical of their relationship at first.

Realizing that his nails were scraping into the wooden back of the bench, V’quin took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he rolled his neck to release the tension. The eggs were hatching and the candidates milling about nervously as they tended to do. Propping a foot on the back of the bench in front of him, the iron rider settled in for what was probably going to be an uneventful hatching. Everyone was far too on edge given the circumstances and so would be on their best behavior.

Maybe he’d complained too soon though.

Before anyone realized what was going on, a bugle erupted over the sands and a pale green dragon rolled through the air before swooping low over the stands. With a curse, V’quin grabbed for the back of Hedara’s head and pressed her forward, hovering over her body with his own instinctively. Once he was sure the crazed dragon wasn’t going to make a second pass, he eased up and scowled. “Jays, someone is going to get themselves a new hole ripped.” He muttered and she slowly eased back into the position he’d been in before, eying the Abyss on her ledge where she seemed to be quite agitated. “She’s not one of ours is she?” He didn’t remember seeing a green that shade back home, but how could he possibly remember all the dragons?

[Cait]

Never the sort of leader that expected her men and women to do something she couldn’t be bothered to do, Dalonia had slipped onto the sands shortly after Lan. Still dressed in her usual guard uniform and armed to the teeth with various knives and other blades, her pale eyes scanned the crowd. She’d been tense and on edge ever since that damn Igenese envoy’s dragon had caught Archith. She didn’t like the idea of having the enemy so close. She felt like it was some sort of set up. As a battle plan it would be one that relied heavily on chance, but she could see the merit of having a man on the inside that gained the trust of the leaders. She wasn’t buying it though, and every chance she got, she made sure that T’kar was aware of how very little she trusted this V’lan character.

Settling in a spot that afforded her a prime view of the crowd, Dalonia kept her head on rotate and couldn’t help but smirk as she saw Lan smile and wave at a particularly colorful young woman in the crowd who waved back before turning a scowl on the man beside her and elbowing him harshly in the side. Shaking her head, Dalonia kept to her post, all but ignoring the actual hatching until the green burst into the hatching grounds.

With a snarl the senior wherhandler and guard had a pair of blades in her hands before anyone could blink and was looking for something to set herself on. When no attack came, she looked to where each of the other guards were posted and was pleased to see that several had moved in on Rilora to protect her and were pulling an awkward looking lad away from her. With a thought, she summoned Dalosk from his place at the ground level entrance to the bowl and took the stairs two at a time. The crimson, grumpy as all get out about having to wear his daylight goggles, appeared in the entry way, growling and grring in annoyance but he fell silent as he saw his handler's drawn weapons and the golden queen's rage.

Moving to his handler's side as she reached the ground level, she put away both of the blades and waited for the guards to deliver who she could only assume to be the rider of the disruptive green. Dalosk let out a low rattling his and Dalonia elbowed him sharply in the nose, hushing him up.

[Kaya]

The Black winced away at the girl’s screaming. He gave what could only be a draconic frown, his shoulders lagging and his nose wrinkling. He snorted, his tail flicked, as if to try and shake it off. The Purple in the center was now recovered sufficiently of his nose that he was scrambling off towards the boys for a first look, his long and uncoordinated legs fighting him the entire trip. The dragonets were milling about, a Cloud spilling forth and was about to right herself when an ear shattering noise cut above. The dragonets froze, the DarkBlue collapsed to the ground, cowering. The bolder Black, curious Jungle and bristling Citrine craned their heads up to look. An adult dragon swooped far too low, the Citrine hissed at her.

Archith had at her disposal far more power than her daughter’s hiss. Her eyes locked on the insubordinate Green, her blood boiling. How dare she? This was Archith’s day, a celebration of her clutch, a day of importance to Rilora and peace. Worse, the screams from the people in the Stands. Unacceptable. Unbelievable, if she had not just witnessed it. Her view of the world narrowed in on the offender as she landed somewhere Archith could safely reach. Without regard for sensitive human ears she let out a shattering roar backed by the power of queenly lungs. The Gold wings snapped open and she leapt to the air, a sandstorm buffeting dragonets and Candidates and some front row onlookers. The angry Gold blurred through the short distance to the pathetic little Green. Her protective instinct left little room for words. Her powerful hindclaws gripped the rocky wall, her form towered over the intruder, who had now not one but two great Queens of Rainbow Mists hissing at her. Archith’s foreclaw flexed near the Green’s hide and her maw dropped open, nightmarish fangs and an army of sharp teeth confronting this threat. You… she snarled, row upon row of tense muscle rippled her face. Her threat dropped into a low growl. That was unwise. She spat into her face.

LEAVE! she roared.

Below in the Stands guards were calming guests, several had crammed in around Rilora and her important entourage. One grabbed the guilty looking GreenRider by the arm, roughly. She stared at him, mouth hanging just barely open. Archith’s rage muted her ability to form coherent thoughts. “The Lady’s name ain’t Kaya ya lout,” the guard corrected D’lan as Rilora could only look on in shock.

[Cait]

As yet another of the hatching young dragons ventured forth and another dragon spilled onto the sands, Sif took a moment to glance back at the stands, looking for the familiar faces of R’vor and his family. Surely some of them would be there. While she was searching for that comfort in this confusing time, however, chaos seemed to break free on the sands. A loud bugle assaulted her ears out of nowhere and Sif flinched, her hands coming over to clamp over her ears though it did little to actually protect them. A flash of green swooped low and with a startled shout, she immediately fell to her knees in the burning sands and covered her head, her heart racing.

Worried for the young dragons, she peeked over to see the black dragon looking up and part of the backside of the blue dragon. Before she could muster up the gumption to lift her head, however, Archith was in motion. Her wings snapped open and sand began to swirl, pelting her bare arms and forcing her to hide her face again. As hot as the sands were, if felt as though her skin was being seared as well as rubbed off by tree bark or scraped by a rough rock. She heard the screams from the crowd behind her and then the deafening roar that set her ears to ringing.

Shaking and more than a little put off this whole candidate thing, Elysif pinched her eyes shut and kept her head covered. She might be plucky and brave normally but this was an entirely different thing. This wasn’t venturing out on her own level scary, this was angry monsters about to battle over her head level scary. This was getting buffeted with burning hot sand and buried by it level of scary. She was going to have a word or two with R’vor after this, if she lived through it. Nope, she was more than content baking mediocre biscuits on the farm for the rest of her life. But she could say she tried, right?

[thelifeweaver]

Vigilance had lasted for all but a few seconds as a bugle and erupting mass left him entirely bewildered. Had this been some form of ceremony that they had neglected to cover as part of his rushed teachings? It didn’t add up in his mind from what he knew of both new-borns and the maternal instincts of creatures - regardless of their intelligence. The abrupt motions of the Dragonets which he had continued to track now flinched at sound. Everything seemed to slow as he tried to behold more and more of the scene.

The mass - a green dragon - swooped down in some form of acrobatic maneuver in a fashion that was precariously close to the sands bellow it. In response the majestic gold which had existed like an omni-present monument of judgement, moved. A roar erupted outwards with such intensity that his ears rung in hellish fury. Stepping backwards in fright the defensive stance he had assumed earlier vanished, leaving him open for what happened next.

Wings unfurled with blinding pace and furocity, saturating the air with the blistering hot sands which had only moments before served as her bedding. Unwittingly Rythal had placed himself in fulcrum of the winds when he had moved to split himself from the group. With neither steady foot nor good karma he was pushed backwards like a ragdoll. A sickening thump followed by the searing pain alerted him to his new position; slumped against the scorching wall.

Through blurred vision that he’d hoped not to encounter for at least a few more years he beheld the Gold lunge upon the Green. Yet oddly he was more concerned for both the hatchlings and eggs which were caught in-between. He had no doubt he’d be questioning himself once his brain returned from the goop that it felt like.