Taaj had been watching the bonding next to her, and so was caught unaware when a shadowy dragonet tackled her to the gemstone sands - though luckily there were no truly sharp shards under her when she fell - then sat proudly upon her back, smirking down at the teenager who, as yet, couldn't see what had claimed her in such an odd fashion.
You should truly make sure to keep yourself aware at all times,Taaj. What if I had been an assassin out to end your life? The Shadow female smiled, her mindvoice smooth and soft, her purplish-silver markings dominant, though here and there were scattered a few of pale opal.
"Well you're not," came Taaj's muffled response, "So how about letting me up, Tameji?"
The Shadow snorted, then glided off of Taaj's back and settled patiently onto the sands at the girl's side, dark green eyes watching as Taaj righted herself and brushed gemstone fragments from her skin and outfit.
"Well?" Taaj looked down at the small Shadow with a puzzled look, "Aren't you going to drag me off to the food like all the rest did?"
Hmm... tempting. But let us wait. And watch.
With a shrug, Taaj complied... making sure to keep an eye about her this time, though!
To Dragonwillow I go! Came a shout from out of the blue, making nearly all the candidates still present jump in surprise... and then stare in puzzlement as an egg managed to tip onto its side and... start rolling? Towards the feeding cavern, no less?
Revent and Yikaeri shared a look of amused resignation, before Revent reached a paw out and rapped lightly on the egg several times with a claw, shattering the shell and spilling out a fiery dragonet, who kept rolling like a log for several lengths before finally stopping.
Hey! I was having fun there!
"What did I do to deserve such an odd son," Revent muttered, as he rolled his eyes skyward, "Go follow your sister to Dragonwillow then, if you wish."
Huh, I'm not odd, I'm unique! The Light-marked Fire stuck his tongue out at the older dragon before sniffing and sauntering the rest of the way off the sands, head held high, And my name is Cevant. C-e-v-a-n-t, if you can't spell it.
Mental laughter at Taaj's left side made her look down... and then blink as she felt as second mind wrap around hers as she met the orange eyes of a female Wind-marked Fire.
Sorry for holding you both up, Taaj, Tameji, but I just had to watch my brother be ridiculous.
Tameji nodded a greeting towards the other female,It is all well, Tuless. I would not have missed that show for the world either.
Who ever heard of rolling off the sands in your egg, in any case? Tuless chirruped as she led the way towards the food.
Any responses that she got were lost as the three left the sands, leaving only four candidates remaining behind them.
The Kitsune Aseanelle remained as cool and collected as she had been at the very beginning, eyes locked onto one medium sized egg that had been gently rocking for the entire time.
Finally, though, the egg shattered like ice, and from the pile of iced shards stepped an icy female, her entire body covered in varying shades of ice blue, even her markings.
The two remained in their spots for a lengthy second, staring into one another's eyes, seemingly speaking privately amongst themselves.
I am Kristiae. Aseanelle is my bond. That is all any need to know.
With that, the two strode from the sands, lost in private conversation once more.
I hope my sister Esiell will not mind my presence at Vella Crean as well.The soft words drew the eyes to a small bark-brown hatchling with leaf green markings.
Of course. Come on, Zarkael. There's food aplenty in here.
Chirping happily, the male Wood trotted off the sands, leaving five eggs and only three candidates left.
A lull occurred then, with two of the eggs rocking gently, but none apparently ready to hatch. Two of the candidates, Lewis and Kimosay, shifted from foot to foot impatiently, eyeing the still eggs with slight worry. There were only two rocking eggs, and three candidates... were the other three eggs duds? Would one of the three of them walk away without a bond?
The faintest of sounds drew three pairs of eyes to the largest of the eggs, which Yikaeri had hovered proudly over the entire time. The shell crumbled away, like a shadow dissolving in the face of light...
Yet what stood there proudly was anything but a Light.
Hide of light-absorbing pitch black, eyes of deep crimson, wing sails looking as if a nebula had been pulled from the night sky and fashioned into membrane... and markings of a dark, yet strongly glowing, rainbow.
Zhyinaer, I am Elthairic. You are the only one here worthy of me.
The man nodded calmly, still projecting outward calm, even as his mind ran in circles. He had bonded a Gifted... and a Gifted Void at that. Never had he expected that, but such a creature could prove... rather useful.
Together the two dark beings stalked from the sands, intent on their own purposes and little else.
Everyone released an unconsciously held breath, and the song, which had picked up intensity as Elthairic had hatched, settled back to its previous calm welcome.
The other rocking egg finally cracked, spilling out a pale lavender female upon the sands, her markings only a shade darker than her hide itself. The dragonet yawned widely as she stretched her limbs, then blinked opal eyes sleepily at the gathered people and dragons.
I have Seen my place. Winya Yesteae it shall be. I am Yisae the dreamer.
Yawning hugely, the female Dream slipped soundlessly from the sands, leaving the last two candidates staring after her.
Kimosay's tiny wings fluttered as she glanced over the three remaining eggs. In size, they varied greatly, one was nearly as large as the egg that had held Elthairic, and the second was about an average size for the clutch. The last though... even Yikaeri was looking at it with resignation. The tiny thing looked to have barely grown beyond its original size...
Small cracking sounds brought all eyes back to the largest of the remaining eggs, as small fragments began to fall from the shell. A gold-barbed tailtip, a bright, fiery red, finally pushed through the shell all the way, and sat there, waving from side to side.
If you would shift your head a bit, sister...
Like so?
Yes, now hold yourself like that for a second...
The quiet conversation escaped many of the gathered, but not Kimosay, who shambled forward towards the egg, face twisted into a look of pure puzzlement.
Aha! There we go!
At those words golden claws pierced through the shell, then retreated as a green-brown head pushed its way through the hole to look around.
Oh! Kimosay! Will you help us? This egg really isn't big enough for my brother and I to free ourselves.
~Of course I will, Ossessia.~ Kneeling next to the still quivering egg, Kimosay gripped the hard shell in twig-like fingers, then started to pry the small holes that had already been made open, until, with a final shudder, the egg gave way tumbling two identically sized dragonets out onto the sands.
Ah! My thanks, Kimosay. The fiery colored male spoke as he pulled himself up from the sands, but he said no more until he had assisted his green-brown sister upright as well. Sitting side by side, the two looked nearly like mirror images of each other. His lower legs were banded with green-brown stripes, while her lower legs were banded with identical looking stripes of fiery red.
Ossessia looked up at Kimosay adoringly, Thank you for the help. I hope you will allow us to help you in the future? I am a healer... or at least I will be once I master my powers. The dragonet chirped brightly, her pale green and bright sapphire markings showing up well against her green-brown hide. With us \ around, I don't think you'll have to worry about exhausting yourself anymore.
And with us around, could anyone ever believe that you are anything less than intelligent? The male Wind-marked Fire folded his wings back with an audible flick, the natural Fire energy and exuberance apparently tamed by his sister's influence. And we can do the speaking for you, once we've both mastered that skill, if you ever want to have a voice speaking your words aloud.
~Thank you, Ossessia, Erolocen...~ Kimosay felt her mouth stretch into a smile, but ignored the pain in the face of the two dragonets that were gazing at her with mirrored eyes- ruby for Ossessia, emerald for Erolocen.
Erolocen chuckled as he and his sister stood as one, Well? The first thing that needs to be done is finding the food. And then... well... the universe is ours to explore!
The three slipped off the sands together, leaving a lone Lewis Temple to eye the two remaining eggs with something close to worry.
He had come here at his Chief's urging, to stand for a dragon that was supposed to have aided the fire department and been a companion for him... and he had been left standing, facing two eggs that looked as if they would never move.
Was even the magic of this strange place not enough to guarantee him a bond? Was he to be the only one of the firefighters to be left standing?
Scratching the head of his little chesmu, he made as if to turn, to leave the cavern and the oddly colored sands, head down...
You wouldn't leave me, would you, Lewis?
"Wh-... I..." Blinking, Lewis Temple looked back at the sands- only to come nearly face-to-face with a fiery dragon who was, somehow, standing on his hind legs, wings spread for balance. Ruby, sapphire, and pale blue markings added spots of different color to the dragonet's hide, as bright gold eyes stared calmly into Lewis' hazel green eyes.
I am sorry for making you wait like that. None of my siblings bothered to tell me that I was almost the last left, and I was enjoying the welcome-song. The dragonet sounded almost contrite, as he let himself settle back down onto all fours. With a draconic smirk, he nosed at Temple's free hand, tilting his head back as the firefighter obliged him with a scratching under the chin. Ahh...
Lewis had to laugh at the sigh of pure bliss that his dragonet gave, "You're going to be just as bad as Flicker, aren't you, Aerison?"
Mmm... worse. I get bigger. And I can nag you with words.
"No one told me dragons were such attention-demanding creatures," the firefighter muttered, shaking his head in amusement as Aerison's golden eyes closed in near-ecstasy at the scratching.
Hey, I think I deserve a little pre-payment for all the work I'm going to be doing, yes? I'm a Fire with Water and Wind powers. I'm more than sure you can find ways to use that to your advantage, Fire Captain.
That surprised another laugh out of Lewis, "Great, just what I need, a dragon who's aware of each and every little thing owed to him."
Aerison grinned as the two of them strode off the sands, shooting back, Oh, and little Flicker and I are going to be plotting ways to get you to lighten up. You can't be so serious and dark all the time!
"... Thanks for the warning. I guess."
Yikaeri turned her gaze from the newly bonded pair to the lone egg that remained on the sands. With a sigh, she laid her head down next to the still egg, listening to see if there was anything alive inside of it.
Lifting her head from where it lay, she extended one foot, toes folded back so that only a single claw remained pointing towards the egg as she pressed the claw-tip into the hard shell, then dragged her claw down the shell, carving a deep gouge in the shell as she did.
Still careful to not hurt the dragonet inside, she set her claw-tips into the gouge and pulled...
The shell gave way with a loud snap, spilling out a tiny dragonet that looked more akin to a shadow than a true hatchling.
Even Melanthe's tiny Nalekai looked huge compared to this hatchling, who coiled himself atop his mother's front paw and patted lightly at her pale leg, I will stay. Here. I will stay here. I herald the first coming. I am Attorl, Herald of the Coming.
"The first coming of what, little one?"
The first coming. All will be known. Later. Later will all be known. Look to the one who comes, bearing our Summoner. Our little, Gifted Summoner.
Revent frowned, "Summoners aren't chosen from the egg, child..."
Ours is. We know. We Know. All of us do. I may be the youngest of them all. The youngest and the oldest. But I know. She is coming. Our Sorcerer is still waiting. He's a patient one, is our Sorcerer. She is patient too. More patient than I think I could be. The rest... they all want their freedom, but will wait.
"Will wait for what? Speak plainly, child, you're worse than a Dream!"
Why, to be found! We must all be found before we can be free!
The two adults exchanged glances, as around them the welcome song faded into nothing, and one by one the other dragons left the sands, satisfied that the hatching had been a good one.
Though here and there, glances and muttered questions were passed between friends, as all quietly debated the meaning behind the child's convoluted statements. Only time would tell what he meant, though.