"Rat. Hey. Hey. Wake up."
Selverat groaned and rolled over in bed, tugging the blanket up and around himself, "Go 'way, Kael. It's late. I hurt."
Kerkael snorted, then extended his muzzle delicately and grabbed the blanket in his teeth, mentally thanking the foresight of humans for creating blankets that could take this type of abuse, and ripped it off Selverat with a jerk of his neck. The motion caused the slender man to tumble off the low bed and onto the floor, to lay there, blinking dazedly up at the ceiling.
Ara-teli, tiny green fuzzball that she was, crept to the edge of the bed and looked down at Selverat, then up at Kerkael, a questioning tilt to her head.
Kerkael snorted, "Just open your ears, both of you. I swear, the two of you are as deaf as a stone when you're asleep."
The Fire Myrsilkain raised his gaze to the ceiling when all he received was puzzled looks from his two bondmates, giving an explosive sigh that sent ripples through the tapestries hung about the room. "The hatching. Sestral's clutch is hatching. Now let's go, Rat, we have candidates to wake and herd to the sands."
Exasperation at his heart-brother aside, Kerkael couldn't help but feel a spark of warmth for the human as he scrambled to his feet and went about dressing with all the haste Kerkael could wish. The song of the hatching, a low thrum of slowly building power, reminded him of his own hatching, made him antsy to join in with joy...
And made him wonder if he would ever find a mate for himself and his heart-brother.
Selverat ran a hand through his hair, feeling the ringlets catching on his fingers, tangling about his hand. He hadn't had time to brush it - hadn't wanted to waste the time, honestly, once he caught the sound of the hatching song. The song made him giddy, as it always had, and it was all he could do to dart from door to door, banging on them and shouting at the candidates and sponsors to get up, the eggs are hatching!
Never mind that it was a little past midnight. Never mind that he'd spent the better part of the previous day sparring with Selesst, trying to regain his knightly trim. The hatching song revitalized him for the moment - he'd pay for this energy later, but that was in some nebulous 'future' that his mind wouldn't wrap around at the moment.
For the moment, he leaned against Kerkael's warm flank, watching the area fill slowly, as people filed in, rubbing at bleary eyes. Not a soul who lived here would willingly miss a hatching, and it showed.
His eyes picked out Revent and Yikaeri, perched proudly above the sands, adding their voices to the song just as Kerkael was. This clutch was not theirs, but that mattered little - it was new blood come into the world, of a strain many thought lost in the destruction. Seasons were so rare, to have a pure Season clutch, even if small, was a blessing.
And over there, looking as fresh as if they'd had time for a full wash and grooming, sat Tirval and Lesara, leaning against their own, much smaller dragons. Selesst, nearby, had an arm tossed over Chandye's neck in a rare show of affection. Krethae was perched upon Tirnol's neck, her head tossed back, wings partially extended, adding her own soft trill to the song, barely recognizable over Tinorl's deep bass singing. A little corner of the small stands was taken up by the anthro-dragon mercenaries, the Devyrs, another corner with the few human members of Clan Vecira.
And where were... ah! His gaze latched onto the first of the candidates to straggle onto the sands. First Selena, that strange silvery not-woman. She had explained to him, when he asked, that she was a 'robot', an artificial life form created by that annoying man who had been with her. She was, she had explained, trying to prove that she was enough of a person to do something as unique as bonding, despite her creator's belief's to the contrary. He personally liked her, and knew Kerkael was gloating internally about... something. The cursed dragon wouldn't say.
The four elemental ladies strode in after her, each showing their excitement with wide eyes and quick steps. Marell, Fante, Weronika, and Eunoë... each supporting the other unconsciously, in the way they moved as a single group, without issue. Truly childhood friends that would never be separated.
Not far behind them came Spyridon and his pupil Kalju. Now there was trouble waiting to happen - oh, not from the elder himself... as soon as he'd gotten over his shock at the residents, he'd been fine company... when his pupil wasn't wandering off.
Just like that. Selverat sighed, rubbing at his temple as Spyridon snapped an arm out and grabbed Kalju's shoulder just as the boy was about to wander past the invisible line that the candidates were forming in front of Sestrel, heading towards the gently rocking eggs.
He scanned the gathered people briefly, debating. Spyridon, if Kerkael was right, would soon enough have his hands full with a hatchling, and who knew where Kalju would wander off to. Time to nip this problem in the bud.
Hoping that Lesara, at least, would notice, he raised an arm and waved to her, sighing in relief as she turned and caught his gaze with a questioning look of her own. Rat nodded his head to Kalju, saw Lesara look to the sands, then turn back with a faint smile and a slight nod. Gracefully, she rose from her seat and glided across the sands to speak with Spyridon.
Whatever she said, it must have worked. She recrossed the sands back to her seat, a delicate, gloved hand wrapped about Kalju's wrist. When they reached her seat, she settled Kalju down between herself and her brother, their four dragons curling about them to create a corral that could been seen over but not easily walked over.
Turning his attention back to the sands at last, Selverat noticed that the other candidates had slipped in while he was distracted. Meeke sat to one side, tail curled about his paws as he stared in contemplation at the rocking eggs. Yvar, also standing a bit to one side, stood calmly, though his eyes darted from egg to egg.
And then all time for contemplation was at an end.
With a craaaaaack! three eggs wriggled themselves free of the little mounds Sestrel had built and collided, riddling the mottled shells with cracks and seams. A misty red paw thrust through one shell, a dark, dark green tail spilled free of the second, and a pale blue and violet muzzle poked through a hole in the third.
Given a taste of freedom, all three hatchlings struggled against their shells, splintering the already cracked eggs with their wriggling and clawing.
Ahhh.. there we go. came a gentle voice as the first egg finally split, spilling a female Autumn Dawn out onto the sands. With careful motions she righted herself, then sat on her haunches and hooked her claws into the egg that the blue and violet muzzle (and now a paw and a wing-claw, both slowly destroying the shell that contained the dragon) was poking through. Here, hold still a moment, brother...
With a small tug, she split the shell in half, spilling a male Winter Night onto the sands. Having freed the one, she turned on the other, hooking claws into slowly widening cracks and yanking that egg apart as well, spilling another male, this time a Summer Night, onto the sands.
The Summer Night shook himself free of the last of the fragments of his shell, and made a beeline directly for the candidates. Proudly, he stalked down the line, eyeing each person in turn until he'd been through the entire gathering.
My bondmate is... The Summer Night smirked as several of the candidates deflated slightly, assuming that the hatchling would declare himself bondless. Right here! Yvar! We'll get where we need to be. Whether that is back with your people, or... elsewhere, we'll have to see. But it will be where we need to be, and no where else. With that, he set himself in front of Yvar, My name is Chelar.
Yvar blinked, then smiled faintly as he reached out and scratched Chelar on the head. "If you say so. Come on, lets get you some food."
The Autumn Dawn and the Winter Night, on the other hand, seemed disinclined to pay any attention to the candidates that stood staring at them. Instead, the two sat face to face, noses touching, deep in a private conversation.
Oh, ignore those two, Weronika! Weronika found herself confronted with a deep green dragoness with bright blue wings, a Summer Day in all her proud glory. A few paces behind her sat the shattered remains of her shell. A Night and a Dawn together have endless useless things to talk about. Romantics, all of them.
"There's nothing wrong with being a romantic, Khadena." Weronika chided the dragoness before her. "Besides, you don't know what they're talking about, so let's not make snap judgments, okay?"
Khadena snorted, flipped her wings closed tightly, then began nudging her bondmate off the sands and towards the food. If you say so.
A few brief moments passed. The Night and Dawn continued their conversation. Two eggs rocked gently.
Into this quietude, a soft pop sounded. Not from one of the rocking eggs, but from an egg to one side, that had been mostly still until now. From it tumbled a light green dragon with bright yellow wings, a Spring Day. Scrambling to his feet, the dragon looked around.
Meeke. Meeeeeeekeeeeee! Mial is here for yooouuu! The Spring Day called, his voice cheerful and light. Meeke, my Clan Mother Yikaeri says we should talk with Armsmaster Selesst about building a saddle for me when I'm older! She says that he's good at making things like that, and that you could ride me high, high up into the sky then whenever you want! He crooned as he pranced across the sands and wound about Meeke, nearly knocking the Meera over.
Meeke blinked, then nuzzled Mial, (: If your Clan Mother says so, then we'll look into it. :)
As Meeke and Mial made their way off the sands, the two rocking eggs began rocking harder, as if racing to see who could hatch first. Shell fragments scattered about as the hatchlings struggled their ways out. First onto the sands, landing gracefully on her feet with a proud twirl of her tail and a flare of her sky blue wings was a Summer Day. Her bright blue eyes scanned the candidates, then darted to where the Night and Dawn were chatting.
With another flare of her wings and a proud arch to her neck, the Day strode across the sands to the little group. Both hatchlings looked up at her approach, the Dawn inclining her head slightly, while the Night rose from his place and bumped heads with the Day.
The Day and Night eyed each other for a moment, then turned together and stalked towards the candidates, tails waving slightly in time with each other, matching steps with ease. A Summer Day and a Winter Night crossed the sands to sit at the feet of the only candidate they cared about.
Selena stared down at the two hatchlings, trying to comprehend exactly what had happened.
We will not let Dr. Selen meddle with you, Selena. The Summer Day proclaimed with a toss of her head. You belong to us now, and we will fight for you and protect you with all we have. My name is Balisa.
You are your own person now, Selena. We know this well, and soon, so will he. One does not have to be born to be alive. The Winter Night continued softly, warmth in his gaze as he nuzzled one of Selena's hands. My name is Elwer.
"I..." Selena struggled once more for the words, as a tiny part of her noted that she'd never had so much trouble with speaking until she came here. "Thank you, both of you." She finally settled for, as the two coiled about her, nearly tripping her as she started towards the food, where she had seen other hatchlings being led. "But if you two don't stop that, you'll never get anything to eat!"
With a smirk, the two hatchlings settled down... for a time, at least.
They'll treat her well The Autumn Dawn spoke quietly. She then turned her head and looked up at where Yikaeri and Revent were perched, Clan Mother, Clan Father, I will stay here. I believe you'll have need of my skills before this brewing war is over with. My name is Fyol.
Before Fyol had finished her pronouncement, the final rocking egg shattered, spilling a dark, wine red hatchling upon the sands. The Autumn Dusk male pulled himself to his feet and shook a few shell fragments from his hide. He stood there calmly, waiting as Fyol spoke her mind, then spoke up himself.
I, too, will take no bond. But I believe... ah, yes. Spyridon, I will return with you, we are two scholars of a kind, I believe. It will be interesting to learn from you and your people. The Dusk strode forward and settled before Spyridon, My name is Zaten.
Spyridon raised an eyebrow, "Well. This will be the first time I'll have a... non-human student, but I believe I can oblige you, Zaten."
Oh, don't worry. I'll learn to speak verbally soon enough. That will make you and your people a bit less... wary, yes?
"I suppose it won't hurt. Come, lets get you fed."
Sestrel watched as the last of her children walked from the sands, then nosed at the few remaining eggs. Still and silent, she had little hope that any of them would hatch, but it was a mother's right to check...
With a shake of her great muzzle, Sestrel heaved herself free of the jeweled sands, looking down at the three remaining girl-children who stood, bright and eager. "No more of my children will hatch." She rumbled, looking away from those faces as she slunk away through the back entrance, away from the people.
Selverat shook his mind free of the cobwebs of time, then trotted out onto the sands. "Heyala, don't worry about it. There'll be more clutches, and Kerkael is positive you'll all bond. And, from one elementalist to another, we have a very high chance of bonding with these dragons. They seem to like the taste of elementalist blood." He grinned cheekily, clapped Fante warmly on the back, then took off across the sands to start the newly bonded on their first true lesson in caretaking.