The Hatching of the Galactic Clutch

[ravenmane]

Skyler watched the Hatching with blank features and nuturing thoughts. He pitied the dragonets that Hatched deformed for they would have a harsh and challenging life. Allow Skyler wanted to Impress. He did not want a Hatchling deformed. They would have to have special training courses to learn how to do anything. Turning away the darkening thoughts, Skyler watched as the Queen Impressed Paryal. He had seen the girl many times in the candidate quarters. Personally, Skyler thought she was somewhat attractive. His green eyes watched as a small brown hatched perfet. Although he was small, Skyler would bet that the Brown dragonet would be a great fighter.

((Go Paryal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!))

[paryal]

Paryal blinked in surprise as the little Queen lunged forward to attack the girl who had been speaking to her. What did that girl expect? You didn't do /anything/ to bias the opinions of the dragons, unless you were fully willing to deal with the consequences. It shouldn't have been so surprising that the Queen chose to lunge at the Candidate, but it was still horrifying. Whoever that was would take a long time healing, and should probably be taken off the sands. Why wasn't anyone doing it? Shards, she needed help! Fully prepared to move forward to assist Korli, when the force of a dragon against her knees halted her. What in the world was that? Look what I did Paryal! It's red! It doesn't go with my hide though... Why doesn't it? Can you get it off? Is it making your Aezanth even less beautiful? What in the world was going on? It was difficult to make out the color of the dragon in the folds of her robes, though as soon as Paryal heard about the red on the claws, she knew. She just knew. "Aezanth... Her name is Aezanth!" No one else had bothered to call out their dragon's names, but the overwhelming joy Paryal felt made it impossible not to do so. There was also a certain obligation in that small part of her mind not overwhelmed by emotion, an obligation to let the Weyr know the new Queen's name.

"Of course I'll clean off your claws Aezanth. You must be so hungry." It was amazing that such a beautiful and perfect Queen could emerge from a clutch so filled with deformities. Aezanth was simply beautiful, and Paryal couldn't even begin to think what she had done to deserve such splendour. Instead, she concentrated on gingerly scooping up some of the hot sand and scouring the blood off of Aezanth's darker claws, until they shone as brightly as the rest of her, and the sand beneath her feet was dark with the blood. The event that had put that blood there was gone from Paryal's mind as she beheld Aezanth once more. "You are so beautiful."

And so hungry. You will feed Aezanth now. Paryal laughed at her dragon's regal tone. It was clear she would be every inch the Queen, not that Paryal minded. Carefully, she escorted Aezanth off the sand, not even feeling the heat. She barely noticed the other dragons who had Hatched in Aezanth's wake. Her mind took vague note of a brown, and in the expense of time that had passed as she marveled in Aezanth's beauty, another deformed dragon, a green this time. It caused a frown to rise to Paryal's face, but it was quickly replaced once more by her proud grin. Reaching the tables, the newly made Weyrling more than happily stuffed food in Aezanth's awaiting mouth, though Aezanth would never do something as 'common' as begging. Instead, she waited with some impatience as Paryal sized up chunks, carefully feeding them to the dragon, until Aezanth seemed satiated, her eyes whirling a gentle green. With a start, Paryal realized some of her own contentment was Aezanth's. So this is what it's like, to share my mind with a dragon. That thought made Paryal's grin stretch so broad it didn't seem like her face could contain it. A belated thought went towards those she already had met at the Weyr. Her cousin, now P'tol, grinning broadly and waving to her as he stood by a sleepy Llath. The Weyrwoman, and that bronzerider. Well, now she had proved that she was more than a match for either. Life at the Weyr would certainly get a lot more interesting.

[yakura]

"Congatulations," Quell called softly to Paryal, watching the young queen for a moment, claws tipped with blood, before turning back to stare at the other eggs as if willing them to hatch. He had all but forgotten about the other hatchlings, malformed and mutated, as they toddled around the sands, crying out to their chosen. Only a few eggs left now, he realized with another pang. What if he didn't Impress? What would he do then? To tell the truth, he wasn't quite sure at all. He took a steadying breath and willed himself to smile, a horribly vapid gesture that didn't even seem to make any sense. Ah well. It didn't hurt to try, did it?

[Requiem]

((Awww...for a dragon to be flightless, how sad for Phremath! Yay, Paryal, though! You got your gold. ^^ Though I wouldn't trade with you, heh. ))

The hairs on the back of his neck pricked up, a shiver running through him, but he ignored his unease as best he could. Come now, Muta. He can't do anything to you here. And if you Impress...they can't send you back to him, can they? The boy tried to think welcoming thoughts, like they'd told him to, but the worry and fear and anger ran so deep that it was all he could do not to betray them in his face, in the trembling in his limbs. He could not be left standing. To return to Bitra and that place...Mutasim stood, his face as blank as ever, the brooding dark eyes watching first the queen, then the brown, then another pitiful green choose their Mines. He was happy for the candidates who Impressed. Yes, happy, except maybe for the ones who'd Impressed the deformed dragonets. How could those hatchlings survive, and what of those who Impressed them? He would rather face Bitra than life as half a man. Desperation clawed at Mutasim's middle, but outwardly he displayed his calm face, arms crossed, the dagger twisting in a hand even though he was unaware he'd drawn it in his agitation.

***

The dragonpair that leaned companionably together at the edge of the sands continued to watch the hatching, Jessereth amazingly full for the moment. Z'hin felt a wave of happiness wash over him as he saw just who it was who'd Impressed the gold. Paryal! He loved that girl's sense of humor, and she was so well-grounded...a queenrider born, it would seem, and the gold certainly agreed. She is a friend. Jessereth, too, sounded pleased, and Z'hin knew that the brown hatchling had been worried about the gold when so many of the other dragonets had been deformed. It seemed she was quite all right. Then another of the browns hatched, healthy as Jessereth, though perhaps a bit smaller, and elation swelled through Z'hin as V'nus Impressed. Both his friends were now dragonriders, and with healthy dragons, too!

It made him glad to see that his friend would be a fellow brownrider, and the weyrling let out a whoop for Paryal and V'nus. He knew that V'nus had wanted a bronze, but, under the circumstances, the brown was certainly the healthier, and no candidate was ever disappointed when they actually Impressed. Amusement filtered back to him from his bonded. So excited, Z'hinMine. The brown nuzzled his Mine, Z'hin laughing as he had to readjust his weight to keep his balance.

***

She had caught Lauranna's reassuring wave, taking a moment to dwell on the picture the siblings formed, up in the stands, the sister nestled in S'rei's arms with her newborn held close. The greenrider seemed peaceful from this distance, though tired, while her brother's stiff stance betrayed an anger that must stir beneath the surface of his eyes. Kalierre could understand that anger. These poor hatchlings had done not a thing wrong, nor had the dragons who birthed them, but they would still have to suffer - and so would those bonded to them. Maybe even to the point of losing themselves with the young dragons should life prove too hard for the deformed ones. It was enough to make even her desire to return to Benden and start shaking things down, demanding answers and justice. For S'rei, the temptation must be almost unbearable.

Her attention was drawn back to the hatching as the gold attacked one of the candidates. Korli? She couldn't quite remember, though she hurried to the girl's side, her healer's instinct taking over. The young woman only vaguely noticed that the gold had come to choose her Mine. She spared little time for well wishes, however, squatting near the other girl, a gentle concern in her gaze at the blood. They'd need to at least clean the wounds so they wouldn't get infected. The punctures in her shoulder would be the most worrisome. Before she could speak to Korli, however, Kalierre noticed movement in the corner of her eye.

She turned, at first thinking the gold had returned to press her attack, but instead she was greeted with the sight of a frustrated green, the poor darling having been born with no means to fly. Her heart swelled, eyes darkening. Another who, by chance of birth, would be incapable of doing what she'd been born to do. And then she realized that the hatchling was on a beeline for her. That realization came just before the green carressed her, helping to stem some of her shock when the full force of a dragon's mind erupted in hers, the anger at the injustice of her wings uselessness and keen worry that Kalierre wouldn't accept her because of it made the healer's knees turn weak.

Mine! Please don't let these stupid wings make you reject your Phremath! Don't worry- I swear I'll fly somehow, someday! She allowed herself to sink to the sands, arms going around the hatchling's neck as she pressed her cheek to Phremath's. Oh, sweetheart... There was no need to say more, Kalierre's bittersweet love washing over the green. I promise you I'll do all I can to help you to fly. But if you can't - nothing would make me reject you. Korli had been forgotten in the intensity of that moment. Tears glistened on Phremath's neck.

***

S'rei stood, his jaw working. The gold and brown had been good signs, their healthy bodies doing much to alleviate his growing anger, however a fourth had hatched. Four out of the eleven on the already hatched. Over a fourth of them, obviously deformed, and with no guarantee that the rest weren't wrong in less visible ways. Then the anger bubbled over into rage as he noted just who Impressed the fourth of the deformed hatchlings. Kalierre! The healer...a stark fear at having to see her lose her newly bonded, at losing this woman who remained dear to him to something so tragic, clutched at his heart. Kalierre is right for Phremath, Salenth bespoke his Mine. And she is stronger than the others. Just different. Do not worry.

S'rei expelled a breath. Salenth was right. The green seemed solid enough, once you got past the fact of her flightless stubs. Curse Benden.

[Tashe]

The queen had chosen her human.

A sigh of relief expelled itself from Saraina's body as the newly impressed two left the sands to the feeding place, although the two hatchings in the queen's slipstream caused her to look back. The brown was obviously in great physical condition, but the green... its wings could barely even be considered wings. The stumps on its back showed little promise of ever flying... and at that moment, Sara began to think of F'rah and his all important job of teaching.

/Shards. Poor F'rah... he's going to have to deal with these unfortunate mutations. But he's smart and tough, despite how he acts. He'll do it... I'm sure./

---

The fourth mutation... her wings were little less than stubs on her back. Knowing that serious one on one physical work would have to be done with the Green and her Mine, F'rah checked another notch on his special lesson's belt. He didn't mind spending extra time with Weyrlings if they needed it, it was the fact that some of the mutation dragons might not last long in the real world...

/Styth... its hard... but we will be strong and help them. They will become as good as any normal dragon if its in their capabilities!/

Mind set on this promise shared by both dragon and Mine, the Weyrlingmaster let his eyes glance up to Weyrwoman Shmee to see how she was fairing the hatching.

---

The Green had impressed Kalierre, the firm but seemingly kind healer who had been taking care of her up till this point. Noting that the Green's deformation had been the fourth of the clutch, Kaegan tried to not think about a clutch full to the brim of mutations and disorders. Reaching out to the bored Millieth with her mind, she sent an up date of the hatching with commentary.

/Kalierre is strong... I believe that she, along with the kind Weyrlingmaster and the bronzerider, will somehow reach the skies on the back of her green./

A haughty response came to her almost as soon as she had spoken through their mental link.

/The mutations will never be whole dragons. Face it... they are likely to die sooner than the others./

[covera]

Verentinus watched all the eggs hatching, one by one, being impressed by joyful former candidates. But there were some who still hadn't got a dragon, Verentinus was one of them.
Still, Verentinus watched the eggs hopefully, wishing that one of them would choose him.

The Queen impressed much to everyone's delight but another hatching was shadowed by the Queen, the Comet egg. If it hadn't hatched so soon after the gold everyone would have noticed it, the brown emerging from the egg sent shards flying in every direction, some hitting Verentinus.
Verentinus observed with relief that this one was actually healthy. Verentinus decided to watch where the brown would go, hoping intently that this one would choose Verentinus.

But the amazing thing happened! The small brown chose Verentinus, nudging him, begging for food. Tears streamed down Verentinus's cheeks, but he didn't care, this was the happiest moment of his life!
V'nus! Mine, get me some food? I'm huuuuuuungry! Your Vemorath sees food, so if I don't get some, I'll... do something bad, the brown dragonet said urgently, making Verentinus laugh trough the tears at the lame ending of Vemorath's sentence.
"I'll give you something to eat, my lovely," V'nus whispered and stroked Vemorath's head. "His name is Vemorath!" He yelled for the world to hear before leaving the sands with Vemorath to get his brown something to eat.

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

Pride swelled up in Covera's chest as she saw Verentinus impress, oh how he deserved it! Vemorath was indeed very lovely, Covera admitted with a pleasant smile on her face. Standing up, Covera began to leave the sands, she had seen what she'd come for: Seeing Verentinus impress, or V'nus. There was really no point in staying....
However, Covera decided at the last moment to stay, to watch what would happen.

[saberlin]

Rilliana felt her heart sink as the Gold, who was also one of the few healthy dragons, Impressed. A part of her wanted to walk off of the sands before she was Impressed by one of the malformed dragons. Did the other candidates not realize that if their dragons died due to the malformities that they themselves would wish for death as well? Well Gold Aezanth had chosen and chosen well. After all Paryal did seem to have an attitude to contend well with. Another mishapen green Impressed the healer girl that had raced to help the other candidate who had been foolish enough to try to touch the Queen. She looked as though she might never fly. Never fly and be a dragon? This was almost more then enough for Rilliana.
With resolute feet she pivoted nearly military style and began to walk herself off of those acursed sands. There was obviously no dragon here for her. With so few eggs left she was scared to see what hatched out of them next. She didn't let the small amount of fear that was ebbing over her show on her face, only used slow dignified steps to begin to remove herself from the hatching sands...

***

R'ton watched the healthy Queen Impress and Rodonth buggled a welcome to the new Queen. Thinking that things were going to start getting better, even with the injured girl R'ton saw a mishapen green hatch. The poor thing, look at those wings. R'ton stood and walked across the ledge to where his dragon, his beautiful and perfect Rodonth was, he wrapped an arm around his forleg and leaned in hard. It kept all his wits to keep him from yelling once again onto the sands.

He noticed one of the girls who had been standing near to the Queen egg start to walk off of the sands. Well, while Shmee would be insulted no doubt, at least she was smart.

[Administrator]

Shmee was distracted. She noted the girl she didn't like had Impressed the queen- so she was now true competition. Wishing that the stupid girl had gotten a blue so she wouldn't steal her bronzers aay from her, not even that was the main thing on her mind right now. She was staring blankly at a letter in her hands, an unreadable expression on her face. A queen flitter had arrived in the midst of the Hatching, delivering that note and whisking off between quickly. Shmee reread the letter, horror knotting up in the pit of her stomach.

As Shmee looked over the words again, the Jupiter Egg rocked back and forth a full three times, then cracked ever-so-neatly. However, this egg felt the need to destroy the neatness- the perfect bronze that emerged stomped on the shards with a loud crunch as he came out of the shell, appearing to be pleased with the mess.

Unfortunately, one misplaced shard sliced his claw, and the bronze screeched in pain. Limping over to the boys, he looked at them quickly, sizing them up in his pain. He knew he wanted someone good, someone strong! And some of these boys didn't even stand a chance... Suddenly, there was inspiration- throwing himself at William, he let out a sad croon. W'liamMine, your Rinth cut his claw... Stupid stupid shards! the bronze cursed.

While Rinth was busy fussing over his cut claw (which wasn't even bleeding), the Sedna Egg rocked with a bizarre rattling sound before cracking open. The green inside had been bobbing her head around in the shell, which was what made the peculiar sound. Crashing out of the shell, she bugled happily, running out of the shell with thunder... and a fall.

Like her bronze brother before her, this green had trouble balancing, though her legs were intact. It took a moment for the crowd to realize her problem- but when they did, some shifted uncomfortably. She had no tail, no tiller in the wind. However, she didn't let this stop her. Bobbing over to the boys after taking a moment to figure out how to best walk, she sniffed Aremaen before clicking in disapproval. However, the boy next to him...

Crooning to Quell mischievously, she said in a hushed tone, HiMineQ'ell, we goes to be trippin' up the other draggies, all rightyrightyrighty? Help your Euciath? It seemed that she also had a speech impediment of some sort- she spoke very fast and poorly. Nevertheless, her sweetness was obvious, along with what seemed to be a mischievous outlook on life.

The last egg hatched mere seconds after Euciath, but more quietly and with less noise. An enormous, yet perfect, blue dragon looked around after casting his Uranus Egg aside. It was split very cleanly, and he seemed to want to preserve it that way. Watching until Euciath Impressed first, this blue tottered over to the boy she had rejected.

A'en, Mine, he crooned, Pay no attention to mine clutchsister. She is not yours- but your Ayisseth is.

Aslath bugled in approval of all the Impressed dragons, even her deformed adopted children. She couldn't be prouder- they had all Impressed, even though the odds were against them. Confident they would grow up strong, she looked down at Shmee, who was still reading the letter.

Would you like to go there, Mine? Aslath asked softly. Shmee looked up at her gold, startled.

"Yes," she replied softly, looking around at the others. They could all go to the Feast without her- she could go welcome Paryal into the world of queenriding later. Actually, she was pleased she wouldn't have to do it now. She didn't like that girl.

Aslath rumbled in amusement. She had no problem with Aezanth's, but perhaps if she had a good Flight, Shmee would cool off. No matter- now was not the time to think of such things. Let us go then, Mine- we can go and be back before anyone realizes that we've left.

Nodding distantly, Shmee jogged over to Aslath, mounting her silently. She wouldn't need to grab the saddle or anything yet. All she needed was Aslath at the moment- things like saddles were so trivial compared to what she would have to deal with. As they rose above Selenitas, Shmee cast the letter to the wind, where it carries it deep into the jungle, never to be found by anyone. She had it practically memorized by now- not that she needed it to be.

Weyrwoman Shmee of Selenitas Weyr-

It has come to our attention that you have been hiding one of our junior weyrwoman, young Kaegan of gold Millieth. Please come to our Weyr right away so we may discuss the situation. Our weyrwomen are valuable to us, and to hide one could bring about undesirable consequences.

We hope that you come to us soon.

-Weyrleader C'leon of Benden Weyr.

[Tashe]

That was it... the hatching was over... and Saraina had not impressed.

Only a cock of her eyebrow expressed an ounce of disappointment, but Sara knew there would be other clutches and other hatchings that would take place in her life time. Shifting her robes around slightly as she pushed herself off the wall, the un-chosen candidate made her way off the sands quite calmly. She had been prepared to not get a dragon in this hatching, and just for that situation she had lined up a job to keep her time well spent until the next wave of eggs came. Sara had pleaded with the Weyrlingmaster to allow her to work for him, even if it was just sorting and doing some paper work.

Knowing she'd be the only one walking off the sands who had a genuine smile on her face, other than those who had been impressed, the female exited the sands.

---

F'rah and Kaegan both left the stands and disappeared within the hubbub of the crowd, each going their separate ways for the time being. The weyrlingmaster to the kitchens to meet his new students and Kaegan to the infirmary with her healer guard. But both of them had similar thoughts running through their mind...

Will the hatchlings turn out to be aright....

[lokath]

Aen watched carefully as the queenlet chose its lifemate., and clawed the other girl. He felt sorry for her, but she knew that she wasn't supposed to do anything to the wueen... She just got what she deserved. He very nearly rushed over to help the girl, however, but he knew he'd lose his chance at Impression at all if he did. Anyway, a Healer should come to help her soon. It wasn't as if she was going to be left lying on the sands, bleeding to death.

Aen knew that if he was going to Impress, he had to do it soon. Only three eggs remained, his chances were slim. Still, he might get a dragon, if only he was lucky. As the Jupiter egg cracked, Aen watched as it rushed over and picked the new bronzerider, W'liam. Bronzes were too big for him, anyway. Everything else happened in a rush. First, the Sedna Green hatched, followed directly by the Uranus Blue, the final egg. He stood very still as the tail-less green examined him for a moment, but then sighed as the deformed hatchling moved on. However, as Aen watched Quell, well, Q'ell now, Impress, a he heard a voice in his head. A'en, Mine, pay no attention to mine clutchsister. She is not yours- but your Ayisseth is. The voice was followed suddenly by a consciousness joining with his, becoming... something more. Love flowed through the bond both ways as A'en reached down to scratch his Ayisseth behind the eye ridges. Mine, I do need to eat, you know. A'en nodded. "Of course. Let's go get something for you to eat now." A'en led his new best friend off to get something to satiate the ravenous hunger that now filled the bond; though much of the great love remained. The pair went well together. The small candidate with the large blue.

[evendar]

Narna stared at the empty Sands in mild dibelief, not even a green. She had almost made it off the Sands, hoping that some dragon would maul her in the back for ignoring her. But she remained alone. And now with Nevis's Impression she really was alone.

Still crying silently Narna made her way off the Sands, to find her brother.

[saberlin]

Rilliana was on her way out when she glanced over her shoulder to see the last of the Impressions and then noted a girl who was crying. Going over to the girl she recognized her from the touching, "Oh no, what are these tears from?" She said wrapping her arm around the girl whos name she could barely remember, "no tears no tears. There will always be other hatchings." She dipped down so that she could look into the girls eyes, "I didn't Impress either, and I had my heart near set on that dainty little Queen. What say you and I go find ourselves the best Wines around here and a couple good fellah's to keep us company."

((OH GOD RILLIANA IS SUCH A SWEETHEART! Ev, this is for Narna btw!))

[yakura]

[ Awwww. <333 ]

Q'ell's face split into a broad grin, eyes sparkling brightly. A green, a green, a green, his! He knelt down in front of Euciath, running a gentle hand over her bobbing head. "Of course, my gorgeous Euciath," he crooned, heart swelling with joy. The fact that she lacked a tail didn't even seem to register. He fondled the delicate head, scratching her gently on her eye ridges. "We go to trip up the other draggies," he said, savoring the twisted words and the sweetness of the young green. "Are you hungry?"

Hungrhungryhungry! the green exclaimed, bobbing animatedly and almost toppling over. Q'ell led the small green away from the others, murmuring encouragements and receiving some. He was grinning so much that his face hurt from the process.

[missa]

The last egg hatched, and E'nor wasn't sure what he should do. Like all the others, he'd clapped for each Impression. He'd celebrated each one, but never-the-less, his mind had been filled with Clestioth. It would be until the shock of the Impression wor off, and he was merely getting used to that bond in his mind, that happy voice that filled his heart with happiness. There was nothing more he wanted right then to stare into the whirling eyes of Clestioth. And feel that love flow through the newly opened bond.

The last of his meat was fed to the brown flitter, Kellris, His had called him. Clestioth didn't mind, it was alright that he chose to do that, since Clestioth wasn't hungry anymore. No, he felt more tired that anything, like laying down and sleeping for the next few days. So sleepy, would His mind hurying so they could go to sleep? PLease? Clestioth liked his siblings well enough, but that didn't help the fact he was awfully tired.

Will hadn't known what to think as each dragonet proved to be hurt in some way, excepting the lovely Gold, and the blue... There were others of course, but... Indeed, most were harmed, how was it that they were harmed was it something that had happened during the clutching? There's a thought. Why was the gold on the sands not the mother, usually, Dragons were Pern-bound until the hatching of their children. That was-

W'liamMine, your Rinth cut his claw... Stupid stupid shards!

W'liam had instantly looked down tot eh bronze infront of him, wrapping his arms about the neck of Rinth, a soft expression on his face as he bent to examin the claw he'd mentioned being hurt. No ichor, so it wasn't that bad. Thus, W'liam tried to reassure Rinth that he was fine, tried to tell him that his claw would be fine, that all it would take was some numbweed and he'd be fine.

Alright. Can we eat now W'liam?

The last eggs hatched, and strangely enough, both Rielana and Beka felt a surge of relief, neither girl had wanted the gold, not after the mauling. Neither had they wanted to be constantly worrying if they were about to lose their dragonet. They were content to wait until the next Hatching, perfectly content. Now, they just had to get off the Sands. One foot infront of the other.