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For a brief moment, Ennrik was pleased that Mal had actually taken his advice and stepped back, but it was a short-lived victory, as Mal chose an inconvenient time to be perceptive and figure out that there was an ulterior motive to Ennrik's suggestion. If Mal had any sort of idea that Ennrik wouldn't throw up in front of everyone, he was dead wrong, though. Ennrik was more than capable of being sick with an audience. It was about the only thing he'd proven particularly good at doing while people were watching, actually. Which was more than kind of pathetic.

"Mal, let me warn you: I am not presently at my best. Moving me would probably be one of the stupidest things you could do, and while I am able to appreciate logically that no one is here for me, and therefore will not care a whit about me unless by some freak accident I Impress, something in the darkest recesses of my mind fails to comprehend that, and my body seems to listen better to that part of my mind than it does to the part I consider me. So how about you leave off?"

That was what Ennrik meant to say. However, his current state wasn't conducive to long-winded soliloqueys, and so what he actually said was more along the lines of, "Mal...no one is here for me...leave off."

His eyes had been open too long, and the squirming black spots had completely blotted out his vision, which he knew to be the precursor to swooning and probably being sick. He swayed unsteadily, though he was already sitting on his heels, and his head listed slightly to one side. He wondered why no Healer had come to remove him from the Sands yet. They'd removed Astrisabe, and there was no reason her injury should make her any less appealing to a dragonet. Someone should probably come for him. Except clearly they weren't going to, or they would have already.

"Go Impress something," he said to Mal, directing what he hoped passed for a wry look in his friend's general direction. "I'll be fine, I think."

That still remained to be seen, of course. His head was still swimming, and to his own ears his voice sounded foreign and distant, like he was hearing himself from the end of a long tunnel, but he was making it through a truly bad incidence of stage-fright without actually blacking out, throwing up, or dying, which seemed to indicate that he would not do any of the above. Not today, anyway. Which was somewhat reassuring.

Yes, brilliant, he thought to himself. A good day can now be defined as one in which I don't faint, puke, or die. Such high standards.

Another snap sounded from one of the eggs, this time the Elephant egg, it's shell cracking quickly, as if much power was being applied from the inside. However, the egg did not shatter completely to rain tiny bits of shell all over the sand, the dragonet tumbling clumsy and out of control from the middle. Instead, a small brown foot pushed through the side, and the shell fell apart in several large pieces, leaving a rather large brown to unfurl from it's curled position. For a moment everyone held their breath -- was that a bronze? But no, look at it's color, it was too dark to be a bronze. A brown?

Lifting it's head, the grey-brown dragonet looked around slowly for a moment, taking in the sight of the Candidates and watchers, eyes on him. He didn't seem concerned about the stares, however, and merely continued to rotate his head in a semicircle around the sands, shaking out his body a moment later in a calm fashion.

It was then that the brown lifted his head suddenly, his now yellow eyes whirling with concern. Moving forward, he pushed forcefully, yet with no malice, through the crowd of boys, coming straight up to the two boys who had been talking, focusing intently on Ennrik.

'EnnrikMine, are you sick? Do you require Daramulath to relay a message for help?' The brown asked, his voice completely calm, despite how his eyes were still yellow with concern for his new rider.

How could it be possible that with one egg splitting its shell, Ennrik's head cleared? He turned his head toward the newest hatchling, an enormous creature that seemed to fill his field of vision. A large brown, more the size he imagined a bronze dragonet to be, though he had yet to look in Cilyme's direction, and so had no basis for comparison. He looked like a beautiful creature, though, and as his head swiveled, seeking his bondmate, Ennrik found himself able to control his breathing for the first time, albeit to hold his breath in anticipation.

He'd felt no affinity for the egg the brown came from, but now that the brown was on the Sands, Ennrik's whole being seemed to be called by the handsome dragonet, whose eyes were now whirling yellow. Didn't that color mean concern? It distressed Ennrik that such a young dragon should be so concerned. He hadn't been really aware of his surroundings, and so he had not heard Ixtabth's terror, but this brown's concern struck him powerfully. Why wasn't someone doing something to alleviate the poor thing? And why did he care so much?

A calm voice cut through his thoughts like a sharp blade through hot fat, inquiring of him, EnnrikMine, are you sick? Do you require Daramulath to relay a message for help?

"Daramulath," Ennrik breathed, reaching out for the large brown and feeling a shock of recognition as he touched the warm, somewhat slimey hide. "I'm fine. Now."

With his hand lightly touching his dragon's - his dragon's - shoulder he stood a little unsteadily. His voice was masterfully trained for singing, and beautiful even in speech when he chose to make it so. He pitched his voice to carry as he announced to all assembled, "His name is Daramulath."

In a much softer voice he added, "And he is mine."

Terroll breathed a sigh that was mixed with relief and jealousy. He'd fawned over that egg as well, but Ennrik was as worthy as anyone. Indeed - he was proud to have gotten to know the former apprentice. His mind switched back to the day they had met and played together on the edge of the Weyrbowl. Did Ennrik, or rather E'rik now, know then that he would Impress such a lovely sturdy dragon?

Terroll's heart lunged with a strong desire to follow the new pair out. He really wanted to discover more about the brown dragon. He halted himself, though, remembering where he was and what he was doing. He dragon may yet be here, though the numbers had thinned.

"Congratulations." Terroll whispered at the newest pair, then made sure to watch VERY closely to see what new wonder would step onto the sands next.

The skeptical holder girl watched the dragons being born; green, blue, brown, and bronze. Whenever a hatchling came too near, she scrambled out of the way with the rest of the candidates, fearing injury. As each dragonet hatched and paired off with a human, she felt more and more relieved. It would soon be over, and S’kagi would have to keep his promise and take her home. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when she—

Suddenly, her eyes locked on a fast-moving dragonet, one of the brightest green she’d ever seen, but far smaller than its clutchmates. It had just gotten out of its shell and was coming straight for her group. Other girls stepped aside to avoid its charge, but she was immobilized. She thought it was fear, the way her heart pounded in her head. She held out her hands to block the onslaught she knew was coming…

…and then she closed them about the dragonet’s face. She fell to her knees to cradle its head in her arms as rivulets of warm water began to slip down her cheeks. She was crying. Oh, how wrong she’d been. This wasn’t a pet. This was… herself. Some part of her that she’d never even known could exist.

Hello Emori, came the sprightly voice in her mind. You're mine. We are together forever. Entwined. Entangled. You will feed me now? Fulfill my hunger. Satiate me. Oh, my name is Inannath. My calling is Inannath. It spoke with such happiness and energy that the girl could not help but laugh... and it kept speaking, as if it would never stop.

“Inannath,” Emori whispered, her voice tremulous with laughter and tears, "…shut up.”

Three more, two blues and a green. Both stuck with their own genders it seemed, and both siblings on the sand applauded when the first pair impressed. It seemed like they were going to be a close pair, something Gar smiled at, and Faranie shrugged off.

If Gar'd had to pick a pair form himself and Far, maybe those two would have been them. The dragons seemed close, maybe such a pair could finally help him and Far become closer. It was a shame she'd found out that the circumstances of her birth had been...a bit unfortunate. She'd loved him well enough to that point. It was one of his fondest wishes that they could return to that time, when they still hugged and smiled. He didn't like this new sister, the one who used bitter words to hurt, and more. Perhaps her meeting a dragon, any dragon, would calm her. He could only pray. And for now, try to look appealing to the newest blue, a beauty of a thing. He was certainly larger than most...

Faranie huffed. So many blues! That wasn't normal at all! Where were all the masses of greens? No blue would have her, or rather, she'd have no blues. Green or gold, only, she reaffirmed in her head. As if to prove her point, she didn't even glance at the newest blue. She would not acknowledge him. Besides, he was after a boy, right?

It was happening so quickly!

Hesen had time to think as the Cheetah and Leopard eggs crack, spilling a blue and a green. They paused only breifly, splitting off for the boys and the girls respectively. Neither took very long to find Theirs, the blue never even looked his way.

The candidate did not have a lot of them to dwell on it, the egg he had touched was hatching! Hesendek jumped with excitement, biting his lip as he watched the little dragon pull himself free. A blue! And he looked so happy! The sandy blond grinned to himself, amused by the dragon's good nature. It was good to see, especially with some of his clutch mates so very crabby. He was very graceful, for a baby. Hesendek couldn't help himself, holding his breath as the hatchling started to look over all the boys.

Kallista's heart was in her throat as egg after egg Hatched and Impression after Impression was made. She was so nervous and so happy for those who had found their other half. But at the rate this was going, her heart would burst before the last egg hatched. No one could have ever explained how terrifying it was to be there with so many pairs of eyes peering into you, searching to see if you fit like the other piece of a puzzle.

Her eyes were a shimmering green this time, emotion completely shining through. Three more eggs hatched, two blues and a green. The green made its way towards the girls but seemed to stop before it ever reached her. The blues straight towards the males as they found their life mates as well. Would this ever end? How many eggs had hatched by now? Kallista had lost count. She knew the gold was still there, rocking violently wanting to be born. However, the runner girl dare not hope that high. 'Please, please let me Impress," she thought to herself. Never had she wanted anything so badly.