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The Impressions were coming faster, and much less violently now; Lucayr allowed himself to relax a little. His main focus was on the Suspicious brown as it began taking inventory of the male Candidates. A mid-sized dragon would be perfect, he thought. Not too big, not to small, and not as yappy or deucedly proddy as a most greens. As the hatchling approached him, he boldly met its gaze. He was painfully aware of the bronze making its way toward his group, and while his personal preferences matched with the usual for a bronze, he did not want one. He hoped, if the Suspicious brown passed him by, that the stunning rich brown dragonet that had just hatched would get over here before the bronze.

When both browns had either Impressed or waddled off toward the female Candidates, the harper found himself feeling a bit more morose than was necessary. And his scratched thigh was beginning to smart from embedded sand. He was pleased for Maldryk and his brown, however, and offered the fellow a congratulatory clout on the shoulder.

Malta and Poecileth

Malta and her colleagues were 'happy' to receive the new dragonic patients. “Of course!” she said to Jameson, her mood improving as the hatchlings acted like hatchlings and not hellspawn. “And you know...” she said to Fadrin “You don't have to be, not if you don't want to. You can stay Fadrin.” she reminded him.

Of course, please would have been nice from the boy, but she didn't mind. This was a hatching, his dragon and his moment, and he deserved some leeway. Some. A fight, however...

“Please don't fight here.” Malta implored.

Poecileth said, her tail twitching as she looked down from her perch at the Fighting dragonets


Malta smiled in relief as the dragons stopped fighting (for now, she had a feeling shed be seeing them around the infirmary), and moved on to the newcomer, Sirinth...



Crooned Poecileth to Sirinth.

“Oh!” she said to her, “Your welcome!” echoed Malta, “And you can stay here and help cut pieces of meat for him, if you like: theres a drudge helping with bringing over meat, and I'm sure they can bring more.”

The last three eggs on the sands had shown little movement or signs of breaking up till now. The Dancing egg twitched on occasion, but no further progress appeared to be coming from that quarter. The Welcoming blue on the other hand had managed to right himself and while he still looked mildly confused, he appeared unharmed by his ejection from the shell. He shook himself off and with a bright chirp he pranced towards the candidates with an excited vigor. First things first though, he trilled as he trotted right up to the Springing bronzes side.

The bronze tilted his head quizzically and his odd encounter with the suspicious brown was forgotten as he trumpeted in delight and leapt over the blue, tugging this new playmate into a tumble that both came up from making all sorts of excited noises. He didn't have much time to play though as his hunger finally drove him to actively search for his rider. The Springing bronze warbled to the blue and turned, taking one last great leap and kicking up a spray of sand onto one of the youngest male candidates present.


The Welcoming blue's spirits flagged for a moment before he perked back up and sent a questioning warble in the direction of the Burning brown, getting up and running in the direction of the girls and the other hatchling.

Burning turned a cold glare at the little blue and huffed before pressing between two candidates to reach the one he wanted.



The little blue remaining chittered but continued along his same path. He must have just been busy! The Welcoming blue chirped at all of the candidates he passed, boy and girl, with the same amount of enthusiasm he'd shown to the Springing bronze. Finally though he'd found the one he'd been looking for and he greeted the sight of her with a triumphant bugle.


With that the sands were for a moment... quiet.

"My...muscles. Right. Uh, thanks. I think." Because that made sense. Yes, he did have muscles, but why a dragon would be interested in them, he had no idea; regardless, he went with it, and gave Vosin his name in return for hers. "Maldryk. Nice to meet you, too."

And with that, Vosin and Killakeeth had hurried off to more important things than a bewildered smith, leaving him to watch the Crystallized green Impress, and the Springing egg let loose a bronze that immediately set to accosting its siblings, in what fortunately seemed to be a harmless manner. The Laughing green Impressed, another blue hatched and the pale one found its match as well. The number of dragons on the Sands dwindled again, bringing him closer to the reality that his last Hatching was almost over.

...and then the bronze brushed up against him! With significantly more force than the gold, too, causing him to stagger back a step. Still, he would take overenthusiastic bronze over overenthusiastic gold any day! It didn't want him, did it? Maldryk regarded it warily even once it had finished, losing track of the Suspicious brown's progress down the line of boys, at least until he expressed his displeasure at the bronze for...Mal wasn't really sure what. Springing backed into his legs, forcing him back yet another step, but the pale brown quickly drove him off. Then sat next to him, looked up, and-

He has made a mistake MyMaldryk. Dobrokoth won't let anyone threaten you.

"You took your time," he told the hatchling, gruffness masking a profound wave of emotion.

I was merely being thorough. Shall we? I think I have earned a good meal!

The clap on the shoulder from Lucayr reminded him that he and Dobrokhoth were not alone, and he looked up with a grin. Yeah, sure, just a second. "Good luck! Maybe we'll be seeing you again soon."

Dobrokhoth eyed Lucayr with some measure of suspicion. Is he your friend, Mine?

Just an acquaintance. Seems decent, though. Come on, let's go and get you fed.

Three eggs remained, and it looked as though none of them would be hatching on their own. That meant that the two small eggs housed atypicals, while the larger brown egg was a dud, just as everyone had named it. Anali - and she knew that she was not the only one - had held out hope that there might simply be a very quiet or shy dragon contained within, but throughout the long hatching, it hadn't moved even once. It was unfortunate, but it did happen, and with fifteen hatchlings safely Impressed and two more who needed assistance but would hopefully do the same, the disappointment of one dud egg was not difficult to push away.

Shovel over her shoulder, the goldrider strode out to the eggs, looking every bit as cool and collected as her dragon. She had never done this before, and in truth there was a fluttering of nervousness in her stomach, but she masked it expertly with confidence. She motioned and called for the remaining candidates to come closer. "Alright, I know a lot of us haven't done this before, but I'm hoping you paid as much attention in your lessons as I did." The rounded woman punctuated her statement with a small smile. "Don't crowd them, let them come to you. Once you Impress - if you Impress - then you can help it."

"Right then, first thing's first!" She stepped up to the Dud Egg; dud it may be, but she would break it regardless. It would be good practice, at least.

Anali readied her shovel and drew back for a sound swing.

A sharp CRACK echoed before she could land the hit, forcing her to stop mid-swing to avoid clocking a handsome, lanky, very much alive blue hatchling upside the head.

Disturbingly unphased by the fact that he'd come this close to starting life with a cracked skull, he hopped to his feet and trilled jubilantly at Anali and the assembled candidates.

kynigoth cried and turned her brilliant gaze upon the sands as she watched Anali with fascination. the dragonet chirped and Kalendol looked to Jamarin with a sigh, shrugging. "She wants to see the atypicals." The teen had believed there would be as well, though she'd been uncertain until the end.

the invasive little one whined a little but was soothed by a gentle touch. 'I am happier with you, Kynigoth.' The teen grinned carefully and then her hazel eyes were upon the eggs.

Jaric and Imbeleth

Jaric grinned when the playful bronze bounded towards the boys. Who would he play with now? The big hatchling tried to be sneaky and ducked behind the boys, then nipped at someone's clothing. Not done yet, he decided to imitate the gild by rubbing up against the same boy. That guy sure was popular today!

Jaric hadn't been paying attention to the browns who approached, so he was caught by surprise when the pale brown hissed and snapped at the bronze. The bronze seemed just as surprised by this unprovoked aggression, but he neatly dodged out of the way when the brown lunged at him. And then Impressed the boy the bronze has been rubbing up against. He was really popular!

But then a new playmate joined the bronze, a blue. The brown was apparently forgotten as the two wrestled in the sand, sounding very happy. But suddenly the bronze bounded towards the boys, kicking up a huge spray of sand...right in Jaric's face.

He flinched and sputtered, shaking himself and trying to brush the sand out of his eyes. But he stopped short when a voice suddenly broke into his head.

Jariccccc! Did you see that? Come on, come with your Imbeleth, there's so much to do!... Also, I'm starving!

He blinked like a stunned wherry for a moment, then shook his head once more to get off some sand and looked up into the rainbow eyes of the playful bronze. "Imbeleth?" he asked, just to make sure.

Yup! his partner affirmed with a happy blort. Come on, let's eat! And then you can show me around here! I bet you know all the best places to get into things. He crouched, wriggling his haunches excitedly at the thought.

Jaric grinned. His bondmate's excitement was infectious. "OK, let's go. But, did you have to kick sand in my face?"

Imbeleth's wings drooped a little at the admonishment. Aw, lighten up, it was all in good fun. You liked watching me play around, right? I wanted to play with you too, but I couldn't wrestle like with my brothers. That wouldn't be good for you, right? I didn't want to hurt you, and the sand didn't hurt. He looked imploringly at his rider.

"No, I guess it didn't," Jaric started to agree.

So everything's good! the dragon interrupted. Now come on, I'm starving! You wouldn't let yoru dragon starve to death before we've even had a chance to have some fun together, would you?

"No, no," he assured the bronze, and started to hurry off for the feeding tables. "Come on, let's get you fed."

Yes, finally! he gave a short bugle of excitement and bounded after his rider. I'll race you there! As he rushed past the boy, he let his feet kick back another spray of sand.

Jaric saw it coming and turned his head aside in time, but that didn't stop him from getting sprayed. He sputtered and wiped at his face again before calling, "Hey, no fair, you're already winning!"

Lighten up! the dragonet repeated. Now are you gonna come feed me or not? The bronze had already reached the tables and was sitting by one, waiting for Jaric to reach him. Shading his head, as much to get sand of as at his dragon's antics, the boy hurried over to start feeding his lifemate.

Ceirrys joined the ranks of those surrounding the remaining eggs, he was torn about the prospect of impressing an atypical, what with the views of the wherhold... albeit they had voted to hatch them, so there was that.

He yelped and felt his heart leap to his throat with the emergence of the blue hatchling-- no movement, no mental presence this entire time, and then a sudden springing to life?! And then ... and then he was awash in a curious feeling of mirth as rainbow eyes met his.

Did you see the look on her face, Ceirrys? Your Leszyth had her fooled, and everyone else, too!

It was an odd sensation, but inexplicably right, having Leszyth's voice within his mind. Possibly with the greatest grin ever to cross his face, Ceirrys knelt down to meet his Leszyth. Why yes I did, you nearly gave me a heart attack too, mischief maker! He gave Leszyth's pale head knobs an affectionate rub as this new marvelous voice once again filled his mind, Mine, I have waited and waited for that trick, and it has left me hungry, indeed, let us find the food now please- perhaps we can trick one of my brothers or sisters out of the juiciest morsels?
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Carwyn leaned forward as Ceirrys approached the three remaining eggs, she could tell that her parents were holding their breath in anticipation. Said breath was let out as a gasp when the larger blue burst forth from his egg. That cheeky blue is lucky he wasn't just smacked with a shovel! Then the blue turned to Ceirrys and they caught sight of rainbow eyes, and her own joy was matched by Alaiath's, Mine, it is Ceirry's "cheeky" blue! Carwyn let out a triumphant whoop and turned to her mother and father with a huge smile, "I guess we'll need to find Ceirrys a gift for a Hatching Feast after all!" Carwyns mother and father agreed, clapping and turning their proud eyes to Ceirrys as he walked from the sands towards the other hatchlings and feeding tables.