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Dragon after dragon seemed to be popping from their shells, first three greens and now a brown and a blue from the Athletic Egg. This was all so exciting to her. She really couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was far more than she had ever dreamed to be honest.

She watched the other candidates wondering what some of them might do. Her thoughts were racing but her composition was proper but one could tell she was eager. She hoped herself and her sister impressed from this clutch, she knew they would go far no matter what happened. Octavia herself hoped that if she were to impress she would rise up the ranks and she hoped for her sister to be right along with her.


Naressa had been in the stands watching as the Candidates entered the sands as the eggs had started humming quite early. She had been up prior with Reciproth and had taken to the stands early so that she would get a good view of it all. This was so exciting and she was very pleased when three healthy greens emerged followed by a brown and a blue. This clutch was looking good so far and she was curious to see which candidate might impress first.

The blue was balancing on his feet, one toddler's step after another, his attention wholly focused on standing as he moved. It was strange, the way his forelimbs were held before him like arms, his fingers held out as if to brace his progress.

It didn't last very long, however, as he toddled past the Twinging Egg and fell over, knocking the egg loose from its place beside the Clawed Egg. The Twinging Egg rolled away, the impact cracking it some but before it stopps moving, the Clawed Egg burst forth with a tiny hatchling's roar as the dragon within literally tore his egg open from within to reveal a pale, pale blue. Nearly white in his paleness, the blue's eyes whirled red with anger and hunger as it roared at the boldly patterned blue from the Athletic Egg.

The bold blue, spun at the challenge and trumpeted in response, rising back on his hind legs, mouth agape in what could only be described as a draconic grin. He seemed to settling into some sort of strange fighting stance, hissing at the paler blue.

Around them, another two eggs cracked and spilled forth two greens eager to get away from the dragons squaring off. They tumbled over each other as they ran for the Candidates, long wobbly legs unsteady.

Candidate Litaidar

It was starting to get crowded. More dragons hatched. A blue was being silly and trying to walk upright. He wasn't very good at it and it wasn't long before he bundled into another egg. As luck would have it, the Clawed egg. She winced at the ferocity of the Clawed blue as he broke free from his egg. Lita shuddered and tried not to remember the blue wher. She ignored the two blues facing off and focused on the calmer dragons. Like the greens scurrying out of the way. Was one of them for her?



Candidate Banashe

She laughed and applauded his performance until he faltered and stumbled into the Clawed egg. Oh dear. That one wasn't no push over! She eyed him as the pair decided to face off. Banashe hoped they wouldn't get too enthusiastic about their fight. She didn't want to have to avoid being trampled by dragons this early in the hatching. More greens hatched and hurried out of the way. She couldn't blame them either.

"Mmm yes they are. Do you really think their serious about doing each other damage though?" The candidatemasters had warned them about the hazards. She couldn't recall if they'd mentioned the dragonets fighting. They said their purpose was to find their riders. This didn't look like they were at all interested. "Do you think their fighting over who their rider will be?"

Leananth had been moody ever since this clutch had been laid. She hissed and had shown signs of being proddy but didn't actually rise. Lae figured it would be soon enough but in the meantime did her best to sooth her dragon's ego. So when it came time for the eggs to start hatching, the Crimson rider was actually surprised when her dragon insisted that they attend.

Leananth commented as they settled down to watch the eggs. She hummed happily along with the others as a green and then others burst forth from their eggs.

"Good thing I didn't bet on the eggs. With them all looking so similar, no one could really guess on color.> Lae replied. She wondered how this hatching would go. Bloody or calm? Stressed or relaxed? She wished, for Leananth sake, that their next flight would produce eggs.

Janel

Janel took his place on the sands with enough time to watch the eggs start to rock. It seemed there were a bunch moving at one, it was hard to decide where to look. He didn't want to miss anything! Then suddenly they all stopped at once.

...Was that something they usually did? Or was this clutch continuing to be a very strange one? He started to glance from side to side to see how older Candidates were reacting, as murmurs started to sound all up and down the stands. The audience sure seemed to think it was odd.

Then suddenly one of the eggs burst open, making him jump. Two others popped open soon after, releasing a trio of greens, all of different builds. Once Janel got over the surprise, he smiled at the young dragons. It was good to see they were so lively. The first found her rider right away, while the others took their time. He smiled at them as they wandered by, but they didn't seem to pay him any particular attention.

Then a sleek brown hatched, gliding across the sands as he passed. Janel's mouth opened slightly into a silent Oooo... of appreciation for the impressive dragonet. But then yet another egg hatching caught the Candidate's attention. The first blue of the clutch hatched in a rather spectacular way, shoving both sides of his egg away to reveal him standing on his hind legs. It's like he was determined to be noticed, and to make an entrance as impressive as possible!

And he held that attention, too. He continued to walk on his back legs, his steps slow but steady. Until he fell into the biggest egg, anyway. That one rolled away and cracked, but stayed but, while the little angry egg beside it burst open instead. That turned out to also hold a blue, but a very pale one. It proved to be just as angry as it had felt and started attacking the athletic blue, who proceeded to dodge him easily. This...was actually rather entertaining, though he wished it didn't have the potential to turn dangerous, if the pale blue decided to go after the Candidates instead. Janel kept an eye on him, hoping he could get out of the way if the hatchling turned towards him.

J'nes and Hatteth

The eggs displayed more odd behavior, many of them wiggling as once before they suddenly stopped. They stayed there a while. Long enough for J'nes to ask Hatteth, "Um...are they ok? Are they teasing us and deciding not to hatch now after all?" But before his dragon could answer, one of the eggs burst open to release a green. Then they were popping open left and right, sending dragons scrambling all over the sands. He and Hatteth grinned as a slinky brown started prowling around, appreciative of the youngster. J'nes kept glancing over to Janel, especially whenever he saw a dragonet head that way, but his son hadn't Impressed yet.

We have our first charge, Hatteth told him, drawing his attention to the green hatchling, the first to hatch, and her rider who was approaching. J'nes grinned at the young pair and called, "Congratulations, new weyrlings! As you can see, this is where they lovely young dragonet gets her first meal. Grab a bowl of meat bits and start feeding her, as much as she wants to eat. But remember not to let her eat too fast, or she may choke. Got it?" He watched the pair as they settled at a table and started feeding, keeping an eye on them to make sure they were OK. Then he looked back at the sands for a moment.

He has not Impressed yet, Hatteth informed him. The brown dragon had the luxury of continuing to watch the proceedings while his rider had to work.

J'nes looked around the sands long enough to see a pair of blues who seemed to be fighting - no ichor or blood shed yet, thank goodness - then he turned back to the feeding tables. Let me know if any seem to pay particular attention to him? he asked his dragon.

Of course, was the reply.

Candidate Litaidar

"Oh!" A surprised exclamation escaped as the two blues kept at it. The sand was being churned and kicked up. If someone wasn't careful they could easily twist a leg out there. The large Twinging egg was only biding it's time. The brown popped out and joined forces with the pale blue. The brown knocked the bold blue aside in a well placed blow. Another shiver ran down her spine. She didn't like this at all! There wasn't much she could do though. Lita didn't want to draw undue attention to herself.



Candidate Banashe

Banashe nodded with approval at the well time strike. Twinging had planned that well if she said so herself. It was clear that Twinging and Clawed, while they'd been opposition each other in the egg were definitely teamed up now. What a handsome pair they made! She could appreciate Athletic's predicament now. Clawed looked like he wanted to take his opponent on alone. Their actions made her glance toward Octavia. Others had continued to hatch as she had focused on the trio. More candidates had impressed.

Faced with two opponents now, the bold blue from the Athletic Egg seemed outgunned. When it finally righted itself, it hissed and circled, its footsteps taking it closer to the boy Candidates as the pair of pale blue and brown circled over towards the girls.

He seemed to be watching the way the other two moved, gauging, strategizing, when he suddenly stopped and with a puppy-dog like tilt of his head first one way, then another, he huffed at the pair a sound not unlike a draconic chortle, and turned his back on the brown and pale blue to rise up on his haunces again, gaining the height to pick his Bonded from the crowed.

I choose you Dazarec! Your Lucath has your back!


As Lucath Impressed, the brown and blue turned to face each other, the snarling beginning well before they stood across from one another. A heartbeat later they were fighting, batting, rolling, wrestling and engrossed in their tussle as they rolled through the Candidates.

The snarling ball of fury - curiously missing much in the way of blood - literally rolled right through and over Litaidar, talons and teeth catching at her as the Hatchlings writhed leaving the Candidate a mess in their wake.