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 Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:50 am
Generally the Hatchings Grounds were empty when a clutch was in place, but with the death of the latest queen and no replacement queen to guard the nest, the Weyr's riders were anxious about the fast-approaching Hatching. Already Candidates were being flown in from across Gaia, those young men and women chosen to try and Impress (bond) with a hatchling. Because of the fast-hatching nature of dragon clutches, these souls were kept in a constant state of alertness, for if they slept for too long at a time, they might miss the Hatching.
However, the Grounds were not empty today, for an old blue rider and his ancient dragon were visiting the clutch. Together they smiled at the eggs huddled in the center of the hot sands. They were just leaving when the dragon inexplicably began to hum. Through the mental link they shared, the rider tried to get an idea of what the noise was all about, and met with the image of eggs shattering and infantile dragons wriggling about on the hot sands. The Hatching was imminent.
The old rider turned back the way he'd come and limped off to the kitchen, followed closely by the humming blue. As they arrived outside, several other dragons picked up on the humming coming from the blue and followed suit. The air was throbbing as the dragons all hummed as one, a welcome to the new dragons into the world. Those that were bathing or lying around in the tall grass that filled the Weyr began to make their way into the Hatching Ground, making sure to stay out of the way of the old blue and his partner. Dragons recognized their seniors.
The prideful old gentleman would not allow himself to be carried everywhere, so together, him and his dragon began the nearly two-mile trek to the Kitchens.
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Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 1:17 pm
Dragons from all across the Weyr moved as one into the Hatching Grounds, despositing their riders in the spectator seats before going to perch on the bars above. The small clutch of eggs waiting on the sand rocked back and forth, a sharp peeping exploding forth from them. Off to the side, the Candidates were ushered through an archway leading onto the sands -dressed in white robes and barefoot, the dozen or so people ranging from age fourteen to thirty made their way to the eggs, keeping close to each other for comfort.
Hatching Day had arrived.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:05 pm
arrow Weyrling Barracks (test mode: arrow indicating location *required*)
NPC
Rather than be forced out of bed by her two-month companion (who was currently nudging her side with a force that could roll a car over), Rhone flopped onto her stomach and dragged the pillow over her red-orange head. The girl was quite awake -indeed, she'd been so for the past hour- but it was a Sunday, meaning she could afford to be lazy. It was not often that the dragon-human pair got a break from training, and Lillith, her purple partner, could learn to respect that.
The freckle-faced teenager was pleased to note that her dragon stopped trying to push her out of bed, but was interuppted in the triumph by the scaly face that nudged its way under the pillow, breathing warm air onto the girl. Rhone blanched and sat up, the pillow now in her lap.
What?
"They're hatching! Fredith says to get up!"
Rhone groaned and threw the blanket aside, clambering to her feet. Fredith was the brown dragon whose rider was currently in charge of the Weyrlings. She liked the dragon, but the rider...
Aye, then I suppose we need to be there. Come on now, let's wake the others.
"They've already gone, Rhone."
Oh. In that case...
The rider smoothed the front of her blouse as best she could and began towards the wide entrance to the Barracks, fully half a mile away. Lillith trailed beside her, nudging her head up under her rider's hand to be pet.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:26 pm
arrow Infirmary
NPC
Miriam was so deep in concentration that she did not even notice when the Hatching began. She was bent over a man lying prone in an Infirmary bed, working to close his large, deep wound, which had required stitches and almost all of her Healing abilities. Finally, she completed the last stitch and deftly broke off the string.
While she had been Healing the injured man, she hadn't even noticed the odd noise. Miriam only heard the sound once she leaned back in a chair to massage the tension out of her shoulders. She looked around the room in confusion, wondering what was making the sound. Kirrith's whirling eyes met hers from where the fire lizard was perched at the end of the man's bed. The green fire lizard was humming, her small body vibrating with the sound. Suddenly, Kirrith sent Miriam a distinct mental image, much more clear than any of the jumbles of sounds and senses she had sent Miriam before. It was a picture of the clutch of eggs... hatching!
"The Hatching!" Miriam jumped to her feet, exhaustion forgotten. She couldn't miss the Hatching! Taking one last quick look at her patient, who was sleeping peacefully, she dashed out of the Infirmary and began to head towards the Hatching Ground. She knew the man would not wake up until hours later, aided by the sleeping potion she had made for him. Her small fire lizard followed, looping in the air, still humming.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:38 pm
arrow Weyrling Barracks (wow, this really does help lift confusion)
NPC
Once the wide entrance of the Weyrling Barracks was all but filling her vision, Rhone clambered onto Lillith's back. The one-third grown dragon curved her neck about, her faceted eyes a soft green with orange just tinging the edges.
"You know you're not supposed to ride without a saddle. Fredith will be on us like a watch wher."
I know what we're not supposed to do, sweetie, but we'll miss the Hatching if we walk. Just this once, 'kay?
The dragon's sides throbbed as she grumbled a complaint to herself, but the grumble faded into the welcoming hum as Lillith crouched. The purple dragon's wings fanned out to either side, and she leapt upwards -semi-transparent wings straining for lift. Rhone patted her scaly hide with a bare hand, feeling the dragon's hum through the cloth of her pants.
What are you doing, love?
"What we always do."
The dragon's cryptic remark echoed in her head as Lillith banked to the right, winging her way to the Hatching Grounds.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:51 pm
arrow En route to the Hatching Grounds
NPC
"How are we doing Kirrith? Are we going to miss it?" she called out to the fire lizard, who was now lazily doing loops in the air above Miriam. Kirrith looked down at the young Healer, eyes wheeling a bright sapphire blue, and chirped once.
Another image bloomed in Miriam's mind: people were still filing into the Hatching Grounds, filling up the seats, the dragons perched above them. The eggs were rocking gently, but had not yet cracked open. Miriam blew out a sigh of relief. How Kirrith knew exactly what was going on at the Hatching Grounds was a mystery to her, but she was glad that she had not missed the Hatching yet.
Everyone would want to be there, since the Weyr depended on this Hatching- they needed a newborn queen. Miriam began to jog slowly, still with a half mile to go before reaching the Hatching Grounds.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:55 pm
arrow Hatching Grounds ---> Candidate Entrance
Andromeda leaned against the smooth, curving wall of the volcanic tunnel. Her fellow Candidates were scheduled to go out onto the sands soon, but until then, they were to wait. In the small group should be Josie, Nicholas, Yamir, and (sorry Rivi, forgot your character's name xp ). She paid no attention to where they were or what they were doing, as her attention was on the other small group off to the side.
The dragonriders were carrying large buckets of meat to bed fed to the hatchlings -the Candidates couldn't very well carry the buckets themselves, as there were dragons to Impress. The eldest of them set his bucket down and went over to the blonde, who glared dispassionately when he came to a stop in front of her and gestured towards the eggs.
"It's about time you went out -should be a'hatching soon."
"Thank you, I'm quite aware of that."
Her snide reply caused a glare from the dragonrider, but he shrugged -she was a Candidate, and therefore, the current power. It would do him no good to make enemies with someone who might impress the next queen. The rider went back to his bucket and hefted it under one arm, bowing to her and the others to begin their entrance. Andromeda nodded and looked to the others.
"Come on now you lot -time's a wastin'."
Posting Order:
Andromeda II
jlynn518
Rivi
Yamir N. Mordecai
knight24
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:11 pm
{Smart a**. Five minutes early.} arrow Entering Hatching Grounds
NPC
Rhone settled down into her seat to watch as Lillith vaulted overhead, joining the hundred or so other dragons perched above. Together they hummed, a cacophony of sound that was somehow meant to be soothing.
arrow Hatching Grounds --->Candidate Entrance
Josie nodded softly to Andromeda, her gaze passing the blonde to the eggs clustered about forty yards from their current location. As if in response to her look, several of the eggs began to rock, a shrill peeping coming from them that suggested how frantic the infants were to escape. She smiled nervously at the dragonrider who Andromeda had spoken poorly to, apologizing through body language for her friend's manners. The man smiled gently and turned to the rest of the dragonriders holding buckets of meat for the hatchlings.
"Watch yourselves out there -soon as the've bonded, help the new riders shove meat down the hatchling's throats. We don't want another incident like at the last Hatching."
Referring, of course, to the one helper who'd been too afraid of the dragon and ran off the Grounds. the hatchling had fallen on one of its siblings in hunger, and it had taken three of the Candidates to pull the infant away. Both hatchlings had recieved injury, and one was thought to never be capable of flying.
That was why there were riders there to help, instead of kitchen staff.
The dragonriders nodded to their fellow rider and smiled at the Candidates, starting out onto the sands. They knew the drill. Did the Candidates?
Josie thought she did. Smiling at Andromeda, she grabbed the blondes hand, dragging her along.
Come on now guys!
Ever the eccentric half-child.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:28 pm
arrow Hatching Grounds
NPC
Miriam reached the Hatching Grounds at last, breathing heavily. Her fire lizard creeled soothingly, breaking off her hum momentarily and landed lightly on her shoulder, wrapping her tail around her neck and rubbing her flat head against the Healer's cheek. Miriam smiled- they had made it. She made her way over to a seat and sat down gratefully, glad for a chance to rest at watch. Kirrith's little body began to vibrate again as she hummed with the rest of the dragons.
arrow Hatching Grounds--> Candidate Entrance
Terrance had been akwardly standing with the other Candidates, shifting from one foot to the other as she waited. Hatching Day, at last! She felt so happy, she could just burst. It was like a dream come true. She was also terribly nervous. This was her life; if she was Impressed with a dragon, she would never have to listen to her father's commands ever again. She would never have to marry!
Once Josie and the others began to move onto the Hatching Grounds, Terrance snapped out of her reverie and scrambled to follow the group, not wanting to stick out. She didn't want to seem like she didn't belong there; not in front of the large crowd of people that had come to watch the Candidates. The normally headstrong blonde was incredibly shy in front of crowds. She winced as she set foot on the hot sands, stepping gingerly. Then her pain was forgotten moments later as she looked in awe around the enormous Hatching Grounds, which stretched before the Candidates. She realized her mouth was gaping and she shut it quickly, swallowing.
The large crowd, complete with humming dragons, distracted her, but it was the dragon eggs that captivated her attention the most.
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:43 pm
arrow Canidate Entrance ---> SandsYamir's bare toes played on the hot sand, a happy smile playing across his face as he was reminded of warm beach sands. This not being the only thing on his mind as his eyes gazed upon the large eggs. If he did not know what they were he would be thinking omelette, but being as he was wiser than that his pale blue eyes rested upon them as they twitched and rocked, his left hand moving around blindly in search for the hand of the woman next to him. Finding it quickly he would lock hands with her as the smile on his face grew.
Breaking his gaze form the large cluster of eggs the sight of the blonde b***h he cared for came into view. She looked different in this attire and so did he. Instead of his usual no shirt and black pants routine he wore a white robe, and so did the other four. Him, Andromeda, Josie, Nicholas, and this young lass whom he had not met before. Leaning a little to the side he'd whisper a little something into the womans ear.
"So we just shove our meat into their throat? Not a very romantic thing to be doing on the first date eh?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 2:01 pm
Nicholas' arms went above his head, still quite tired, and now stretching. His eyes, as they always were around Josie, showed a soft ruby-red color, as his hair blew a bit in what little breeze there would be. He didn't really like the clothing he had to wear, robes weren't really his thing, though it did entertain him a bit to ponder what Josie was wearing underneath hers. And with that, a smile emerged on his face, and he gave a few quick steps to get up alongside Josie, taking her hand in his.
"Heh, Settle down... There's plenty of time, and we're almost there anyways... No need to rush..."
Nicholas would remain smiling, looking over at Josie. Though, he'd probably end up being dragged along as well, but oh well ^__^
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