[Hatching] Proof of a Hero

[Calingaladha]

Candidate Joffrey - Malady

At the comment from the other candidate, Joffrey puffed up like some sort of pompous amphibian, sputtering angrily. How dare someone imply he wasn't the most worthy, the most perfect one here!

"I didn't fight the bronze because it was clearly an inferior one, not worthy of my effort to tame it!" Flustered, he grasped for words, trying to recall how language did, in fact work.

"It's you who isn't worthy! You...you...unworthy person!" Wow, what a comeback. Surely, nobody could defeat that argument.

----------

Garma of Green Vranath - K'ioyo, mention Eli'us

Garma turned from her current conversation with Eli'us as she was nudged, and she grinned at K'ioyo.

"You should thank Wobbufeth for me, it's the quietest she's been in...well, since she's hatched." she laughed. She did glance up to the smug blue. "She's been remarking here and there, but she does seem quite sleepy today."

Clearly not getting up off the ground much had little effect on getting anything else up, as the green was still dozing at their weyr with little care in the world.

[Fel]

Candidate Malady Tag: Joffrey

Malady just raised an eyebrow at the blonde Candidate's spluttering. It felt... good, to have visual confirmation that other people felt the same way he did inside. Inadequate. Of course, he knew better than to show it. Nobody liked people who wore their weaknesses on their sleeve.

"Oh, it was an inferior one all right, given who he chose in the end. But you couldn't tell that simply by looking. I think you were just too scared to fight it. After all, I heard about what you did when that tunnelsnake showed up." Malady shrugged. "Don't worry about it too much though. Some people in this world simply aren't meant for anything more than a green. Just because you're clearly not destined for greatness doesn't mean you don't have a place. It just... isn't a particularly important one."

And what about him? What if he never Impressed? What if his place was so unimportant that he ended up nothing more than a drudge?

[Jabberwoky]

TW: Multiple maulings

The Black King let out a roar from inside his shell. Pieces broke away, bursting and being flung all over as he shoved himself out of the egg, fury in his eyes. He shook off with another roar and charged towards the candidates.



A brown!

He was a russet brown in color, with darker coloring around his legs and a paler color along his underside. He had striking scale-like markings running along his head and neck and dramatic flamelike markings on his wingsails.

He raced to the candidates with intent to cause harm, it was clear. He jumped at Xena, snapping his jaws down on her arm and tugging before he whirled, slamming his tail into her before charging to the next victim. Anphiel was the next unfortunate victim, teeth finding her leg amidst the white robe and biting hard. Like a wild canine, he whirled again and slammed himself against Hamun, scratching at him before he charged off and threw his full body weight against Petraxen.

He opened his mind to all those attending, even as rainbows whirled in his eyes.

HEAR ME! I am your king! I am the king of the skies! I am SETTALYTH! He bellowed, spreading his wings wide and being as loud as he could be.

It was the Tempest Shadow that reacted first, shaking violently in response to the declaration.

---

Currently hatching: Tempest Shadow
Eggs hatched: 6/12

[Windra]

Candidate Petraxen - BIG MAD, @ Licoriss, Xena

TW: Mauling.

Petraxen couldn't help but roll their eyes at Licoriss' word of caution. Of course she had a reason to worry! But it wasn't like they were standing right next to the shells! "Come on now, I'm not about to breath down their necks or somethi - "

Five. Freaking. Seconds.

The monster that burst forth was a brown. And it was violent. In a flash, it was upon them. No ... it was upon Xena. Petraxen briefly registered the presence of blood before their feet took prominence over their actions. "XENA!" they bellowed, shoving through the ragtag group surrounding them to reach her prone form.

The brown dragonette was already attacking another candidate. And before Petraxen could so much as reach towards their sister, it rammed them. All the air expelled from their lungs in one fell swoop and the ground was no longer beneath their feet. Hot sand that once coated their toes now bathed their back and Petraxen lay there, gasping.

SHIT! Xena! Petraxen clambered to their feet, stumbling as their chest screamed for oxygen. The swung forward to their sister, glaring at the brown who claimed himself a king with daggers shining through irises. "SCREW you!" Petraxen snapped, firing a very obscene gesture at the hatchling but also not standing still to make themself a target. "I've never kicked a dragon before but you'll definitely be the first!" To forsk with that beast! And screw this hatching, too! Petraxen skid to a halt next to Xena, sliding onto his knees. Immediately they reached over to assess the wounds. "Lemme look at you - keep calm - "

[Ezra]

TW: Mauling mentions, description

Candidate Adella - Friendship Squad ; Hatching Reaction

Adella was horrified as the brown hatched and tore a bloody line right at them, crying out as Xena was attacked and watching the brown carving an angry trail through the candidates and then coming back to slam Petraxen, the roar of the dragon's words causing her ears to ring. She stumbled and nearly fell back into the sands, actually horrified at the carnage that was inflicted upon Xena and then the brown slamming into Petraxen.. was that an impression for them? " Oh no, Xena!" Adella cried out and darted over to the fellow candidate and tried to apply pressure to the bite wound with her robe's sleep between her hand and the bite. " I am sorry, I know this hurts." She replied, trying to soothe her fellow candidate.


-----------

Candidate Anphiel - Life of an Egotistical Chewtoy - Bite reaction

Oh that brown that hatched was stunning and had the right energy, she was watching with impressed glee as he tore into another candidate and then he was coming her way and for a split second, she thought it was her time, but then teeth and pain filled her senses and she felt skin tearing and knew she was bleeding. A hiss of pain did escape her and she was more offended that the dragon then skidded off to slam into some weakling and impress.?

Of forsking COURSE the one dragon that gave her any mind didnt pick her. Whelp.. at least she hoped this bite left a cool scar to show for it, something worth this clear slight from the brown. Probably was inferior anyway, clearly his judgement was skewed. " Well.. shite.. that hopefully will leave a nice scar.." She muttered and took her robe and tore a bit from the side already ripped from the bite and used it to tie around her leg. It hurt, it bloody hurt but she schooled her face to not reflect it as much as possible, trying to project bravado, she could not show cowardice on the sands, in fact, she moved closer to the front, to show she was not afraid of being bit, she was strong, she was capable, she was forsking worthy.

[Agenothree]

Candidate Xena - Petraxen, Adella, Erina (mention), Licoriss (mention), hatching reactions
TW: injury, blood, etc.

Xena seemed content enough to Stand where she was, gladly watching Xalemeth and Nebulaeth's offspring hatch and Impress, no matter how...lively some were. Though she noticed both Petraxen and Adella beckoning her to join them, a small gathering including themselves as well as Erina and Licoriss, Xena didn't immediately move; though she seemed inclined to accept, dragonets breaking free of eggs and rushing to find a suitable Candidate made for dangerous crossing.

As Xena thought, a bronze was first to hatch, who promptly bit and stepped on Joffrey in his path to a Candidate she eventually recalled was called Sanjay. Though she thought his reaching to a newly hatched dragonet hadn't been a wise venture, she hoped Joffrey wasn't too badly hurt or embarrassed. Second was a green, though Xena had thought she spotted a hint of gold for a split second before she hatched and showed her true colors, dark green and bold yellows. Most notable about her was her tail, covered in large scales that dragged behind her as she found and chose her bonded: Brua.

Two hatchlings had Impressed successfully, but more were to come. A brown emerged and immediately found apparent fault in both King and Phelps, for he hit both on his way to find landing in Polites. Xena frowned as she took note of all those injured. It seemed more than a few dragonets in this clutch weren't afraid to draw blood where it suited them. Thankfully, two dragonets hatched that thought otherwise. A green emerged, who nosed at Petraxen, and Xena held her breath. Could it be? No, for she moved on and selected Renkestuous. Petraxen still had quite a few who might look to him today, and so did she herself, it seemed. A blue followed, who eagerly bounded to Kirin, though Brabbop's shin was an unfortunate casualty to his tail.

Xena observed them all quietly, until she heard Petraxen's voice across all else, loudly calling her name and asking she join them. A small smile crossed her face as she realized they wouldn't be swayed, and carefully made to join them, though she paused to allow hatching dragonets to move and find who they willed untroubled.

But as she almost reached them, a brown hatched, and his intent was clear: he meant to inflict harm on whoever stood in his path, and Xena was unfortunately among those in his way. It happened so incredibly fast, too fast for her to respond accordingly, but he leapt at her first, and his jaws found her arm. Feeling teeth puncture her robe and find her skin, she gave an involuntary and wordless cry of alarm and hurt, before he made matters worse by giving her a tug. In response to being yanked, she went to one knee, struggling to stay on her feet as her arm was being mauled by an angry hatchling.

Thankfully, he spotted a different target and released Xena in an aggressive whirl, sparking fresh agony in her arm. But he saw fit to lash her with his tail before he left, knocking her flat and breathless onto Semaca's burning hot sands. Distantly, she could hear him continue his rampage through her fellow classmates, and recognized she was no longer in immediate danger. Carefully, she sat up, cradling her arm to her chest to assess it. But in so doing, she watched as that brown slammed against Petraxen and knock them down, and her heart stopped in her chest, thinking they were his newest target. "Petraxen!" she cried unbidden, her worry for her sibling's safety bypassing her own injuries. But something amazing happened: rather than sinking his teeth into them, his eyes whirled in a thousand colors for them, before his voice boomed though countless minds, including her own, as he projected his decree to all gathered to witness his birth.

Somehow, Petraxen had been chosen by a brown who saw fit to intentionally hurt multiple Candidates, including herself...but to Impress was an honor, and that brown was Petraxen's Settalyth. But shockingly, it seemed as though Petraxen didn't register at all that he'd Impressed, going so far as to shout and make a rude gesture at their own dragon once they'd gotten up from where Settalyth had knocked them down. Stunned from both Settalyth's attack and Petraxen's conduct, Xena watched as they hurried to her, trying to gauge her injuries. Adella too made her way to them, and Xena couldn't help but feel comforted by both.

"I am calm," Xena stressed to Petraxen, striving to keep her voice natural as her arm smarted, though she couldn't help but sound a little annoyed at them completely bypassing their own dragon. "But you've more important matters to address than my wellbeing. I don't know whether you'd noticed or not, but you're no longer a Candidate." In spite of her arm burning and her sibling's worry, Xena smiled for Petraxen. "Adella is here; I'm in good hands. Don't keep Settalyth waiting, Petraxen. Frankly, I'd rather not see him grow frustrated with you and start biting again."

To make her point that she was fine hit home, Xena got to her feet, as difficult a venture as that was with her off leg, but she stood regardless. Checking her arm herself, though it stung fiercely, she recognized she wasn't badly hurt, and let it hang naturally once more. Though she still seemed a little disheveled, Xena dusted sand from her hair and robes; she was steady and strong yet.

[nineofswords]

Green Ezanath - Quentin & Torrigath

Yes. These are the dragons' first moments of life. Those moments should not be spent trying to hide or fit to a mold which is not natural to them. It wasn't fair, and it was cruel. While it was true that the violence was unfortunate or upsetting, nature could be quite violent, so it just meant that these dragons were more equipped to handle the harsh realities of the outter jungle or the dangers of thread than the gentler ones. Meanwhile, the gentler ones were better equipped to handle the community building within the Weyr that was so necessary to its function. Everything had its place in life, its niche. It was unfair to judge one dragon over another just because its niche was not the same as hers.

She nodded her head at the brown. I am pleased to meet you, Torrigath. And you as well, Quentin. She lowered her head closer to the human, but didn't crowd them, her eyes swirling in blues and greens as she saw their anxious glance. I mean you not harm, she said, voice gentle. I just overheard your bond discussing the hatching. My own partner is more interested in his bets, but I wish to enjoy the hatchlings for their own sake, rather than what I can gain from them. She said it without judgment. That, too, was nature. Tychon's nature was no better or worse than anyone else's, and she loved him for who he was. Still, sometimes it was nice to follow her own nature separately from his whims.

That would indeed be a difficult position to find oneself in, she agreed. But life is like that, don't you find? Sometimes things happen that are difficult, that feel insurmountable. Being injured in threadfall, or losing a loved one. But people find a way to go on regardless, for the most part. And they learn things about themselves and the world when it happens. I can only hope that no one has to experience such events, but I know that it is unlikely, and all we can do is offer whatever help we can when others find themselves in those positions.

[toby-du-coeur]

K'rin of Blue Lantrath - Levysc, King, Impression!

Following Levysc's gaze to the squealing Joffrey, Kirin returned her commiserating nod. "He's a bit dramatic. But you know, his bark is worse than his bite." He snickered immoderately at his own joke.

The Blooming Beast egg even unfolded like a flower - Kirin really wished he'd been able to sneak in at least a petal or two from his collection. As the lithe, sky-coloured dragonet whipped Brabbop with his tail, Kirin laughed, but his face fell a bit. Brabbop did seem like another potential match; maybe this dragon preferred -

Kirin hit the ground, breath knocked out of him, with a raspy dragon tongue in his face, claws digging into his chest, a rainbow blur in his vision.

Something was blooming within him, like the crunching wet feeling he got in his chest when he saw something really pathetic and sad. But more - warm and affectionate and inescapably close - a presence that was filling up spaces in between his ribs and in his lungs and in his sharding head, spaces he hadn't known were vacant.

Kirin turned his face away from Lantrath's determined licking to scrub at his eyes. Lots of.. sand and bits of dragon shell stuck in there.

Dazed, he tried thinking at the space in him where he could feel Lantrath's mind touching his. I WAS waiting for you - and I did miss you.

K'rin scrambled to his feet and stood as tall as he could beside Lantrath, in his one-sleeved robe smeared with sand and sweat and whatever goop was in dragon eggs. He felt like the proudest dragonrider on Pern. He felt right. He felt like.. "I'm K'rin and he is Lantrath! Welcome to the weyr, us."

Lantrath was still tumbling around in tight circles, getting used to his limbs and nudging K'rin. I say, would you mind terribly fetching me a bite to eat? or several bites? or many many bites? I'm positively starving.

K'rin chuckled at Lantrath's prim speaking voice. He sounded kind of like Joffrey, of all people. But that's where the resemblance ended - this dragon was brave, and liked K'rin, and was like absolutely nobody else.

"Okay, buddy, let's get you some forsking food! First meal time!"

K'rin was happy to be distracted from the overwhelm of having Lantrath's bright, living and very hungry self melted right into his mind. Just then, another distraction - That chap your friend? He was talking to us.

K'rin looked over his shoulder at King and gave a vague thumbs-up in his direction.

Then, determined to do this all the way (a baby dragon was a baby, after all), he crouched and got his arms around Lantrath's limbs. He lifted the heavy, damp sprawl of his own bonded dragon - "no, hey, quit forsking wriggling, I want to carry you" - and staggered off toward the buckets of food and his fellow weyrlings.

[nineofswords]

Hamun - Phelps, reaction to Settalyth

Well, a measured and even-tempered Phelps was no fun at all. Hamun just shrugged and let the matter of dying young drop, turning his attention back to the hatching.

"Indeed," Hamun agreed about Kirin not lasting on their old ship. "Regular people don't especially enjoy people eavesdropping on them, but eavesdropping on people who are willing to use violence to get what they want? That's simply asking for a fight, and I don't think he could handle much of anyone." As the boy impressed, Hamun let out a snort. "And certainly not with a dragon as guileless as that one."

Hamun was relatively certain that even if Phelps went to the healers waiting at the edges of the sands, a dragonet would be able to find him, but he didn't say anything. It didn't really matter to him, he was just making conversation.

And then the Black King hatched. Oh, but he was beautiful, powerful, strong, aggressive, a perfect dragon for him. He launched himself at Hamun, and the human tried to grapple with the brown, tried to hold him steady so they could make eye contact, trying to prove himself worthy of the brown, but the dragon slashed at Hamun and shoved him away before finding his bonded.

Hamun let out a hiss of annoyance. Petraxen? Really? "What a waste," he snarled aloud. Those two would go nowhere as a pair, he was certain, though at least Petraxen wasn't as useless as someone like Joffrey. Small consolations, at least. He looked down at his chest where the dragon had slashed at him. The cuts were not insignificant, but not deep enough to be worrying. Still, he tore some fabric free from the robe hanging at his waist and pressed it against the long cuts to help staunch the worst of the bleeding as much as he could. The healers could take a look at it later, but he had no desire to slowly lose blood as this hatching went on and possibly faint. That was not the kind of history he wanted to make today.

[Calingaladha]

Candidate Joffrey - Malady

"Green?! Joffrey practically screeched. "I am going to have a bronze! A bronze! The biggest and best bronze you could ever wish to have!"

He had started to turn as scarlet as good Benden red wine, a vein bulging in his temple from his fury. "My place is at the top! Above you! Above the greens and the blues and the other freaks! I'll be the leader one day and then you'll be sorry!"

He tried to look as intimidating as he could, marching right up to Malady, but then he caught sight of some of the goop from the newly hatched blue. The red turned quickly to green, and he lost what little breakfast he had. Hopefully it didn't get on Malady's nice, white robe.

[nineofswords]

H'let of Green Euraroth - Rsyn

H'let gave Rsyn a curious glance when her response to the eggs was 'I see'. She no longer seemed curious about how people knew about the eggs after his response. Had he offended her in some way? He didn't think so, but she seemed to abruptly have no more interest in the subject. Which had him curious. But he also knew that trying to get her to open up would most likely just irritate her, so he racked his brain for a change of subject. "Do you bet on the eggs at all? I know some people find that enjoyable." He personally didn't, but he saw the appeal.

H'let offered Rysn a smile when she said she wasn't squeamish and true to her word, she seemed absolutely unphased by the terror these dragons were inflicting. "Very glad to hear that. This hatching is a good example of some of the things that can go wrong, but in theory, touching the eggs beforehand is meant to minimize that. I don't think these ones got the memo, though." He winced as the first brown went on a bit of a tear, but the next few were - thankfully - relatively calm.

From Lominsa, no issues with violence...he gave a small smile. She might not be a pirate, but it'd be a solid bet, if he was so inclined. "My pleasure," he said in response to her thanks. "I'm H'let of Green Euraroth. She's not much of a talker, I'm afraid, but we're both pleased to have you here with us today. What brings you to this hatching, if you don't mind my asking?"

[Dragon]

V'geta of Bronze Saiyath - sitting by Usagi, Open

As another brown hatched, V'geta leaned forward in interest, watching the (minor) carnage. The boisterous boy bit a couple of candidates and attacked another before landing on a fourth, who he Impressed. It seemed like there were some good dragonets in this batch.

When Settalyth announced he was their king, however, V'geta rolled his eyes. "The bronzes will settle him eventually."

[toby-du-coeur]

K'rin and Lantrath - Hamun

As K'rin passed through the other Candidates with his armful of Lantrath, he caught Hamun's dismissive comment. Not willing to use violence? Couldn't handle much? Guileless?

His Impression warm fuzzies were galvanized instantly. He rounded on Hamun, even as Lantrath strained for the food he could smell.

"You're shit talking my dragon? and me? and MY DRAGON??" He set Lantrath down on the sands and shoved him gently toward the snide pirate.

K'rin! I hunger. K'rin! the old stomach is giving me a tremendous -

"Get him, Lantrath!"

Lantrath made no move to get him. He regained his slender and wobbly legs, then began tugging the hem of K'rin's robe.

"See, he won't even deign to fight you." That was what that word meant, right? K'rin! "You're too far beneath the attention of a fierce and mighty dragon." Old pal! old sport! old bean! "Who, let me remind you, is bonded to MY ASS," with a thumb jabbed to the centre of his chest, "and not your -"

At this point, Lantrath jumped on K'rin as he had when he Impressed, and began dragging him by the shirt toward the food station. Do pardon my rider. We're so awfully hungry..

Fine, fine, fine, let me up -

K'rin half stumbled, was half pushed back toward the food. Trying to regain his dignity, he managed to get out whilst retreating, "Since I prioritise my dragon, you're off the hook for now." He raised his eyebrows, making sure that nautical slang really sunk in. "But once he's fed, you'll eat your word - ow, Lantrath, I'm not food!"

[Jabberwoky]

The Tempest Shadow burst open with a loud CRACK, like a burst of thunder after a flash of lightning. Just a burst of shell and goop flung onto the sands, with the baby bolting out with a roar. She spread her wings, her head high with another loud rumble as she bounded towards the candidates.



A green!

Her hide was a muted olive green, with a lighter, more vivid shade on the back of her wings. She was adorned in intricate, bright green markings, ringing her head, neck, spine and legs, like some sort of exotic decorative armor.

She rushed the candidates, throwing her weight into headbutting King as hard as she could before bounding away with glee. A roar of glee, even. She continued, shoving all her weight against Sylvia and knocking her aside. This was clearly all kinds of entertainment to her. She was about to attack again, but a rumble from Nebulaeth caused her to stop, slinking to her bonded instead of continuing her rampage. She huffed her way to Erina, and intentionally bumped her entire bodyweight against her.

Erina! There you are. Let's get you off the sands before some sort of chaos happens. She said confidently, ignoring completely that she was just the chaos that happened, her eyes whirling in beautiful rainbows.

Though the Lord of Fallen Snows wobbled, the Roar of Rage actively started to split.

---

Currently Hatching: Roar of Rage Egg
Hatched Eggs: 7/12

[nineofswords]

Hamun - K'rin and Lantrath

Hamun raised his eyebrows in disapproval as K'rin started yelling at him. "Oh I'm sorry, did you overhear something you didn't like while eavesdropping?" he asked dryly. "Whoever could've guessed that might happen?"

He gave a snort when the new bluerider ordered his bond to attack Hamun. "Out of all the dragons in this clutch, yours is perhaps one of the least likely to attack people at random," he pointed out. Not the least likely, but certainly in the top three, alongside that green from the Floating Sky egg and whatever came out of the Queen of Ruin. At least, he assumed that one was still alive, since Nebulaeth was still babying it.

When K'rin continued to spout childish nonsense that Hamun had no interest in, he heaved a sigh and turned towards Phelps. "Why is this child still talking to me?" he asked, making it clear that he was done with K'rin and the very one-sided conversation. He had to work very hard not to snicker at the word choice of 'bonded to my ass', but he managed, and then blue was tugging his rider away to eat. Hamun gave Lantrath a nod of acknowledgement. "Children can be high-spirited," he said graciously to the blue, who at least had some manners if nothing else.

Once K'rin had been dragged away, Hamun let out a low chuckle. "Well, at least that blue's rider is good for a free laugh, if nothing else," he said quietly to his fellow former shipmate.