Who We Are [Eceph's First Hatching]

[jaker]

Kito laughed wildly, the hatching was funny in his opinion. "Come on then you little scrappers, I wanna see how you play," he chuckled, this was childs play, he was attacked by Koxi in his younger days, he had the full body scarring to prove it. He ran up to ripley and placed his hand brotherly on his shoulder, "come on Rip'... let me help ya out," he said brightly crouching down and pulling a flask of water just incase, "right, tell me what to do and I'll do it, I've dealt with wounds before so I'm totally thick," he exclaimed as he watched the violant babes run around the nest, he bared his teeth and growled in response to their... 'hungry' looks.

[winged]

Bonding after bonding after bonding, the hatchlings seemed to partner off as soon as they'd broken shell - an infectious awe blossoming on each Candidate's face as that crucial moment of connection tethered them to their feathery, lifelong companions before the pairs were ushered quickly off the sands, other hopefuls filling in the noticeable gaps they left behind. Ichidou watched it all with a jaded eye. On the one hand, the shock of adrenaline had slowly begun to ebb from her body, and emotion now wrestled for a position alongside self-preservation. Some guilt managed to edge in, making her shift in slight discomfort as she watched the injured Candidate (now green rider) struggle to her feet, her simourv making a show of chastising those who hadn't bothered to assist.

She didn't know these people - a couple of weeks in their shared presence mattered nothing to her; Ichidou hadn't made much of an effort to really get to know her fellow Candidates, and had successfully avoided acknowledging them as anything but strangers. Seeing them in that state of distress (she noticed Farah huddled behind new black rider Ripley) made her feel guilty all the same. They were people, and their humanity was all the more obvious when they were in pain, and suffering.

But at least they were getting the assistance they needed. That was all that really mattered, and the Candidate did her best to turn her attention back fully to the newborns still wandering free and unleashed. She'd decided she did want to Bond, her certainty cemented in place through witnessing the others in that otherwise private moment. Something inside of her ached for that connection, a part of her that hadn't stirred since her father's death.

She wanted what they had - love.

[`a r r o w«]

Kaylee finally spotted Nar as he headed towards her and Hokan. She give Hokan a death glare before turning her attention to Narhpis. Morning. Kaylee grumbled then yawned. Haven't missed much. she added before scanning the hall. When she heard Nar's second question then his chuckle, she glared. What do you think? she snapped before crossing her arms. Sleeping was one of her favorite things and the hatching has disrupted it.

When the crowd started moving, Kaylee grabbed Nar's arm so they wouldn't be separated. If she had to be in close proximity to lots of people, she at least wanted to be near someone she knew. She didn't let go until they where at the sands and everyone had stopped moving. They where near the back of the group and Kaylee was half asleep so she didn't really have any idea what was going on.

Huh? she asked lazily when Nar nudged her. Oh yeah, scary. she mumbled, to tired to even comprehend what was happening. Thoughts of getting chosen or not chosen didn't fill Kaylee's mind like so many of the other candidates. She really didn't mind either of the outcomes. Sure, it would suck for a bit if she didn't get chosen, but she wouldn't dewl on it. And yeah, it would be cool if she did get picked, but it would become normal so she wouldn't really be a special person anymore.

She listened to the whispers around her and let them tell her what was going on. A few of them had been bonded already, and even more had hatched. She listened to the talk of the red attacking some of the other female candidates. When she heard that, she was glad that she wasn't near the red. She could hardly stand, so getting attacked probably wouldn't be the best thing for her. At least, not until she was a bit more awake.

When she heard the whispers that the gray had hatched, her gaze snapped towards the nest. She looked at the gray with a spark of interest in her eyes. Now THERE was the perfect simourv. She was beautiful and Kaylee could see she would be a powerful simourv one day. She knew she probably wouldn't be paired with the gray, but she couldn't help have that small spark of hope that she would.

[‡§åkørü‡]

Ts'kal, watching the milling candidates, almost missed K'huna's greeting to him. He swung his gaze around to see who had spoken, and then grinned back, brown eyes bright with excitement. "All right," he agreed simply, and turned to the candidates. Most of them had arrived by now, and a quick glance found most of them to be present. Farah in particular was extremely present; she launched herself at him and kissed his face, which made the candidatemaster's expression go quite blank. What was she thinking?

It didn't matter. She was off, and he had candidates to herd; there was no time for reprimands right now. Deciding that this number was good enough, and that Ro'za and Eceph were not going to be pleased in the least if they were late, the rider yelled over the crowd, not bothering to ask for silence. Having timed it most impractically, his yell meshed with the redrider's: "Get to the sands!"

Following up on this command, Ts'kal whirled and rushed out the door, moving at a very fast walk. He led the herd of candidates out the door and to the sands, mentally commanding Aburoqaph to fly ahead. The rainbow did so, warbling, and swept up onto a ledge, far from the clearly angry Eceph. His rider would just have to deal with Ro'za himself; he was not at all looking forward to hearing from the grey. These thoughts in mind, the rainbow settled there, watching the rocking eggs and the already hatched simourvs, and chirped softly. At last, the eggs were hatching!

The instant he and the candidates reached the nesting sands, Ts'kal swept aside with a brief admonition to get to the eggs and do it quickly. He himself moved to join the crowd, standing to one side and away from conversation. This was not his time; it was for the candidates. Quietly hovering, with a brief glance at his own simourv, the candidatemaster began to watch the proceedings.

---

The man was an idiot! He was stupid, slow...completely and utterly infuriating! Didn't he know that the eggs were hatching, and that maybe one of them would pick her? Mirao raged inside, pacing restlessly back and forth, back and forth until the command came to go. Instantly she was moving, almost immediately behind the candidatemaster, and she rushed by him the instant they reached the sands. Totally ignoring the other candidates, the redhead stopped near the edge of the group, up at the very front so she could see. Already hatchlings were bursting forth and running about. Candidates were already getting mauled. But what did she care? She just wanted to see if one would pick her. No one else here was important to her, possibly because she didn't actually know any of them.

The hissing red brushed right by her, his damp feathers pushing against her. Though she wasn't one of the people to fall, Mirao noticed that a few did in fact topple. She shook her head, and turned back to the eggs, not caring. What was in the other eggs? Reds didn't matter to her; she knew they didn't pick girls anyway. Besides, there were other babies to be interested in. And she was very interested, despite the mauling of Leannan and Teagan. Clearly the red didn't like interference in his work.

---

The Scholarly Core continued its slow, almost lazy movements, clearly in no hurry to hatch. It was still rocking when the candidates arrived, but the moment they entered the cave, small cracks began to spread across its jewel-toned shell. Each piece fell perfectly from the egg, dropping to the sands in a neat ring around the hatching simourv. At last he emerged, a medium-sized blue. Most of his feathers were an even, greyish-blue shade, shot through with brighter sky blue. His head was a deep, rich navy, as was part of his tail. Rich brown eyes blinked out of his face, and he moved forwards, chirping softly, looking them all over. The mauled ones did concern him, unlike they had for his other siblings: he gave each a methodical gaze, spending exactly the same amount of time on each candidate.

But neither of them was right. Totally unfazed by this discovery, the blue moved through the crowd of candidates, looking up at each one for precisely the same amount of time before he went on. Every single one received a soft gaze, but he didn't pick any of them. None were his person! He knew his person would be there, but he didn't know when. It didn't matter. He chirped once softly, then returned to the clutch, settling on the sand and curling up in a ball to wait. Flicking his tail, he closed his eyes. He wouldn't sleep - he just didn't want to pay too much attention to any one candidate. He would check on newly arrived people to see if they were right to be His.

While the blue made his rounds, and the red mauled the girls, the Night Giant began to shudder. Very softly, it shook, as though testing its boundaries, and then with no warning at all, it exploded. Out leapt a red, large compared to his brother, and screaming like a mad thing as he burst from his shell. As soon as he noticed the crowd, and the candidates, he halted, flicking his gaze rapidly about the group. Useless wings fluttering at his sides, the new hatchling hissed and skittered abruptly sideways, crouching in the sand with a lashing tail. Covered in bright red feathers of various shades, the new hatchling's head was a very dark maroon, with bright red slashes under each golden eye. The same dark shade edged a few of his wing feathers.

But his appearance did not concern the baby. That group of candidates did. Oh, he wasn't afraid of them, but he didn't want to go anywhere near the things! Even from here, he could tell that he didn't want any of them. Hissing, he crouched deeper into the hot sand, and glared at the group, eyes wild, before leaping to his feet and rushing through them. Maybe His really was here and he'd missed him, though he doubted it. Fueled by a demented urge, the red shoved aside candidates left and right, though he didn't actually attack any of them. He knocked a few over, starting with Kenii and moving on to Teagan and Olivia. None of them were injured, just pushed onto the ground as the red dashed by.

Finding no one, he hissed and darted over to sit next to the other eggs, casting suspicious glances around the cave. Why wasn't His here? He wanted His, and he wanted to get away from all these people he didn't like! Attacking someone seemed like a good idea, but he didn't do it. Pushing the candidates over was enough for him.

One of the other eggs, the Wizardly Dwarf, had just fallen over. In the top, a tiny hole appeared, widening slowly until a small beak poked out. A tiny piece fell off, widening the aperture, and the beak turned back and forth, breaking off more bits. Soon enough the baby's entire head had emerged, squeezing through the ridiculously small hole. None of the egg was broken except the top, and that had only the bright green face poking through. Chirping, the hatchling looked around with grey eyes, and then proceeded to roll her egg through the sands, chittering with delight at what she was learning. Eggs rolled! They rolled! And it was the most fabulous fun to be in them when they were rolling!

Extremely pleased by her discovery, the green rolled her egg several feet across the sand, chirping to herself and totally ignoring everything else. She was perfectly content to be in here, all by herself behind the other eggs, though she was visible now from the front. Oblivious to the fact, the green rocked her shell to and fro, careful not to break it. She was not done with her egg yet! Nope, she was going to stay inside it until she'd learned everything there was to know about it! She already knew it was dark, and that it rolled, and that it was fun to peek out of it, but what else was there to know? She wanted to find out! And so she stayed in her egg, tipping it from side to side and trilling, until she finally noticed the candidates.

Some of them were lying on the ground, with bright blood leaking from them and soaking the sands. Watching, the green ignored the standing ones, and observed the hurt humans for some time. At last, however, she widened the hole in her egg just barely, barely enough to squeeze out, and then stumbled over, glaring at anyone who might laugh. They were jealous because they didn't know the things she knew! Tiny as she was (for she was very small for a green), she would intimidate them into not laughing! Laughing was not proper protocol for discovery!

And she knew now that one of the hurt girls on the ground, was very interesting indeed. She didn't even look at the others, merely skittered over and stepped over the other hurt candidates. Ignoring them all, the bright green, with her orange throat and light yellow underbelly, leaned over her choice, settling down next to her and rubbing her beak gently on the unhurt parts of her. Snuggling into the girl's side, the little green chirped comfortingly to her, and rested her head on her chosen's shoulder, her tail draped protectively between the wounds in her belly. Despite being only two and a half feet in height, she was over five feet long and took up a substantial amount of room. She would make a good blanket; she thought that keeping Hers warm would help her heal faster. Fa'h, you'll be okay! Your Mhaliniph will keep you warm! And I'll fight my brother if he comes back to try and hurt you again! But why didn't you move when he came at you? Look how big he is! Didn't you see him?

[/color] Warbling in admonishment, Mhaliniph snuggled close to her bonded, and then moved away, nudging her head under F'ah's arm to help her up. Where do we go to get you fixed, Mine? I want to learn.


96F53F - extremely curious, gruff but loving, imaginative

---

In the clutch, the Priestly Core began to rock, swaying in all directions as the hatchling within fought for freedom. It wanted out! But it wasn't going at it very efficiently. Maybe it would come out later than expected, but it would come out! Beside it, the Minstrel Core rocked dramatically, almost falling over every time it swayed to one side. But it never quite fell on the sand; it could do that when the baby inside hatched.[/size][/center]

[maiwolf]

[/i] a gosh darned minute. Was that the—had the water queen’s egg broken without Olivia noticing? The girl drew in a startled breath, and her eyes scanned the crowd of eggs and simourv hatchlings for the queen. However, the girl was either looking too hard or the gray was nowhere to be seen, because Olivia just could not find the wonder anywhere.

Olivia gave up looking. Sooner or later the gray would bond, and then she’d be able to see.

The fourteen year old’s warm brown eyes instead found the other colorful colors that had made her head hurt in the first place. Only one blue, which surprised her, but there were multitudes of greens, and an unbonded rainbow. The simourv were all so different—the red was a bright affair, and he had bonded but Olivia (being the last in line) couldn’t see to who. She also didn’t want to edge closer, for fear of a mauling. There were different colored greens, too, and a black who seemed as dark as night but who held lighter gray fleckings. Then there was a tawny with the most beautiful coloring Olivia had seen yet, and Olivia for a split second wanted the tawny as hers. But the tawny had bonded, and Olivia could see the purposeful way the brown simourv hatchling had strutted to Hers without another care in the world.

Olivia shifted her feet, her eyes straying back toward the unhatched eggs, wondering what egg would be hers, if any. She swore a couple were rocking, but she didn’t really focus on any for too too long, because her mind was elsewhere. Still, too, she could not see the gray. It was like the gray was hiding from her. But, then, Olivia was at the back of the line, and people at the back all-too-commonly couldn’t see what was happening further up. Then, suddenly, a blue burst out of its egg, and Olivia’s eyes snapped, quick-like, to the egg, watching with curious, odd, intensity. However, the poor girl was not watching as a red bowled through the candidates. It raced into her, and she fell, flat on her butt, with a sharp intake of breath. The sudden heat on the seat of her butt did not surprise her as much as the red had. He was mad, and he frightened her even more than the other red had frightened her. She had just enough sense to pull her dress down her legs again, as it had flown up in her fall, but she still took a few moments to stand.

Her butt hurt, and as she stood, she could feel her butt muscle pull as if it had been strained and not just landed on. True, the girl had tensed as she fell. She massaged her butt as she stood, slowly, and wondered how she had only fallen down. The red was huge, and the girl was small, and she wondered how she hadn’t been knocked back a couple feet or something, because the red had been strong. After she had brushed the hot sand off her dress and back and front of her legs and hands, she checked herself for scratches. The red, miraculously, had not touched her, other than to knock her over, and while her butt would hurt for a while, the fourteen year old would get over it.

Brown, hopeful eyes turned to scan back at the simourv hatchlings, wondering if one was there for her.

---

The blind man would not have missed this for the world. The first real hatching at the Eyrie and the first real chance to do something fun that didn’t involve looking over his shoulder trying to make sure everything was okay (looking over his shoulder meaning metaphorically, of course, since he’s blind)? Heck yes, he’d take the chance of being mauled by, not simourv, but humans! He didn’t have to see the hatching to hear it. He could hear the people’s bodies torn apart by a red (his friend, Sarai, was with him, so she told what happened), and the coppery tint of blood reached his nose before it reached Sarai’s. He gagged, not ready for blood’s awful scent, and covered his nose just as Sarai told him that the red had bonded. He didn’t care to who, and Sarai didn’t get that. She happily told him the ‘lucky’ guy’s name, and Gabrael tentatively unlatched his nose.

At least the smell of blood was bearable now.

Presently, though Sarai kept talking animatedly, Gabrael’s mind wandered away from the hatching happenstance to wonder if Marion were here. She had said she might have been here (along with the fact that she was gloating about talking to Ro’za), but ‘might have been here’ could always change to ‘isn’t coming’ or something else of the sort. He couldn’t hear her over the uproar the crowd (still growing) made, and the straining to hear the simourv as they hatched (crack! there went an egg). His mind was beginning to hurt with all the intense focusing he was trying to do—search for Marion using only his ears (as his nose was currently clogged with the scent of still-fresh blood) and trying to figure out what was happening in the hatching. Apparently, according to Sarai, a blue and another red had hatched, and the red was just like the first, only this one hadn’t drawn blood.

Gabrael had cocked his head slightly more toward the hatching sometime before now, and now had one ear toward the hatching and one ear pointed away. If only he were a chameleon in that sense and direct his ears in different directions all the time so he might hear better (and I don’t care if they have no chameleons and don’t know what they are… it was a good connection). He was trying to find Marion and listen to the hatching, but realized quickly that trying to find Marion was slowly taking over…

---

B’oone didn’t want to go. It was that simple, and he made sure Anoglyph knew it.

Anoglyph wanted to go. He was mad that B’oone didn’t realize how awesome it would be to witness a hatching.

B’oone just wanted to sleep.

Anoglyph dragged the unwilling man down to the hatching anyway.

B’oone sat on Anoglyph’s neck, arms crossed, and did not move from that spot even when the first simourv hatched. He was clearly in the mood his red should have been in but wasn’t, and he wasn’t nearly afraid enough to show everyone how he felt. His dark brown eyes were downcast, even as the colors kept emerging, and his arms did not uncross. Anoglyph, on the complete other hand, was jumpy. He moved his clawed feet up and down, and jiggled where he stood, his wings partially extended (because no one was around them, luckily), his beak open to reveal a pink tongue. Oh, oh, oh! Do you see that red?[/b] The simourv asked His, warm auburn eyes sparkling.

“Yes, I saw. For the last time, I can see, Glyph, but I don’t care.” B’oone declared gruffly as he rolled his eyes. The truth was, though, that the more eggs hatched, the more interested the ‘old man’ became. As each egg hatched, and each simourv hatchling hatched, B’oone became more and more reminiscent. He remembered when Anoglyph bonded to him, and with that remembrance came a small smile. The smile was wiped off his face half a second later as Anoglyph turned his head around to peer at his rider. The beak was still halfway open, and B’oone could hear a warble protruding from it. The man rolled his eyes.

“You are so strange,” B’oone declared, and reached forward (actually uncrossing his arms!) to push his simourv’s gigantic head around playfully, “Go back to watching, bird-brain!” He teased, and Anoglyph playfully pranced, As you wish! Oh! Did you see that blue? Isn’t it so pretty?
[/ul][/blockquote][/size]

[Vanman]

Hokan saw Narphis walking towards the two of them, and he was happy. He was overjoyed that his brother was here and wasn’t going to let Ts’kal leave with out him. He heard Ts’kal give the orders to go to the nesting sand, so he did.

When he arrived, he was amazed. A few simorvs sat there already hatched. Then he saw that one of the simorv’s had attacked a candidate. He was scared and confused. He continued to sit and watch as more attacks happened and bonding started to happen as well. He was nervously thinking to himself I know I wanted this but is it worth death? What if I get killed? What would Narphis do? Would Kaylee even care? his mind was a flutter with all these and more thought of what could happen. He just stood there watching the events unfold

[Bre]

Live my life around a picture . . .

Blood. Mauling. Gore. Such was life. Marion mainly focused on finding Gabrael, clapping with sardonic cheer in the very movements of her hands when any of the candidates bonded. It didn't take her too long to find him. Only six bondings. She was off her game. She wasn't the best in crowds. Didn't really matter. A wicked grin on her lips, she sneaked up behind him, feet silent under the dull roar of the crowd. Then she hopped forward and draped her arms around his shoulders, leaning comfortably against his back, as if they were old friends. "Why, 'ello, Gabe;" she drawled, chuckling quietly with amusement. She knew that she was sweaty and smelled it, but she also smelled a bit like dirt and there wasn't much that she could do about it. After running for two days, a little rest was what she needed. Leaning against him was comfortable in her opinion.

That was when Marion noticed Gabrael's friend, a very energetic looking girl. Her expression didn't shift in the slightest. She wasn't the jealous sort, especially with people that she barely actually knew. However, she remained exactly where she was, arms wrapped around Gabrael's shoulders, curly, thick hair hanging messily about her face, at least one twig clinging to her dirty, thin clothing. The only thing that identified her as anything more than a street brat was the patch on her shoulder, which marked that she was a guard messenger. "Hello;" she greeted Sarai, giving the girl a lopsided smile. With that, she finally turned to examine what was happening. "Ooh, the gray's hatched. However she goes to is gonna be famous. Mostly thanks to me;" she drawled, joking around. She didn't care much for politics or fame.

The gray had invented a sort of game for herself. A dreamer's game. Having found her ability to find someone amongst the clump of candidates lacking, she withdrew, settling in the middle of the sands like a princess of her throne. She wasn't a queen. Not yet. She was more a duchess. A prime minister. She was much better at thinking than leading. For a moment, she regarded her brothers and sisters. Another red was causing damage but he seemed to behaving himself reasonably well. One day, he would do good. One day. With that, she returned to her game. It was a very simple game. A very serious game. She enjoyed it very much, but, then again, she found life joyful in general. Potential. It was all about potential. That was the name of the game. If she was going to be a queen, she had to be able to understand what people were inside.

This was how the gray played her game. She would look at a candidate and she would imagine. It wasn't hard. She didn't see the world through normal eyes. She was a visual learner. She saw more than the reality. She saw her own thoughts and she was no stupid child, though far too naive to be brilliant. Clouds in a cloudless sky. Stars from another world. A sea of waves tipped in black. Candidates who would go to a red. Candidates who would go to a green. She had her guesses, her musings, and she knew who wasn't for her. That was too much for her to consider, so she let it go. There was one for her. She just wasn't sure of who it was yet. Eventually, she would figure it out. She had dreams to make real and so much to do. Obliviousness can be a gift and a curse. She was going to make the most of all that she had been given.

The blue was growing more confused. He had said hello to everyone. That was right, wasn't it? He wasn't very good in social situations. Now what was he supposed to do? Wasn't there a person for him? He didn't see anyone for him on the sands. He didn't even sense someone. He tried to keep his cheer, but it was very hard to do. He felt lonely, lost in the confusing, bright world that surrounded him. He stepped forward on a shaky, awkward limb, eyes darting over the crowd in front of him. He wanted to guard his egg, which lay in broken pieces around him, but what was he to do? He needed a person, not just some broken egg to protect. He didn't know how to do anything else. Protect. Live. That was all he knew. What was he supposed to do? Wasn't there someone for him? He saw no familiar faces. He felt nothing there.

The Spirit Dwarf popped open and out hopped a little green with warm brown eyes and a tail far too big for her body. Of course, all of the hatchlings had tails that were just a bit too big. Hers was just particularly long and skinny. In fact, the green was long and skinny in every aspect. However, she didn't seem to mind. Head off in the clouds, she danced over to her confused blue brother. Time to play! She gave him a little nudge. He shifted awkwardly, suddenly uncomfortable. He liked his sister just fine, but where was his? He crooned sadly. Oblivious to his discomfort, she gave him another nudge, not meaning anything by it. She just wanted to play! What else was there to do in the world? She was a simple creature, the most childlike of the whole group so far. Perhaps she would one day grow out of it, but she did have a big imagination.

The rainbow had finally spied her rider. The new red had made it easier. Who knew, a red could actually be useful! Chuckling with her rampant joy, she went skittering forward. Her foot was starting to hurt again and hunger was gnawing at her belly, but she didn't mind! Who was this? Why, her rider! She went skipping right up to the girl, finally having made her choice. No point in sticking around longer than was really necessary. She had taken her sweet time and now that time was done. All things do come to pass and the seasons fade. However, new life was born from the ashes, just like a phoenix rising. Why couldn't anyone else understand that? Why couldn't they all gaze upon her gray sister, staring at them with those big eyes of hers, and understand? The rainbow was not as stupid and odd as she looked. Well, maybe as odd, but not stupid.

What do you do if you're hurt, Ol'ia? The rainbow's brown eyes twinkled mischievously. She had found her rider. Everything had worked out and now she had a joke to tell! A special, one time sort of one! Why, find a Weirph, of course! She wasn't really trying to be funny. She was just having fun. Cheerfully, she gave the girl she had chosen a nudge and then settled awkwardly on her lap, trying to force her to sit down so she can lay there. Oh, and why did the baby fall out of the tree? It was a bit of a repeat, but no one was going to notice. After all, now she had someone with whom she could test her material. Because it was dead! Isn't life ridiculous, Ol'ia? There was laughter, morbid and sharp, in Weirph's voice, but at least she cared in her joking, cheerful type of manner. She was going to live a happy life. She couldn't help it.


click - blunt, compassionate, cheerful, morbid sense of humor

. . . taken when we met.

[winged]

More simourv proceeded to spill onto the sands, and more simourv passed beneath Ichidou's increasingly furtive gaze. It never lingered, shifting one moment to the grey now perched proudly atop a small swell of sand to the blue lingering so morosely near the remnants of his egg. There it stayed for a fraction longer, the young woman taking some comfort in the notion that this wasn't excruciating solely for the human half of the equation. Silent she remained, however, and before long she was back to the more imposing presence of the red, and the silly antics of the green.

Such a variety of personalities, and at the very least engrossing. Ichidou had some solace in spending her time observing them, arms crossed securely (almost defensively) across her chest, while enduring her wait. In the back of her mind she did her best to quell any inklings of a mental count: candidate to simourv, what were her chances? Now that she'd decided that this was what she wanted, at such an inopportune time following her lack of conviction all throughout Candidacy, she was attempting to weigh her chances.

As always, though, logic ruled out and she squashed those inklings under the heaviest, densest wave of 'NO' she'd ever construed. A scowl had once again crept back onto her face as she witnessed Weirph's Bonding, hugging her arms tighter to herself involuntarily as she bickered internally with her own inclinations. Inevitably, one day her face would simply stick in that single expression, considering how often it appeared.

[pannypanpops]

Fa'h's eyes locked with the bright green who had a darker green striped running bown her forhead. Time seemed to stand still, but in a very wonderful way. She could tell that this was hers. This wonderful green hatchling was all hers, and she was the simourv's. She had been picked and suddenly, the world seemd right, it seemed full. It just seemed perfect. Fa'h ignored her aching belly, at least it didn't burn like it did since one of the candidates had helped her flush out the wound. Her guts wouldn't be spilling tonight, though it damn well felt like it. Fa'h, you'll be okay! Your Mhaliniph will keep you warm! And I'll fight my brother if he comes back to try and hurt you again! But why didn't you move when he came at you? Look how big he is! Didn't you see him?" [/b]Fa'h grinned happily at her Mhaliniph, her tiny yet long Mhaliniph. She put an arm over the bright green hatchling, her other arm held over her stomache for support since using the muscles sent pains through her. "I would have seen him if I wasn't so busy waiting for you!" She joked with a wide loving smile, planting a kiss on Mhaliniph's wide beak. Mhaliniph's eyes widened, then thinned skeptically, then widened again to only turn into confusement. " How did Mine know which egg I would come from....?" She asked astonished. Fa'h laughed, her face bright with the fulfilledness she felt. "I knew the minute I saw you rocking!"

Mhaliniph moved to wiggle her head under Fa'h's arm to help her stand. Fa'h didn't resist, using her bonded's strength to help her stand. Where do we go to get you fixed, Mine? I want to learn.[/color] Fa'h looked at Mhaliniph adoringly and with amusement, all underlined with pain. "We follow the other Winglettes-When we get there someone will be able to help us." Fa'h could feel Mhaliniph's excitment and wonder at the world around her. Winglettes. that single word permiated Fa'h's mind as the hatchling tested it out. Of course she knew the word, she obviously had a grasp of language but that didn't stop her from enjoying herself. Winglettes. Wiiiinglettes. This will be fun, I can tell already!"The two made slow progression out of the sands to where the other bonded candidates were going, Mhaliniph being the ever supportive cain (..kane? cane....??)for Fa'h.

[zeis]

K'huna had just been about to step forward and aid Ripley, when Roza tasked him with leading away those who had bonded so far. He paused halfway toward one of the wounded girls, and nodded. "Alright, everyone with a chick, if you're in one piece I expect you to help us get the wounded winglets out of here." He raised his voice above the din before moving to Serenity, kneeling down beside her with a slight smile. He helped her up gently, supporting her in case she needed it as he helped her outside.

Canph! Tell Valenph to get her lazy no show rider to bring healers and supplies. He thought to his red, finding peace over that connection among the chaos. What that red might be capable of if his food was late, he did not want to think of. They had four injured girls, Serenity, Farah, Teagan, and Leanan. The red Teimoph had left quite a path of destruction in his wake. He shot Ripley an encouraging and approving glance. He knew the candidate would rise to the occasion. It did not surprise him at all that such a man found company in a black. "Don't worry." He spoke reassuring to the injured candidates as they were aided off the sands by helping hands. "There will be people from the infirmary coming."
~~~~~

The large green in hiding eyed the open cavern entrance. It was bright out there, huge, unknown, alluring. It was a trick. She knew if she left, she would miss out on all that she was meant to be. She would be free and wild, but she would be alone. Her bright green feathers ruffled in anger at the idea. She was no less a wild beast for wanting to say, and she would make hers see that. She would be his, but she was no mere pet to be fawned over and ridden about. She was wily, she was fierce, and if he was not careful he would find out the hard way. Silently, the green stalked out from behind Canph, who watched her with amusement. Her head was low, and tail lashing but she was quiet, stealthy and invisible in the chaos of wounded candidates and frequent bondings.

Her movements were slow, deliberate. Each step not without care. Her dark brown eyes were wide, intent on her prize, and even more intent on taking him unaware. She would not be underestimated, and she would not fail. She would make it clear to him at the beginning who she was, and what she expected. Like a predator creeping up on its unsuspecting prey, the green snuck up behind Narhpis, and with a sudden lunge tackled him roughly to the ground. She kept one clawed foot on his back, and lowered her head to peer confidently into his eyes. Do not be afraid, Nar'i. Your Tiaph has caught you. Her voice growled slyly as she let him up, and sat down next to him with a thump. Let that be a lesson. We must always be vigilant and ready. I will not have an oblivious rider who sees and hears nothing. I can defend you, but you have to defend yourself too.

319B22 - confident, tricky, quiet, has a short fuse

Things were growing chaotic on the sands. Eggs were shaking to life, and chicks were hatching and bonding left and right. It was around this time that the Lordly Core gave its first polite little shake before falling quiet. In response its partner, the Ladylike Dwarf rocked back a brief acknowledgment. Yes, it seemed they had decided to arrive fashionably late. Both the Lordly Core and the Ladylike Dwarf began to rock in tandem, similarly colored navy blue and gold veined shells chipping and cracking. It was the larger, more tightly patterned Lordly Core who hatched first. The chick who emerged was a small blue, certainly the smallest seen yet at 2'7" at the shoulder.

He gently and carefully removed himself from the extravagant egg that had been his home. It wouldn't do to cut himself on the shells. Hastiness after all, earned one nothing but problems. The majority of his feathers were a cool blue gray denim color, uniform over his body same for the snowy white around his cheeks and chest. Elegant black mascara ringed his eyes, just a touch of black, nothing flashy, nothing overdone. He did not want to stand out. Leave the theatrics and flashy colors for the reds and greens. It simply wasn't his style. He did not want to be held above his siblings, but concealed within. Where no one would notice. Where no one would suspect. The blue paused outside his shell with one clawed foot still in the air, gazing coolly around at the situation.

His brothers and sisters had all arrived so early, raced out of their shells. Now there they were, racing off the sands. He would take his time. He would consider and weigh his options, even though he was hungry There was no need to frantically search and maul. All good things came in time, and his rider was here somewhere. The blue turned his brown eyes on the Ladylike Dwarf which was still hatching, and he picked his way carefully through his eggs shards over to her. He sat down a safe distance away to observe and wait for her. Just in case some of her eggshell flew away from her. It was better to be safe than sorry.

The more delicate shell of the Ladylike Dwarf cracked suddenly all over, and was gently shook free of it's occupants feathers like jewels. She sat in the and leaning slightly back, with her head tilted upward angelically and her stubby wings fanned. She was here. All the blacks, reds, and blues could stop waiting for her, because the moment had arrived. Her chocolate eyes opened slowly, and she gently flicked one last piece of sapphire shell of her tail. If the shards were sapphires, she was an emerald. She was a sparkling jewel. She was green, a rich deep jade green that gleamed in the light from outside the cavern and was mottled with lighter mint. The feathers on hr wings and tail faded deeper into a forest green, and a mint that was almost white decorated her neck. She was average sized, perfect, and dainty.

The green froze when she saw that only the gentlemanly blue was waiting for her, and that all the other males had either bonded or weren't even looking. Maybe they just hadn't seen her. She struck a graceful pose that perhaps wasn't quite what she wanted on newborn legs, and called out to them with an insistent chirping warble. Oh boys! Boys! That should get their attention, and if not then she had other theatrics up her sleeve. The blue bobbed his head at her in acknowledgment, and she slunk rhythmically toward him, gently headbutting his chest, and circling around him to sit as close as possible, leaning into his side. At least she had one loyal follower, and really, there was nothing wrong with a blue. He clearly had good taste.

The blue nuzzled her politely, enduring her affection without much comment. It would be rude to ignore a lady who so plainly wanted attention. She looked like she needed a friend, and he knew it was a good idea to start making friends early. He did not have much interest in her otherwise, as the feelings that would one day make him chase were far off in the future. He would let her think he did though. That he was her loyal subject, why not? Surely he could gain something from it. His eyes drifted to the candidates. More friends to be made, or at least one. It was a pity he must only choose one ally, and not make connections with them all. He turned his beak toward the greens ear and chattered something secretive, gossiping about the people he saw before him and what they might do about them.

The green listened with interest, and looked over to the candidates assembled. She looked thoughtful, and somewhat predatory. Another audience to adore her. She hoped these ones were more receptive to her games. The green gave one last nuzzle to her blue co-conspirator, and chirruped loudly. Attention, candidates! She was about to choose! She strutted and minced languidly toward them, waving her tail pleasantly above her, and eying them all appraisingly. She warbled and chattered the whole time. No, she could not choose them all. Or this one, or that one. Not Ichidou, or Amira, or Teagan still bleeding on the floor. She would have had them believe they were all winners in her book, but that would have been a lie. They were not good enough, but one had to keep up appearances.

She stopped at Kaylee, and lifted her head high to somehow manage to stare down her beak at here. Here was one that was a step above the rest. She had the proper priorities in order, the proper attitude. She was the perfect human, the best one. The only one truly worthy of her in this bunch. The small green stalked around her in a circle, looking her up and down before stopping in front of her and posing demurely. Aren't you glad, K'lee? Your Lideliaph is finally here to make your life perfect. She asked emphatically, though there was an edge to her voice, expecting a specific answer. You were miserable without me, weren't you? Together we'll rise like stars to the sky, and higher. We'll be wonderful, everything will be. Don't you think so?

22864a - coquettish, sneaky, outspoken, melodramatic

Meanwhile the Thieving Dwarf rocked tentatively, and near it the large Kingly Giant tilted almost imperceptibly to the side with a single shake. Their time was coming.

[Vanman]

Hokan sat there in awe. Organized chaos, that’s all it was. He was amazed at all he saw, he couldn’t believe all the things he saw. He half-heartedly wanted to go and grab a few pieces of shells, but didn’t want to risk stepping into the war zone.

He saw a green walking towards Narphis and thought nothing of it. He knew greens were nothing like Nar’s personality. He was shocked at the fact that Nar was given a green. And then he saw Kaylee get a green as well! He had no idea what he was getting now.

[winged]

The sands were beginning to resemble a pock-marked battlefield, what with odd shards of eggshell protruding almost dangerously from the sands. Fortunately most had been shed an adequate distance from the Candidates. The chicks were strong, but not quite so strong as to fling shell directly at anyone. If anything, it was an unintended hazard. Though, judging by Eceph's prudent lack of concern for the humans on trial, these weren't the safest sands to cohabit anyways.

As many Bonded, there were still a handful of simourv that remained unpartenered. Ichidou was curious to know why - they were all present, were they not? A sweeping glance over their reduced ranks confirmed that yes, everyone that she recognized was here. Perhaps there was some other factor that prevented them from seeing Theirs...if they were here at all. It was possible that their perfect match had been left un-Searched, wasn't it?

These riders weren't all that old, they were capable of making errors. They were human, despite all the powerful trappings of their title. Still, her scowl continued to fade back into a concerned frown. Anger was hard to keep tabs on when there were so many other feelings to consider. Her initial awe was beginning to subside, too, her jittery nerves smoothing themselves out. The tenseness hadn't yet drained from her stiff posture, though. She might not be so excitable, but she wasn't a fool born yesterday. There was a red still sniffing about.

And so many blues. From seemingly nowhere a green ghosted into sight, tackling Hers in a showy display of ownership. That earned a twitch from Ichidou's lips, before she locked eyes with Kaylee's green, before the creature flounced off to become just that. It was a brief exchange, but Ichidou's feathers were rightly ruffled as she made a pronounced effort to ignore the simourv and her rider entirely. There'd been something in that gaze that had unsettled the Candidate - a familiar glint she'd seen in her own mother's eyes. A sneaky little devil, and she'd only just Hatched.

Put-off, Ichidou grumbled under her breath, trying to catch up with the on-going movement of the other chicks. This Hatching was a regular bag of tricks. Bringing back to the forefront feelings she'd thought she'd left behind on that lonely homestead.

[Bre]

Struggling with my thoughts . . .

The playful green eventually decided to leave her blue brother alone, as he only ever responded with awkward shifting, trying to escape her without knowing what to do. She scuttled after to her gray sister, but found the larger hatchling to be preoccupied and drifting, mind too far away to offer her more than a chirrup. Sighing, the green looked about. She wanted someone with whom she could play! None of the others seemed interested, so what did she do? She came up with a way to play by herself! Wasn't she so smart in her own dopey, simpleminded way? Her mother was a castle, yes, yes! She stood as still as one! All of the other eggs were rocks in the giant pit that surrounded the castle! She had to avoid those! Squawking happily, the green darted about, avoiding imaginary monsters and having a grand old time with her playing.

The blue glanced after his green sister, but he mainly kept his dark grayish brown eyes fixed on the candidates, scanning them over and over in his fervent, shameless search. Spreading his wings wide, he started to stalk forward, not afraid to be seen but unsure of what to do! Where was his? Where was his rider! He felt a flash of emotion, but it was fleeting, nonsensical to him though in a good way. His rider was out there, but not close. Or maybe his rider wasn't there. He couldn't be sure. Wherever the one that he wanted was, it was too far away. Despite all of his strength, he began to sink into the sands, whimpering pitifully, the sad warble that came from his throat akin to crying. He couldn't do it. Why couldn't he do it? He couldn't die. That was what he felt like doing. All of the others were happy but he didn't feel right. He felt empty.

Still, life went on and the hatching continued. As the Lordly Core and Ladylike Dwarf hatch, the Peasant Core began rocking lazily from side to side. Eventually, after a great many rocks, it fell over and cracked in half. There was a blue within the brown and green egg and that was were he stayed, lying comfortably in the wreckage of his former prison. He was small but bulky for a blue, just as small as his lofty brother. Most of his body was a brilliant blue, the sort of blue that was easy to stare at, eye catching without being utterly painful. However, his wings, back, and chest were black and rings of black went down his tail, offsetting his bright, clear coloration. Though perhaps quite a handsome beast in many respects, he was quickly covered in sand as he remained lying on the ground, apparently quite alright with just sitting there.

However, there was one thing that made the lazing blue get to his feet. His two sisters. At first, it was the gray. He picked himself up just to bow to her, reclining his head gracefully over his front legs. It was only right to treat her in such a manner. Then it was the cheerful green who was playing about the sands. Settling back down, he watched her. He wouldn't have minded joining in her game, but he was content to watch and too lazy to get to his ponderous feet again. For the time being, he just kept an eye on her, doing his duty. He was chivalrous beast, despite his extreme lack of energy. Letting his manners go to waste, he chewed absently on a piece of shell that had fallen between his feet, finding it highly unsatisfying but gnawing on it nonetheless. He was already quite hungry, but not yet quite motivated enough to move.

All of a sudden, the gray had become even more ignorant to her siblings than normal. She was oblivious to everything, sucked into something right in front of her. How could she have missed it! Because she wasn't living in the present. Because she wasn't really looking at what was real. With her focus suddenly utterly in what was real, she became blind to everything else that was around her except for what had caught her eye. She had determination, a peaceful sort of stubbornness, and the drive to do and get what was needed. That was what made her a gray. That was what made her a queen. All of the other stuff, that was just what made the gray herself. The naivety. The obliviousness. The absent way that she drifted through life, her pockets full of dreams. Now she saw it all. Just one person and she saw everything. Their future.

I'dou, you are right. You can make all of my dreams come true and all the dreams that are not mine but are the worlds true as well; the gray said, voice reverent and childlike for the time being. She would grow out of that. The rest of it? Not so much. She was drawn in towards her rider, stalking towards the girl she had chosen, gently moving the others out of the way. She was gullible, easily caught up in the moment. Your Laraph wants nothing more than peace and hope. We can make that happen. It wasn't ego that drove her confidence. It was her firm and everlasting belief that good could rule over all that was unfair and unjust in the world. With calm resolve, the gray came to settle in front of her rider, making her choice known to the world. Ro'za raised her hands and slowly clapped. The second grayrider of Pohono. I'dou of Laraph.


8C92AC - peaceful, gullible, naive, views world as dreamer

. . . change the locks inside my head.

[Cy]

[`a r r o w«]

Kaylee stood in the back of the group, watching everything. She could hardly concentrate on one thing before her mind pushed it away. Her body and mind both screamed for sleep, but she forced herself to stay away. She felt as if she ended up falling asleep, she would miss out on everything that was happening, and going to happen. She had a feeling something amazing was about to happen and she couldn't miss it.

As she stood there by Nar and Hokan, a green chick jumped out and tackled Nar. Kaylee jumped, her eyes wide and all forms of sleep scared away from her. Her hand went up and rested on her chest and felt her heart beat wildly. She watched as the hatchling looked Nar in the eye before letting him up. She watched, amazing, as the green sat down and looked at Nar. When she saw that, she felt as if a hole had just been put inside her. Looking away, she scanned the remaining eggs, trying to see if any of them where hatching or if any of the hatchlings where watching her.

As she watched the clutch, her gaze went to the Ladylike Dwarf. She watched as its shell cracked and out stepped the most beautiful green Kaylee had ever seen. Her breath caught as she watched her. She struck and pose then walked over to her brother blue. She watched them for a while then tore her gaze away. She looked around the cavern, but kept looking back at the green and blue.

When she heard the green chirp loudly, her gaze went straight to her. She watched each step the green took. Oh how she watched to her closer to her, but her legs wouldn't listen to her. She painfully watched as the green walked by other candidates, but didn't stop. Part of her way happy that she didn't stop, yet that cause a great ball of worry to settle in her gut.

When the green stopped in front of her and looked down at her Kaylee stopped breathing. Aren't you glad, K'lee? Your Lideliaph is finally here to make your life perfect. You were miserable without me, weren't you? Together we'll rise like stars to the sky, and higher. We'll be wonderful, everything will be. Don't you think so? Staring at Lideliaph in wonder, K'lee reached out and petted the green. Yes. Yes, I'm very glad Lideliaph! she said happily, all thought and feelings of weariness gone. Laughing, she stroked the green, her downey feathers soft under her touch. You have made my life perfect! We shall do that, and more! Smiling at Lideliaph, she felt happiness well up inside her. Already, Lideliaph was changing her for the better.