Post by kevna on Oct 3, 2018 3:36:54 GMT -5
worlds apart hatching
Taksuril - CandidateHe was holding cooled klah when it all started, cleaning the afternoon meals away from tables alongside other weyr brats and candidates. The humming was first, it was like a thrum that reverberated up his feet and throughout his vertebrae, numbing him to the point of motionlessness. Taksuril had never heard such a lullabye hum, and his confusion abounded, his eyes glued to the klah gripped tightly in his hands. He stood there for but moments, but it felt like eternity. He was freed by the movements of others, scrambling candidates and weyr inhabitants, and then he made the connection. The hum, the scramble, this was it. The hatching.
The thought freed him. This was it, his chance to fulfill the dream his sister had had first. To be a rider. To fly, be in control, have the power that no normal man or woman could even fathom. To protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. Like his sister. He ran back to the candidates sleeping quarters, found his white robe and fumbled to put it on. “Come on!” He huffed quietly and with fear, as he struggled with a sleeve. He could hear S’bol urging the candidates to hurry, which didn’t help with the fear... What if he missed it? When he finally had the white robe on, and tied correctly as they had been trained, he stumbled out of the candidates quarters running with his long limbs pumping as fast as he could make them move. He was comforted that there were others scrambling right along with him, but many were quickly finding dragons.
Taksuril looked around frantically.
“Hey there kid, need a ride?”
He turned at the sound of her voice. A voice he recognized perfectly. He turned to see Jorunn, and his stomach dropped. He did not want to be anywhere near that woman. Taksuril had already been the target of her sarcastic jabs one too many times. He had no idea why Nnamdith, the kind blue, had impressed to her of all people.
Jorunn seemed to gather his through process and gave him a rueful smile. “Well, if you don’t move those long limbs, you aren’t going to make it. Or is the woman rider of a blue to much for a man like you?” Her voice was a sneer, and her dark eyes were lit up with humor as she jerked her chin sharply up and down. Derisive.
Taksuril’s shoulders stiffened, and he felt the heat of anger warm him. But he still remembered his mother’s teaching. Always treat a woman with respect, even if she doesn’t deserve it. He took a deep breath and ignored her verbal jabs. “I would love a ride, thank you Jorunn for your consideration.” He climbed up, taking her offered hand, and noticed her disgruntled look. She didn’t like being ignored. Glad to have you on board! Nnamdith crooned, and then they were in the air. The anticipation thrummed through him beating to the continual hum of the dragons.
“Hop off kid!” Jorunn yelled over the buzz of the crowd, and with wide eyes he was flying towards the ground. He landed awkwardly in the sands, which consequently led to him being on his rear-end. He could hear Jorunn scoff at him, and a worried croon from the blue, but then they were departing to take their place to watch the hatching take place. He scrambled to his feet, blushing. He would get used to his bearings soon enough.
S’bol quickly ushered him and a few other candidates who had yet to take the sands out toward the eggs, and he wondered just how many had watched him fumble. He straightened his white robe, and gulped, taking a place on the edge of the group of boys, closest to Thronis, who he had somewhat befriended in the short time he had been here. He liked being on the outskirts, it kept him from being surrounded by too many. He hated crowds, and by the Shell he hated being watched. He felt like he could feel every on on him and edged closer to the out-skirts.
Taksuril had been so focused on trying to be out of focus he didn’t notice the first two eggs hatch. What drew his attention was the angry hiss from the bronze hatchling toward the brown dragonet brother. He watched the smaller dragonet hang back while the bronze started his way towards them. He caught his breath. Was the brown to be his? He suspected a blue, but reasoned a brown was likely for him as well. Taksuril had no doubt a bronze was out of his ability, he doubted his ability to ever lead.
He noticed the Striped egg crack and out stumbled another bronze. It fumbled but was able to right himself, and headed straight for him. His knees locked, and he looked around frantically. Wha-what? It could not be coming for him. Luckily, it didn’t even pause before him, passing him and bumping into Thronis. He heard Thronis exclaim and then leave with the dragonet. The first bronze gave a roar and suddenly disappeared.
“What?” His whisper filled with horror. How could it just disappear? He hear some boys whispering about betweening, and it registered faintly. That’s when he noticed Gazing and Grinning eggs emit blue hatchlings. One veered toward the women, white patches on its hide, and the other one headed toward the men, the brown on it’s heels. He had a moment of wonder, maybe this was it, either were possibilities. That is, if he was worthy. Anticipation was hot, neither the blue nor the brown impressed to him, and he watched joyous boys leave the floor.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye a boy yelled and was lying on the sands, a green was on top of him. Where in the world did she come from? He was starting to feel a little overwhelmed, and didn’t know what to do, and watched as another boy helped and impressed the scared little dragonet, and assisted the boy up. He was distracted again, seeing a blue approaching. Taksuril faced the dragonet, but suddenly with a screech, it too was gone.
The shock was cold, his lips tingling, and he felt something akin to grief. He wasn’t worthy. That’s what all of this meant. Everything else was a blur, but a murmur, angry but low seemed to emit from somewhere and it knocked him out of it. He was missing too much. He looked around and noticed a bronze dragonet observing females. Females? The feeling of shock dissipated by the confusion he felt, and then suddenly, as if deciding, it turned from the girls and came directly towards him.
This time, there was no fear, and he looked at the boy standing next to him, happy for him. It wasn’t coming for him, he had no reason to be afraid, just like last time. His hand was brushed by a muzzle, and dumbfounded, he looked down. Rainbow eyes met his. Mine. All mine, Tak’ril. The voice was possessive, good, kind, loving, and it caressed his mind unlike anything he had ever known or felt.
“Bu-but me? Agureyth, i-it can’t be me. I can’t be a bronze’s-.” He was cut off by a sure voice.
You are mine and I am hungry.
Hunger overwhelmed him for a moment, and he blinked hazily, trying to figure out how he knew this amazing hatchlings name. “Right, umm. Ok, let’s err-feed you.” With a hand resting gently on the head of his beloved, he left the sands to feed his bonded. Completeness he had never felt before encompassing him. Truly powerless to comprehend just how his life had changed in just one blink of an eye.
