The Hatching
It was a bright day when Onyco was bid to again stand for the eggs.
Three clutches had gone by since Emili had impressed his Sevromanth. Emili
wasn't here. Onyco knew she shouldn't be envious, that it could ruin her
plans and sidetrack her mind. But she still was envious. How come he had
impressed first when she clearly was the better alien? In fact, he didn't
even act nerdy anymore. What was all that rubbage about walking with a
straight back, his head held high and corrective dentistry?
Onyco stood at the edge of the sands, almost certain today wouldn't be her
day once more. Maybe if she'd relax. The thing was she couldn't.
Onyco looked up, trying to think of other things than promotion, skills and
the hovering danger of exposure. When she looked up at the highest benches.
The ones that were mostly unoccupied she spotted a red tail hanging down
from one of them. The slight imperfection in the stealth could only mean one
thing. Emili had come to watch her impress. Had he come every time? Or just
this once?
Suddenly the first egg split open and Onyco's thoughts were pulled away from
the ceiling back to the sands. The dragon hatched was a light purple.
Unusual for a clutch sired by two nights.
Then the second one hatched and out came a beautiful dark cream. The
dragoness snapped at her shell and tried picking off the last pieces that
kept her bound to the spot. Suddenly Onyco felt a calling in her mind.
Someone was scared and needed her. The dragon maybe?
"Isungoth!" she called. "If you can't be good, at least be good at it." A
very true statement that made someone laugh. Onyco didn't care and helped
her cream of the sands. High above her she could hear the faint flapping of
dragon wings. When she looked up the piece of red tail had disappeared. So
Emili had managed some things without her. Good to know. She would have to
work on that trick with Isungoth.
"Tricks?"
"Yes. Skills, powers if you will."
"And you will help me?"
"Yes."
"I have the best rider in the world."
With that said, Isungoth briefly leaned against her bond and then quickly
snatched the meat out of Onyco's hands.
Night
Cream
Isungoth
Weyrling Training
Onyco watched from a
distance as Emili was practicing. Isungoth, already grown quite large was
sitting behind her. They were stalking Emili, who since he had impressed
that blasted red dragon Sevromanth, hadn't been attentive for even one
moment. He wasn't even trying to cover up what he was anymore! Of course,
that worked out better in Emili's case... but it meant a risk for her and
her cause.
"None of the dragons would expose you. They take you as you are."
"I know Isungoth, but still, if he says one thing, every human in Ryslen
will be mad at me... and more importantly, the council might take away some
of my powers. Emili on the other hand has nothing to fear."
Some quiet seconds when by when Onyco put down her binoculars and cursed:
"Drats! He's gone behind a rock."
"What are you doing?"
"I was reading his lips. I wanted to know what he was saying."
"I can tell you that."
"You can?"
"Of course. Sevromath never lies to me. He is going to fly a dragoness at
another dragonry. Abri he says. I don't know where it is, but Sevromath says
the dragon is simply gorgeous."
"Figures... men."
"Am I gorgeous?"
"Of course you are. Plus you could probably use your night-stealth gifts as
an advantage to ruin her campaign."
"That wouldn't be nice."
"All is fair in love and war."
"Love?" Isungoth asked.
"Never mind." Onyco sighed and put the binoculars back on her face. Maybe
they should go to Abri too... Just to make sure Emili didn't tell anyone
about their secret of course.
"Would you like to fly Isungoth?"
"I have not yet reached my full size."
"But once you have?"
"Oh, sure."
"I reckon you will be considered full grown any day now."
Isungoth shrugged. She was indeed nearly full grown. Maybe it wouldn't be
bad to schedule a flight in the near future. At Abri... if she read the mind
of her rider correctly.
"You have." Onyco remarked dryly.
Night
Cream
Isungoth
Adult
Isungoth woke up from her midday nap. She opened one big
blue eye and yawned. Why did naps have to end? She stretched her limbs and
waited for Onyco to pet her. But Onyco wasn't in.
Disappointed Isungoth got up and searched Ryslen for Onyco... a task easier
said then done.
In the end she found her rider crouching behind a big block on the sunning
heights looking down to sleeping Sevromath and Emili reading.
"What are you doing?" Isungoth
asked.
"I should ask you that! Don't you see I'm on a stake out."
"I see that, but why stake out sleeping
dragons when we can stake out a mating couple. That's far more interesting
than this."
"Do I spy some adult cravings in your voice?" Onyco asked.
"Maybe." Isungoth said.
"To tell you what I'm doing, I have lowered a device that will record
what they say when Sevromath wakes up. It's high tech and smaller than a
fly."
"I can hear them and I don't need a high tech
spy thingie."
"They aren't saying anything."
"They are. Emili says: Sevromath? and then
Sevromath: hmmm?, Emili again: Is she still up there? Sevromath:
yes...."
"They are on to me?"
"Well it is hard to keep a secret when dragons
are involved." Isungoth said not mentioning the rest of the
conversation that went a little like this:
E: "Do you think she wants anything of me?"
S: "She likes you."
E: "Well she isn't showing it."
S: "She is thinking it, loudly. Isungoth says so too,
though she denies it when asked."
E: "You've been talking to the enemy?"
S: "Isungoth is nice."
E: "Do I see blushing? Too late to crawl back from your
other flight."
S: "Maybe later."
"I wonder what they're talking about now." Onyco said.
"The weather."
Night
Cream
Isungoth
Flight
It was the day of Emili's leaving when Onyco first noticed anything
different about Isungoth. For the first time she seemed to share the
feelings of her rider. Some jealousy, a whole lot of nosiness and an urge to
find out new things.
"What is wrong?" Onyco asked.
"I feel... different."
Isungoth said.
"How different?"
"Powerful, like I could win you back your
little man."
"I don't really want him back, he was never mine to begin with... I
just want him to keep out of trouble." Onyco said staring in the
distance.
"He was yours once. Sevromath told me. He can
be yours again."
"Only if Sevromath wants you."
"I've got my eyes on better dragons."
Isungoth said.
"What better dragons?"
"The ones at Abri that won't participate in
that white-purple's flight. I will win me one and have prettier dragonets
than her."
"How can you be so sure."
"Do you doubt me?"
"No Isungoth!" Onyco jumped to say, "But how can you say that
if you haven't seen her yet?"
"I have. Sevromath showed me. I am
better."
"Then off to Abri it is, to find you a worthy dragon and me a chance to
win back Emili."
"You're not denying it anymore?"
"Shut up."
Isungoth laughed and flew off, Onyco on her back. When she was high enough
she went between and appeared back above Abri. Their new home for some time
to come...
Night Cream Isungoth is flying at Abri
Onyco impressed at
Ryslen
Weyr
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