Summer Clutch 2007

This year's summer holiday clutch had been (carefully) moved to the plains outside so a larger audience could watch the hatching. It was a calm, sunny day at Lantessama with a soft breeze that seemed to carry the sand from the beaches inward. Eleven candidates had signed up for this clutches. Two elves, two dragons, four humans, two runic warriors and a scaled desert girl, the most unusual among them who'd had needed some time to adjust herself to the to her alien language.
The eleven candidates gathered around the eggs while Lucas and Cyan busied theirselves with getting the food tables in order.
"We have half an hour to get theis ready." Lucas said just as the first egg cracked and proved his words wrong.
The first egg crackled some more and finally a orange claw popped through the eggshell. A foot and another claw followed. Then finally the shell broke in half and the dragon spilled, tail-first on the ground. The raptor dragon was orange all over. It's built was sturdy, with short powerful legs and a long tail. It's wings were leathery in texture with a long boney claw at the top. The dragon was a bit dazed by it's unexpected appearance into the world and had to gather it's thoughts before it finally headed toward the candidates. He, for the orange raptor dragon was a male, finally sat down in front of Rixos and grinned.
"So you like to be liked." the dragon said, "With Juxos around you'll be the life of the party every time!"
"I can see you're very bright." Rixos said not knowing if he should be glad about a very bright orange dragon.
Two more eggs started to hatch and these too seemed to have a very thick shell, making it hard for the dragons to emerge. One finally managed to punch through her confining walls, afterwards shattering the weakened shell into shards. The dragoness had a deep brown colour and looked stronger than her first born brother. She whipped her tail against the nearest egg, showing a feigned disinterested kindness before heading toward Ilkay.
"I shall come with you." she spoke into Ilkay's mind.
Ilkay smiled and said but one word out loud: "Agures."
The egg that had been lashed by Agures' tail cracked open and a cream-coloured female walked out. She looked more fragile than strong and seemed to have lost quite some strength battling the egg shell. She stumbled over to Avara and then crashed down on the girl.
"Heroda!" the girl called and then sighed with a relieved grin as she held a snoring baby dragon in her arms.
Two eggs hatched at once and a cream female and brown male raptor were on the plains. The female looked feisty and she was also the one who ran out of the protective circle first. She looked around with big eyes and finally stopped in front of Ontellonji, one of the two dragons of Driolo, who was usually a rebellious dragon. Sadly for him the first creature he had encountered on Lantessama was it's own trouble maker Evilness. In retrospect that had been a brilliant event since the dragon had since then chased around to foil whatever plan Evilness had, making a time of peace around the isle.
"Will you take me with you?" the dragoness asked, "My name is Maevora."
The brown slowly followed his sister and he headed for the other dragon, Alaina. In front of her he cocked his head and thought for a while before saying:
"I don't ever want to leave you. It's cold and scary here..."
"Don't worry, Zefuri." Alaina said, sounding quite satisfied with bonding, "I'll never let you get away."
The next egg sprang open and it's shards were marked with numerous claw marks. It had taken the dragon quite some time to get there but he'd been able to crack open his shell with a single tap. The beige male raptor still had energy to spare and ran toward his chosen, the runic warrior Elhaz. Squatting before him he looked like he wanted to be petted so much that Elhaz couldn't help but stretch out his hand.
"Scratch my nose please." the dragon pleaded, "Chalk tickles!"
"Ok Runor." Elhaz smiled and hastily rubbed the itchy spot before sneezing.
"I can see we're synchronized already." Runor said.
Three eggs hatched in rapid succession throwing a faint green-coloured moss-resembling female raptor, a brown male and a grey female on the plains. The moss female was the first to get up. She sprinted toward the elf Springflower, who had gotten to be quite friendly with Cyan as the two of them shared a love for plants, before there collapsing from exhaustion.
"I made it." she happily sighed, "My name is Fyuin."
The brown raptor was the next to make his move. He slowly walked along the remaining 4 candidates, hesitated and turned around. Finally he settled for Lithos, one of the earthian highschoolers slash archeologists. He nodded and said:
"You will make a good rider, my name is Geidros."
The grey female left the circle of eggs while the last remaining two hatched. She hesitated for a bit, apparently unsure of what to do. She seemed to almost be inclined to stay back and let her siblings bond first. Finally she took two more steps forward and called:
"Naudhiz. It's you I want."
The grey female showed several bright red patches through her hide and sought shelter behind the runic warrior's legs.
"It's alright, Runair." Naudhiz said, "I'm yours."
 The last two eggs that had broken while Runair bonded revealed a darker male hatchling with the red colouring of bricks and a beige female raptor. The brick-coloured male was the first to make a move and he did it in an unseen fashion. Standing close to each of the two remaining female candidates he finally turned to Shath proclaiming:
"Your hair goes much better with me, so I'll take you. My name is Bakalt."
The elf smiled not knowing to either be happy with the choice or to take it as a joke and answered: "And they say blondes have more fun :p"
The last candidate, Kariya, turned her attention to the last remaining raptor. She hoped that the hatchling would find her suitable. For one thing she wanted to bond with her friends. And she should. She was a nice person.
"I think you are too." the hatchling echoed in her mind.
"Then why don't you come, Sarga?"
"Well, it's just you are so great... should I... can I really?"
Dumbfounded Kariya said: "Aren't you supposed to chose?"
"Well I am, but all that's left is you and you are so great."
"You're kidding."
"Maybe I am." the hatchling grinned, "But I do think you're nice."

Riders
Ilkay and Brown Agures (f)
Elhaz and Beige Runor (m)
Naudhiz and Grey Runair (f)
Shath and Brick Bakalt (m)
Springflower and Moss Fyuin (f)
Kariya and Beige Sarga (f)
Avara and Cream Heroda (f)
Lithos and Brown Geidros (m)
Rixos and Orange Juxos (m)
Ontellonji Jariane and Cream Maevora (f)
Alaina Selamputo and Brown Zefuri (m)

Raptor Dragons are tinted in earthly shades. Their forelimbs are much shorter than their hind legs, making them walk upright on most occasions. Their limbs and claws are very strong. They are fast runners as well as skilled flyers. From the moment they're born they have a soft ridge on their backs. During their life excess calcium is turned into bone-mass which hardens this ridge and allows them to grow more bony outcrops on the rest of their body.