Hatching 14
Fresia hurried to the Deep Cavern. She'd been taking care of her official
duties which she'd ignored a bit too long now that Cophis was rearing her
draklings in seclusion. It was odd really, not having her drak with her at
most times. The walls of the deep cavern were so massive that she couldn't
even talk to Cophis when she was on the other side.
Harud got up quickly when Fresia entered.
"Jasshos found you then." he said relieved, "She's ready."
"Have the aspirants been called?"
"Jasshos went to alert the officials right after he'd found you. or at least
that was the plan."
And the plan appeared to have worked as only a couople of minutes later
humans started to rush into the cavernous space below the desert sands.
Fresia had gotten the reports from the Judges and felt like she had a good
grasp of the aspirants. There were two male draks looking for a life mate, a
flirty pirate from Dawn Castle, a fidgety exchange student from Timara
Castle, and a nimble medic-aid from Dun keiba. There was only one aspirant
that stood out a bit. Grim was slightly off colour and was apparently
looking for his sister who'd been taken by pirates. You'd think he'd have
little hope of finding her in the middle of a desert, but the young, scrawny
man had found a pirate so maybe lady luck was on his side.
Night Cophis waited for her knight to knock on the door and then she strode
out, aware of her status as princess to the Castle, followed by her six
draklings. Her two sons and four daughters were the light of her life and
she found that she would never be the same after today but she'd need to
part with them sooner or later. And of course, they wouldn't be completely
gone, they would still be around for training. But not as close as staying
in the same room.
Stealing herself, Cophis turned to the aspirants and audience and greeted
them.
"Thank you for coming to witnessss the mind pairing of
thesze draklings."
A steady earth female stepped up first, eager to pair and start the journey
that would be her life. She approached the dark-skinned, willowy Sarme who's
father had once bonded in this same castle.
"My name is Pirosis." the drakling said
carefully, trying to contain her lisp.
Sarme hugged her drak and quickly led her to the waiting food. She'd be
training in the hospital as had been her request so she had no need to stay
too long and meet the prospective trainers.
Two draklings now approached their mother together. One was a female ore,
the other a lightly coloured desert male. The two had hatched from the same
egg and Cophis had given them similar names, hoping that they would remain
close.
The sand male was the most active of the two, quickly heading for Grim
Greycastle. His light colouring contrasted with the young man's dark hair
and broody look but that hardly mattered as the drakling had been
attracted by Grim's determination to find his sister.
"My name is Glisos." he stated simply and sat
down next to his knight.
The ore female took her time, but then quietly approached Night Amtiov. She
gave the male drak a soft headbut and then sat down beside him, keeping
close.
"My name is Gnosis." she all but whispered.
A bright teal and blue water female was the next to make her move. She was
relaxed, taking her time to navigate the unfamiliar place as she headed for
Jaye from Timara Castle. The young man glanced around nervously, wondering
if this was really happening but she didn't prolong his misery for longer
than was necessary.
"My name is Niosis." she introduced herself and
then gently nuzzled Jaye's hands that smelled a bit unusual but were part of
his charm.
A plant male slipped by his mother, having used her size to hide him. The
plant was moving in the shadows of the walls and headed toward Rafaello, the
well-groomed pirate.
"I'm Nautisos." he said quietly,
"I want to sail!"
The last drakling, a day female, stretched her white wings and cocked her
head as she looked at Fire Aridaaw. There was something unusual about the
drak. But there had been strange smells on a number of the aspirants this
time aorund. They'd come from far away too, and the day wondered if that was
maybe why everyone smelled so different. Would she maybe meet a lot more
people in the future? She hoped so.
She happily approached the fire drak and introduced herself:
"My name is Deosis."
Cophis nodded and felt both saddened and relieved that this milestone had
been taken without incident.
"Now we feassst." she announced.
Fire Aridaaw and
Day Deosis (f) - Trainer: (Fresia &) Night Cophis
Grim Greycastle and Sand (Desert) Glisos (m) - Trainer: Tanguy
& Ocean Virphar
Night Amtiov and
Ore Gnosis (f) - Trainer: (Harud &) Ore Jasshos
Rafaello
Ponti and Plant Nautisos - Trainer: Rhaeen and Forest
Madalloski
Jaye and Water Niosis - Trainer: Quinn & Mud Evanderi
(Knight training)
Sarme and Earth Pirosis (f) - Trainer: Flint & Wind
Achaena (medical training)
Clutching Story
A young, bespectacled woman with long black hair stands
up as you enter the Deep Cavern.
"Hello and welcome." she says, "I'm Fresia. Night Cophis is
my paired partner and she has occupied the deep cavern with a clutch. If you
wish to try to become a knight yourself, you can write down your name to
stand a chance at pairing one of her offspring."
As you look around the shady cavern that is a pleasant few degrees cooler
than the outside, you notice a quiet, soothing melody. A non-assuming man
sits in one corner, playing a stringed instrument.
He shortly acknowledges your presence before looking away and continuing
playing. Fresia looks fondly at the man but doesn't comment. Another drak
lies beside the man, his silver and gold colours muted aganst the walls. You
can only assume they are the sire to the clutch and his knight.
