Hatching 12
People hurried down to the relative cool of the Deep Cavern where Water
Nishi had announced that her draklings had hatched. She was still holed up
in the room, the door closed while she named her children and told them
whatever a drak mother told her newborn children. Humans had never witnessed
that moment so it was anyone's guess.
Meanwhile the aspirants were brought in. Four women and four men stood
waiting. All had been judged across Icarus though three of them had come from
a different world and had appeared on Icarus by presumably magical means.
Haile, a young aspiring medical student and Flint a somewhat geeky man with
glasses still felt a bit out of their element waiting for the draklings to
come out. The warrior Sunniva looked prepared and relaxed though she'd kept
her distance from the other aspirants. The other five were born and raised on Icarus. Taahira, dressed in
her usually brightly coloured garments, looked excited, while Maira was
determined to make it this time and earn her her father's respect. Leed, who
wanted to stay close to Maira, had come from the new Yavier Castle and was
looking to pair a drak to flesh out their ranks. Edvard then was a courier
and mountaineer who wanted a companion and Ennio was a chef in training
who'd wound up judged somehow while around Castle DesCas.
Finally, when night was approaching, the doors to the Deep Cavern opened and
Water Nishi led her 6 draklings out. They followed her in a neat line of
awkward baby cute, with wingsails tangling and the odd tripping over their
own feet but the small parade managed to reach the spectators without much
trouble.
"You have been judged by ourss."
Nishi spoke, "But it isz them that will do the
final judging."
The first drakling stepped forward, a white and blue wind female with long
limbs and a narrow muzzle that looked like it was just right to sniff out
secrets found her way to Haile and said:
"I'm Rowyahi. Nisse to meet you."
The second hatchling took a step forward, he was an earth drak that
resembled his father. The young drak sought his father's permission who gave
a short nod, before he stepped toward Edvard.
"My name is Suhiya."
he said calmly, "I'd love to go with
you."
The third hatchling, a tan-coloured female had kept the crowd whispering.
Tan-coloured draks were usually male, but it was even more unusual to see
that she had the blue wings of her mother. Wagers about the name the record keepers
were going to give the colour were already flying around the room but the
present knights hushed the crowd so the drakling could mind pair to one of
the aspirants.
She fluttered her blue wings once more for good measure and stepped toward Maira.
The young woman's two faerie draks were latched on her shirt but one of
them, the black and red one, courageously grabbed on to the blue mane.
'It ticklezs." the drakling rumbled before adding,
"I'm Gesyahi."
Acting as if he was far more important than his siblings, a fire drakling
was the fourth to come forward. He held his head high and looked toward the
candidates until he spied one that was both proud and valiant. Sunniva
would be his.
"Greetingsss." he said loudly,
"My name is Moehiya."
A desert male was next. He didn't waste time and headed toward the remaining
three boys, letting his gaze settle on Flint he sat down in front of
him and introduced himself as:
"Zhiya."
That left only one drakling. The female green and brown forest, scurried
across the room and put her head on Taahira's hand, sniffing at the scents
of her many shawls. Picking up sand, sea and fire, the smells from the
Glassblowing shop.
"My name is Allayahi." she
happily chirped.
Nishi and Defaya bowed to the new squires who'd paired their offspring and
wished them well as they all made their way to the waiting buffet where the
new pairs mingled with the available trainers, forming their first
alliances. Some would stay, most would move across Icarus but they'd stay
together at DesCas for a little while longer.
Taahira
(f) and Forest Allayahi (f)
Trainer: Tatar & Plant Xaokiki
(Diplomatic Training)
Maira
Celedeas (f) and Beach Gesyahi (f)
Trainer: Fresia & Night Cophis (Princess Training)
Haile
(f) and Wind Rowyahi (f)
Trainer: Flint & Wind Achaena
(Medical Training)
Sunniva
Krishanmew (f) and Fire Moehiya (m)
Trainer: Rhaeen & Forest Madalloski
(Knight & Jousting Training)
Edvard
(m) and Earth Suhiya (m)
Trainer: Xantis & Desert Gelontis
(Transport Training)
Flint
(m) and Desert Zhiya (m)
Trainer: Quinn & Mud Evanderi
(Knight Training)
Clutch Story
Below in the cool deep cavern, a
water drak has taken the Sands. She looks at you calmly and you feel like
you're being weighed and measured.
Next to her a smiling woman with copper-coloured hair is doing the same
thing. She notices your slight discomfort and says:
"Oh don't worry. We're the judges at Wo Yao Fei Castle and even though
we came here to clutch, we just can't take a vacation from our duty."
"Thizs one szeemz likhe a good fitt." The water drak, Nishi, says.
"I believe I have to agree." Reia, her knight, nodds, "Just
be careful you don't do anything wrong while you wait for the mind pairing
ceremony, or you might meet Earth Defaya and his knight Aruno. I'm just
warning you, they're on a vacation just like us."
