Hatching 12
Fire (Autumn) Tairim and Flame-Sunset Ryuen

The last rays of the sun had faded, the first light of the stars only started shining when movement was detected in the hatching cavern. Kale, rider of Fire Tairim, stirred and called in Draca, his lover and rider of the dragon that had fathered the clutch. 
"It has begun." he called, finding Draca soaring in the air along the side of Ryuen.
"Finally!" she called out, "I can't wait to see the hatchlings Ryuen has been bragging about."
"You and me both." he answered back.
"Love, could you take care of the light while I alert the Laedryses?" he asked Tairim.
"Certainly." The fire dragon said and within seconds the cavern was bathing in the soft light of a thousand flames, hanging in the sky, some softly twirling, others colliding, melting together and then departing again. The sight was quite breathtaking.
"I should have found out sooner that if we came to Lantessama you would be magic." Kale said, "I don't mind having a weird-looking human around, in fact I'm not normal either, But this has some great potential."
"Men, always wanting to take advantage of you." Tairim mumbled.
"Women, always saying we want to take advantage and then using us to get more magic dragons to guard Lantessama, which, looking to me, is doing fine."
"It was a publicity stunt, dear." Draca said from the entrance of the cavern.
Kale looked at his dragon with a look that said: 'See!'
"But it worked out splendidly." Draca added, "We haven't had this much candidates in ages."
Shortly after, candidates started to file in, looking up at the candles with various feelings. While they tried to find a good place, either in shadow or in the light, the spectators took place in the benches, discussing the possibility of seasons in the clutch.
The rumour of the nature of this clutch had spread fast, Draca couldn't help to notice. More than a few people from the neighbouring village, and even from the older Syldan Planet had chosen to make the visit to see the hatching.
When everyone was seated and even the few late-comers had ceased to sneak in, the first egg cracked open. Gasps arose from the audience and Draca looked smugly at Kale when a true season emerged from her egg. The hide of the Winter Season was delicately white, with just hints of blue at the edges of her wings and limbs. The light of the flames almost seemed to set her hide on fire, like burning oil catching flame.
The winter, small, but showing no signs of hunger or weariness, took her time to look at the candidates, resting her eyes on each one of them, straining a bit to follow the two tiny fairies that had arrived one strange yellow-clad morning. Most of the candidates, tried to catch her gaze, but she wasn't a dragon who would bond to just anyone. She wanted a special someone. She could feel the person was near...
"You!" she called out, turning her head abruptly back, "Why did you hide from me?"
"I didn't hide." Siren calmly said. As the oldest of 5 girls she knew how to keep her cool and she would be damned if she let something this young push her around.
"I see this will be interesting." The winter said, "My name is Sonatesth."
For a moment the flames glazed over, their twisting bodies caught in mid-movement in fragile snow crystals.
With an irritated snort Tairim unfroze her flames, muttering: "Such insubordinance."
"You can be proud of your first daughter, Tairim." Kale hushed her, "I'm surprised she isn't an autumn like you."
"Are you implying something?!" the fire raged.
While Kale was busy trying to avoid angering his dragoness into casting blazing fires into the audience, two more eggs hatched. A little disappointing to the audience these dragons seemed to be rather normal at first glance. It was not until they opened their wings that the crowd could see that they had indeed season-blood in them.
The first dragon, a male, was of a dark Earth colour, but his wings had the markings of summer and his tail twitched only slightly as his friendly eyes dwelled over the candidates. The smell of moist earth for a moment filled the cavern when the eyes of the Summer-Earth reached Maiti.
"It is you I belong with." he simply stated.
"Has it happened already?" the young man asked.
"Did you expect loud trumpets and fireworks?" The Earth asked. Though his wings might be the colour of summer, his behaviour certainly was earthly: efficient and to the point. 
"My name is Takaryon."
The second, another female was green all over her body, but her wings were bright yellow with green splotches. Optimistic and a bit impatient she went toward the candidates, tripping over her tail and crashing briefly into an egg that wobbled, fell down and was smashed on one side. With a big grin the Spring Foliage got up and continued toward the twins from Starburst Weyr. She turned her attention to the female half and quickly said to Kaiya:
"My name is Kinthya. Let's get out of here."
Laughing, Kaiya looked at her brother, wished him luck and followed her running dragon to the exit where the food was waiting. 
Meanwhile the egg Kinthya had pushed over, was struggling hard to get back upright. Finally the shell quit trying to contain the dragon within and with a mighty crack the dragon broke free -literally. It was an autumn that jumped from the broken egg, a male with the same colouring as his mother. With flaming eyes and an attitude like he could take on anything they threw his way, he looked at the candidates.
"I found none worthy." he exclaimed, "I wish to seek adventure on my own."
The Autumn bowed to the audience and walked over to his father where he sat himself down to look at the rest of the hatching.
"You forgot your name, son." the Flame-Sunset remarked.
"I shall be known as Merioman." the autumn said thoughtfully, "Now where can I go to get a good start in life?"
"I've always found Darkling Dawn a nice place to be a dragon." Ryuen stated, he had transported many candidates that way in his career as freelance finder.
Two more eggs hatched, one of which revealed an autumn-winged blood season, the other spilling another full winter. While his sister remained panting on the sands, gathering strength to her dark-streaked body, the autumn-blood, Tivrell, moved toward the candidates. His lighter red hide contrasted with the normal season's colouring, but it were his bright red markings and oddly patterned wings that really separated him from the true seasons.
"Tamal." He said, "It is an honour to meet you. Great things will come of this."
Tamal smiled broadly and bowed his head in greeting toward the young dragon, before jumping up and following the hatchling toward the tables where his sister was already waiting for him.
At the same moment Tivrell bonded, his winter sister lazily got up from her perch, surveying the candidates. She had the same light blue coloured hide as the previous winter, but her hide had some strange dark patterns on it that contrasted with her pristine look. She strode to the one she had wanted from the beginning, a woman standing in the shadows cast by the light. She strode to Lesarakel.
"Hello." Lesara answered when the dragon approached her, "Yes, I know you don't mind the darkness, Ishrym." 
A chilling wind swept through the cavern, for a moment dwindling all candles until there was hardly light enough to see.
"I am hungry now Lesara." The sweet voice of the hatchling said, "Can we eat?"
"Of course."
Three eggs hatched next in a matter of a seconds. The hatchlings that walked the sand were at different corners of the cavern and had no problem bonding all at the same time.
The female of the trio, a Foliage green with summer-patterned wings made her way to one of the two tiny elves that flew around the cavern, playing with the candles.
"Can I play?" she asked.
"I don't know if you can reach this far up." The green forest elven Faun replied.
"I have wings!" the baby summer-foliage called out to her chosen.
"They told us, baby dragons couldn't fly immediately." Faun said with a shrug.
"If the flames can't come to you, go to the flames." The hatchling grinned when she suddenly rose higher on a growing mountain of sand.
"Now that is a trick that might be useful." Draca winked at Kale, "I mean all the sand that gets carried out by shoes, wet hides and clothes can now be refilled just by letting a hatchling season play here for five minutes."
Kale only shrugged and looked at one of the other dragons. This one was a male with the colours of summer. His hide was green with brown accents, his wings more blue, but with a faint feel of leaves.
The summer moved to the dream-fled Tash. "I like you." The male exclaimed, nearly crushing Tash in a clumsy hug, "Can I help heal people?"
"If you can do that."
"Of course I can! I am a Summer, aren't I?"
"A hungry Summer."
"Now that's another reason why I like you." The dragon said, "My name is Remnanth."
The third male wandered for a moment close to the candidates, but finally turned back to the eggs and waited at the edge of the cavern. He was a winter in colour, white with blue streaks chasing each other on his body. When gently asked why he didn't bond by his father Ryuen, the hatchling answered:
"My chosen hasn't arrived yet. My name is Rhazoon."
With a shrug Draca turned her attention to the eggs again and waited for the next egg to hatch. There were still 5 eggs on the sands, all of which were rocking gently.
Finally one of them shuddered one last time and then fell apart. A dark grey hatchling fell to the sands. It looked as if he was another of the halfbreeds until he stood up on his hind legs. Though his hide was dark, it had the same markings as a season, yellow and red. His wings were also the gold of autumn, with dark red accents. 
When the male hatchling moved out to the candidates, his eye fell on the wolf shapeshifter Rurio Shadowcall. The Autumn's End immediately liked the wolf. After all it was a mystery why his own hide was dark, the same way the life of this shapeshifter was a mystery to all who knew him.
"Rurio." Was all the Autumn's End said in public, though his eyes revealed a waterfall of words to the wolf.
"You are Juanor." Rurio said.
"That is right."
The both of them left to the feeding tables where Piakii and Nijeyy were waiting for their friend.
Two eggs that had started moving more violently when Juanor had bonded, crashed together and broke into pieces. The hatchlings fell into each other's arms in a mix of yellow and green. A loud hiss from the side however raised the heads of the two female hatchlings.
"You are mine, not hers." The bondless winter said, "Rhyanna, come with me."
"You do feel familiar." The smallest spring answered as she jumped on top of her sister. "But are you sure it is you who I want?"
"Who else would you take." Rhazoon asked seemingly unfazed, though there was a worried edge at the sound of his voice.
"Her for instance." The spring pointed to her sister.
"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" the other dragoness asked.
"Don't you want to bond me Exhubith?" Rhyanna asked.
"Not really. I'm more of a free spirit." The larger spring said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I am not going to fight him."
"Good choice." Rhazoon glared, "You don't want to anger me." 
"Of course not. Well, where should I go?" Exhubith asked her father.
"Serpent's Reach asked for a dragon." Ryuen said, "Sound good?"
"Perfect."
When the three unbonded had left the sands, only two more eggs remained on the sands. Three candidates focused their eyes on the two eggs. From the shadows watched Tirval, from high above the tiny elven Sprite whirled between the candles and from the opposite side of the cavern, Azmi, at her best in the time of night.
One of the eggs hatched. A hatchling rolled out, it's red-orange limbs swaying everywhere. When it finally stopped it became obvious that there were in fact two hatchlings. One autumn and one smaller autumn-winged flame. 
The smallest of the bunch looked up at Sprite, calling out to her: "Sprite! I'm hungry!"
"But it is fun to play with the candles!" the passionate fire elven called back.
"I can always make more for you, but I'm really hungry now!"
"Oh, ok... but I want more flames!"
"Later ok." The hatchling told the immature elf, "My name is Spyrio, in case you wondered."
"Not really."
The dragon sighed and just left for the feeding tables alone, maybe Faun and his sister would feed him now that his bond was so enthralled.
"That's not very nice." The other autumn told his chosen, Tirvaltoraiel.
"You know I would never do that." The night-fire mage answered.
"Not even for a super-sentient horse?" it asked.
"Well, they can pretty much take care of themselves."
"That's good then. My name is Veren." 
"Let's go eat."
Azmi sighed hopefully. There was still one egg. The egg was rocking violently, holding everyone's attention. Slowly cracks started to show on the surface, radiating from a center point to all directions.
"Come on." Azmi whispered, and finally the egg fell away from the dragon. A gleam of purple flashed for a moment before night black wings covered the dragoness' body. With a slow, but steady pace she walked toward Azmi and looked daring at the young woman.
"Another night, another time..."
"Another party." Azmi continued.
"Not what I was going for, but close enough. My name is Tenebra and we'll have some fun coming our way."
"I like how you're thinking... Just one question. What season are you?"
"I'm a Galactic." She said, small sparks flying of her purple-tinted body, "Don't tell anyone, they might get jealous." She grinned
"I think your publicity stunt worked well, Draca." Kale remarked when he glanced over the colour of the last hatchling. 
"I agree, I had never suspected we'd get a Galactic!" she answered delighted, "Sometimes I even surprise myself." 

Siren Siang and Winter* Sonatesth (f)
Tash and Summer* Remnanth (m)
Tamal and Autumn Blood* Tivrell (m)
Kaiya and Spring Foliage* Kinthya (f)
Azmi and Galactic* Tenebra (f)
Maiti and Summer Earth* Takaryon (m)
Tirvaltoraiel and Autumn* Veren (m)
Lesarakel and Winter* Ishrym (f)
Rurio ShadowCall and Autumn's Ending* Juanor (m) 
Faun and Summer Foliage* Folys (f)
Sprite and Autumn Flame* Spyrio (m)
Spring* Exhubith (f) to Serpent's Reach
Autumn* Merioman (m) to Darkling Dawn
Spring* Rhyanna (f) and Winter* Rhazoon (m) to Lantessama

Note: * is a dragon showing signs of magic.
*should anyone want a last name for their seasons: I'Tairim Ryu (Tairim's Dragon)
del Atar (of Autumn), del Wiver (of Winter), del Lynte (of Spring), del Zetee (of Summer)