Hatching 25

There were quite a few people milling about, on the sands at Lantessama, and not just for the ones that the black dragoness Shivay had lain. The black dragoness gazed around, spotting her rider, Heartshy, who still enjoyed chatting with one of the other riders, Spell, even if his dragon had lost their mating flight.
Shivay had become a little more bold in her ways, since their earliest days at Lantessama so long ago. Living at Bald Mountain with many other dragons and their varied riders - not all of them elves - had given her a bit more confidence. After all, she was among the very first of that tribe's dragons, and as such she needed to dole out wisdom and watch over younger dragons as they arrived.
These, the youngest of them all, wobbled in their shells. There was a hand-and-two, or as the humans might call it 'six' eggs on the mound of warm sand under her dark wings. How strange that she had to learn to count in two 'languages'? Both five and four fingered hands, human and elfin. But there were more than just humans or elves at this clutch, waiting and watching. One of the awaiting had a strange near-wolf smell to her, but she wouldn't let too many people near enough to know why. There were dragons, too, and that made Shivay wonder: dragons could be bonded to other dragons, what about back home? Would that ever happen there at Bald Mountain?
It was obvious, though, that not everyone gathered here before the eggs would find their bond here. Shivay felt a little bad for those who would have to walk away, or fly, or climb or dance... There were so many active and energetic potential bonds for her children.
Heartshy would keep track of who went with whom, humming to herself and plucking notes on her little harp. She'd seemed quite happy that there was another musician among the group standing before these eggs, and the elfess seemed somewhat amused that most of the candidates were dark-haired and talented performers of some kind.
The black and green sire of this clutch watched silently, but proudly. He'd had to bicker a bit with his rider, to remain on hand for this hatching, yes yes they had places to be and things to do back at home, but these were his children too! What kind of sire would he be, if he didn't even stay to see what hatched from the eggs?
Those eggs were softly ivory white, but speckled in tiny splashes of faint blue, pale green, and yellowish gold. No one could really say whether that had anything to do with what might come from them - the fact that both parents were quite dark meant it was easier to see them against Shivay's body when she nestled close to them.
But now, they were moving in earnest, now they were ready to come out and hatch. Every ounce of her instinct - matched by her mate's - said to sing for these eggs, and sing they did. Softly at first and then joined by numerous others with 'old world' blood, every hatching was special to them. The eggs could be heard to respond, with eager cheeping, somewhat muffled.
Shivay raised her wings, and stood slowly, she wasn't sure exactly whether to remain right there while the eggs hatched, or just what. She'd never done this! She did however let her instincts rule when several onlookers started to get a little too close - hissing a bit, then suddenly realizing what she'd done, and interrupting herself with a shy peep and nod at the pair of humans who had approached. They had been closer, they'd even touched her eggs a couple times while they were waiting for the hatching. But now... this was different. This was her babies' time to shine.
Several of the eggs bulged and one cracked softly, though only Shivay could see its contents until the rest of the egg fell away. She nudged with her wing tip, shaking loose some of the shell but inadvertently covering part of the little hatchling in the soft sand around them. Shortly, though, the dragonet stood higher and took a deep breath, sneezed away the sand, and shook herself off firmly.
People nearby couldn't really tell... was this a dragon, or had a bucket of paint spilled? Mottled shiny black, obsidian like her parents, but there was so much more to it... all around her face, limbs, body, and tail, was brilliant pink, someone from Lantessama cried out 'rhodonite', whatever that was? An amazing mixture of dark and pale grey, contrasting like that everywhere but her black wings.
She wobbled toward the edge of the piled sand, as another of the eggs began to fully crack open. She seemed willing to entertain looking at each and every being there, be they dragon, elf, furry, or human. But finally she sniffed at the air near Mica Fiddlewood and slid her head under the Carramba student's hand.
"You smell so good, but I won't eat you. I am very hungry though..." She introduced herself as Tashiré, and huddled closer to her new bond once that name had been spoken aloud.
"I'll make sure to get you the right food, my little love," Mica said, happily. She looked to her friends, all wearing some degree of their Halloween costumes since they'd only had a little extra clothing with them when they arrived. They were cheering, but not just for her!
The next dragonet was prying itself out of the egg, and seemed almost a touch angry. His hide was a swirl of tiger's eye browns and bronze, brighter clumps of topaz yellow setting themselves off, and his wings, when he decided to open them widely and stretch from the shell for the first time, were almost reflectively tiger's eye shaded. It was pretty clear he was 'the big bold bronze' of the clutch, though given the size of his parents, he might not be 'bronze' sized...
He stepped over to his mother's down-stretched head, and gave off an annoyed squawk. But she nudged him toward the gathered candidates, assuring the hatchling that there was certainly a reason that his sister hatched first...
Eifyr felt the annoyance rising, and the elf-like kailani looked around at the group that leaned in. He knew expressions and body language well enough that to realize that he could sense the dragon's mood, not the rest. And something nagged at him, dug into his mind, filled his breath with a word, "Lendayith," he spoke, and the dragonet sharply stood to attention. "So... it is you, why are you so miffed?"
"I should have been first, but now that I'm here, I will make sure you're safe and sound."
"... I'll be all right, with you around!" Was Eifyr's response.
There was a bit of a pause, as the three remaining eggs continued to wobble but hadn't yet broken. The very tall human man, Foyun, kept shaking his head, as if to clear his senses. But when blinking hard and tapping his ears didn't work, it was the sudden appearance of a brilliant aquamarine colored dragon at his feet, that did.
"You can't get rid of me by shaking your head like that", he claimed, and when Foyun exclaimed wordlessly, that brought a lot more attention to them. Foyun seemed a lot more surprised than the dragon, whose hide was streaked with narrow bright silver markings, quite a vivid dragon for one who had apparently snuck up unseen!
"I wouldn't ever want to be rid of you, Yondiruth!" The harper said, and he didn't notice that Heartshy had been eagerly clapping her balled up hands waiting for him to notice his new bond. They'd exchanged tunes and practiced playing their harps, Heartshy half the man's height but with just as much gusto in performance. She was certain that this pair would make waves back where he was going.
Another egg had worked itself into a web of pieces, which stuck to an equally pale hatchling. But there were delicate swirls of gold and vibrant blue on this dragonet, leading to a bit of difficulty telling whether she was free from her egg or not, even after she started stumbling about. The quartz colored female looked with hesitation at the small group left, and darted behind her mother's wing more than once in the process.
Apparently Shivay had to convince this one too that the candidates were there for a reason - and that reason was to become a life-long partner!
So while she seemed intimidated by one of those standing by, the quartz and sapphire dragonet finally moved herself up to Clarice and shyly made contact. Her mind wasn't fragile, but it was jumpy, a little. 
"I don't want you to fight me or push me away, you are my One. Do you think we can work together?"
Clarice gave a little half-sob, when the dragonet added, "we all have to leave our nests some time, I am glad you are here to help me do that."
"Oh Yikra, I only wish someone had been there for us, too..." She said nothing more, and helped the dragon to find her meal - and say good bye to her siblings for probably the first and last time.
While the hatchlings were busy getting fed or stretching out, affirming their bonds, the last two eggs were still bulging and cracking with the occasional cheep or muted creel from within. It was a dark-blue winged hatchling that emerged first, her hide a swirl of deep blue, paler and medium blues, and bright yellow-gold here and there. A marvelous beryl and iolite, as one of the local recordskeepers announced.
One of those standing nearest took the greatest note of that combination, because the dragoness was badgering him trying to ask what he thought of it. 
"I ... I think it's amazing, Jamilani! And it'll be fun to see all of the patterns when you start to fly!" Ponte laughed.
"That won't be for a while, it'll have to wait until you feed me, at least." She commented, and waited for him to pick her up, rather than walking herself over to the food...
One of the dragons in attendance was practically vibrating. Her companion just stood there glaring, wondering whether he really ought to just slip out while all the bonding was going on. They'd done this numerous times. It was getting on his nerves.
But this time it was different... for her, anyway. Because out of the last shell there, a brilliant peridot-marked amber colored dragon tumbled from his shell, finally free of it. He rolled around on the sands for a moment, apparently enjoying the warmth it provided, but also letting it dry him off. It didn't take long for him to decide to approach the candidates... Or rather one of them, because he all but ignored every humanoid standing by in favor of the equally brightly marked Moia.
"So this is what it's like? Bonding? I can tell you've waited a while for me, thank you for that! Now we can have some fun!" He bespoke, mind wrapping around Moia's with the same brilliant energy as his markings.
"I knew it! I was right after all!" Moia exclaimed, broadly enough that anyone with senses to hear her could definitely detect her pride and happiness. All but one, seemed willing to join her in that excitement.
The pink and blue dragoness turned to look at her more sedate and grumpy companion, and though her posture softened a little, she was still quite thrilled, "You're next, I can just feel it!"
Jorilyatah glowered. But he couldn't deny her the giddiness she let off. In fact all of the candidates-turned-bonds were simply exuding this emotion... he wanted to call it smugness, but he knew that wasn't really right - not for all of them anyway.
For now, though, the six dragons and their new bonds were in their own little world, preparing for their future, even as the sands began to clear.
Shivay nuzzled her mate Taviorth one last time, and got it into her head that they should carry with them parts of one of the shells left over. She rolled one piece around, and picked up her own, whether or not he'd take it was up to him. But now they were ready to head home, as the pairs were as well.

-Written by Zekiran -

Moia (f) and Peridot-spotted Amber Ridaliu (m)
Eifyr (m) and Topaz-spotted Tiger's Eye Lendayith (m)
Foyun (m) and Silver-marked Aquamarine Yondiruth (m)
Ponte (m) and Beryl-spotted Iolite Jamilani (f)
Mica Fiddlewood (f) and Rhodonite-spotted Obsidian Tashiré (f)
Clarice Schub (f) and Sapphire-marked Quartz Yikra (f)

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