Flight 28

Lhyanpith stretched her wings and rolled the different sets of muscles that moved her six limbs, neck and tail. Yes, she was ready. Ready to leap up and take flight. She felt powerful and thogh her cynical nature warned her that she could very well be caught before she got any fun out of this, her humouristic side insisted that she could still dance with her suitors.
As light-footed as she was, she knew no other dragon would be able to follow her footwork.
"You will get a head start." Kelida told her.
"Hmm, I was actually looking forward to a dance." Lhyanpith sighed.
"I know, being whirled about feels just like flying." Kelida agreed.
"I don't need a dance to feel like I'm flying." the orange dragoness replied.
"I know, now I don't need to anymore either. But it's a close second."
"Then make certain you dance your heart out with the other riders while I lead their dragons by their noses during the flight." Lhyanpith grinned.
"I'll make sure to let you know which one has the best moves."
"I'll do the same." the dragon promised.
And then Lhyanpith was off with a roar. True to her Pernese ancestry, she'd requested a few livestock she could bleed. The males that had signed up for the flight, as well as their riders were starting to feel the excitement of the impending flight. Lhyanpith couldn't comment on the riders but she did know all the males chasing her as she'd had plenty of contact with them over the past weeks. Amber Aviat was the one she knew best. As one of the locals, he'd had the most opportunity to woo her. His rider had wasted no expense in wining and dining Kelida, but could he dance? Then there was Azeroth, a blue Pernese dragon from Darkling Dawn. He was a bit childish maybe, but he moved well and was fast on his feet. She looked forward to testing his mettle after she'd cajoled him a bit over the past days. Wilder still were the colours of Ileancureth, who although he was also a Pernese dragon had a hide that seemed to mimic a rainbow. The dragon was also on the small side, but with the presence and confidence of a bronze, which excited Lhyanpith. She would really love to make him work for it. There were also two dragons that hailed from other worlds. Lhyanpith wasn't sure what to expect from them. Rusty Orange Racer was the biggest one to chase her, his brighter orange stripes made him quite dashing and by looking at him fly, Lhyanpith knew him to be fast and agile. The last dragon was an enigma. Versperum Soloculi only had one eye, not because he'd lsot the other, but because he was a cyclops. His dark black hide had luminescent spots running down the sides and his mind was all music. Would a musician know how to move? Certainly he'd have rhythm? But while she'd been talking to him she'd hardly gotten a read on him. 
The signal was given and Lhyanpith knew that the chase was on. Night was falling and the backdrop of the fading light would help her blend into the sky where she would have stuck out against the blue of the sky. She hastened to get as big a head start as she could manage and for a moment joined her bond as she started her own selection process.
Kelida bowed and smiled as the music started playing and the dragonriders present invited her to dance. Blaze, moving as fast as his dragon Racer, took her hand and led her into a dance that was very unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. It was uncivilised and wild, but it did get her heart racing to be tugged so close to his body and then whooshed around. A couple of minutes later, he got tapped on the shoulder and Nat'iel requested to take over, a move that was alien to Kelida but Blaze seemed to understand it. Nat'iel led her in a similar style of dancing, moving his body in such a way that is was quite obvious where his mind was at. Next to him, Blaze hadn't stopped dancing though and he stole the show with a couple of hip hop moves. Before she knew it, Kelida was left to her own devices while Nat'iel turned to battle it out with Blaze. 
In the air, Lhyanpith noticed the orange dragon coming close. He zipped around her, showing her his speed and trying to win her heart that way. But alas, as her rider had lost all interest in his, Lhyanpith quickly dove away, manoeuvring past Azeroth who became a fatal obstacle to the rusty orange dragon. The young blue dragon lacked the experience to predict the other dragons' trajectories and was too slow to get out of the way. Racer crashed into him and together they dropped into the water, leaving them to swim back to the shore. 
At this time, Aviat made his move. The amber dragon inched closer, caressing Lhyanpith with his tail was his rider back at Lantessama pulled her rider close for a slow. The music changed, becoming groovy and sexy. Sovyl whispered something in Kelida's ear which made her blush. They were dancing very close together. A little bit too close for comfort. Kelida didn't want to make a choice before she'd had a chance to dance with the others. She took a step back and made contact with Elvis, a rather unattractive monk who'd been living a wandering lifestyle. Despite his unusual appearance, he was kind. Like his dragon, Vesperum, all he thought about was music. Again the music shifted and an upbeat melody, accompanied by electric guitars and drums swept across the isle, which had people bobbing their heads and stamping their feet. Before she knew it, Kelida was thrust out, recoiled back and then swung into the air. She felt dizzy and wondered just how she'd get out of this one.
"Leave it to me." Lhyanpith told her. 
Above and quite a distance away from Lantessama, three dragons were still chasing her. Aviat was falling behind, the hurt pride of his rider at being left standing causing him to lose faith. Vesperum used his cloaking ability to fade in and out of sight, but the luminescent markings gave him away as the light faded even more. He was young still, barely an adult and Lhyanpith managed to lose him. Down below, Elvis felt his dragon's defeat and allowed Kelida to escape his hold. 
Taking a breath to steady the dizzyness of her head, she came face to face with T'und. The dark-skinned Pernese man was quite a bit older than her, but he had been a perfect companion on their dates. Knowing how to act and keeping to protocol. He held out his hand and bowed. Relieved to recognise a move, Kelida inclined her head, gave a short curtsy and took his outstretched hand. The music turned to something more classical, a waltz. Nothing fancy, but there it was. The feeling of flying as he led her surely around the dancefloor. 
High above them, Lhyanpith had circled back. 
"I see it you've made your choice." she signalled her rider.
The feeling of flying definitely was the best. And as her rider was swept away, Lhyanpith too allowed the rainbow-coloured Ileancureth to come closer. He'd kept back for most of the flight, having learned over the years that action should only be taken when the outcome was in your advantage. He elegantly closed the distance and took Lhyanpith for a dance of their own. 

Hatching 28

Lhyanpith turned her eggs as she'd been told to do by Pernese standards. Of course she and the sire of the clutch, Spectrum Ileancureth would not be recognised for the true Pernese dragosn that they were. They were after all far too colourful. Maybe that was why Lhyanpith felt at home here on Lantessama where sparkly colours were the norm. Nobody was surprised about her bright amber skin, they hardly looked twice at Ileancureth though his abundance of colour was a bit outside of the norm. Maybe she would ask Kelida to stay, though her bond did feel sorely out of place here. She'd been brought up a proper Pernese lady after all. 
Lost in thought, Lhyanpith almost didn't notice the small tremor beneath her paws. But her subconscious was on guard and sent the signal to be vigilant. Now looking and feeling with renewed focus, Lhyanpith noticed more tremors around her. 
"They're hatching!" she sent to whomever wanted to hear it and then started the wait as her offspring worked to enter the world. 
The day was sunny and warm and not a cloud marred the blue sky. It was truly a perfect day for a hatching. Ileancureth soon landed beside her and their bonds came running. T'und faster than Kelida, but even Lhyanpith's haughty bond seemed to have forgotten all about protocol. They were followed by others: humans, aliens, dragons. Those who wished to impress and those who just wanted to be a part of this joyous occasion. The spectators were as diverse as the candidates, another thing she wouldn't see if she'd remained on Pern. There were a couple of detectives: green- and purple-skinned women who were looking for fugitive space pirates, an elegant bird shifter and about dozen humans from different worlds. Lhyanpith mostly distinguished humans by their wardrobe and some of the waiting candidates were to say the least, bright in that regard. The orange dragon looked at the lot of them and then let it go, her children would determine whether or not they were worthy.
It seemed her children weren't the waiting kind as just a few seconds later, the first egg shattered. 
A very normal blue sapphire dragon jumped away from the egg and looked around. He looked sleek and fit and seemed to be very fast on his feet as he ran toward the candidates. The spectators were a bit disappointed but the determined little blue didn't take it to heart. A dragon was more than his colour after all and he knew he was quite special. As was his bond. Stopping in front of the purple-skinned Drogenia, he looked up and told her:
"My name is Bfunkth and I can do great things."
The platinum-blonde martial artist smirked and answered: "You'll have to prove yourself before you can boast like that. But I do hope you're right."
Two more eggs cracked after crashing together in their shaking. A jade green and pearly grey with violet wings appeared from behind the broken shells. The spectators cheered as they got the unusual coloured hatchlings they had come for. The violet-coloured hatchling seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with all the attention and he hurriedly pressed against Taeral who had similar coloured feathers.
"I don't like to be in the center of attention. How do you manage it?"
"You get used to it, Yowlahth, and you can use it to reach your goals."
The jade green female meanwhile had walked closer to Dori, the small ritual dancer who had magically appeared on the beach one day with her twin. The green dragoness was also on the smaller side, but moved fluidly, like a dancer. Confident and with purpose.
"You are the one for me." she said, "Am I enough for you?"
Dori, who felt pretty overwhelmed wondered briefly why such a magnificent creature would ask her that, but realised it was her own insecurity mirrored back. With a quick breath she straightened and said:
"Yes Cercleth, you are magnificent and I wouldn't want anyone else."
One of the larger eggs broke, some people had wagered their would be a gold or bronze in there but those would lose their money. Two pearly-coloured hatchlings with swirly green and aqua wings fell from the shards, the momentum of their struggle pulling them a bit apart. The aquamarine-winged water opal female was a bit faster than her turquoise-winged water opal brother and she hastily made her way toward Anmia, the family-orientated hunter. 
"I love family." she confided to her bond, "I want to help protect and care for them."
"Thank you, Fisounisth." Anmia answered truthfully and just a bit emotional.
Meanwhile, Bon, Dori's twin, was approached by the male hatchling who confided in him:
"Don't tell my sister but I like family too. I will keep yours safe and make certain you can return home."
"Thank you Androth." Bon said, feeling a tightness in his throat and a moistness in the corner of his eyes that he would deny having felt until he was old enough to appreciate the weight of the moment.
While the two water opals were bonding, one of the smallest eggs in the clutch had hatched almost unnoticed. The dragon that had slipped onto the sands was a master at keeping hidden and made it to the candidates before people started to notice how unusual it was. Shiny and silver, the young female dragon took slow, measured steps and swayed in front of Selby, the chipper fashion designer from Sunfall. The bright and all but sedate candidate was mesmerised by the dragoness' reflective hide. Within seconds the hatchling seemed to grow more flashy and confident and she let out a roar that revealed her presence to anyone.
"Zambath!" she proclaimed and then she snuggled closer to her chosen bond. 
Two eggs remained. The smaller of the two broke neatly in half and revealed a male amethyst hatchling. The calm, relaxed hatchling yawned and then carefully made his way to the candidates. He would take his time and do this right. He looked closely at each remaining candidate and then let his gaze return to Alreth, the apprentice dragonhealer who really didn't want to be a healer. Briefly the amethyst debated whether he should, but then decided that this was indeed the person he wanted to bond. He was a healing kind of dragon but he would not pressure his bond if he chose to do something else. healing after all was not just limited to physical health and his bond could use that thought. 
"I feel you need me." the hatchling said, "My name is Jotath.
Alreth's reply got lost in the excitement as the last egg broke and two more dragons hatched. Two sets of twins in one hatching was unusual indeed. These two had the pearly opal hide but their wings were bright orange and red. The slightly more red female was the first to move. She skipped and ran toward the waiting candidates, her entire being vibrating with energy and excitement. She could hardly keep from running her bond over, but mananged to stop just short of the green-skinned sergeant with the long braids.
"Berhane!" she yelled in the minds of those assembled, "You're mine!"
"Rein it in a bit, Bsoulth, I can hear you just fine." the blunt woman answered but couldn't help running her fingers across the hatchlings hide.
The last remaining hatchling, an more orange-coloured male, seemed just as fiery as his twin sister, but he was more restrained and in control. Where his sister was a blazing fire, he was all smouldering embers and hidden heat. He had a sense of danger to him as he stalked quietly to the candidates. There were plenty left to choose from but there was but one he wanted. 
"Elwis." he called, "I'll be with you for life.", making the promise sound almost like a threat.
His bond however, only caught the positive and answered: "How wonderful, Zaramoth. I hope you don't mind returning to Lomelass, although we'll have to wait until Korgym bonds."
"He shall be victorious." Zaramoth said without a doubt.
With that all of the eggs had hatched and all the hatchlings had bonded. The remaining candidates would have to wait for the next hatching which would not be long in coming. Everyone gathered around the food stalls and waiting tables to feast until night fell and the day ended. 

Berhane Kamau (f) and Fire Opal Bsoulth (f)
Elwis (m) and Fire Opal Zaramoth (m)
Dori (f) and Jade Cercleth (f)
Anmia (f) and Water Opal Fisounisth (f)
Bon (m) and Water Opal Androth (m)
Drogenia Tallak (f) and Sapphire Bfunkth (m)
Alreth (m) and Amethyst Jotath (m)
Taeral (m) and Morado Opal Yowlahth (m)
Selby (nb) and Silver Zambath (f)

Pick UP
** All hatchlings were named after types of dance or musical genres **
** Metallic colours are quite rare at Lantessama, but the parents' lineage probably influenced the colours. A silver dragon reflects back what it sees, is a keeper of many secrets and a good talker **