The sea dragons clutching in the bay hardly stood out
in the blue waters. Their bonds happily lounged around on the beach and
did small jobs to help the locals and keep busy. Being so low-maintenance
and relaxed might have lulled the finders into a deceptive state of
unhaste. Maybe that was why few candidates turned up when the eggs started
hatching. In the bay, water-dragon Ekharia circled the eggs, adding a green
tinge to the water while on the beach, Haikili dismounted from the dragon
he'd sheltered on his mountain. Maida, a girl who'd been searched early on
paniya Island had been brought in just a few days ago to try bonding at
lantessama. All were warmly greated by the homebody
Zashiki and the burly Ponkau and then the time for greetings was over.
Ronswul had tended her eggs at the waters edge which meant there were no
telltale fountains of water, but the crackling of eggshell and the
appearance of cracks was just as noticeable. The first egg broke in a few
pieces when a gangly elbow poked through. Only seconds later, the
hatchling, a purple Well female had broken free of her confines. She stood
confidently on her feet, shook her head and watched both Haikili and
Ekharia but did not move.
"Mine isn't here today. I'll have to look for
them myself." she stated, "My name is
Gamteila."
"You're free to live with us until you do."
Ronswul replied.
Two more eggs cracked open as they toppled over into the sand. One yielded
a red-tinged brown Rock hatchling who took a few steps into the water,
shuddered for a moment and then dove in, heading for Ekharia:
"Fortune favours the bold! Call me Reymin."
"Indeed it does, we're of a mind then."
Ekharia acknowledged.
The other egg had revealed an unusually coloured male hatchling. He was
neither yellow nor green. The recordkeepers told each other that he looked
almost the same colour as the metallic airborn visitors they sometimes
received and as such listed his colour as Metal. This hatchling seemed to
be uncertain and a bit lost. He finally turned to his mother and snuggled
close to her side.
"It's okay, Ploumb, you're also welcome to stay
with us until you're a bit older."
"I guess we'll be staying close to the Cove when we get back." Ponkau said
to Zashiki.
"I really don't mind." the woman smiled, in fact she preferred this turn
of events and would willingly help raise any of her webgon's babies.
Two eggs remained and one was wobbling so fast it almost seemed like it
was vibrating. A bright violet-pink snout pierced the shell and not much
later, the rest of the female hatchling followed, spilling onto the warm
sand. The hatchling gave a little whine and a frustrated little squawk
before she got herself up and over to where Maida was waiting.
"The sand should be softer." she
complained, "Why doesn't grass grow into the
sea?"
"That's okay Lilou, you're more than sturdy enough to take a little sand.
How do you feel about water?" Maida quite realised that her dragon might
not be as sea-oriented as she'd expected her to be.
All eyes turned to the last egg which shattered with a bang so loud, it
appeared to echo betwee the mountains. The hatchling that fell out was a
female so deep blue she was nearly black. She looked fierce as she strode
onto the beach and bumped her head into Haikili's side:
"I'm Baradu." she said, "As long as I can take frequent dips I
won't mind living on your mountain."
"I'll see the people of the villages know to expect a dragon at the nearby
lake." Haikili acquiesced.
Haikili (m)
and Storm Baradu (f)
Metal
Ploumb (m)
Ekharia (f) and
Rock Reymin (m)
Maida (f) and Flower Lilou (f)
Well
Gamteila (f)