When the time came, everyone was awake. The whole side of Tripaldi that had been waiting for this moment was ready. The eggs were hatching, and the dragons were humming. It was a beautiful sound. It was a tearful, memory wrenching sound - especially for Abalone.
But she was smiling, just like Cicero and her sister Thaia, on their way to the sands of Tripaldi.
"Everyone is watching," Abalone said, breathless. "I can't do this..."
"Of course you can," Cicero said. "There will be a dragon for you, this time. I promise."
"You don't choose for me," Abalone said, worried more than she had been in days. "The dragons do... I just hope..."
"Shh - it's hatching!" Thaia said, entranced by the first egg on the sands to burst open. Cicero stood as close as he could to the girls, but the male and female candidates were often separated for the dragons to more easily choose. The silver and blue hatchling that sprang eagerly from his shell paraded himself around the boys, letting each of them get a good look at him. Then, he inspected them - seemingly unimpressed.
So he walked up to Thaia. Well, he bolted away from the boys after snubbing them, and almost ploughed over a couple girls in the process.
Hungry. Boy am I hungry. I guess I worked up an appetite.
Thaia laughed - suddenly relieved that she - SHE had bonded FIRST! That apparently galled a lot of the boys. "Well if you're done taunting the males we can go feed you, Tentreth."
Sounds good to me, my one. Then you can show me how these little wings of mine are supposed to make me fly.
Cicero wasn't always right nearby to comfort her, and she felt so exposed. Even though everyone had the same white robe on, she felt like she was under a spotlight.
But eventually, from different clutches came two almost similar dragonets. After a twin pair of blue-types bonded a pair of twins, a black-brown colored dragonet, and a green with black wingsails came walking toward the candidates. The black brown came up to Cicero and made a happy barking noise, a loud sound that said he wanted all the attention now.
Watch this! He bespoke into Cicero's mind. The dragonet stood up on his hind legs and wobbled in front of Cicero, almost tumbling over backwards.
"No need to show off, Centoth, I know you're the best dragon here." Cicero - would he change his name to C'ero? - grinned at Abalone, who was busy with the green-black herself.
There was no word she could say - this moment was so far beyond what she'd expected those other times...
No word but one: "Jiorath."
That's my name, lady! I'm glad you waited for me. I don't think I would have found anyone worth impressing here. Look at em!
They found their way off the sands, and located Thaia and C'ero. All of them had grins so big their faces might break...
