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Post by D'gellin on Jan 15, 2009 22:35:05 GMT -5
Oh but she was hungry! The lithe green voiced her hunger with mewling creels, rump placed firmly on the ground. There seemed to be too much commotion between her recently impressed clutch brothers, and the frantic scraping of invisible claws within her unhatched siblings' shells to accomplish anything. However, when no other whers managed to escape their eggs for the moment, the green took tentative steps forward, nose snuffling noisily in search of food. And goodness it was all around her; the mouthwatering scent of freshly carved flesh. She eagerly bounded toward the closest offering, jaws snapping hopefully at Rain's proffered dripping meat. Her tiny form jumped up for it, wings fluttering ineffectually as she strained to reach the food.
Meanwhile, the occupant of the Mars egg was struggling with a vengeance. Having had the side of its shell weakened by the earlier abuse of its siblings, a brown head was finally able to burst from the shell, sending fragments of the egg hushing across the sand in the darkness. This effort, however, found the freshly hatched wher in a difficult situation. Although his head had broken out of the shell, this freedom appeared to be a futile illusion, for the rest of his stubby body was still lodged firmly within the tough mottled prison. Hissing in frustration, the brown wriggled about, neck straining, eyes whirling in frantic distress. Whipping his head, the hardy skull connected with the Pluto egg then the Moon egg, sending both smaller eggs reeling away like a frightened canines.
As though the contact had breathed life into the Moon egg, one side of the pale egg was crumbled by multiple scrabbling limbs. The moment the shell was breached, however, the brief glimpse of flailing claws was retrieved, paws retreating to the safety of the shell. All the while the brown was growling, thrashing, and hissing in mounting agitation. However, any of his efforts that may have been visible in the blackness were distinctly more comical than frightening as a few chips of the shell crumbled enough for the brown to, at least, heave a shoulder through the crack along with his head. THIS WAS GETTING HIM NOWHERE.
Exhausted, hungry, and monumentally peeved, the brown thumped his head to the ground, brooding eyes peering through the darkness at the wary young people surrounding him, and more importantly the food clenched like life-lines in their equally tasty looking hands. Oh how he wanted that food. How it dangled so enticingly... As he leaned toward the nearest offering, the brown found himself rolling over in the cumbersome oval prison. As the brown squawked in alarm, the egg shattered like a muted bomb, startled limbs bursting out in an effort to steady the hungry wher. For a moment, the brown lay among the remains of his egg in surprise, but just as suddenly as he'd escaped, he was scrabbling awkwardly to his feet, unintentionally kicking up sand at the hidden occupant of the Moon egg. Crying out, a green body finally shot out of the Moon egg, streaking across the sands to the first lanky, two-legged, food-offering creature in her sight: Keil. One could only hope the man was prepared as the small but rather proud looking wher closed the space between them, teeth gnashing in anticipation.
Snorting a huff of warm breath after his sibling, the brown rounded on the other candidates. He immediately strode over to Shandar, who appeared to have the largest hunk of meat. Not stopping there, he nearly plowed the young man over as he scrabbled up his shirt, hissing with hunger.
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Post by C'lyn on Jan 16, 2009 13:22:43 GMT -5
Kiel squinted slightly as he watched the brown try to wriggle free of its egg. The green that was already on the sands finally made her choice, and he hoped that the girl wouldn't get bitten like the bronze had done to the boy he had picked. He heard the Moon egg crack and looked toward it, but couldn't see its occupant.
With a slight shrug he turned his attention back to the brown who was still trying to free himself from his egg, even as he tried to get to the candidates and food. In almost a blink of an eye the shell around the brown shattered open. Kiel tilted his head as he saw a figure dart from the moon egg, hardly able to notice it clearly before it was before him, staring up at him hungrily.
He hesitated only briefly as the green gnashes her teeth at him. He kneels down and quickly feeds the meat to the green, not wanting to lose his fingers if he didn't feed her quick enough. He shook his head as he looked the green over, noting the grayish tint to her hide. He had heard that when one impressed a dragon you could hear a soft voice in your mind, but it was completely different with a wher.
Keil watched the green creature, seeing a beauty in her despite her stocky body. He could feel something in his mind, but no voice, just emotion. He shook his head and remained kneeling there, staying still as the green ate the meat he gave her and looked him over intently.
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Post by Shikai on Jan 17, 2009 18:21:14 GMT -5
Shandar struggled to see the eggs in the near-pitch blackness. He could tell that they were moving, and as his eyes slowly adjusted, he got a vague impression of the swirling shapes that adorned them. It was beyond his ability to appreciate the full color of the designs, but as he watched the first hatchling struggle to right himself after tripping on his wing, he could make out enough color to tell that it was a blue. He knew better than to try to assist the creature, although he felt a strange pity for it as he watched it creel in alarm. But the venture would end one of two ways – he would either end up impressed to the thing, or in the infirmary from the injuries incurred by its rejection. And he was fairly confident it would be the latter.
But it managed to right itself at last, and went on to abandon the candidates in favor of the drudge with the food! Shandar could hardly say he was surprised, but he shook his head in disbelief at his present situation. It was hard to believe these creatures were even impressible, watching the blue. It was clear that the whers were interested in being fed, not in finding lifemates. He felt like part of a foolish venture indeed, standing there like a candidate at a dragon hatching for a bizarre, twisted version of one with creatures that shared so much, yet so little with their larger cousins. What in Faranth’s name had Sitareh been thinking?
Shandar’s expectations were defied, however, as the blue turned at last to one of the candidates for help as it found itself choking on its food. So, they would impress after all, if the need was great enough. He supposed that was why they were now picking up the meat. Shandar gathered a sufficient amount to satiate a hatchling at least temporarily, and cradled it in one arm with little regard for its effect on his black robes. So left to their own devices, the whers had no need of human companions. But if the only way to get food was through a candidate, they would have little choice. So really, he thought, they were just oversized flitters. Except much uglier.
Yet strangely, such thoughts were comforting to Shandar. The less glorious of a creature he would be responsible for, the better. He turned his passive gaze to the next whers to hatch, a green and a bronze. Both found their lifemates with less difficulty than the blue had. Next came the clutch’s first brown. Shandar watched as the wher struggled to escape its shell, its anger and frustration striking as it hissed and thrashed. At last he was free, the egg suddenly shattering to release him. A green appeared out of nowhere, moving to one of the other boys. But Shander’s eyes didn’t so much as flicker in surprise as he continued to watch with little emotional investment in the proceedings, other than a nagging feeling of apprehension, torn between wanting to impress so as to save himself from the possibility of becoming a dragonrider and the more current, tangible desire not to be forever paired with and responsible for one of these creatures. He couldn’t go through that again, he couldn’t fail…
Shandar did his best to quiet the irritating emotion, but all such things were forgotten as the brown whirled on him, eyes locked on either him or the meat he held, and advanced with confidence. Shandar’s eyes widened and it took everything he had not to take a step backwards as a momentary panic gripped him. No, no, no, he couldn’t do this, didn’t want this, couldn’t care for a wher, couldn’t fail in his responsibilities again, not when another life depended on him…but he felt the wher’s claws against his chest. Not in a manner of attacking but desperation for the meat he held, although it hurt nonetheless as they bit through the cloth and met skin. Whirling eyes and dark, red-swirled brown hide encompassed all his vision, and a new presence pressed insistently at his mind. Shask. This was Shask and he was hungry and it was too late, it was done.
It wasn’t like a dragon impression, but Shandar still resented the few feelings of warmth that accompanied the formation of the bond, although most of it was overwhelmed by the sudden awareness of anger and hunger. He grunted slightly as he took hold of the wher’s claws and detached them from his chest, now slick with his blood, with a strange combination of strength and gentleness. His chest smarted as he bent down and quickly began to tear chunks off the hunk of meat he held, proffering them to the hungry creature. But Shandar was unmindful of the dull pain caused by the wher’s unintentional scratches, for they were the least of his worries right now. No, right now, and for the rest of his life, Shask was his priority. He would not fail again.
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Post by Shikai on Jan 17, 2009 23:01:55 GMT -5
A lull fell over the sands as the unhatched whers seemed to all choose the moment to rest, for even the eggs that had been swaying the strongest lessened their efforts. The resulting stillness only made the scene more eerie, and the sound of cracking eggs ceased. The chewing and slurping of those whers that had already hatched was disproportionately loud in the dark cavern.
From the outskirts of the clutch, however, the Pluto Egg actually seemed heartened by this period of inactivity. It hadn’t so much as twitched through the entire hatching, and this, along with its distinct lack of size, had doubtless raised suspicions over whether it would hatch at all. Yet suddenly a muffled tap could be heard, and it shifted slightly to the right. The Pluto Egg swayed twice, almost hesitantly, as the wherling seemed to test it. Apparently it was found to be satisfactory. It swung wildly as the creature inside thrashed about in a surprising show of strength and determination, and the egg soon crumbled into several large pieces under the pressure.
The wher that appeared doubtless earned the stares of many. It wasn’t his color that was so unusual, but rather, the lack of it. He was a blue wher, that was clear, but with hide so light that he looked almost transparent. Only his paws were the exception, for all four were covered by a dark, silvery blue that snaked its way up his limbs until it was replaced by the very pale color. He got to his feet, raising his head to peer around, and, finding no other whers in the immediate vicinity, began to pick his way around the outer edge of the hatching sands. And what a sight that was! The blue looked almost spectral as he moved, due not only to his coloring but a strange, gliding, serpent-like way of moving that made one wonder if his feet were even meeting the sands. He sniffed the air testingly, eyes whirling as he searched for the source of the tantalizing scent. Meat! To his dismay, however, all of it seemed to be in the possession of the strange two legged creatures that were staring at him. He hissed at the candidates, taking a step back, but his distress was clear as he vacillated between the need to satiate his hunger and the desire to keep his distance from the candidates and his clutchsiblings.
Entirely without warning, a series of loud cracks in rapid succession broke the comparative silence. The Venus Egg burst, causing the blue, who had been standing right beside it, to start in surprise and bound away with a creel. He moved back toward the safety of the outskirts of the hatching cavern, eyes whirling with alarm as the Venus Egg’s occupant emerged into the world. What little light there was glinted off of bright, burnished gold hide as she righted herself, stepping forward with uncommon grace for both a wher and a queen. It was quickly apparent that this was due to her build – long and sinuous, with an oddly streamlined look for a creature that was renowned for its bulk. And even from birth, she seemed to know how to use it.
She moved at once toward the candidates, a grace in her motion that seemed almost seductive, although once there, she paused. The queen began to walk slowly along the arc of candidates, giving each unbonded one a friendly croon.
Meanwhile, the blue’s hunger overcame his aversion to company, and he slipped quietly toward the candidate furthest from the still-searching queen. He pawed at Keveran and butted him anxiously. He was so hungry.
The queen continued her search, but although she was enjoying the attention given to her, it was clear that hunger was beginning to win her over as well. She flicked her tail playfully against the bronze impressed to Tanawic as she passed, and then suddenly turned to peer at the girl beside him. With a trill of delight, she bounded forward to Raina, eagerly pressing her muzzle against the girl as she searched for the promised meat.
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Post by meah on Jan 19, 2009 0:50:15 GMT -5
Emme shivered despite the heat of the sands, watching the whers hatch. They were wounding people and then receiving love from those very same people. Somehow, that didn't seem very fair to her, that the whers would abuse them and they would love them anyway. She wasn't sure she wanted a wher anymore, if that was how it was going to be.
Tan couldn't help but laugh when the gold flicked Tansk with her tail. It was almost like she was flirting, and Tansk didn't seem bothered by it in the least. He was hungry, still, but he was distracted for the time being by the gold nearby. This one was going to be a bit of a perv as he aged, obviously. And then it hit him. Raina had impressed a gold. He had impressed a bronze. Oh, shards. That was going to be awkward, and she would expect him to be different for it. When he just loved her, and he loved Tansk, and it seemed to him that that was all that mattered.
{ooc;;pathetic but it's something?}
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Post by Shikai on Jan 21, 2009 20:09:12 GMT -5
Just as the hatching seemed to be settling into its normal rhythm again, the Saturn Egg decided it would wait no longer. A crack exploded into the air of the hatching grounds, overwhelming the rustling and cracking of the few eggs that remained intact. A wing burst through the ringed-shell, sending shattered shell fragments flying. They rained down upon the surrounding sands as the wher seemed to throw itself with a fearsome determination at the opening he had created. The egg quickly caved to the pressure, leaving a bronze wher in the wreckage. He shook himself fervently as he tried to dislodge the many egg fragments still stuck to him, letting out a half-growl, half-roar of frustration.
This bronze, too, was massive – just outsized by the occupant of the larger Jupiter egg. Many eyes no doubt turned to the Sun Egg in confusion. Three bronzes and a gold, they were no doub thinking due to the size of the Sun Egg, from the same clutch? But with the sheer size of the egg, it could be none other. The newly-hatched bronze, however, was not about to be ignored. He charged toward the candidates in a sudden surge of motion, although perhaps he had been too eager, for he tripped on his newfound legs and was sent careening into the Mercury Egg.
The impact was more than enough to finish the job the wherling inside had dutifully been attending to since the hatching began, for the egg shattered and sent a blue tumbling out onto the sands. Although small, the blue was well proportioned and fast for a wher, and he almost nimbly leapt to his feet. He shook his head to clear it of the shock of finding himself free so unexpectedly, and then began sniffing the air at once. Food! How hungry he was…
The wher’s hide was a swirling mix of sky and cerulean blue, starkly contrasting to his amber-bronze clutchsibling. One was small and built for speed, the other bulky and powerful. Yet both turned decisively toward the candidates, the blue dashing forward with more luck than his brother. However, once at the candidates, he seemed to have trouble making up his mind. The blue moved from one candidate to the other, getting alarmingly close as he examined them, but then he would change his mind without notice and bound away to another potential handler.
The bronze growled in annoyance and walked the remaining distance to the candidates, eying them with red-tinged eyes. These eyes lit upon the closest source of meat, and the wher leapt toward…Shandar? Shask was just finishing the meat Shandar had provided when the bronze plowed into them, butting Shask out of the way impatiently as his teeth sunk into Shandar’s arm before his mouth found the remaining morsel of meat in his hand and seized it away, chewing greedily. The bronze rammed into Shandar, and the newly-bonded wherhandler was knocked to the sands, futilely throwing up his arms as he tried to keep the creature back.
The bronze realized with irritation that the boy had no more food, and he had just turned to set his eyes on the nearby, also bonded Keveran when he creeled in pain and alarm. The sound turned to a hiss of anger as he whirled on Shask, who had sunk his teeth viciously into the bronze’s flank and was twisting his head like a jungle feline with its prey. His front claws scrabbled at the wher’s back and side, both raking the hide and holding on as he fought with an unsettling brutality verging on bloodlust. The bronze tried to free himself, but the smaller brown held on tightly, growling all the while. At last, he managed to twist around far enough to swipe at Shask, and struck him across the head, sending him sprawling across the sands. However, the brown instantly leapt back for another attack, and the two were just about to launch at each other when the Sun Egg cracked loudly, distracting both.
The egg split neatly in half, but the wher that emerged from the massive egg was not a bronze. In fact, it wasn’t even a single wher. Two browns tumbled forth, scrabbling at the sands to right themselves and detangle their limbs from each other’s. The first to find success trumpeted jubilantly, bounding forward and trotting toward the candidates, oblivious to the bloodshed his hatching had interrupted. His brown hide, still wet, seemed as though it had been dusted with gold. The large brown veritably sparkled in the dim light as he moved toward the few unbonded people remaining, warbling thoughtfully to himself in a manner that sounded almost musical.
The second brown was the next to stir. Finding himself free and on solid ground, he got to his feet and silently followed his brother to the candidates. His much more serious nature was also reflected in his hide, which was a red-brown in such a pattern that it was strikingly reminiscent of magma. He kept his wings carefully pinned to his body, but as he stretched them out slightly to dry, onlookers could see that one was smaller than the other. No less functional than any wher’s wings, of course, but he seemed to favor it as he slowly, gently extended it.
The bronze, seeing the two browns approaching, leapt at once to the nearest unbonded candidate with the greatest quantity of meat, and Baryn would be lucky indeed if he made it through the day unscathed as the bronze bowled into him with enough force to knock over a runnerbeast.
The blue, meanwhile, had actually seemed to have given up on finding a handler, choosing instead to race around the sands – first exploring the eggs, then scrounging for food, and exploring again. At last, though, he seemed to tire, and almost seemed to bounce toward Emmeline. He looked up at her endearingly, panting slightly, as he begged silently to be fed.
The first brown wasted no time in finding his handler. He moved decisively toward Amika, pushing his great head toward her stomach as he sniffed her, searching for the meat she surely held. Yet he didn’t try to grab it from her, rather, he waited with a strange patience for her to feed him.
The smaller of the browns made his way to the candidates with less outward energy, either positive or negative, than the others, walking with a reserved demeanor and measured pace. He paused only once, head swiveling left, then right as he picked out the right person from the crowd of candidates and whers. The brown nudged Kolibri’s hand, no less hungry than the others even though he wouldn’t show it.
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Post by **Auria (etc)** on Jan 21, 2009 20:52:50 GMT -5
Baryn had kept to himself, hiding amongst the shadows, intending to interact with no one. The few times he'd been seen, or spoken to, his habit of pulling his cowl down over his eyes, or responding to words with a grunt or a growl, had put off most curious onlookers. He did not sleep in the barracks with the others, but moved from cot to cot, shadow to shadow, in the wherhandler quarters surrounding the hatching cavern. By so moving, he avoided the others as much as humanly possible. His will was that no one should recognize him, no one get a good look at him.
But SHE had. SHE was unavoidable, those luminous eyes glowing in the near dark of the grounds, from where she sat guard over her clutch. And it was only because Baryn knew that SHE knew him that he had responded to the summons....
"The eggs are hatching...."
But still, he stood apart, bowl of meat in hand, leaning into the shadow of a thick, tall stalagmite. It was with great interest that he watched the others bond with their new ... friends. The dark man lifted his upper lip in a sneer at the thought, for these homely beasts, awkward and clumsy, could hardly inspire affection. He spoke to no one, and hoped that he had gone mostly unseen, for he intended to creep out alone, as well. He had no idea what caused the creatures to choose the ones they went to, though did note that there appeared to be more than just the lust for meat involved in a few of the pairings.
Baryn, however, had no intention of bonding to a wher, these beastly guard-lizards of Pern. He had met up with one over a Turn ago, while attempting to rob a wealthy hold via way of what he thought was an unlocked back entrance, and had the deep tooth scars in his upper thigh to remind him of that acquaintance. No, Baryn was meant for a dragon, one so huge and fierce that no man would ever better him again.
And thus, the chill that shuddered down his spine, the odd sense of revulsion and thrill he felt, as the large bronze wherling sank its teeth into that young man's arm, took him by shock and surprise. Before Baryn knew he'd done so, he had stepped from the shelter of the craggy pillar, and was standing in the open, staring at the beast.
It carried itself with strength and power, it fought with ferocity, and had not the twin browns hatched from the huge yellow egg to distract it, he was certain it would have easily killed its offending sibling.
Instead, it found itself at Baryn's feet. He had seen the beast coming, and braced for the impact ... knees bent, body lowered, pulling the power of his upper torso into a balancing act that he'd used in many a human fight. Still, it had nearly bettered him, rocking him back, so that he had to counter the impact with one of his own, and the bronze settled back onto the sand with a thump.
A strange emotion, one that Baryn knew had not originated within, touched him. Respect.
Bask
The hissing voice .. no, not quite a voice, a sound, an emotion, a knowing ... that rang through Baryn's mind, though surprising, felt oddly natural. The man smiled a crooked smile, and replied, his deep voice like black velvet in the dark, "Bask you are. Behave yourself, young fellow."
And he slid a large chunk of raw, bloody meat into the gullet of his own... ... new ... friend.
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Post by Cilnah on Jan 22, 2009 19:19:04 GMT -5
It had been unbelievably obvious, to Raina at least, from the moment that they had been introduced to the darkened, nearly pitch black robes that they were to wear for this Hatching, that this was going to be nothing like she had ever come across before. And she was proved more then a little right when she stepped down the corridor next to Tana, entering into a room that seemed even darker than the blackness of the halls, even with the single glow above the doorway. The feeling was only intensified further by the silence that seemed to press against her ears. It was so very unlike the dragon Hatching she had attended before, where there was light, happiness, and the welcoming hum of the older dragons. Here there was nothing, and that nothing scared her.
Suppressing a shudder, she moved unconsciously closer to her companion, reaching out with one hand to wrap her fingers around the fabric of his robe, the other arm protectively around her stomach. A hiss split the air, and Raina started, which ended up pressing her closer to the boy, her cheek resting against his shoulder as she peered around him and into the darkness that was slowly revealing muted shapes as her eyes adjusted. It was painfully obvious to her how much she seemed to stand out, with her pale skin almost glowing in the shadowy enclosure. The Queen knew they were here, and obviously wasn’t happy about it.
When the first of the young Whers emerged, it did as much to calm her as it did to keep her nerves on edge. At least this part she was familiar with, the scrapes and cracks and sounds of each creature making it’s way out of the shell that surrounded it. The cries, though rough, somehow sounded reassuring in her ears. It stayed this way through the next egg to spill it’s occupant, but that peace was quickly shattered as a scream rent the air. Jumping so hard she felt like she had left her skin behind, the girl whirled to she the dim form of a drudge fleeing the scene, and the nearer, slightly more clear form of a Blue scarfing down more meat then he could possibly chew at one time. Of course it didn’t help matters any when a screech from an unseen person shook the air. Almost without thinking, Raina dipped and picked up the nearest bit of meat, quickly returning to the waiting, reassuring arm of Tanawic, who also seemed to have grabbed a dripping steak in the confusion.
She was thankful for the boy and his calmness, as her own seemed to have abandoned her in this time of need. There was little she could do about it though. Her heartbeat had settled to something resembling normal as she watched the newly hatched Bronze dominate over the little green. Until he charged again. Straight at Tanawic, and by proximity, herself. Too startled to scream, she simply danced a few steps backwards just as she saw what appeared to be Tana’s hand disappear into the creatures jaws. With a yelp, she leapt forward again, not quite sure what it was she intended to do, but it ended up with her hand on the arm that boasted his injured fingers, her body pressed close against his side, the opposite of the one she had been next to before, and much closer by far.
“Tana, are you alright?” she whispered, her concern evident even in the barely audible tone she was using. Her eyes watched each and every motion that came from the creatures the eggs were producing after that. From the Green scrabbling to get a meal from on of the other female candidates, then flickering to watch the brown struggling with his own molten shell. The girl couldn’t help but feel the slight smile that picked up the edges of her lips, but it disappeared just as quickly as a paw darted out and then retreated back into a neighboring egg. The muted cracking brought her attention back to the brown, and as he finally freed himself from his shell, Raina started yet again as a form darted past her vision. It was between these two new occupants of the weyr that her mahogany eyes darted, quickly dancing from one to the other as both seemed to bowl over the candidates that they seemingly bonded to.
She wasn’t sure whether to be terrified of the remaining eggs that still threatened to release their occupants onto the world, or happy that this fearful occasion was almost over. The lull in the movement of the eggs seemed almost to mock her as Raina waited tensely by her companion’s side, ever weary of the snapping Bronze the waited not far in front of her, though he at least seemed content with the meat he had been offered for now.
And then, as all things must continue, a spectral looking Blue burst forth from it’s shell, glowing in the darkness even more than her own skin did. But it was to her relief that this one, at least, seemingly had no intention of charging forward and attacking one of the remaining candidates for the meat clutched to them. The dripping of the steak held in her own hand seemed even more ominous now. It was then that she became even more enamored with the pale Blue, for he was just as surprised as she was when another egg spilled it’s occupant with little more then a few seconds warning.
Raina’s gaze fixed on the Gold as she moved through the land mine of broken shells towards the occupants. She seemed not in the least bit of hurry, and somehow that made her even more worried about the creature. The others had been swift in their choice of targets. Did this mean that the little Queen was creating a plan of attack for whoever she felt held the choicest cut of meat? Just for a brief instant the girl’s eyes flickered away, and they widened as she watched the spectral Blue move forward. But instead of snapping up the meat with little regard for the one who held it, he butted against the boy, almost seeming to ask instead of demand.
A movement near her caught her attention again, and Raina quickly riveted her eyes on the Gold once more, feeling like a fool. For in the brief time that she had diverted her mind, the creature had not only moved close, but was in fact standing in front of them, flirting with the Bronze! Well, that was to be expected. He was the only Bronze wher at the weyr. But did she have to do it now? The girl waited with baited breath for the Queen to move on, and finally she did, letting Raina release a sigh of relief. Only to be replaced with a hiss of surprise and shock as she whirled right back around, those eyes fixed straight at her. Mentally preparing for the worst as a cry came from the little Gold, Raina quickly shut her eyes, waiting for the pain of teeth meeting her flesh…
Only to have the mahogany orbs fly open again when, instead of teeth in her hand, she felt a head gently bumping against her side. As she looked at the small creature, she immediately felt silly. Raisk wasn’t going to hurt her! How could she have ever even considered it? There was a small laugh deep in her chest as Raina reached out with her free hand to rub against the little one’s hide. She seemed content with this for a moment, until the pressing hunger in her mind became even more insistent. Laughing again, she rolled her eyes good naturedly. “Alright, alright Raisk. Here’s your meat.” With that, she ripped apart a good sized chunk of flesh and offered it to the Gold, who took it without so much as a brush of jaw against fingers. Yes, Raina decided. She had been silly to think that this creature would ever purposely hurt her.
The Hatching seemed to take on an entirely new light then, as she turned her gaze back upon the three remaining eggs nestled in the sand. She could almost see them clearly now, and she could feel anticipation in the place of the worry she had felt moments before. There was no more need for her to fear getting mauled by one of these creatures, after all. She had her Raisk, and none of these would dare hassle a Gold or her handler. As the Bronze burst onto the scene, she heard the little Queen give a murr of delight, for here was someone else to fawn over her.
But Raina was not so happy with the creature, as she watched the fight that ensued with muted horror. Though perhaps it was the Brown’s fault for biting his larger brother? No, she decided. It was definitely the Bronze’s fault, stealing from an already bonded pair. And though she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it, Raina still seemed transfixed by the horror in front of her.
Thanks goodness for the timing of the last egg, was all she could think, as the twins tumbled onto the scene. And there emergence seemed enough to startle the vicious Bronze into action, for he bounded to a rather ominous looking boy. A good match they made, she thought.
Raina hardly noticed the rest of the bondings as she studied the alternate Bronzehandler. While she knew some things about Tana, this man was foreign to her, and she was not looking forward to her dealings with him. Frantically, her eyes darted between the two, even while she fed the last scrap of meat she held to an almost purring Raisk, trying desperately to judge her friends reaction. She knew he was overly protective of her, that much was obvious even in her own unobservant eyes. “Oh, shards….” She muttered, shaking her head.
Maybe, if she was lucky, the shadowy figure who now handled the Bronze was not as bad as he at first appeared.
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Post by M'kel on Jan 22, 2009 23:06:19 GMT -5
This was by far the most terrifying hour of her life. Amika was already jumping at shadows, the shifting forms of the other candidates highlighted by the single glow, when a young man bumped into her with a muffled, 'Sorry' that nonetheless left her heart spasming and her hands twitching. Somehow, she managed to stay standing, but it may have been fear that held her in place rather than courage.
At the first charging wher and the high-pitched scream that announced his victim, Amika thought she was going to faint. These creatures weren't anything like dragons; they were monsters! And the candidates weren't really here to bond with them and feed them morsels of herdbeast; they were the food offerings! Why would a wher chew on a cold chunk of beast when there was hot blood pumping through human veins?
And right on cue, as if to prove her point, a bronze wher loomed out of the darkness and chomped down on another candidate's hand. The girl felt sick at the sight, terrified yet made immobile by the fear, not sure she could help even if she tried. Somehow, though, the boy extracted his hand and went on to feed the beast more, and it's manner was calmer. Amika shook her head in disbelief, as more whers proceeded from their eggs and found candidates to feed them. There were no more screams, no more bloodshed.
Then a brown appeared in front of her, and Amika froze, but it approached the young man beside her instead. And just as suddenly, it was standing on its hind legs, scrabbling against the other candidate's chest, and Amika stumbled away with a cry. The young man was calm, too calm, as he lowered the wher back to the ground and began to feed it. Had everyone gone mad?! They were petting these monsters, right after the beasts had tried to kill them?
It was the farthest thing from a dragon Hatching in every respect. And yet so fitting, she thought bitterly. So fitting for her to be part of this fiasco.
Feeling the cold stone of the cavern walls behind her, the girl started, surprised to realize she had been stumbling backwards away from the horror. She was farther from the whers, it was true, but had also lost the security of the other candidates. Even as she began to push herself forward, stumbling to join them again, a gold wher slunk down the line and nudged another girl, her manner a sharp contrast to many of the other young creatures. Amika felt a moment of security, coming to stand by Shandar again, and suddenly the young man had been taken down a second time, by a bronze wher this time.
She was barely quick enough, barely lunged to the side before the brown wher sank its sharp little teeth into the bronze's flank and a snarling battle ensued. Amika was barely breathing by the time the large crack split the air, distracting the two combatants. As if in a haze, she turned to face this new threat, while the bronze charged past her towards another man standing in the shadows.
And somehow, out of that darkness that swallowed up all light, a golden glow seemed to appear. Thinking that she was now hallucinating and on the verge of passing out, Amika narrowed her eyes. Then, she froze. It was another wher. Brown, with golden highlights. That must be what was tricking her eyes, causing the glow in the black cavern.
And yet the glow seemed to be more, all-encompassing, coming from him rather than just his hide. And then he had stopped. In front of her. Waiting.
And she knew. "Amisk," she murmured, her voice harsh from the strain. He was strong, she could feel it, and there was a deadly grace about him, yet he would never direct it at her. This she knew as well; he would protect her, but never harm her. A light in the dark of this new world. Slowly, she extended the dripping meat he was so patiently awaiting, and the whirling eyes of his gratitude held her with an unflinching intensity.
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Post by **Auria (etc)** on Jan 23, 2009 10:34:42 GMT -5
More, hungry.... the bronze wher lied, even though the bowl in Baryn's hands was empty, and the man could feel the fullness of his beast's gullet.
"No, you are not hungry," he replied softly, his words echoing in his mind, knowing that Bask would understand. "You are greedy."
Baryn then, the primary need of his new companion met, turned to examining the battle wounds inflicted by the brown. There were deep punctures, and a bit of torn flesh, but nothing that wouldn't heal with numbweed and careful redwort cleaning.
"Let's find something to clean this up, then," he whispered, for his wher's ears only. They turned and began to move toward the sidelines, but Bask stopped short, refusing to move forward.
His amber-bronze neck, with its dripping blood-like markings beneath, curved around, and his coal-black face-mask fixed upon the young queen wher. Baryn could see her against the darkness, the golden glow seeming to have a light of its own. The odd thing was that he could also make out her handler, when the rest of the candidates were mere blotches against the blackness. The girl's face appeared to hover like a spectre above the glow of the queen, and the odd feeling at the pit of his stomach was very disturbing.
It occurred to him that the discomfort was partially his own, partially his wher's, and Baryn took a bizarre sense of painful pleasure in that.
He shook himself slightly and placed a hand on Bask's head. Priorities, then. "Your wounds..."
No. Respect. There were no true words, but the emotions were clear as the wher pulled away from him and headed directly toward the little queen. Baryn had no choice but to follow ... he scowled at his bronze; this would not do. He would most certainly have to teach the beast more obedience.
Respect, Bask argued, and didn't stop until he stood directly in front of the gold. Turning once toward the other bronze with a soft warning growl, Bask then bowed his head toward the young queen wher. Name, he then sent to his handler.
Name? Baryn repeated, silently, confused, trying to focus his thoughts toward the bronze and sort out the puzzle. He stood back, ducking his head so nothing of his face would show in the darkness.
Name! Bask demanded, sending the impact of his thought, clarifying his intention with strong feelings. It was clear that HE knew the queen's name, and he was demanding that his handler also learn it. Shards, this meant ... he'd have to talk to this girl!
Baryn raised his eyes just enough to focus on the soft glow, that strange glow that twisted his stomach, of the girl's face. It was like looking at a phantom here in the darkness, and the odd implications of his situation churned the discomfort more strongly. One queen, two bronzes ... he hoped fervently that whers took a very long time to mature ... or that he could escape the Weyr with Bask in tow long before it happened.
He spoke, controlling his voice so that no one but those nearest would hear him. It rose like black fog from his lips and drifted toward her. "My wher, who is Bask, offers his greeting, and insists that I acquire the name of your queen, so that I may pay her proper respect." He then bowed ever so slightly, first to the young wher, and then to her handler, and awaited the reply.
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