A solid, ebony mass stretched across the hot, grainy sands. Up close, one wouldn’t be able to tell it was a maw snaking across the hatching sands, the owner of this maw none other than the clutch’s very sire. Of course, this raised brows in its own right. Most male dragons whom had fathered clutches left it at that, and only showed up during the Touching and Hatching. Not Varanth, though. No, he didn’t falter when his mate told him she was going to take a chunk out of his tail if he didn’t get off of her sands, didn’t budge when the queen actually held through to her threat and snapped at his tail, drawing only a small bit of green ichor. The Fireworm Queen Cinderfang had given up trying to get him out permanently-he had never been this interested in one of her clutches before!-and merely focused her attention on getting him away long enough to eat and perform his duties as a Weyrking. After all, he didn’t have her right to laze about all day for having laid eggs and didn’t get the chance to attend to them every minute of every day until they hatched. It was such a shame, really; had he been born female, he would have been quite the odd, but suited, mom, as seen by his nudging a smaller egg into a cocoon of sand for the top seemed chilled. There you are, little one. Warm as ever and ready. The black beast lifted his skull, turning his eyes in their sockets to catch the senior queen beaming with pride. The eggs, for the most part, appeared to appreciate the attention, their locations preventing them from getting a surplus of attention during the Hatching, apart from visually of course, but they had been fine with that earlier. The Weyrking nightfury smiled faintly, the corners of his heavily armored mouth turning up in a soft, almost loving manner. Cinderfang had done everything she could for her eggs and now it was time for the Hatching.
The king gave a once over of the other eggs, nudging each in turn carefully, before pushing a sandy cushion around some of the colder ones. To watch such a large dragon being so gentle, afraid to even move his feet without making certain three or four times nothing breakable was in that spot where they would go, was terribly amusing, something akin to watching a wher trying on clothing or seeing a wherry try and stand up to a dragon. It was just…cute, but in a hilarious fashion. As the sire came back around to the white beauty he had covered first, his eyes passed over the onyx egg that he knew was entirely his doing. Well, technically the whole clutch was his doing too, but this egg was more of him than the others. It shared so much in common with him; gender, coloring, body size, general personality, mind…The list was endless, and it only made the dragon crouch down on his forelegs, tilting his head to one side to study the black coat that he bore on his very hide. The onyx beast rested the tip of his nose along the top of the egg, an exhale of breath stirring some of the surrounding sand, but nothing badly enough to take notice off. His many lidded eyes half closed, as if he were trying to say something that was difficult for him, or perhaps just hard to word. There is a new world just outside of your shell, I’m certain you know of by now. What you don’t know, though, is it's a new start. Everything is, from now on, for you and whomever you choose to bond with. It's all alive now, all before you for you to choose, and the world rests in the claws of young hearts. Don‘t let me down, my kindred spirit, because I‘ve been waiting for you. Help me fix this Weyr where I fail it, and this world where I cannot. Live, but love. And learn, but do not judge. Be there whether asked to be or not if they are your own. If you feel it, it is right. Your own voice is what I hope to learn from. Perhaps, in time, you will teach me something as I hope to do for you. We can‘t change everything on just our own, but perhaps you will be the one to show the Weyrs of this world what we most need. You will do all in life that I cannot, because you have been hoped for for a very long time. Everything has its time and purpose; you‘re being here is no accident. You were given just when the Weyr needed you most. Varanth nuzzled the smooth surface of the egg, another breath blown from his nostrils as he gathered his last thought. You have to know this upon birth, and I cannot wait to simply tell you, so I hope you understand now. After the rain, the sun will reappear. After the pain, the joy will still be here. You have to look ahead, and forget looking back. There’s only life. Everything you go through is only to bring you closer to some far greater experience. I have learned to see through the darkness, to speak in the silence, and to stand where no one else has because they are too afraid to. Take only this to heart if you never seek help or advice from another soul.
With a parting nudge, Varanth moved away to leave his young to hatch in peace, but something stopped him. Out of the corner of one eye, the onyx egg began to rock. Slowly and, if he hadn’t not been staring intently, he wouldn’t have noticed it himself even for his keen eye sight. Gradually, the rocking passed from egg to egg, some rocking faster, others, like the white and onyx, slower and more steadily. It was here. The behemoth threw back his skull and let loose a resounding bellow that would have knocked rocks from the ceilings were they not so smoothed as they were to prevent such a thing. The Fireworm Queen drew back her maw, opening to allow a humming noise, far higher pitched than Varanth’s current, to spill from her maw as she turned on the Sands to fetch Hers. MINE! Candidates, now! The woman’s eyes lit with joy as she informed the Headwoman, barely taking the time to tell the woman everything in her rush to get to the Weyrbowl and the Watch dragon. “H‘nuy! Take Rebrukth and send the news!” The Weyrwoman had caught the zippleback pair just as they had been about to take up their shift and, with the humming their could hear from the Hatching Grounds, they knew exactly their message to send. Those who had been invited to the event were to be informed and, once she rambled off the list as to whom, he was off with two other dragons, a gronkle and a younger monstrous nightmare pair, gone before she could even make her way to the Sands to find her dragon and her mate humming. No others beside the Mine of the Weyrking had yet to show, but that was to be expected.
“D‘ron, I‘ve sent out messenger dragons to relay the news. The Headwoman knows too, so I would imagine the candidates do by now as well.”
“I know, Jouri. My thanks for having taken care of that. Now, all we have to do is watch, because the wait is over.”
It was not long before candidates had filed in, guests arrived, and all manner of spectator greeted the Sands. The Weyrking and Queen sat back with their respective Mines, a tall male of a tanned completion with vibrant grey green eyes and a short pixie of a blonde with brown depths. This moment had been eagerly awaited by both Weyrleaders and now, with the prospect of both types of furies hatching, they each stood with baited breath and anticipation.
