Dun Keiba Hatching 2, 3 ...and 4?

Forest Yachari and Plant Halzardu Parenting

Purple Duowing Heliozmaj and Cream Duowing Niylkezt(h) Parenting

Wind Cephari and Night Khymelyn or Fire Gwaelyn Parenting

As the caverns began to fill with Aspirants, Almiron and his gloriously flustered sister Dominica began to wonder how on Icarus they'd be able to tell so many young people that there just weren't enough eggs on the sands to support them.

But that seemed to be on the minds of the draks nearby too. Yachari began to hiss and growl at anyone who came near her four eggs, including Niylkezt, so it was clear that the visiting female's eggs were about to hatch.

"Give them time and room," Dominica told the Aspirants, as they all milled about in the dining hall. They'd been gathered, because she figured they would have to be told they'd be disappointed - at least a few of them.

Time and room was all the first four eggs needed. Not much more than an hour later, a bugling cry told Kaeli that the long awaited hatchlings would be on their way. The young woman and her dear partner, along with his drak, beamed with pride.

"Come along, they'll be in the deep caverns." Dominica said, "we have enough trouble when they parade themselves around the whole Castle..."

So the group bustled down to the lowest and warmest caverns in the hillside. There, they could see that Forest Yachari had indeed brought her newly hatched children out, though they were hidden behind her four wings - one behind each. But they also noted with a collective sigh of relief, that the other four eggs and their protective cream colored Ryslen born duowing mother, were gone!

That didn't stop a couple of the Aspirants to panic, of course - "where are they!?" "What's happened to the others?" "What if they don't come back!" But while some of them were busy worring themselves into a tizzy, Yachari nudged the first of her children forward with a prideful trill.

He was a Desert, with head held high and tail out to balance himself. He walked with confidence across the smooth stone, toward a young man. "Jede," he announced, "I will help you get where you want to go."

The pale-eyed man extended his hand to touch the muzzle of the drak, "thank you Velridu. I think you're right. We'll go far together."

While they were busy with the fresh meats and first drinks of water that the hatchling would eat, another small drak was urged out from under her mother's protective wings.

This time a Rain, petite and at first demure looking, approached the group of eager Aspirants. But shortly it seemed that she either hadn't found the right person to pair, or she was just being slow in choosing.

"Go on, child," Yachari said.

"I am getting to it!" The little Rain surprised everyone with that. Finally she chose to separate Espra from the rest. "You. Me. My brother thinksss he will go far, but we will go farther. I am Deneduri."

"Pleased to meet you Deneduri," Said Espra, "but what makes you think I want to go anywhere?"

"I just know," the drak snorted a laugh.

When an Ore male came from behind Yachari, some of the locals applauded gently. He glanced at them first, but then his eyes could only see a stranger from offworld.

"I have a sssecret for you, Ichafore," lisped the drak. "But I will not give it away yet."

The native of Star City furrowed his eyebrows. He'd come to bring his project to Pair - not really for himself! But, the deed was done. And no one could doubt that he deserved it. 'But what is this secret, Nycaridu?' He asked mentally.

I am not telllling, the drak said, and nudged his new rider toward the food.

Everyone knew there was only one hatchling left, and all eyes turned to Yachari and her wings. As they parted, it seemed they had hidden nothing but a cloud of dust.

An Earth drak, male, darted out from behind his mother in his haste to find his chosen. "Rolasss!" The drak exclaimed. "I have found you!"

"You certainly have, Champaridu," the Mythicalae caretaker beamed proudly. He'd done it, and he knew that now his father would certainly have to admit he'd done well.

Everyone was relieved that none of the draks were going to leave unpaired. If they had, there would be even more of a disparity between the few eggs left - well, they had to have hatched by now - and the Aspirants!

While Yachari and her mate were busy instructing their offspring as well as the knights paired with them, on what they expected and how appropriate they thought the pairs were, a cream colored nose peeked out from behind a shaded and secluded nook of the cavern.

Ahem, said a mental voice. I believe that my offspring would like to be seen now, Niylkezt announced. She did not speak verbally, like her mate Heliozmaj did - she'd been raised at Ryslen and trained on the windy plains of Zekira. Mental communication was the best way any dragon there could instantly convey information to their rider. Her particular rider, the exotic four-armed Threen, stood by and hugged herself with a pair of her arms in excitement.

Heliozmaj stood by, too, puffed up and proud as could be. If there was ever a dragon who wanted to be known for something like siring fine children, he was it. But no one knew how proud they should be - when a violet and blue colored male drak- or was it a duowing? - came out from the darkness.

He did not hesitate. Instead, he moved directly toward Aya, and broadly communicated with his strong mind, I am Iiaztaj, and I am yours. Whatever is in your past, is past. Now we will be together.

Aya stood numbly, her whole life had been a series of incidents of violence, punctuated by memory loss. She had absently thought that perhaps a mind-pair with a drak would loosen up her memories. But this? She realized that Iiaztaj - and everyone else in her life - didn't care where she was from or what had been done.

What she was wondering, was, "What... what color are you?"

I am a Storm drak, he told her and all present. Is that wrong?

Almiron laughed and was elbowed by his sister. "It's not wrong, it's just very very unusual." He said loudly. For those who hadn't somehow heard, he repeated the color and acted like it was his own drak's clutch hatched.

Next from the dark hatching cavern, came an equally dark male. As deeply shaded as his father, but in a kind of shiny black color on both wings and body! This Obsidian beauty walked up to Rocar.

"Do you think we will impress her now?" Asked the drak. Rocar was wide-eyed, and couldn't answer. "Well, maybe if I do the talking. I'm Aayztaj, by the way."

"T...thank you, hello," Rocar said. They went off to share the food provided.

A pretty light-colored female, whose color looked surprisingly like Almiron's Lauvakil, pranced out and promptly nosedived into a sand hill. She shook her head off, got right back up, and trotted toward Threen.

"I want to go to your world, with you, Threen." She said.

"But... Aren't you supposed to look at the Aspirants? I'm paired with your mother!"

"I do not care, you are a Dragon Master after all, right?" The Opal tilted her head and everyone laughed. Threen hugged her with her upper arms, tightly.

"Well Khiduajzt, I suppose that we've got to start somewhere, in my job..."

The last of Niylkezt's hatchlings approached from the darkness. Not quite as deeply shaded as her brother the Obsidian, this violet-clouded female walked before the last batch of Aspirants.

But then she looked right at Nycaridu and gave a purring cry. The ore drak beside Ichafore nodded, and the female turned back to Ocusa.

You are hearing me, aren't you? She sent through the mental air. Ocusa obviously heard - her dark eyes widened.

I am... Ocusa thought back as she'd been taught. Nothing could have taught her how this would feel.

I am glad you feel that way, my one. Now it is time to show off to your maker's Master. I have chosen you as my pair forever. I am Cyarajzt.

"Cyarajzt," Ocusa announced, "she is a Dark Prism." Ocusa looked at her maker Ichafori and began to smile widely. So was he, by the looks of it. He'd done it... Made an android so alive that she paired a drak!

With a sigh, Dominica looked at High Knight Dunstan and his training partner High Knight Aylene, "looks like we have a number of extras this time around. If you want to start the training you should-"

Dominica was cut off by a sharp gasp by about half the people present. She turned, a bit angry from being interrupted. But nothing at all could have prepared her for the sight she got when she looked toward the entrance to the caverns. At the castle there were many passages and rooms that draks were just small enough to fit into. Of course the deep caverns and the halls leading away from them were among those.

A familiar pale blue and white nose had found its way into the deep cavern, and shortly the talkative Wind Cephari came into view.

Along with a line of marching drak hatchlings.

Dominica tried to reach Almiron to grab his elbow and ask him what in the world was going on, but instead she found Istvan standing where her brother had been. How did they do that? They didn't teleport themselves... Ah, Almiron was over talking to the ninja refugee Aya. Of course. Between her and the other women showing up for hatchings, it was a wonder their family tree hadn't grown a whole new canopy...

"What-is-she-doing?" Said Dominica with gritted teeth, to the dark eyed Istvan.

With a smirk, he replied, "I believe it is called 'parading herself around the whole castle', and she is quite good at it. She's been bringing them around, looking for you lot."

"Looking for us?" Dominica said sharply, "but where has she been? Are those hers?"

"Of course they are, why else would she be showing them off to us?" Istvan glanced around and shortly found his consipirators - Alex and Rey, his best friends, his lovers, his saviors. "Though it's possible that she had two partners - they were going at it pretty much the same way we did," he told Dominica. Uncharicteristically, she blushed a vivid crimson thinking about the trio and their habits.

"Stop talking right now, Istvan, there are still children present." She chided. "But it won't matter much, if both her partners are siblings - aren't they?"

"They are," Istvan confirmed. "Khymelyn and Gwaelyn. So the hatchlings names will be correct, and their genetics will be similar anyway. There are quite a few of them, though..."

It was true. Through the main hall corridor - followed by a host of curious onlookers gathered by Cephari on her journey around the Castle - came a septet of small draks. Colorful, but none could match the exotic nature of the 'middle' clutch's results.

"Where exactly did she hide these eggs of hers?" Asked Almiron when he was finished talking to the women he fancied.

"You don't even want to know that," Istvan said. "It wasn't here. We've spent all day just bringing the eggs to the Castle, between the three of us it was some work."

But it was work much needed. For just about the time that the last in line came through the hall archway, the first of Cephari's brood ran up to Rhean.

"You you you!" The little Wind cried. "I am Umynri!"

Laughing, the girl helped find Umynri her food.

Not to be out done of course, a Mud male walked sedately up to Phiol. "Thossse two will need to be watched," said the drak. "We can do it, I am Zoriyn."

"Thanks, I think we'll need to start soon..." Phiol announced.

A much more calm and collected Water female approached Vayari. "Will you ssshow me where thessse other draksss are?"

"Of course I will Modynri. They're pretty far away right now, though..."

Flapping her wings, a female Day drak pranced across the sands toward the single entirely non-human aspirant. "Marek! I want to ssshow you sssomething!" She called brightly.

The somber flame colored male shook his head sharply - had he heard correctly? There really was a drak on these nesting dunes for him?

"Of courssse there isss! Come! Sssee!" She stood near a little rise of sand, and when the black and red male came near enough to touch it, the Day drak rolled over onto her back and flapped as hard as she could - tossing up a cloud of warm sand which got all over her new friend's face. "Sssand! Isssn't it great?"

Marek could hardly even think of what to say. "Her name isss Aykynri," was what he chose. Perhaps he would lighten up later. For now there was food to be provided.

A pair of males, one Plant and one Desert, rose from their spots in line and walked toward Threen.

"We will go with you, Dragon Missstresss," said the plant. "I am Durriyn. This is Malriyn, we too want to sssee your world."

Stunned, Threen looked toward her cream Ryslen bond, who looked about as proud as could be. Not only had she brought a wonderful nest of hatchlings into the world, she'd be going home with one too!

Lastly, a ninja boy that Istvan had apparently brought with him on their trips with Cephari's eggs, approached the final hatchling. It was an ore male, who nuzzled the young man's hand. "His name is Tezriyn," Elmon said. "I think he'll want to help me take care of the sick back home."

"Then that is what he will do," Istvan told the young man.

With the unexpected addition of a whole new nest of hatchlings, everyone realized that now, the Aspirant board was completely empty once more!

** 2023 - some returned due to not being posted, reclaims will be repaged on this site **

Espra training with High Princess Dominica - to keep her under a careful eye...

Jede training with High Knight Dunstan for command duties

Rolas training with High Knight Aylene for command duties

Ichafore training with Istvan for scientific duties

Aya training with High Prince Almiron for some kinda duty - who knows...

Rocar training with Knight Rowan for scout and chase duties

Ocusa training with Istvan as well, to possibly aid science duties

Vayari training with Transporter Alexander for drak tending and medical duties

Rhean training with Knight Emris for observation and possible Judge duties

Phiol training with Knight Jinty for organization and flight wing duties

Elmon training with Reynate for flight wing and organizational duties

Marek will train Aykynri - if he can

Khiduajzt, Durriyn and Malriyn will go to Zekira with Threen and train there

All the colors have certain personality traits and physical characteristics that are as ingrained in their genes as their colors.

Night Draks (gold and black), which can be either gender, tend to be serious and thoughtful, very quiet but deeply intelligent.

Day Draks (gold and white), also of either gender, tend to be uplifting and cheerful with a vast sense of humor.

Plant Draks (mottled green), always male, have a sense of humor but tend to be wry and sarcastic.

Water Draks (green and blue), which are female, are soothing and calm, and always tactful.

Forest Draks (green and brown) are female and are relatively energetic with a very optimistic view and always something positive to say.

Desert Draks (mottled tan), who are males, tend to be good-tempered and honest to a fault, possessing very little tact.

Mud Draks (mottled brown), always male, are very meticulous and always think before they act.

Rain Draks (mottled grey) are female and tend to be impulsive, often sneaky.

Fire Draks (gold and red) are male and hot-tempered but very faithful, and will always defend their Knight.

Earth Draks (brown and white) can be either gender and are stubborn, decisive, and unshakable.

Wind Draks (white and blue) are female and very whimsical, with a tendency to play with the minds of those they wish to confuse.

Ore Draks (gold and silver) can be either gender and are very stable, personality-wise, always choosing defense over offense in any fight.