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• • Gatoshnarel • • • The son of Nynaeveth and Vajrath • by Neishai Anxiety manifested itself as a red heat that filled his belly, not unlike the burning he felt through his thick-soled black boots as it radiated up from the trademark red Ryslen sand. The dark-haired, dark-skinned Candidate's awareness shifted with a jerk as his attention moved from the first hatchling, a Light Red, to another, this one a solid bright crimson. The young dragon fought his shell viciously as if it had been his prison for a moment too long. Thus liberated, he charged the candidates like a mad herdbeast. Gatoshnarel's catlike eyes went wide when he realized that Uaillikenth was heading straight for him, when courageous little Qyzell came to his rescue, unwrapping her lithe tail from his neck to meet danger head-on. The Red's eyes briefly matched his fiery hide and temper, that this little runt should come between himself and his Chosen. The tiny Green resented that sentiment and voiced her ire as she dipped above his high-crested head aggressively. “Uaillikenth, her name is Qyzell…” The name slid off Gato's tounge like water beading on a leaf, as if he had always known it. The young flit, hardly older than a hatchling herself, met his proffered hand and slid down to meet his shoulder. He was kneeling, almost unbelieving. He hadn't known just why he had agreed to Stand as a Candidate, only grudgingly joining his brother Gerotaeo. Now he Understood completely. |
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Uaillikenth beamed, his faceted eyes glowing in a rainbow of happy tones. I'm sorry I worried you, Ga'rel. I did try to stop a little sooner. "I know you did," he grinned, liking the sound of his new name as his dragon bespoke it. They hurried along to fill the young Red's belly, so that Ga'rel might see his brother Impress. After all, in a way, it was Gerotaeo who was responsible for his bonding with Uaillikenth. He wanted to be there when it Happened. • • • To his bitter dismay, Gerotaeo vacated Ryslen's Sands like every other spectator in the Stands above. With little strength in his arms, he removed his candidate's robes, his hand dropping lifelessly to his side before he moved with the others to clean up shell fragments from the Sands. He knew that there was a dragon for him, yet-to-be-hatched, or at least he thought he knew. Even as he saw the sun burst through angry thunderheads above like a herald announcing the arrival of the glorious rainbow that followed, with this his second disappointment, Gero had begun to doubt that little Feeling deep inside. Ga'rel was there, however, lending brotherly support as he always had. At least that hadn't changed. Wordlessly, Ga'rel responded to his brother's feeling of desolation with a strong embrace. "Come on, Uaillikenth wants to meet you," he murmured in his ear. Gerotaeo nodded, his dark-brown firelizard, Vanhi, cooing reassuringly in his ear. They found Uaillikenth curled up, asleep, with Qyzell cuddled up next to him, a sight that made even Gero smile. He clutched to his chest the bunched-up white robe he held in his hand, envisioning a similar scene, with a tiny Brown curled up next to his own dragon... |