The Stars Align (2/3)

Writers: Estelle, Iluva
Date Posted: 31st October 2026

Characters: Agyta, V'karel
Description: Valbath and Novath's clutch hatches!
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 25 of Turn 13
Notes: Notes: snow 16°F - there was a blizzard yesterday, so there's snow up to your eyeballs. The hatching takes place just before midday, with a Hatching Brunch prepared by the lower caverns, and festivities are a full-day affair.

At the very front of the clutch, closest to the candidates, the first egg finally split, giving the crowd a perfect view of a glistening brown wing bursting skyward. The tear widened, and after a few more shakes, the rest of the dragonet came tumbling onto the Sands.

He was a sturdy, stolid fellow already, giving himself a few efficient shakes, a thick layer of sand pasted down one side from his nose to his tailtip. He moved towards the boys with clear purpose, eyes fixed on one individual.

Agyta smiled with wistful pride, her own and her dragon's.

Just as the brown reached the boys, however, a bronze suddenly appeared between the eggs. Part of his shell was glued to his proud, shining head, but he was mostly dry.

**Well, perhaps they hatched together.** Agyta watched him just as intently before her mouth suddenly went bone dry. The bronze overtook the big brown and was on a straight course to the end of the line, where several boys and young men waited. Where Magyron appeared to be the target. The curly-haired boy’s expression was a familiar mix of nausea and overexcitement.

No one had seen the bronze hatch. His shell, at the very back of the clutch, had burst into a sprinkle of shards. But everyone saw him now, approaching with long, steady, almost effortless strides.

Pushing Hanaris back and even giving Hautarin a half-hearted shove, an eager Magyron stepped forward to meet him. But his face fell as the dragonet flowed past like he wasn't even there.

The bronze's eyes were fixed on another, and he wove quickly between a few more candidates, until he could finally reach him. He was also the only one who seemed to know where exactly he was going. Several confused expressions followed after him. One other boy in particular looked absolutely sure the dragonet was his until the bronze simply loped past the same as he had Magyron. }:It's you! It’s you, it’s you!:{ He told Hanaris at last, shoving his head right into the boy's stomach, shell and all. }:It's us. Together.:{

Applause and cheers erupted across the cavern as the first Impression was sealed. As horrible as she felt for Magyron, who stood looking absolutely crestfallen, Agyta was relieved at the bronze's choice. An older holdbred lad would be a fine addition to the Wings when the time came. }:He chose well.:{ Valbath agreed, happier than she'd been in recent memory.

The crowd settled again, attention fixed on the big brown as he moved deeper into the knot of candidates. His choice was never in question. He moved on the same unerring path he’d taken from his shell, marching his way up to Galdoral with pure adoration in his eyes. }:There you are. You are the one for me.:{

V'karel reminded himself to breathe as the second hatchling decisively made his choice. Another holder boy, he thought, although this one seemed more astonished by his Impression than the first. So far, so good - they were finding lifemates, and now more eggs were rocking, as if their brothers had shown them the way. A creamy, speckled egg, which had drawn the attention of a pair of hopeful girls, split apart, revealing a pale mossy-colored green. She shook herself, lifted her head and locked eyes with the taller of the two, who gasped and hurried forward to kneel at her side.

His gaze was next drawn to a blue, who unlike the little green was carefully examining each Candidate in a half-circle of boys around him - and one girl, he noticed - in a manner that reminded V'karel of nothing so much as a holdwife peering over a basket of fruit at market. He squashed down that irreverent thought, and just in time, as the hatchling reached the end of the line. He thought to himself, gave a decisive nod and then turned and headed back to one of the boys he'd passed. }:Yes, you. You are the best.:{

"He must be X'eri's brother." The likeness was unmistakeable, despite his young age, and when he looked to the Stands he could see the family cheering, clapping and hugging each other in delight. Weyrborn and a healer, a useful skill for a dragonrider in a Pass.

Another brown appeared, this one even larger than the first, his eyes ablaze with every shade of hunger and then some. He'd been out of his shell a while, too, going by his half-dried hide and movements slightly less clumsy than his siblings’. In his haste to get to the candidates now, he shouldered aside a little blue who had just barely gotten his legs under him.

There was a roar of outrage as an even bigger blue charged after the brown. Valbath rumbled with mild concern, her great head stretching down into the heat. She was, however, pleased to see the smaller blue collect himself and finally make it over to the boys, where he Impressed through a rash of applause.

Meanwhile, the big brown and the big blue were neck and neck as they streaked through the line of boys, so fast that many had to dive out of the way of talons. This confusion and panic -- and space-- only increased the brown's speed. The brown was long-legged and sure and wove with all the elegance of a runaway cart. He seemed to share his mother’s opinion on the amount of people gathered, grumbling and growling at a few faces as he passed. His choice was here, he _knew_ it, but actually getting to him was taking a while. Young Magyron immediately hurried aside, far less eager than before.

The brown slowed suddenly, inexplicably, locking eyes with Kakaru. He snorted, moving towards him with immediate purpose-- to knock the boy back, evidently, ensuring Kakaru tumbled into the eaves of heat and sand as the brown made a loud sound of displeasure and pressed on, nosing a few more boys out of the way as if hunting something he hadn't yet seen. Unfortunately for him, the candidates kept scattering and reshuffling, and every rapid reshuffle only fed his speed and irritation.

Then he saw him, still half-obscured by a few others.

The brown’s eyes quickened with interest, and he charged. Nothing would get in his way this time, and when yet another someone was too slow to move, he _made_ them, crashing into and over Evisaya like a boulder down a hill.

The big blue screeched with alarm, lunging after him. He managed to give the brown a bit of a shove back, irate and concerned, though the brown was already off again. He turned to the young man left lying in a sprawl in the sand, inspecting the red lines raked into his skin. }:How dare he! Well, he knew better than to try to take you. I would _not_ have let that happen.:{ Voth nosed Evisaya gently where the brown had been rough, their bond roaring to life.

Further on, oblivious to anything or anyone else, the brown had him now. A solidly built weyrlad turned to look at him, and the whirl of his eyes accelerated-- that, along with everything else. }:Gotcha!:{ His voice burst into Hautarin's head as he came barreling into him in a long, triumphant leap.

Agyta’s hand covered her mouth as she watched them both go down in a wild tumble, sand flying in every direction.

A moment later, the unmistakable slash of blood rose on the young man's robe. The brown squealed in outrage and panicked remorse, trying to right himself -- and only making everything worse. }:Why are you bleeding?! Stop that!:{

“Faranth, he was a determined little thing. I haven't seen an Impression with that kind of force in a few Turns.” The goldrider’s gaze lingered on them even as a weyrlingmaster hurried onto the sands, even as Valbath assured her that they were -- or would be -- fine.

"Nor have I." V'karel found his fingers were gripping his knees tightly as he looked back over the trail of bloodied injuries the brown and blue had left in their wake, and he had to force himself to loosen his hold. A dragonet's claws, even newly hatched, were no joke and though the Candidates had been warned, it was hard to keep out of the way when there were two of them - and they'd been fast. Faranth, he hoped that pair had used up all the headstrong energy of the clutch.

Novath seemed unconcerned. }:They are fighters.:{

**Let's hope they take down Thread with as much determination.** V'karel refocused on the rest of the clutch, which thankfully was going more smoothly. Another little green, this one bright emerald, had come for the friend of the girl who'd Impressed earlier, and he could see the tears of gratitude and relief shining on her face. A blue hatchling came wandering dazedly almost up to Valbath, but veered away when Novath snorted at him, staggered along the edge of the stands and finally sat down in front of a small dark-haired boy who looked young enough for his first time on the Sands. "Shells, I've forgotten to count. Let's see, a bronze, two browns, five blues, or was it six..."

Seven. His eye was caught by an egg that shivered and split into two perfect halves, revealing a blue who seemed stunned by the sudden onslaught of light and the swelling rise and fall of roars from the crowd. Cautiously, he stretched out a claw onto the sand and took one unsteady step, then another. A boy approached, then two more, but he kept going, his confidence growing.

More than half the eggs had hatched now, the ranks of the Candidates were thinning and the cavern was sweltering, humid with the breath of hundreds of excited spectators and their steaming outer garments. V'karel hardly noticed, though he unconsciously tugged at the neck of his shirt. Once, he leaned forward, heart in his mouth as a green wandered near the stand where he knew his daughters were sitting. He'd been adamant they couldn't Stand here unless they committed to being Dragonsfall candidates, it wasn’t respectful otherwise, but not even he could argue with a dragon's choice... But the hatchling veered away, and he couldn't tell whether he was relieved or, in his heart, regretful.

Last updated on the November 2nd 2026

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The Stars Align (2/3)