Authors note: Disclaimer that I did not make these dragons. Only Anne McCaffery can bring her dragon to life.
They say Lytara has always been fighter. She fought for anything she wanted or deserved. Wouldn't she be the perfect candidate for a dragon?
The feisty girl thought of this raising her self-esteem as she entered the Benden Hatching Grounds. Lytara came from Fort Weyr and had dreamed of being searched. She did deserve to be, didn't she? She was strong, bold, self assured and brave, why even her parents believed their daughter was the perfect rider of a gold.
The sands were hotter than she imagined as the scorching heat seeped through her thin sandals. Feeling the heat rise through her body she became less comfortable. Only a few other girls gathered around the golden egg. Women were less common dragon folk than males. Occasionally a girl or two would impress the green fighting dragon or even, yet scarcely a blue.
Lytara didn't care for the lower dragon ranks, but only the have the highest position of a queen rider. No matter what she'd have to go through she will impress that glorious golden Dragon.
Humming's of the dragons grown louder as the first egg began to rock. As long as it wasn't a Gold, Lytara heeded no attention. She dared to approach closer to the golden egg. Her legs moved her lanky body forward as if she had no control over them. She could almost hear her hands begin to touch the egg.
A huge growled emitted from the clutch mother, Queen Syderinth as if reading Lytara's mind. The bold girl froze as still as ice, but melted back to the circle of other female candidates. This place sure is hot. She thought airing out her stiff white candidate robe.
A cry of pain tore through a young candidates mouth. She sharply turned her head towards the boy. The sight was mortifying. Poor boy, he was bleeding from malignant wounds. A small bronze dragonet stood behind him stretching his feeble wings.
There are times where dragonets can be aggressive and that could lead to devastating results. What if I get mauled by the gold? She thought in worry. She could see the girls worrying over the same subject. Gold's tend to be the most aggressive.
Biting her lower lip, Lytara stood strong. It wouldn't be much longer to hatch, would it?
The ruthless bronze ended up impressing some buff boy. He screamed with joy "Tantaleth!" embracing his bronze dragon. Obviously this was the name of his dragon. A few more impressions were made including a bunch of greens and blues. Some were lucky ones ending up with a brown or a majestic bronze. Yet nothing can compare to the soon to be Golden Queen who only impresses girls.
Just how long would she have to wait? Shards! The longer she waits the hotter she'll get. Already a pool of perspiration gathered above her brow.
The injured boy just laid there crying somberly whimpering in pain. Was there anyone to help him? Surely the audience would have a healer in the crowd. A small scrawny blue approached him cooing and nudging him. The boy choked on his new dragon's name: "Helepith!" He cried then fell limply on the burning sands. Helepith cried ten blinked out of sight, never to be seen again.
The dragons mourned the loss of the boy and his dragon as they are no more, but Lytara was more concentrated on the golden egg which began to budge. The dragons fell to an eerie silence. This was it! Lytara's life would change from this day on. She would now be known as Lytara, weyrwoman of Benden. How splendid would it be to be known among all the people of Pern? She wished her parents to see her glory.
A split went down the egg as the dragon within struggled to escape. Metallic shards diffused throughout the grounds as a disgraceful creature emerged from the shell shaking off the gooey membrane revealing a golden hide.
Lytara's eyes widened focusing on the queen dragonet. The little dragon lifted her head looking side to side for her true rider. Turning her slender body she wobbled toward Lytara. Grinning broadly she kneeled down before her. The gold stopped and sniffed her curiously. Lifting her forepaws they landed on her shoulders and forcefully pushed her down on the burning sands.
Oh how it burned! Each second was piercing pain. Gaining balance, Lytara noticed blood from her left shoulder. That dratted gold dug her claws in her flesh!
Searching for the gold dragonet she found her besides a light blonde haired girl crying besides her. "Her name is Kylarinith!" Crying in joy the new weyrwoman lead her dragon to the feeding grounds.
Lytara was in utmost shock. The queen didn't choose her? A total overwhelming feeling of despair, denial, neglect and rejection overflowed the girl. A dragon was simply not for her. Lytara would move on to greater things other than dragons. (If there were any.)
She started walking off the hatching grounds like a few others while some girls stayed hoping to get a chance at a green. Silly of them, she thought. Greens are fighter dragons and they need someone strong to face Thread, not puny girls.
You're not puny. She heard a voice say. Something was different. She didn't feel that same, as if her soul has been completed, as if a void was filled in her heart. Turning around she saw a small emerald dragonet with looking at her with jeweled swirling blue earnest eyes.
I'm Crysenth.
Falling to her knees, Lytara cried happily. How could she ever wanted that cruel some gold beast when she has a sleek, swift emerald green? Hugging her long neck she cried her name for all of Benden to hear.
"But you're a fighter a dragon?"
Don't they say that you yourself is a fighter?