Kyornon's wher-hide boots thumped on the burning sands. Even through the thick boots, his feet felt like flaming ashes were scorching them. The adult dragons were beginning hum. Every second, the humming grew slightly in volume until the humming was nearly unbearable. As the humming came to a forte, more eager young Candidates in their white robes entered the Hatching Grounds. The females stood on one side of the circle, the males on the other. Off to the other side was the prized, golden queen egg.
"After all," Kyornon thought silently, "It is a Pass. I wonder what color dragonet I'll Impress. Perhaps a blue? A brown, maybe? Maybe even a bronze!" Kyornon longed to hold an important position in Benden Weyr. Perhaps even Weyrleader. He would be pleased with Wing Second as well, but as long as he was a dragonrider, he would be happy.
Kyornon was snapped out of his thoughts by a sharp cracking noise. The first egg was hatching! With a few more cracks and snaps the first dragon emerged. It was a green. It swung its head from side to side. After a few swings, she clumsily trampled over to the female's semi-circle. As the green decided who her life mate would be, a blue emerged from his furiously rocking shell and stood there uneasily, as if it was not sure what to do next. Soon enough, the blue had walked over to a small, meek boy. More eggs began rocking wildly as more and more eggs were being hatched
"Grimth!" the boy shouted in surprise. Apparently, the boy had Impressed the mellow blue. The green, mean while had injured two of the females until settling on a rider.
The rest of the Impression went on like this. A few Candidates had gotten badly mauled by the confused dragonets and had to be taken off of the Hatching Grounds by medics.
About half of the eggs had been Impressed, yet Kyornon was still on the harsh, scorching sands. He began to doubt if he would even get the chance to Impress. No dragon had given him so much as a glance so far. Suddenly, another dragonet fought its way out of the constraining shell. Its hide was the color of klah, but slightly lighter. He swung its head from side to side, ignoring the females completely. While the brown's head swung around, thoughts of that first, vicious green came rushing to his head. Kyornon dearly hoped that he wouldn't have the same fate as the two girls that the green had mauled. Thoughts whirled so quickly through his head, he didn't notice as the brown approached him. His heart thumped even faster now as he tried to find out if the brown meant to attack him.
I am Norenth. The brown told Kyornon. I am hungry. Feed me. Kyornon gave Norenth a couple large chunks of raw meat. The newly hatched brown gobbled up the fleshy chunks ravenously. I want more. Norenth replied haughtily. There is more inside the hall. Come on, follow me. K'non informed the dragonet.
Tantalized by the promise of more food, Norenth obediently followed his new rider to the tables overflowing with meat. As they neared the tables, Norenth quickened his step. Soon, Norenth was devouring chunk after chunk of meat, without any sort of end in sight. K'non wondered if the stomachs of newly hatched dragons were bottomless pits. Of course not! We just get really hungry while we are in the egg, mine. Norenth told K'non between mouthfuls of meat.
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