Author's Note: Okay, I'm done teasing you guys. ;) Although this chapter had fewer words in it than I originally imagined, hopefully it turned out okay. Thanks for sticking with me. Hugs to my readers! :D
Chapter 11
Seriam stood there on the sands, grateful for her thick-soled sandals. Even with them on, she could still feel the heat coming up through the soles of her feet, making her sweat. She looked around, trying to locate her friends. She had squeezed Caesey's hand one last time, for good luck, on her way onto the sands, but had lost track of them after that. The churning in her belly almost made her regret the meatroll she had eaten earlier. It wouldn't do for her to throw up all over the sands, so she stood there and repeated her mantra. Welcoming thoughts, open mind, welcoming thoughts, open mind… On and on it went, running in circles like a sun-struck wherry.
The first egg split wide open, its occupant spilling out onto the sands. The small dragonet tossed his head, sending the shell spinning off of his bright blue hide. He staggered to his feet, and galloped in an awkward, flopping gate straight to one of the candidates.
Jordann looked down in surprise. He had been so sure he was destined for a bronze… Maybe if he just looked away…
But then he actually stared at the small, perfect dragonet in front of him. All ideas of what he had been "destined" for flew right out of his head.
"His name is Porianth!" Jordann's voice rang out in triumph, his face reflecting nothing but love and disbelief.
Jordann? A BLUE? Well, I guess stranger things have happened… Seriam let out the breath she had been holding, and looked back at the eggs. Two more had hatched, and a brown and bronze marched over to Jordann's cronies. Seriam felt slightly miffed, but started back in on her mantra.
Two of the smaller eggs broke apart at the same time, and two almost identical dark green hatchlings went crawling across the sands. Seriam watched one, when her eyes were pulled up to the great golden egg.
For all that it had been the first to start wobbling, the golden egg had taken its time about actually hatching. Finally, a large split halved the shell, and a regal-looking dragonet reared a honey-colored head, looking down the line of candidates. Seriam sucked in a breath. She was just too beautiful for Seriam to be able to look away. Where the other dragonets had seemed almost clownish, she carried herself with a royal air, graceful even from birth. The great, jewel-toned eyes locked with Seriam's, and she felt her eyes go wide…
And then the world went spinning out from under her feet. Seriam landed on the hatching grounds, bracing herself with her hands, just as a dark shape pounced on her midsection. Her hands stung for an instant, and she felt small talons digging into her thighs and one of her arms, when she was once again entranced by a pair of whirling, blue-yellow eyes.
S'am, I am hungry, you need to feed me. A boisterous voice sounded in her head.
"Wha?" Seriam felt the grin starting to spread, splitting her face wide. She didn't notice the pain from the hardening talons, or from the hot sands. "You say you're hungry? Well, let's get you fed!"
The small, dark green dragonet launched herself off of S'am, heading for the buckets of meat. Small wings, way too tiny to actually fly, flapped and flopped awkwardly, as if the dragonet was going to take off. S'am levered herself up, and then noticed the blood on her robes.
"Oh." She said in a small voice. She picked herself up and, grimacing, started walking back across the sands, trailing behind her headstrong new friend. A couple of figures headed towards her, and reached her just as she reached the edge of the sands. She leaned gratefully against the strong arm, too busy focusing on her destination to even notice who held her.
"Steady there, we'll get you to her and sit you down. Luckily we always have numbweed on hand, and these wounds look like they should be pretty superficial. Hey, what's her name?" The soothing sound of Healer Oryion spoke softly in her ear.
"Piranth. Her name is Piranth."