Hello loves! While I haven't been writing, I have been working on updating some issues that have been hanging around on the layout! The Character change box is now at the bottom of the page, beside the up/down arrows! Green and Gold dragon flight dates have been shifted to the bottom of the page, where the (useless!) discord widget was located. Where the dragon flights were in the header, is now replaced by a Monthly Event box! This will be updated at the start of each month, with a fun mini-event you can take part in, if you want to! Thistle!
14.Aug.19, 09:36 PM
Being on the Sands with Thallyath was a thoroughly uncomfortable state of affairs for Faxxonth. The little gold absolutely radiated negative emotions - anger, hatred, disgust, resignation - a number of them aimed at Faxxonth, and he was far too close to the source of the emotions to feel safe or like he could move even a little bit. Faxxonth melted in relief when Xyxyth arrived and settled in to stand by him. With the big bronze there Faxxonth felt like he could breathe again, and he made a soft noise of appreciation, thanking Xyxyth for risking Thallyath’s ire to stand with him.
Nerreh was glad Faxx had a friend standing with him for this. He didn’t know if he would still be on the Sands if he didn’t have Casa there with him. Maybe it was more that Nerreh was standing with Casa. Either way, neither of them wanted to be alone just then. Nerreh was going to have to give A’tay a hug after this was over to thank him.
Both Nerreh and Faxxonth jumped a little when an egg let out a ’crack,’ turning to stare at the egg as it properly broke open. Faxxonth let out a distressed sound, cutting it off from being a proper wail (Thallyath still worried him too much to risk it), and Nerreh stared in wide-eyed shock at the tiny green body that emerged, every bump and knob of her skeleton clearly visible. She was so…broken looking, Nerreh thought numbly, unable to fully process a dragonet looking so terrible. Had she ever, even after the Landslide, seen a dragon in such poor condition? He didn’t think so.
And then the dragonet fell completely still. Faxxonth keened softly, so shaken by the dragonet’s appearance and immediate passing that it didn’t even seem fully real. Nerreh stared blankly at the emaciated body. She was so tiny…
Before either of them had processed the death of the first dragonet, a second spilled out of its egg. Nerreh thought the tiny, equally gaunt dragonet’s hide - definitely blue - looked a lot like the midnight color of Faxxonth’s adult hide, though even darker in the moment from the dampness due to being inside an egg. Faxxonth softly trilled in agreement at the thought, craning his neck to get a better look, breath held in desperate concern for this second hatchling - would this one live?
Nerreh gasped as the little blue managed to stand up, the entire process looking like it pained him greatly. He startled when Casa grabbed his hand, but as soon as he realized what was happening he squeezed her hand back as if it were a lifeline as the blue managed to stagger a few steps forward. Faranth, he looked like he would fall apart if a soft breeze blew on him. Nerreh was expecting him to collapse at any moment and join his green sister.
But somehow he managed to find the right person and Impress, and there was a moment where Nerreh was elated, because the dragonet had managed to Impress, and to Misharan, his friend, who wanted a dragon so much. Yet Nerreh could only be happy about the Impression for a heartbeat before it turned into fear; the little blue was so weak, so fragile, what if he didn’t make it the rest of the day, let alone to adulthood? Misha couldn’t become dragonless so young, it wasn’t fair, and if his dragon died it would be Nerreh’s fault because she was a stupid little girl who hadn’t been able to stop her dragon from catching a gold. Her stupid fault. Nerreh didn’t concern himself with the fact that when people were being dicks about Faxxonth it wasn’t their fault, but when people or dragons got hurt it was clearly his fault (his fault, never Faxx’s). Guilt never liked to be straightforward.
’Please be okay, please be okay,’ Nerreh chanted silently, directing the words toward Misharan and his dragon. At least the little guy was eating now, Nerreh decided, as the Weyrlingmaster, his assistants, and a handful of the Healers swarmed around the newly bonded pair. That had to count for something, right? An indication he would make it? Faxxonth trilled soft encouragement at the delicate blue, relieved at least this one had a chance.
For the moment the remaining eggs lay still, and while some people watched them closely, searching for any sign of movement, most kept their eyes on the blue as he was fed, the usual meat chunks having been turned into practically a paste by the Weyrling staff and the Healers so he could spend as little energy as possible in order to eat them. Many people seemed as if they were waiting for him to keel over, leaving his new bonded behind. Nerreh hated them for it. As the minutes dragged on, the dragonet continued to defy the hopes of the people who thought the entire Clutch was an abomination and wanted nothing of it to make it through the day. Faxxonth twitched his tail nervously, obsessively tracking his son’s progress. His attention was only pulled away when a hushed mutering started up as a third egg started rocking. He turned to watch it hopefully, thinking maybe it would hatch, Impress, and hang on like its brother.
It didn’t hatch quickly, rocking for quite a while before cracks appeared. After the first dew cracks, the egg stilled, prompting people to whisper that maybe this one had died before even fully breaking out of its shell. Nerreh’s hand tightened on Casa’s, his free hand balled into a fist at his side, knuckles white. Not another one.
Then the egg moved again and Nerreh shuddered in momentary relief; it wasn’t dead yet, at least. There was another pause, then the egg opened up, revealed another distorted, skeletal dragonet, this one’s hide a garish yellow-green. She lay still for several long breaths, desperately needing to rest after breaking through the thick shell of her egg. With a piteous whine she tried to stand up, feet scrabbling for purchase on the sand beneath her. Some of the Candidates took a few steps toward her, while most of them hung back, questioning whether they were willing to Impress to such a pathetic creature. She swung her oversized head around, giant eyes sad as if begging someone to help her, anyone. With a surge of determination she managed to stand, legs in an inelegant sprawl, trembling with the effort to support her pitiful weight. For a heartbeat Nerreh was sure she’d take a step, make it to one of the Candidates.
But it was not to be. The green moaned softly, as her thin legs collapsed beneath her, sending her tiny body crashing back to the sand. She lay in a messy heap, twitching as if she were trying to summon up the energy to try to stand again but failing. Eventually the twitching slowed, then stopped. The dragonet lay still.
“No!” Nerreh said angrily, eyes prickling, “Damnit!” It wasn’t fair, she had been standing up, it wasn’t fair. Faxxonth started keening, the sound turning into a moan of despair. He couldn’t do this anymore. He just couldn’t, it was too hard, he had never wanted this. All the energy seeped out of him, and Faxxonth took a few steps back, bumping into Xyxyth and practically wilting against him at the contact. This was too much, he wanted it to stop, and Faxxonth pressed his head into his bronze friend’s side, as if Xyxyth could hide him from this Hatching.
Nerreh was glad Faxx had a friend standing with him for this. He didn’t know if he would still be on the Sands if he didn’t have Casa there with him. Maybe it was more that Nerreh was standing with Casa. Either way, neither of them wanted to be alone just then. Nerreh was going to have to give A’tay a hug after this was over to thank him.
Both Nerreh and Faxxonth jumped a little when an egg let out a ’crack,’ turning to stare at the egg as it properly broke open. Faxxonth let out a distressed sound, cutting it off from being a proper wail (Thallyath still worried him too much to risk it), and Nerreh stared in wide-eyed shock at the tiny green body that emerged, every bump and knob of her skeleton clearly visible. She was so…broken looking, Nerreh thought numbly, unable to fully process a dragonet looking so terrible. Had she ever, even after the Landslide, seen a dragon in such poor condition? He didn’t think so.
And then the dragonet fell completely still. Faxxonth keened softly, so shaken by the dragonet’s appearance and immediate passing that it didn’t even seem fully real. Nerreh stared blankly at the emaciated body. She was so tiny…
Before either of them had processed the death of the first dragonet, a second spilled out of its egg. Nerreh thought the tiny, equally gaunt dragonet’s hide - definitely blue - looked a lot like the midnight color of Faxxonth’s adult hide, though even darker in the moment from the dampness due to being inside an egg. Faxxonth softly trilled in agreement at the thought, craning his neck to get a better look, breath held in desperate concern for this second hatchling - would this one live?
Nerreh gasped as the little blue managed to stand up, the entire process looking like it pained him greatly. He startled when Casa grabbed his hand, but as soon as he realized what was happening he squeezed her hand back as if it were a lifeline as the blue managed to stagger a few steps forward. Faranth, he looked like he would fall apart if a soft breeze blew on him. Nerreh was expecting him to collapse at any moment and join his green sister.
But somehow he managed to find the right person and Impress, and there was a moment where Nerreh was elated, because the dragonet had managed to Impress, and to Misharan, his friend, who wanted a dragon so much. Yet Nerreh could only be happy about the Impression for a heartbeat before it turned into fear; the little blue was so weak, so fragile, what if he didn’t make it the rest of the day, let alone to adulthood? Misha couldn’t become dragonless so young, it wasn’t fair, and if his dragon died it would be Nerreh’s fault because she was a stupid little girl who hadn’t been able to stop her dragon from catching a gold. Her stupid fault. Nerreh didn’t concern himself with the fact that when people were being dicks about Faxxonth it wasn’t their fault, but when people or dragons got hurt it was clearly his fault (his fault, never Faxx’s). Guilt never liked to be straightforward.
’Please be okay, please be okay,’ Nerreh chanted silently, directing the words toward Misharan and his dragon. At least the little guy was eating now, Nerreh decided, as the Weyrlingmaster, his assistants, and a handful of the Healers swarmed around the newly bonded pair. That had to count for something, right? An indication he would make it? Faxxonth trilled soft encouragement at the delicate blue, relieved at least this one had a chance.
For the moment the remaining eggs lay still, and while some people watched them closely, searching for any sign of movement, most kept their eyes on the blue as he was fed, the usual meat chunks having been turned into practically a paste by the Weyrling staff and the Healers so he could spend as little energy as possible in order to eat them. Many people seemed as if they were waiting for him to keel over, leaving his new bonded behind. Nerreh hated them for it. As the minutes dragged on, the dragonet continued to defy the hopes of the people who thought the entire Clutch was an abomination and wanted nothing of it to make it through the day. Faxxonth twitched his tail nervously, obsessively tracking his son’s progress. His attention was only pulled away when a hushed mutering started up as a third egg started rocking. He turned to watch it hopefully, thinking maybe it would hatch, Impress, and hang on like its brother.
It didn’t hatch quickly, rocking for quite a while before cracks appeared. After the first dew cracks, the egg stilled, prompting people to whisper that maybe this one had died before even fully breaking out of its shell. Nerreh’s hand tightened on Casa’s, his free hand balled into a fist at his side, knuckles white. Not another one.
Then the egg moved again and Nerreh shuddered in momentary relief; it wasn’t dead yet, at least. There was another pause, then the egg opened up, revealed another distorted, skeletal dragonet, this one’s hide a garish yellow-green. She lay still for several long breaths, desperately needing to rest after breaking through the thick shell of her egg. With a piteous whine she tried to stand up, feet scrabbling for purchase on the sand beneath her. Some of the Candidates took a few steps toward her, while most of them hung back, questioning whether they were willing to Impress to such a pathetic creature. She swung her oversized head around, giant eyes sad as if begging someone to help her, anyone. With a surge of determination she managed to stand, legs in an inelegant sprawl, trembling with the effort to support her pitiful weight. For a heartbeat Nerreh was sure she’d take a step, make it to one of the Candidates.
But it was not to be. The green moaned softly, as her thin legs collapsed beneath her, sending her tiny body crashing back to the sand. She lay in a messy heap, twitching as if she were trying to summon up the energy to try to stand again but failing. Eventually the twitching slowed, then stopped. The dragonet lay still.
“No!” Nerreh said angrily, eyes prickling, “Damnit!” It wasn’t fair, she had been standing up, it wasn’t fair. Faxxonth started keening, the sound turning into a moan of despair. He couldn’t do this anymore. He just couldn’t, it was too hard, he had never wanted this. All the energy seeped out of him, and Faxxonth took a few steps back, bumping into Xyxyth and practically wilting against him at the contact. This was too much, he wanted it to stop, and Faxxonth pressed his head into his bronze friend’s side, as if Xyxyth could hide him from this Hatching.
