Hatching 4
Rain Ponitlo arched her wings and hissed away Xirastos, the mud drak that had sired her clutch. Fleeing out, Xirastos had just enough time to see the soft movement of the eggs before Ponitlo rushed him outside the deep cavern. Just the slightest bit disgruntled, Xirastos turned to the only job he would be allowed to do, alert his rider and the rest of Castle DesCas to announce the imminent hatching of his offspring.
A few hours passed while the aspirants waited in the rooms around the deep cavern, sitting round the underground fountain that was the life of DesCas, enjoying the cool of the stone interior of the cliff-caves, watching the rays of sun that passed through a few openings in the outer walls, move over the floor.
Finally the doors opened and the mother rain walked out alone. Gasps sounded from the audience. The occasional dud egg had been known to happen, but an entire clutch? Suddenly three small forms ran out behind their mother and Ponitlo hissed approvingly:
"Let tsshe hatsssching begin!"
The first of the draklings, a pitch-black night with golden manes stepped carefully away from his mother. Giving the three aspirants a thoughtful look, the young male finally approached the youngest of the aspirants, Theo.
"My name is Argeloosss." He said softly, "I’d like to grow up with you."
"Who says I need to grow up?" Theo answered defyingly, "I’m doing fine now."
"I guesss that’ss why you hang around Quinn all the time. Becausse you can take care of your own."
After this Theo shut up and looked a bit sulky, but after Argeloos had urged him a bit by nuzzling his limp hands, he smiled again and followed his new bond to the feeding area.
The second drakling in the line, a male desert then stood into the wavering light of the midday sun, his sand-brown skin seeming to shift from dull to bright, did not even need to look to the other aspirant after he had seen the first.
"Fayah!" he called, "I know you need someone to let you say ‘I’ for a chance. You shouldn’t always compromise. Let me be your voice of reason."
Fayah laughed out loud, "So voice of reason, do you have a name?"
"Venynloos."
"Let’s go eat then, Venynloos, because my voice of reason is telling me that you’re hungry."
Then it was time for the last drakling to leave it’s mother’s wings, this one was brown-tan in colour, not quite a mud, not really a desert, with a soft orange hue that seemed to suggest some gold as well.
Waving his wings slightly, the male drakling bowed before Hubero, touching the ground swiftly with his nose.
"It is an honour to meet you, my name is Weerloosss."
"Is it now," Hubero asked with an arched eyebrow, in older language the name had meaning which made Hubero wonder how this drakling knew about it. Weerloos meant defenceless, but even if the drakling was now, he would not be so forever.
"It is not I who is defenceless." The drak said cryptically, "It is those I must protect, like you. But first I must eat… and grow."
"Follow me." Hubero said, flourishing an elaborate bow.
"Thank you." The courteous male drak answered, "After you."
With that Ponitlo’s three sons had paired and were now set lose in the world under the caring eye of their squires and the knights that would train them. Ponitlo turned to Xirastos and said: "It is time for me to go to Dun keiba again. Maybe I will return one day."
"If not," Xirastos answered, "Then know that we have three wonderful children and that I am grateful for the time we spent together."

Theo and Night Argeloos - Trained by Quinn and Mud Evanderi (Trainer)
Fayah and Desert Venynloos - Trained by Xantis and Desert Gelontis (Transport)
Hubero and Rust Weerloos - Trained by Zander and Night Perini


Castle  DesCas MAIN