Mind Pair 10
Clutching Story
When you enter the Deep Cavern you see a young woman sitting behind a desk
paying no attention at all to a very irritated night drak that's trying to
arrange her eggs.
"You!" the drak says.
"Yes?"
"Help me finish this Big Dipper configuration and I think Lilith might pay
attention to me and my eggs."
"I wouldn't." the woman calls from behind the desk, "And if you want to sign
up to be an aspirant, the form's on the door. Good luck."
The night drak sighs, "I wouldn't mind being pampered a bit, but anyway you
should really try out for my clutch."
Mind Pair
At noon, the castle vibrant and lively with the sounds and smells of lunch,
Night Tebanaki suddenly felt that the time of her eggs was near. For one,
they were shaking. But not only that, she could also feel them, the small
presences of her children. Even in their eggs she felt that each of them was
different and unique.
"It's happening." she told her knight, who was, as usual, reading.
"The hatching?" Lilith asked.
"Yes. Right now."
Lilith wasted no time and rushed out of the deep cavern, alerting anyone she
saw to the imminent mind pairing. If only she could remember where the
aspirant chambers were. But then, who'd be there in the middle of the day?
Realising her mistake she took the next turn toward the canteen.
About an hour later the aspirants, staff and inhabitants of DesCas had
finally gathered outside of the deep cavern. The cool water of it's indoor
fountain chimed pleasantly but did not help soothe the tension in the air.
When the door swung open and the black-gold Tebanaki appeared everyone held
their breath. In the silence that followed only the tapping of little claws
on stone floor could be heard as 24 little feet set foot in the room. The
six draklings sat down in front of their mother in one neat row.
Tebanaki nudged the first one, a forest female, to take a step forward.
After a first hesitant moment the forest just dashed to the one she
wanted. Instinctively she had known that Stinga was the one for her.
"My name is Waikiki." she said, "Want me to show you my wings?"
"Ok." Stinga said hesitating, "Do you want some food?"
"Yes please!"
The second female, a delicately spotted rain, stepped into the light. She
looked at her mother for a moment and as the Night drak nodded, she stepped
toward Hitomi, the boyish girl with the slightly slanted eyes and
said:
"I've heard much about you. My name is Uikiki."
"You did?" Hitomi asked, "Whatever bad they spoke of was a lie."
"Really? Because I really loved your bad side." the drakling grinned.
The third drakling, a day drak and the third female hopped behind her
rain-coloured sister and threw herself in the arms of Kaleah. Two
round big eyes stared at the ever-sunny girl and a high-pitched voice sang:
"I am Reykiki-i-i."
"Can you whistle?" Kaleah asked.
The drakling blinked and then shook her head.
"Good, me neither." Kaleah grinned, "but maybe we can learn it together."
Halfway through the mind pair and so far everything h gone smooth. All
hatchlings had been female thus far and from the colouring of the remaining
draklings, only one was male for certain. But it was the wind female that
made her move next. She'd watched closely as her three sisters had paired.
She strode elegantly across the floor, her claws barely making a sound. She
stopped in front of the last female aspirant, Anne, and gave her an
approving look.
"You're just my type, though a bit rough around the edges, "the wind spoke,
"You may call me Kokiki."
Tebanaki's fifth drakling, an ore, turned out to be male and he took his
sweet time looking over the remaining two aspirants, two actors from one of
the villages around Descas. Much to the dismay of his plant brother who got
held back by his mother when he tried to cut in.
Finally he stood up and stepped towards Bearn, the older of the two.
Well-manicured and finely clothed the man did look on top of his game.
"My name is Genkiki." the ore said, "it'll be a pleasure to work with you."
It was finally the plant drak's turn and he could barely contain himself
when he ran more than walked toward Tatar. Swishing his tail in
dismay he uttered in a quiet voice, "I understand my mother when she said a
true man lets a woman go first, but why did I have to wait for my brother
when he's indecisive anyway?"
"Does that mean you would've rather paired Bearn?" Tatar asked slyly.
"Such a boring man? No way, at least with you I'll have fun."
This comment caused disapproving looks from several knights to be turned on
the duo.
Stinga
and Forest Waikiki (f) - Trainer: Darapti and Rain Aosihari (Judge)
Hitomi and Rain Uikiki
(f) - Trianer: Rhaeen and Forest Madalloski (Jousting)
Kaleah and Day Reykiki (f)- Trianer: Meryk and Fire Quaryet (Knight)
Anne and Wind Kokiki (f) - Trianer: Renylt and Desert Vanryet (Knight)
Bearn and Ore Genkiki
(m) - Trianer: Twan and Ore Merilka (Judge)
Tatar and Plant Xaokiki
(m) - Trianer: Quinn and Mud Evanderi (Knight)
