Sarushi was alerted to the hatching of the clutch by the mother's enraged scream. Judging by the talking and mutterings in the halls, he guessed the female bronze had just found out that her mate was a twin. He poked his head out of his room. "What's going on?" He asked the nearest person.
They answered, "Akyoth's eggs are beginning to rock! She thinks there's not enough candidates because her mate's a twin."
Sarushi drew back into his room, walking over to the small table where his white candidacy robe lay. He threw on the robe and whistled for his two fire lizards, Quey and Koet, who burst from between in front of him and landed on either shoulder.
Sarushi stepped out of his room-still limping slightly, his broken bone had not quite completely healed yet-and walked to the hatching sands.
The candidates were lead onto the sands by a young winged wolf, Sarushi trailing near the back. He watched excitedly as the first of the bronze's eggs hatched. A large bronze dragonet shook the sand from his hide before choosing his rider, and the first new pair left the sands.
The next egg revealed twin greens, the first bonding quickly, while the second was spurred on by the hatching of a third egg.
Four dragonets stood on the sands now, two were red and black, one was a dark oily yellow color, and the last was a normal green. The green was first to bond, and she jumped up, racing to her bond.
The oil-as the yellow-black dragon called himself-was next to bond, and the young man left the sands with his dragon.
The first of the red-and-black twins jumped up and declared to everyone that she would not bond. An arguement between the hatchling and her dam ensued, but the little doom dragon won out in the end. Another green bonded, then there was a group of six blues, from four eggs.
Two of the blues raced towards the candidates, and Sarushi watched them half-hopefully, but the hatchlings veered off, and stood looking up at the stands.
A little four-turn-old boy stood up, giggling and named his two dragons. There was much gasping and muttering in the crowds, but the parents seemed pleased.
Three of the other blues quickly paired off then, leaving only one blue sitting in the sand. It stood up, and the female dragonet spread her wings proudly, showing off her sunrise-like markings over her body. The dawn dragon looked up at the stands and called to her rider, and then they left the sands.
The second doom dragon was still undecided, and both she and Sarushi watched as a pair of twin browns emerged. With a flick of his tail, the first brown decided not to bond. The other sat down in front of the candidates, looking them over.
At the same time, two pairs of twin blues were hatching, though three of them were tiny. The first of the blues, the only normal sized one, sat down unsuredly beside his doom sister. The other three miniature dragons bonded to a group of ranchers.
Finally, the doom moved, straight to one of the female candidates. The next egg to hatch revealed a second bronze. Sarushi watched jealously as the hatchling moved unerringly twoards his bond. Finally, the brown whose twin had bonded earlier stepped forward and chose his bond. Yet another pair were lead off the sands as Sarushi waited impatiently.
Two more browns hatched, one a female. The female bonded, followed by the blue, who had finally decided to bond. A second oil and the brown dragonet bonded, then a pair of greens.
A brown hatched, shouting out ot his chosen, and the young man grinned as he went to his dragon. Another pair of twin blues hatched, and to their mother's chagrin, both decided to go unbonded.
One of the female candidates helped a green-white from her shell, and there were only five eggs left, including the queen. Two brown dragons hatched. The first moved towards the male candidates and chose his bond.
Sarushi looked on as the second brown approached the candidates. He blinked in surprise when the hatchling stopped in front of him, and he smiled. "Ujanforth." He accepted the dragon happily, and lead his new charge off the sands.