The First Hatching - The Time Is Now
The hum started with the great Queen herself. Floanth hummed deeply to her eggs, all fifteen rocking slightly. The dragonets inside were ready to hatch, it was time. The hum was picked up by Gallant, the bronze deeper than the Queen and going through all the dragons in the Weyr. The air itself was humming and instantly spurred everyone into action.
Z’lan scrambled from his Weyr, quickly mounting Evreth for the short glide down to the candidate barracks. He sent Chanti ahead of him. The gold fire lizard whipped through the halls of the barracks, calling over and over to get the candidates up and ready. When Evreth hit the ground, Z’lan quickly jumped off.
“It’s time,” he yelled into the barracks. “Get your Impression clothing on and report to the sands! Oh! And put on your boots. The Sands are hot.”
People from all over the Weyr were gathering in the stands. Dragons and riders were perching overhead. The whole population of the Weyr was coming for this, the first Hatching and the first Impressions for the new Weyr. Many knew this would set the tone for the whole Weyr. Sucessful Impressions, strong pairs would make stronger Wings for when Thread finally came.
Many were also interested in seeing how the strangers would do. Would they Impress or would the dragonets only choose Pernese natives? They had to see how this Hatching would go.
“Remember, boys with boys, girls with girls. Let the dragonets come to you and do not upset the Queen,” Z’lan said as he herded the group towards the Sands.
The Weyrleader was waiting at the entrance, his bronze Gallanth sitting behind him. He was very interested in seeing this group. He was the most interested in the strangers. Many of them were above traditional Impression age, but the dragons had insisted. He didn’t know what this would mean for his Weyr.
He nodded at Z’lan as he got near. “Good luck,” he said to the candidates as they passed.
Z’lan made sure everyone was in the correct spot with a wide enough gap between the genders that a dragon’s choice would be clear. Of course the candidates would know when they Impressed but it was easier for the dragonets.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said. “Just trust the dragonets.”
With that, he stepped back and watched the rocking, cracking eggs.
Z’lan scrambled from his Weyr, quickly mounting Evreth for the short glide down to the candidate barracks. He sent Chanti ahead of him. The gold fire lizard whipped through the halls of the barracks, calling over and over to get the candidates up and ready. When Evreth hit the ground, Z’lan quickly jumped off.
“It’s time,” he yelled into the barracks. “Get your Impression clothing on and report to the sands! Oh! And put on your boots. The Sands are hot.”
People from all over the Weyr were gathering in the stands. Dragons and riders were perching overhead. The whole population of the Weyr was coming for this, the first Hatching and the first Impressions for the new Weyr. Many knew this would set the tone for the whole Weyr. Sucessful Impressions, strong pairs would make stronger Wings for when Thread finally came.
Many were also interested in seeing how the strangers would do. Would they Impress or would the dragonets only choose Pernese natives? They had to see how this Hatching would go.
“Remember, boys with boys, girls with girls. Let the dragonets come to you and do not upset the Queen,” Z’lan said as he herded the group towards the Sands.
The Weyrleader was waiting at the entrance, his bronze Gallanth sitting behind him. He was very interested in seeing this group. He was the most interested in the strangers. Many of them were above traditional Impression age, but the dragons had insisted. He didn’t know what this would mean for his Weyr.
He nodded at Z’lan as he got near. “Good luck,” he said to the candidates as they passed.
Z’lan made sure everyone was in the correct spot with a wide enough gap between the genders that a dragon’s choice would be clear. Of course the candidates would know when they Impressed but it was easier for the dragonets.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said. “Just trust the dragonets.”
With that, he stepped back and watched the rocking, cracking eggs.