Castle DeCorvo - First and Last Hatching Story

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Outside, the weather was sunny and bright and warm. The Draks and their Knights were flying about, enjoying the nice weather and the faint breeze. A number of Draks were reclining on the outer cliffs of DeCorvo, sunning blissfully. All seemed just too good to be true, and too good not to take advantage of.

Inside, however, it was cold, stuffy, dark, and crowded.

Derakoh huffed angrily; it had been three days since Laerdei had shoved her from the Deep Caverns. She had let Terien, the father of the clutch, remain there, which Derakoh thought must have meant that the clutch wasn't near hatching. She found it quite unlikely that her Rain Drak would allow anyone to see the eggs hatch, not even her own mate. The High Princess leaned against the wall of the tunnel just outside the entrance to the Deep Caverns, waiting and trying to remember how long ago it had been since Laerdei had laid the clutch. More than enough time, likely... shouldn't the clutch be hatching soon?

She was joined in a few minutes by Kekardei, the castle's only Judge and a long-time friend of the High Princess. "Good day," the Forest Drak greeted. "Fine weather, issn't it?"

"I'm afraid I haven't been outside all day," Derakoh replied with a sigh. "Been waiting here. It'd be about time for the clutch to hatch, wouldn't it?"

"Yess," Kekardei agreed. "I've been waiting for ssomeone to bring that up, to ssay the truth." She cast a dark glance down the long, dark tunnel that led to the Deep Caverns. "Sshe's been awfully ssecretive about it."

"I wonder what my lovely steed is planning," Derakoh said in a rather flat tone. "She hasn't mentioned anything to me at all, and she knows I hate that."

"If you wanted me to, I could go and assk," Kekardei offered. Derakoh shook her head.

"It's alright, I'll just wait."

"If you inssist. However, I think Terien iss coming with ssome newss."

Derakoh nearly leapt at this, hoping it meant what she thought it meant. She'd been preparing for this for many months, now. "Get ready to fetch all the Aspirants," she said to Kekardei with a stifled grin.

"Derakoh!" Terien greeted before he had even emerged from the tunnel. "It iss good to ssee you, as alwayss. The eggss have begun to hatch! Laerdei will bring the children out in a few hourss."

"YES!" Derakoh cheered, "Finally!" she gave Terien a brief hug. "I don't know where that blasted husband of mine is, but find him and get him down here right now!" Terien flashed a toothy grin then left to go find Kireshan, and Kekardei ambled off to the Aspirant barracks to gather them all and bring them down.

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Within the hour, all the Aspirants were gathered; Chitraksh looking stern and a little anxious, Fredje and Nele standing close together, Ulf looking excited and a little nervous, Jonathan apprehensive, Onoen unsure, and Marnys elated. Derakoh was clinging uncharacteristically to Kireshan, her arms around his neck and shoulders. Kekardei reclined off to the side, eagerly watching the proceedings. She was sister to Laerdei, after all, and was quite eager to see her little nieces and nephews, especially as she'd never had a clutch of her own.

"Where's Liasha?" Kireshan asked after Kekardei had announced the arrival of all the attending Aspirants.

"Sshe was recalled," the Forest Drak said sadly. "For what reasson I do not know. It hass been awhile ssince we've heard from Lav'intay Casstle, hassn't it?"

"Yes, I was planning on sending a Fairy Drak to them in a few days," Derakoh said, still clinging to her husband. "I suppose I'll send one tomorrow-"

Suddenly, there was an abrupt fanfare of Drak voices, as Laerdei and Terien (who had retreated back to the Deep Caverns after retrieving Kireshan) began the march to the cavern's exit. Derakoh grinned even more broadly and planted a kiss on her husband's cheek.

"We now pressent to you," Laerdei said grandly as she emerged from the tunnel, "The lovely and talented children of Laerdei and Terien." Behind the Rain Drak, there followed a number of small, ambling forms in a dazzling variety of colors. Derakoh counted them proudly; one, two, three, four, five, six... seven?

"You said there were SIX eggs!" Derakoh shouted, before Kireshan smirked and put his arms around her to shut her up.

"And indeed there were," Laerdei smirked back. "I jusst neglected to mention that there wass a sseventh. Come, my beautiful children... Donoeien, Sforzeien, Realeien, Vaseien, Fleurenei, Missalenei, and Koavenei."

All the Draklings emerged in the order that their names were called; Donoeien, a sturdy and bright-eyed Fire; Sforzeien, a Night Drakling, dark-eyed and cunning. Realeien was tall and proud, an Ore Drakling of firm build; Vaseien, though smaller and more slender than his brothers, was still regal in his stance, and his Earth-toned hide was glossy and brilliant. Fleurenei was a dark and elegant Forest, already touting a silky mane; her sister Missalenei was a resplendent Day with remarkably large wings and bright eyes. Koavenei, a Water Drak and the smallest of them all, seemed to smile around at all of them, her neck arched and her wings held with perfect elegance.

Laerdei and Terien gazed over their brood for a while as the gathered people looked on and offered their approval in joyful gasps and awed sighs. Finally, Laerdei gave the nearest Drakling a gentle thump with the end of her tail. "Go on," she chuckled, "Don't be shy. Go and pick out your Knight."

Donoeien nodded to his dam grinned almost sheepishly, showing his teeth. "Chitraksh," he said, in something of a hiccup. He approached the man, looking up at him through his bright eyes. In the dim light of torches, his red and gold hide glittered brightly. "I would like you to be my Knight. Would you take time out of your duties to train with me?"

Laerdei smiled a very toothy grin, as she often did. Derakoh, too, was grinning; Kireshan, his arms still embracing Derakoh's wiry shoulders, looked on with his eyes nearly glowing. The Rain Drak looked happily to the next Drakling in line, and Sforzeien looked back at Laerdei with a soft chirping sound. "Fredje?" he asked, stepping forward out of line to stand up on his hind legs. He was large enough that if he stretched out tall enough, he could nearly look the Aspirant in the eye. "If you would be my Knight, I would be honored." He bowed, and Derakoh let out a soft chuckle.

Realeien did not have to be told to move forward. He took long, kingly steps, his ore-colored wings bouncing softly with each stride. "Ulf," he said boldly, "I think you are worthy enough. Do you think I am?"

Laerdei seemed to be enjoying the whole experience thoroughly. "Going excellently, don't you think?" She asked Derakoh during a slight lull in the action. The High Princess somehow disentangled herself from Kireshan's arms and moved to stand by her Drak.

"I'm enjoying it so far," Derakoh smiled, turning to straighten up a few hairs in Laerdei's mane that had been blown askew. "We're lucky, we got an excellent selection of Aspirants for your clutch. Look, there goes Vaseien."

The Earth Drak made a slow and steady beeline for Jonathan and stood up before him. The Drak probably weighted more than the man did, Derakoh chuckled to herself. "With a little training, I think you'll bulk up a bit," Vaseien said with an innocent tilt of his head. "Would you be my Knight?"

Fleurenei moved out slowly, elegantly. Her mane rustled, moving from side to side as she walked. She was rather small, and when she stood on her hind legs, was only about four feet tall. "Onoen?" She asked, her voice already quite deep. "If this is not too sudden for you, I would like you to be my Knight. Is that all right with you?"

Missalenei seemed intent to make a good impression - she stood up on her hind legs and walked with remarkable stability, leaning forward just slightly to counterbalance her large wings. "Are you happy?" She asked Nele as she approached. "I want to travel when we have graduated. You will be my Knight, won't you?"

Koavenei was the last of all of them, and she stood where she was for a long time. Clearly, her wait was just for show, for after a few moments she grinned toothily and approached Marnys, the last Aspirant standing. "I'm glad that you chose to come here," she said, straining to stand up as tall as she could. "I'd be sad if you hadn't, since then I might not have Paired with anyone. That is, assuming you approve of me. And you do, right?" The tiny Drakling folded her wings and came to rest on all fours, giving up on trying to appear as tall as her siblings.

"What a ssuccesss," Laerdei smiled, watching all of her children. She approached Terien and nipped at his fluffy mane. "Let'ss go out for a hunt," she suggested. "I'm hungry after all of thiss waiting."

"A good idea," Terien replied. Derakoh smiled to the both of them and dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

Kireshan watched the two Draks go, and then his eyes drifted over the newly-Paired young men and women. "They'll make some fine Squires, I think. All of them certainly seem eager enough."

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