"Is it time?", Moriaya looked up at Nalilath, for once looking quite calm and in control of herself.

Nalilath gaped her maw, one wing unfurled loosely over the eggs. Almost. See? They're trembling in anticipation!, came the cream's laughing mindvoice. Vedra' added his own two marks, rumbling proudly. It was almost time and Mori' could only watch, wide-eyed as the eggs trembled and shook beneath Nali's creamy wing.

"Well, let's get those candidates in, then!", the gryphosi bellowed after another moment of watching. "These babies are about ready to burst." Brief memories of her own children hatching rapidly filtered through her mind and the edges of her beak twisted into a motherly smile. Now she would see her dragon's children and she didn't think she could feel any happier.

The candidates filed in, followed by a few hopeful sponsors; there was always a chance that hatchlings would choose not to bond, a chance enhanced only by their parentage. Mori' hoped that the children would find someone, either among the candidates or in the stands ... she didn't like the idea of the children not finding 'the one' for them.

Nalilath lifted her wing at the very moment one egg burst, dramatically unveiling her beloved brood. A slick purple head poked out of his mother's shadow and the hatchling waddled out into the light. He -- for his proud manner and puffed out chest seemed to prove his masculinity -- strutted out for a moment, then sat heavily on the sands. Apparently, stubborn was another personality trait and he spent his time watching the candidates with a calculating gaze.

He was followed by a red sister and a white brother, both of whom dashed helter-skelter onto the sands and amongst the candidates. The red skidded to a halt in front of Kayamith, snapping her rapidly drying wings out wide as she greeted him. You're mine!, her tone spoke of being a dragon that would someday be as stubborn and difficult as the older blue. Perhaps moreso. I'm Haimototh and I want food now!

Kayamatith fanned a wing, guiding the young red from the sands with a slight, draconic smile. The purple watched this all with a yawn, finally getting off his tail and walking purposefully across the sands. By that time, the white male had sidled up to a not-quite-human being, looking up with a steady and slightly dangerous gaze. Calla? Yes, that’s it. Your name means poison., the dragon gave a toothy grin, a not altogether pleasant one but Calla grinned right back. “That’s right, Tegosumuth. Maybe I can teach you a little of what I am someday.”

While the purple still ambled amongst the remaining candidates, a male blue and a female silver scrambled free of their mottled prisons. A handful of eggs remained, still quivering in the shelter provided by Nalilath’s wing. The blue all but leaped across the sands, tackling Siam and chuffing happily. I’m Safianasath! We’re going to travel someday, aren’t we? Siam laughed and stroked the blue’s neck. “I hope we will.”

The purple finally settled his steady gaze on Impole and, only then, gave his name and nothing more. Gumukanith. Impole nodded simply, one hand resting - however hesitantly - on the hatchling’s slick head.

While she wandered aimlessly, the silver was soon joined by a golden sister; they touched muzzles and the silver walked on to finally seat herself at Kaeli’s feet. Fanning her wings a bit, she gaped her maw, her mindvoice bubbly and bright. Are you excited? I know I am. I can hardly sit still! And, it was true; the little silver was just quivering with excitement, her tail-tip thwapping excitedly in the sand. Her little stomach rumbled with hunger and her eyes went wide. Can we get food first? I’m really hungry right now, but later, let’s go do some fun stuff!

“Yes, Ugangachekath!”, Kaeli laughed and guided her bond - pitifully rumbling stomach included - to the food tables.

For a while, no other eggs seemed to be hatching, leaving the gold all by her lonesome in the spotlight. As it should be, of course; the gold strode proudly across the nearly empty sands and pressed her slick nose into Izmi’s stomach. I’m Kiburitaath and you are the one for me. Of that, I have no doubt.

Izmi burst into a bright grin and she hugged the hatchling gently before rising and slowly walking with her new bond to get food. “I’m glad you’re mine, Kiburi’ … I think we’ll be able to do great things together.”

Lastly there were but four of the smallest eggs left, though not a single candidate had gone unbonded. Nalilath crooned at her four children, fearing along with the rest of the spectators that they were dud eggs. Some began to filter out and join the celebration feast that was just warming up in the main halls, but Vedrajedanth bugled in anger, Wait! Give them a moment... Sure enough, the tiniest of the tiny twitched and rolled, yielding undoubtably the smallest brown ever to hatch on DIW's sands.

She (for as it rose, the brown revealed itself to be female), fanned her damp wings and eyed the shell-strewn sands before her and gave a huff of indignation. None left!? None for me, Fidhulinjitith to choose from? Fine, I don't need your charity. I can find somewhere to go myself. and with that she stumped off, pausing in front of the brown dragon Galaethla. I will go with you, to where you live. I'm sure there will be more of a selection than this pitiful place...

And Fidhu' continued her tantrum on the way off the sands, followed by a mildly bemused looking Galaethla. As she exited a second and third eggs began to tremble. They broke simultaneously, one producing a green that must have been terribly cramped in a shell that surely was one or two sizes to small for his burly body, and the other a scrawny-looking little black female. It was the female that spoke no words, merely slunk over to where Galaxia and Linaeth watched. She gazed up at the pair, making her wish to travel home with them known without the use of words. It was Nalilath that had to announce her name, Tetesikivulith.

The male green trotted his manly way across the sands, puffing out his chest and posturing in much the same way his purple brother had done before. He flipped his tail and arched his neck proudly, gazing down his muzzle at the two remaining hopeful sponsors until deciding. I believe I will go with you, Tygiri. And that was all he said, Nalilath once again having to name one of her children for the crowd, Kiangazigombeth.

That left one egg, which hadn't so much as twitched as it's siblings hatched all around. Again the cream mother crooned, nudging the egg with her nose. Imagine her surprise when the whole thing tipped over, revealing the shell to have long since been empty! An immature trumpet of laughter came from behind the cream dragoness, where a mirror image of her and the clutch's sire rolled around in draconic laughter. Oh you should've... it was so perfect... you never saw it... The little male cream was on the verge of tears, he was laughing so hard. Finally he rose and bounced over to the fox pair, Kin and Gin. I'm Kibwanamzahath and I'm going with you two. I think we can have tons of fun... The end of his sentence was followed by a volley of mental manical laughter as Kibwan' bounced his way off the sands, followed by the fox pair who both wore an expression of "Oh Gods, what have we gotten ourselves into now..."