Dragon Rider Play

"Perhaps that could help," Blue agreed. "Now, about your attire... Go get in your suit and see how it feels."

(Please be the best suit he's ever worn)

(Seeing as it's the only suit he's ever worn, it probably is XD)

Blade went and changed before returning. He still looked hesitant, since it wasn't exactly his style, but he looked really, really good in it, especially thanks to Blue's hard work earlier that day.

(I meant comfort wise )

Tithenor looked him up and down and nodded. "You look good," he said approvingly. He had Blade turn slowly then began showing him how and where to add little holsters for his multitude of knives. It was simple little adjustments that soon had the dangerous toys out of site but in easy reach.

The suit was surprisingly more comfortable than Blade would have thought. He tugged on his nice boots before he turned to Blue. "Thank you again. For everything. I... I never really had a friend before, and was hoping you would be okay if I thought of you as such."

Tithenor tipped his head. "I have not had a true friend in many years," he admitted. "It would be good to have you as a friend."

That made Blade smile. "Cool." He paused a moment. "So, uh, what do we do until the hatching ceremony now? It's about an hour until midnight..."

"Sleep, or play," Blue shrugged. "I will sleep."

Blade nodded. "Okay. I'm going to go ahead and stay up. See you at the ceremony?"

"Of course." Blue stretched out on his bed without bothering to undress and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to actually sleep, just meditate for the hour left.

Blade climbed atop the roof of the mess hall and just thought and stargazed until it was time.

At ten minutes to midnight, Violet came to the bunkhouse and knocked loudly before walking in. "Wake up! Time to be up and get ready. Dress properly."

Pat woke in a panic, scrambling out of her bed and running her fingers through her hair. Tithenor rose as well, straightening his clothes fussily. There. He was ready.

Blade saw and heard Violet yelling at the rest of the guys and jumped down. He moved silently and patiently waited behind her.

Mark woke up and got ready fairly easily. He managed to clean up decently. Not nearly as well as Tithenor or Blade, but still nice.

Pat found herself jostled around the room as the other boys hurriedly straightened up under Violet's disapproving glare. Finally, everyone was ready, standing in order. Pat had managed to clean up nicely, though she was worried about cleaning up too nicely.

Tithenor stood waiting patiently, not a wrinkle in his clothes, not a hair out of place. It would never do to dishonor his clan by appearing in an unfavorable manner.

Violet walked down the line, looking over each boy and instructing the messier ones to clean up. When she got to Mark, her mouth crimped, but she walked passed without comment. Tithenor got an approving nod. "I'm missing one, where is the last boy?" she asked, not having noticed Blade behind her.

Blade poked his head in. "Oh. Didn't realize you wanted a line." He jogged to the back of the line.

Mark looked down. He didn't have nicer clothes, nor time to clean up all that much. Besides, what was the whole point of dressing so nicely if the dragons wanted the riders for who they were inside, not outside?

Violet looked at him, a flash of surprise crossing her face. Then it was gone and she gave him a nod as well. "Good. Now that you are properly dressed, you are ready to present yourselves to your fellow riders and your dragons. Come." She turned and marched off not toward the hatchery, but toward the first wild island.

Blade became a little confused, but didn't think much of it. He only hoped that Pat was in the middle of the line, and would have no choice but to go forward.

Mark was a bit confused as well. He saw a flash of movement and guessed that Professor Forrest and his dragon were waiting over there.

Pat was only a couple places ahead of Blade, and she fell in behind the others ahead of her obediently as they followed Violet in a calm, silent line. They were cowed in the presence of the cold woman, and more than a little nervous about this ceremony. What was going to be expected of them? Pat was so scared and nervous, her eyes glued on the back of the one in front of her, that she actually crossed the bridge without pausing. That was a first.

Tithenor glided along, his body language that of serenity as they walked. He showed none of his anxiety outwardly, keeping it all hidden behind a perfect mask. He looked up as they entered the forest and walked to the very center where stone steps led upward to a huge, flat, stone platform.
The platform was ringed with dragons and their riders, several females holding the chosen eggs in their claws as they lay curled around hem, keeping them at the right temperature. Headmaster Grumbledorf stood at the center, waiting for the new trainees. Violet wordlessly indicated for them to line up before the headmaster and slipped away into the shadows.

Mark did as was asked, clasping his hands behind him. He kept a steady gaze forward, looking confident but respectful at the same time.

Blade was the last in the line, and so was the last to line up. His eyes darted around, quick as a rabbit, and noted everything they saw. Where his egg was. Where Blue's egg was. Where all the dragons were. Where every rider was. Everything. However, he stayed silent as he awaited further instructions.

"Trainees," the headmaster boomed. "This is your final test! The passage from ordinary ground dweller to the lofty ranks of dragon rider! Come and welcome your dragons into the world." He gestured with his sweeping robe, allowing the trainees to go to their eggs. Part of this test, though unspoken, was their ability to find their egg. This was just in case someone had managed to sneak passed the initial Choosing by claiming to have been chosen, but wasn't.

Blade walked confidently right to his egg and picked her up, smiling. "Okay, now it's hatching time. little girl." He coaxed the baby dragon.

Mark walked around. He took a couple of minutes, but he too found his egg and picked it up. He looked around to see if it appeared Pat or Tithenor needed or wanted help.

Tithenor had already spotted his egg and approached the frosty dragon slowly. He knelt next to the egg and placed his hands on it. "/Good evening. Come to me, please,/" Tithenor whispered gently.

For an instant, panic gripped Pat's heart. Where was her egg?? She turned around slowly, searching for her egg. Everyone else had found theirs. Her breath came out in a heavy woosh when she spotted her egg. She ran to the egg and dropped to her knees, trembling hands reaching out to the egg.

The egg in Blade's hands trembled as the hatchling scratched and pecked at the inside of her shell. Out time! All she needed was to make one tiny dent. Her egg tooth pierced the shell.

The little hail dragon in Tithenor's hands peeped and rustled in his egg, trying to use his little strength to break free. He used his neck to try and crack it with the small, sharp ridges on his back.

almost as soon as Pat touched her egg again, her little dragon made a chirping noise and tried to hatch again. Her rider! Her rider came back for her!

Blade smiled and sat crossed legged on the stone floor. He put the egg in his lap and carefully helped chip the shell away from the baby dragon with his hand. "Don't worry... I'm here. You're doing so well already! Just a little more..."

Tithenor held his breath, his mask falling away to reveal a genuine expression of deep awe. This little life being born in his hands! "/There you go,/" he murmured softly, clearing away the broken pieces but not helping to break the shell. "/Just a little farther./"

Pat sighed in relief and pulled the egg into her lap. "I'm sorry I was gone. Come, now, come on! Please? I can't wait to meet you."

The headmaster put a hand on Blade's shoulder, whispering, "Don't help her. She has to do it or her muscles will not strengthen properly." He moved away, leaving Blade alone now.

With one enthusiastic lunge, Mark's dragon broke through, his scrawny little neck poking out through the hole in the egg. He chirped loudly as his front claws struggled to scratch away the shell.

Blade stiffened at the touch, but did as the headmaster said. He did keep encouraging his little dragon though.

Mark laughed a little, his face filled with an almost childlike glee. "Come on! You're so close now!"

The little hail dragon's shell kept cracking before it seemingly exploded in a mighty heave from the dragonling. He looked up at Tithenor and peeped at him. His eyes were a deep, stormy grey-blue. His scales were surprisingly warm to Tithenor's touch. He shook off the remaining shell fragments, his too-big wings flopping around.

Pat's dragon kept struggling against her shell, but after fifteen minutes finally broke free of it. The little black dragon was super tired from her ordeal, and buried herself in Pat's shirt for a nap. Her little feathered wings were downy soft, the primary feathers having not come in yet.

Slowly, Blade's little Blade dragon forced her way through, struggling until she flopped out into his hands, her scales still wet from the egg sack. She lay there panting, her spines soft and bendable as she rolled against his hands. As she dried, they wold harden, but for now they were soft and silky to the touch.

Mark's dragon chirped, taking up the challenge as he thurst hard. The front half of his shell popped off, leaving him on his back, legs windmilling uselessly. He squirmed, squeaking indignantly as he tried to get free of the last of his shell and up on his feet.

Tithenor smiled, sighing in relief as he brushed off the shell fragments and cradled the dragon in his arms. "/Hello,/" he whispered warmly, stroking along his scales. "/Welcome to the world, my little friend./"

Pat gasped in surprise then wrapped herself around the dragon instinctively, giggling in joy. "Hello, beautiful baby!" she crooned.