Well, it had certainly been a strange Candidacy, Il'rion reflected as he absently stroked Kukoricath's pale brown hide. Firelizards apparently had a taste for popcorn, and they had mobbed him every time he'd brought some within sight. That included the Hatching.

Ah, the Hatching. The most important day of his life, where he had met his dragon. Tell me again how I Hatched! Kukoricath piped up bouncily, swallowing a mouthful of sticky, sugar-coated popcorn (He snacked on the stuff when he didn't feel like eating meat).

Il'rion grinned and popped a piece of the treat into his mouth before beginning as he always did. "It was nearly two Turns ago that you got your first taste of popcorn..."

Written by Baeris. Five eggs shattered and let their hatchlings out onto the hot sands. They creeled angrily, but did their best to get themselves on their feet and strode over to look at the candidates. One held back, a deep brown-black colored male. The pale winged green which had yellowy-gold on her face, tail and feet didn’t hesitate at all. She nosed her way through the remnants of the early hatched eggs, carefully lifting her feet over the shards. Finally she stomped on one mostly hidden shell, and it made her yelp in pain.

Sedis! Get over here and help me! Can’t you see I’m in pain?

The weyrbred girl with the Holder’s daughter attitude gulped, and her blue eyes got wide. “...Tabinath? I’m sorry – right away! Healer?! My dragon is hurt!” Sedis at last put something else before herself, met her match in this marked green-gold. One of Baeris’ apprentices scurried out to show Sedis how to lift the dragon’s paw and examine it, while the other two bumped into one another on their way towards the boys.

The deepest blue with the Ryslen-crest swaggered almost drunkenly toward Gak. The boy had had to leave his eyepatch and other piratey accessories in his den, when the call went out. But he thought the red cape over his shoulder did a good job of substituting. He gazed at the deep midnight-ocean colored dragon, who was gangly but pretty tall, and grinned widely.

“I done it! I impressed a fine sea-worthy dragon!” Gak exclaimed. “His name is Tengerk! Look at how he shines like the depths o’ the sea! Arr!!”

The dragon immitated him, producing a bellow sounding quite a bit like ‘b’ggggrrrrrr!’ They lovingly swayed off the sands, into their future.

While the paler colored white-brown hatchling sniffed around at the air for something, the much darker one barked a command at someone on the sands. When no one came forward, he barked again, loudly.

You are stalling! I know everyone can see you! You’re my life mate! Come along and help me over here! Anandiar, you do not know how easy it will be to do what you will, with my help...

“D—Doroboth?” Asked Anandiar. “You asked for me? You really want me?”

Don’t say it! Don’t say any more, just come over here and help me. My tail is caught, and I’m not able to free it. The dark mottled dragon was right, his long tail had wedged between two still-full shells, and they had rolled together, blocking the large hatchling from pulling himself free. Anandiar went to his side, and pushed on one of the big eggs. Once free, the dark dragon turned and set his big wings over Anandiar’s shoulders, so they could talk in private. Within the sheltered darkness of the dragon’s wings, Anandiar grinned.

“I can say it now, you’re going to help me stay a thief, aren’t you?”

If it is what you want. If you want to become something new, we can do that too. I will be big and strong, you know. We can do anything. No one will ignore you if you want to be seen and heard now.

They left the sands, both holding their head high and Doroboth with a bit of a crook in his tail (so to speak!).

An incredible white with reddish feet, nose tail and wingtips shook the sand off his blue-tinted wings. He’d been half buried in the chaos of hatching, almost run over by the herd of other hatchlings.

How rude! He bespoke to Elrelad. How very rude! Don’t they know that my skin is very sensitive? It could get burned under this hot sand!

“I agree, Napzurath! It’s so very warm in here... and I’ve been in the sun far too often for my taste... Let’s go cool off inside the bathing chambers, shall we?”

After you feed me. I must keep up my strength! So Elrelad impressed with a grin on his face and hardly an incident to show for it!

When the paler brown had settled on a direction, it was by sniffing in the air rather comically. He nosed his way around the candidates, past Cyrei’s barking canine, and over to the edge of the sands, where the barrel of popcorn still sat, mostly empty. Without pause, the dragon put his face into the barrel, knocking it over, and spilling the last of the corn out. His brown tipped pale cream wings fluttered up, and his dark tipped tail flashed into the air behind him. This stuff is good but you could probably put something sweeter on it... Sweet and salty, that would be great...

“Well... I thought it was pretty good just the way it was, Kukoricath, but if you think that something sweet would be better... Hmn... Maybe I could try putting some melted sugar on it... It’d be sticky all right, but...” Illerion muttered to himself as the popcorn-colored dragon and he went to get some real food. He could hardly live on popcorn, now could he?

I don't see why you couldn't live on popcorn, though... Kukoricath remarked when his rider had finished. Il'rion grinned. "Trust me, Ku. You can't. I've tried it." he said. The pale peach-brown dragon looked doubtful. If you say so, my rider...

Did you hear, they're having a Flurry over at Ryslen.  Kukoricath remarked casually one morning.

Too casually.

"Flurry?" Il'rion repeated quizzically, tasting his melted sugar mix.

Yes, like a Frenzy only it's with whites and near-whites, so they're calling it a Flurry.  Kukoricath explained eagerly. He cocked his head.

It didn't register at first. "That's nice." Il'rion answered absently, stirring in another cupful of sugar into the hot water.

Then it hit him.

"Near-whites....Ku, you don't think you qualify, do you?" the rider stared at the pale brown dragon.

Kukoricath flipped his wings. I think I do. They are letting Lights participate, and I am almost like a Light.  the dragon bobbed his head. Pleeeeeeease?

Well, if he really wanted to do the Flurry...Il'rion shrugged and smiled. "All right, Ku, since you want to so much." Personally, he really wouldn't mind 'getting to know' a nice girl or two.

Il'rion's Stats

Name	Illerion/Il'rion
Age	21
Rank	Wingrider
Dragon's Name	Kukoricath
Birthplace	Dawn's Fire Cothold
Mother	Illernia
Father	Tyrionak
Hair	Sandy brown
Eyes	Hazel
Pets	None

Kukoricath's Stats

Name	Kukoricath
Age	Adult
Color	Pale brown
Rider's Name	Il'rion
Birthplace	Baeris Kshau's Healing Den
Mother	Gold-white Creesath
Father	Bronze-white Sploth