Post by Cathaline on Sept 16, 2013 23:27:43 GMT -5
{desc=BEEBS IN SHELLS}Ever since Callistath's flight and Kalesk's run had taken place a mere day apart, Kalenna had known without a doubt that Kalesk would once again be sharing the sands. This had worked out well last time, as Yusk was a sweet little thing and Kalesk got on with her; it was a bit more worrisome, despite the vastness of the cavern, to think of the claustrophobic Kalesk sharing space with a giant gold dragon and a no doubt large dragon clutch.
But Kalesk, though dangerous, was a meek young queen. She would not cause trouble, she promised. Although Kalenna had a feeling, a smile hovering on her lips, that there was a reason Kalesk wandered down to the sands in advance of Callistath's soon-to-come clutching, to stake out her own area first.
Kalesk examined the entire sands before she selected an area, and went to work. As she had last time, she made walls half a foot high, clearly designating the bounds of her nest; then she went inside and got down to business. Kalenna waited politely in the stands until her wher signalled with a mental brush that it was done, and then headed down to see what was what.
Fourteen eggs this time - a respectable amount, for a gold wher; her last clutch had been quite large by typical standards. Kalenna saw instantly that they had been divided into two groups, with a long, clean strip of sand separating them. Even as she watched, Kalesk quietly considered them, and then started to go down the middle, digging a foot-deep trench.
"Babies know what they want?" Kalenna asked.
Babies know,[/i] Kalesk replied firmly.
"If you say so, dearest."
The first group, on the left as Kalenna and the candidates would be looking, was easily dominated by a gigantic black egg, dark and forbidding. There were hints of blue in the light of the glows that Kalenna held up, swirling along the side. Beside it, a tiny egg, dark with blue circular patterns, nudged up against it. Just in front of them sat a somewhat-misshapen pale blue egg, vaguely pearlescent, foggy.
In front of these three were two more eggs, both quite large. One, black and squat, sat forebodingly in the sand. Beside it was an egg sitting perfectly upright in an indentation, gleaming deep crimson and black. Off to the side of them, closer to the center of the nest, a medium-sized orange egg was partially buried, and right at the front rested a medium-large cyan egg, like a giant chunk of ice.
On the right side of the nest, Kalek had left the two smallest near the back. The tiniest egg was a deep, steady blue; beside it was a little black lump. In front of them, a large, beautifully cyan egg was flanked by a steely blue egg and a pearlescent one, much like its twin on the other side. An unusually-bright yellow egg rested in front of them, and just beside it was a quite large green one, strangely close to being a perfect orb.
"No surprises for me?" Kalenna asked, eyeing the egg that was half-buried, much like Bifrosk last time. "You didn't bury one completely, did you?"
Kalesk gave her a thoroughly offended look at this, finished digging her trench, and went to sit proprietarily in the very center of her nest. Callistath would be along soon. Any minute, any day. But Kalesk's perfectly-bifurcated nest was obviously superior.
But Kalesk, though dangerous, was a meek young queen. She would not cause trouble, she promised. Although Kalenna had a feeling, a smile hovering on her lips, that there was a reason Kalesk wandered down to the sands in advance of Callistath's soon-to-come clutching, to stake out her own area first.
Kalesk examined the entire sands before she selected an area, and went to work. As she had last time, she made walls half a foot high, clearly designating the bounds of her nest; then she went inside and got down to business. Kalenna waited politely in the stands until her wher signalled with a mental brush that it was done, and then headed down to see what was what.
Fourteen eggs this time - a respectable amount, for a gold wher; her last clutch had been quite large by typical standards. Kalenna saw instantly that they had been divided into two groups, with a long, clean strip of sand separating them. Even as she watched, Kalesk quietly considered them, and then started to go down the middle, digging a foot-deep trench.
"Babies know what they want?" Kalenna asked.
Babies know,[/i] Kalesk replied firmly.
"If you say so, dearest."
The first group, on the left as Kalenna and the candidates would be looking, was easily dominated by a gigantic black egg, dark and forbidding. There were hints of blue in the light of the glows that Kalenna held up, swirling along the side. Beside it, a tiny egg, dark with blue circular patterns, nudged up against it. Just in front of them sat a somewhat-misshapen pale blue egg, vaguely pearlescent, foggy.
In front of these three were two more eggs, both quite large. One, black and squat, sat forebodingly in the sand. Beside it was an egg sitting perfectly upright in an indentation, gleaming deep crimson and black. Off to the side of them, closer to the center of the nest, a medium-sized orange egg was partially buried, and right at the front rested a medium-large cyan egg, like a giant chunk of ice.
On the right side of the nest, Kalek had left the two smallest near the back. The tiniest egg was a deep, steady blue; beside it was a little black lump. In front of them, a large, beautifully cyan egg was flanked by a steely blue egg and a pearlescent one, much like its twin on the other side. An unusually-bright yellow egg rested in front of them, and just beside it was a quite large green one, strangely close to being a perfect orb.
"No surprises for me?" Kalenna asked, eyeing the egg that was half-buried, much like Bifrosk last time. "You didn't bury one completely, did you?"
Kalesk gave her a thoroughly offended look at this, finished digging her trench, and went to sit proprietarily in the very center of her nest. Callistath would be along soon. Any minute, any day. But Kalesk's perfectly-bifurcated nest was obviously superior.
