High above the dry, dusty winds of Scirocco, a phoenix wings his way happily through the sky. Suddenly, another winged creature appears before him in the sky. Golden plumed, and with a birdsong that dazzles his mind, she soon finds herself the object of his pursuit.
Months later, a crystalline egg lies in a hollow in the hot desert sands. Over millennia, the hot desert winds blow the sands up and over the egg, creating a den that both warms and cradles the shell...
*************************************************
“The mists have parted! New lands to explore; new wind currents to glide.”
Such were the thoughts of Raucous, as he sat on the ledge of the weyrhall,
listening to the weyrling master instruct his hatch mates on another tedious maneuver to best ride the winds. Of course, he was supposed to be paying attention to the lesson, but tonight was
Dispatch, when he and his hatch mates were released from instruction and, with much celebration, permitted to set out joyously on their own.
*************************************************
"
Sand, sand, and more sand! Not a buck or ewe to hunt, nor a cool refreshing lake to dive into for fish. Pheh, fish…But what I wouldn’t give for a fish right now!"
Head drooping, hide patchy from lack of oiling and scored from wind-blown sand, Raucous continued to glide over the seemingly endless desert. To have discovered the edge of the desert two and a half weeks ago, right after feasting on a wild grouse of a size unheard-of across the waters in his native lands, had seemed a happy circumstance. Over several months, he had journeyed beyond the parted mists to the new lands, stopping overnight to rest when land was beneath him, which was more frequent than not. Food had been plentiful as well, until he entered the desert.
Raucous was amazed at the lack of developed races beyond the parted mists. Grazing animals, carnivores, birds, and insects were plentiful, but he saw no sign of cities, or of nomadic wanderers.
"
I should have turned around after three days,” he thought again for a time beyond count. “I would have been able to hunt and bathe after six days, and not be withering away on this arid current."
Onward he flew, growing more and more despondent, until the sun started its wondrously colorful descent from the skies. “
All the sand in the air really does enhance the sunset here,” he thought as he curled up in a sandbank for the night.
*************************************************
Raucous awoke with a start, and then wondered why. The sun was just barely rising; there was a faint purple haze off to the east. But as he lowered his head back down to return to sleep, he heard it. “
Birdsong! But the most lovely birdsong, like nothing I have ever heard before."
Rising slowly off the sandbank, he shook his hide to rid himself of as much sand as possible, and looked about him. His eyes widened, all three lids, even the transparent nictitating membrane he had kept closed since entering the desert, retreating.
There before him was an oasis. And what an oasis! Lush and green, with a huge grotto amid an outcropping of stone upon which he could perch.
"
That wasn’t there last night. I know it wasn’t there!"
Slowly he padded into the grotto. The cool waters soothed his hide. And he feasted on the colorful fish that swam around him, the thought of hunting the glorious golden plumed birds that were singing that wonderful melody never entering his mind…
Sated and refreshed, he again curled up for a nap, this time on a rocky ledge above the grotto. But he couldn’t sleep. Deep in the recesses of his mind, the
thrum of the
Hatching started to reverberate. All dragons attended a
Hatching when they felt the
thrum.
"
Impossible. I haven’t seen a single weyr anywhere beyond the parted mists."
But it wouldn’t leave, and slowly grew stronger within him.
Rousing himself again, he stood on the ledge and assumed the
Watch mentality. Something glimmered in the sands, about a stone’s throw away from the edge of the oasis.
As he launched into the air to check out the glimmer, the oasis slowly faded from sight…
*************************************************
Landing next to the glimmer in the sands, Raucous cautiously brushed away the build up of millennia with a wing-tip. There before him lay a lone dragon egg made of a deep blue translucent crystal! And it was in the throes of the
Hatching, rocking.
Sitting back on his haunches, Raucous let loose with the
Song of Hatching Welcome thrum.
Continuing to rock, the egg oscillated from side to side, until a crack appeared in its side. Then it suddenly stopped. Raucous kept
thrumming, but was concerned, as this was definitely not the norm. Abruptly, a human fist punched through the crack! And still Raucous
thrummed, although he had no idea what was coming from this egg.
As the shell fell apart, out of it stepped a fully-grown human female. And, from the humans Raucous had seen, this one was quite the specimen of the species. Long flowing white hair, tall and lithe, the woman approached him and gently laid one hand upon his brow.
Birdsong! Birdsong flowing through his mind and into his being!!
Without a thought, Raucous gave the woman the highest honor a dragon could bestow upon another species, and lowered himself into the
Invitation to Ride. The woman smiled gently and climbed on.
"
m’Lady, I am called Raucous. Who, no what, are you and by what are you called?" Raucous asked in the manner of dragons, sending the thought directly to her mind.
Slowly shaking her head, the woman pointed at her throat and smiled sadly. But then the
Birdsong infused Raucous again, and her thoughts became his.
"
I am O-gon-cho, Mistress of Air and Light. I was conceived millennia ago, but until my Prophet came upon me I remained unformed. We are now One, you and I, but I can not retain this form at all times. You will mostly perceive me through Birdsong
and know my meaning.
"
These lands on this side of the parted mists will soon be under contention. I have no wish to engage in struggles for possession, and yet I wish to call my beloved dragons to me. You and I will fly together for awhile, and you will regain your strength and vigor. When we part, I wish you to continue your exploration of these lands, and find appropriate locations for weyrs.
"
Then, return to your home and lead those who will follow me to their destined weyrs. This not only includes my beloved dragons, but any races who wish to tend, and possibly ride, them. It must be a free choice; I am weakened by those mandated to serve me, instead of doing so of their own free will."
Raucous absorbed all this with wonder and trepidation, yet growing in self-awareness that this was his calling. As they flew on together he fully accepted his calling and vowed to himself he would do anything to be in O-gon-cho’s presence again.
They flew together for 40 days, not once stopping for rest or refreshment. Yet Raucous grew stronger, blissfully ignorant of the time passing. As they flew, Raucous noted locations of potential weyrs per O-gon-cho’s request.
As the sun rose on the 41st day, O-gon-cho let it be known she wished to land. As they settled to the ground, Raucous felt the piercing pain of the
Birdsong retreating from his body. He gasped, and prostrated himself before her, begging her to not leave him alone.
“
I am always with you, beloved of all my beloved. Always remember, where Will and Freedom meet, Seek the Heart of the Flame."
With that, she kissed Raucous’ knobbed forehead, and under her lips a device took form. The shape of a dragon’s egg, it was the color of flame and upon a cursory glance looked to contain a swirling cosmos or vortex.
But look closer and the forming embryo of a dragon can be seen within…
...well, it is really very tasty and satisfying.