It was a clear, crisp spring morning-- not cold, but not warm either-- and, as Cath could see out the window, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The wind blew briskly, smelling strongly of the sea, and Cath was heartily sick and tired of being cooped up indoors. His ankle was almost as good as new now, and had been since the day before, but he couldn't get himself out of the room he and Sam shared, despite how awfully cramped and stifling and still it was. Wasn' meant fer bein on land, he'd thought bitterly more than once since arriving here.

The reason for that was complicated. He didn't want to be recognized and interrogated-- or even not recognized and interrogated! Sam said no one had approached him yet, and he didn't think anyone had recognized him but not said anything, but Cath wasn't going to take the chance. He also didn't want to get overly familiar with the inhabitants, lest they try to put him to work and keep him around longer than he wanted to be bound here. If he thought he could have escaped with Sam before now, he would have-- but even if Sam would have come, there were too many people here for the swiftly-approaching hatching. Already he felt restless and ready to be gone, even if it was on a ship where he had to start all over at the bottom of sailor hierarchy.

Also, as memories were bothering Sam, they also tickled the edges of Cath's mind. His first stay here hadn't been a very well-remembered time. Even once he and Sam weren't having horrible nightmares of giant, black beasts and towering, glass buildings-- during which Cath often projected his fear into the dreams of people in nearby rooms, and Sam was known to send objects flying around the room even in his sleep-- they were still considered odd by all other Infuscans of similar age, and they were always being prodded at by adults. Neither one had really fit in, and neither one had really been happy. Cath least of all, since Sam seemed to be fine as long as he had some contraption of metal and string to keep him busy. This time around, as long as Cath hid in that room and stared longingly out across the hills, wishing he could see the ocean, he could keep thoughts of such at bay at least somewhat. At least he wasn't shocked into remembering some long-forgotten incident by the striking familiarity of buildings, tunnels, and people every time he turned around, walking through the specus.

Today, though, Cath had, had enough. It was a beautiful day outside, he'd been barricaded in this cramped little room for long enough, and if he didn't feel some sunshine on his face and wind in his hair, he thought he might go mad and hurt something. Or someone, which wasn't a pleasant prospect.

So, when Sam started for the door, Cath pushed himself out of his chair by the open window, stretched and arched his back, and followed. Sam shot him a surprised look, which Cath answered with a wide grin. "Gettin' stuffy in here, mate," he said simply, patting Sam's lofty shoulder. "Need a breath a'fresh air, 'ey?" The taller twin smiled, back, nodded, and they both headed out together.

Sam led Cath on a "tour", as it were, of the out-of-the-way places in the specus, the places he spent most of his time. People were bustling around in the main corridors and "roads", such as they were, between buildings, but where Sam and Cath walked was fairly quiet. The air was comfortably cool, the wind still blowing, and the sky a brilliant shade of blue. The storm seemed a very long time ago, but it had left the specus clean and clear. For the first time since being dragged down to Infusco, Cath felt at ease.

Then, without having realized where they'd been walking, Cath realized Sam had taken them to the hatching sands. Cath was about to be annoyed when he realized Sam looked as surprised as he was to be here. He flashed his brother a sheepish, if somewhat wistfully regretful, grin. ::Sorry... this is just usually where I end up. I guess it's gotten to be habit.::

::You really do want one of those things, don't you?:: Cath answered after a moment, torn between amusement, annoyance, and reluctant acceptance. Sam shrugged.

"It really is an honor, you know."

The voice made both young men jump and turn swiftly. There stood Gomorrah, hands clasped behind her back, looking through the open doors to the large, metallic eggs across the sands. The half-grown bronze, Sodom, stood behind her. She looked away from the clutch and over at Sam and Cath, grinning. "Hey, boys."

::I haven't seen her since she first brought us here!:: Sam exclaimed silently.

::Odd, that,:: Cath answered, still a little nonplussed by her surprise arrival. "'Ey," was all he said, until Sam prompted him to ask just what was an honor. Then, with a little suspicion, he added, "Ah, whas'n honor?"

"Being here, for an event like this," Gomorrah answered blithely. "It's an even greater honor to end up chosen."

"Aye, so we bin told," Cath said, voice a little clipped. He could feel his brief good mood drifting away into defensiveness already. Dammit.

"Don't agree?" Gomorrah retorted, but before Cath could heatedly admit to disagreeing, she continued. "Well, you'll find out for yourselves soon enough." Sam's surprise might as well have been audible, and it was just as well, for Cath wasn't sure what to say to her. Gomorrah laughed, and Cath could have sworn that Sodom was grinning. "Oh, come on, why the long faces?"

"Confusion," Cath said shortly.

"Ah. Well, let me clear things up for you. That clutch is about to hatch in something like five minutes." Sam's gaze darted away from the odd dragon and rider pair, fixing on the eggs-- a couple of them were, indeed, twitching in pre-hatching tremors. Cath, though, started to back away, not wanting to be anywhere near those eggs when they broke open, but found Sodom had come up behind him, catching one of his dredlocks in his large mouth and holding fast, still with what could only be a grin plastered all over his muzzle and mischief in his eyes.

"Oh, no," Cath started, ready to fight for his freedom and right of choice, but before he could launch into a furious spate of words, a telepathic broadcast stronger than any Cath had ever heard interrupted his train of thought, startling both him and Sam into momentary stillness.

::IT IS TIME! TO THE HATCHING SANDS!::

People began pouring out of the complex and surrounding buildings, rushing towards the arena and the rows of bleachers surrounding them. Cath felt cold at the thought of all those excited minds surging around him-- he was a telepath, after all, and a fairly strong one-- and Sam's sudden eagerness seemed very distant. The sudden, irrational fear even put the thought of what Gomorrah was obviously suggesting out of his mind.

"Come on, you know what to do," Gomorrah was saying, guiding Sam towards the doors of the arena, right onto the sands. Sodom nudged Cath with a wing, but Cath didn't move.

::It will be all right,:: Sodom's calm voice said in his head. ::At least on the sands you will not be surrounded by people. Just a few candidates.::

"Damned if I'm goin' anywhere near tha' bloody clutch," Cath muttered distractedly in response, but without much strength behind it. He was more worried about all the people than the hatchlings, to be honest. They were almost to him, now. Sodom gave him another nudge, and this time he moved with it, hurrying out of the way of the rushing tide of bodies in the only direction he could do without being crushed and overwhelmed: onto the sands.

As he staggered next to Sam, he heard Sodom's oddly cheerful voice echoing in his head, ::It won't hurt to just stand there, after all. It's not like a dragon would want someone who doesn't want it. Right?::

And since he was somehow standing here, staring at the now rocking eggs and the restless chrome dragoness standing over them, he could only hope the bronze was right.