The priestess waited until the crowd hushed themselves before she continued. What she had not anticipated was the suddenness of the hush, nor the source it had come from. Her silver gaze sliced into Mary. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled back into a scowl. Mainlanders were impressively annoying.

[color=00B4D8]”You may call me High Priestess Dula. Or Mother Dula. Whatever will be easiest. If you had kept your [i]mouths shut[/i],”[/color]Mother Dula addressed the crowd, [color=00B4D8]”I would have continued to tell you all.”[/color]

Mother Dula strode up onto the stage where the eggs sat and moved behind them. Her face was carved with grim lines. [color=00B4D8]”Dragons are peculiar creatures. It has been hundreds of years since the death of the last known adult dragon… and she left us the last eggs of her people. The quirk of dragons is that they don’t hatch through time or most environmental factors. They hatch through their connection to people.”[/color]

The priestess did not wait for an answer. She did not care about the murmurs of the crowd. Her hand brushed gently over the eggs, a contrast to her sharp tone. [color=00B4D8]”I am the high priestess of the Temple of Forgotten Past. We are keepers of knowledge, protectors trained in the art of magic and history. We are well aware that very few of you are warriors now… and we intend to change that. King Rosmund created a crack in the barriers that protected this world and now there is magic and power trickling through. For thousands of years, people were made to think of the time before the barriers as fables. Stories told by mothers to keep their brats docile.”[/color]

Mother Dula stepped forward, stopping at the edge of the small stage. [color=00B4D8]”You are all here, in the Temple of Forgotten Past, for the purpose of being one of seven dragon riders. For those who succeed, it will be your job to protect this realm. You will be granted magic through your steed. You will become more powerful than any known living person has ever been. You will be taught weaponry and riding, as well as how to interact with noble company. Your talents will be honed and turned into powerful tools of protection. Your lifespans will be tied to your dragons… If you fail, you will be given the choice to become a person of the cloth, or be killed to prevent this information from leaking before we are prepared to present all of you and all of the eggs have hatched.”[/color]

With a sweeping gesture, Mother Dula signaled a man to step forward. It was the same bald human as before. He placed a bowl on a table in front of the stage. Mother Dula stared down at it for a moment, then gazed back up at the crowd. [color=00B4D8]”Everyone will draw a number. Once the number has been received, you will present yourself to the eggs. In this room, there is a table dedicated to all of you. This table will have the required items for whatever skill was recommended to us by your benefactors. Some of you may know who your benefactors are. Others may not have been so lucky. Everyone here is considered one of the best in their respective field. If another person is required for your display of skill, then Father Raloph will be here to fill in for that spot. Now… Are there other questions?”[/color]