This thread is open to all Sentinels of the Sands members! There is no specific post order.

(Desert Rose Thirty-Five / Selenite-Gamma) @Hemlocke ( Orthoclase-Alpha) @Vargas @Palefur (Ruby-Beta) @Garnet-Delta @Garnet-Epsilon

There were days, Desert figured, where he enjoyed having nothing to do. This was not one of those days. The chrysalises were soon to hatch, he could feel it; with every pulse of his magic reaching out he could feel their own growing stronger in the echo of a response. Despite being ready for this for eons, he felt rushed all the same. The warren was prepared. There were plans set in place for structures to create for training. Schedules were to be made soon for the children, but now he had to endure this waiting.

Even when nothing else he could do, he had to force his body to find something. Anything. Break away the more dangerous glass spires that'd been brought up to avoid one falling to their death without warning, position them so they still had some semblance of protection. Clear off the area of dust by using his tail as a broom. Call out for the others- well. He'd do that one soon. Or, not at all, maybe he shouldn't bother them. Hemlocke already knew he was pacing around the chrysalises again, he was sure of it.

They had to hatch sometime. Desert was bound to get blisters from walking so much, unable to keep still. His tail lashed behind him at every step, and his claws curled into his shoulders every time he glanced at them.

Any time, now.

The stones had grown. The glass had been tempered, and Desert Rose was... pacing. Doctor ruffled his feathers as he watched.

He didn't know Desert very well, and he was hesitant to get too personal, but it seemed to him (and to his warm nature) that the creature was unsettled.

"They will be fine, you know," he tried, reassurance in his tone. "If that is what is bothering you." Tact, there. Leave him a way out. "I have seen many hatchings. Nature takes its course. And they will do you proud, I am sure!"

Some part of him knew of the other worries that Desert must hold. Children, or test subjects..? Doctor vaguely thought that he should have had a chat with him at some point about this, but he hadn't really found the time... nor was it his place. He'd support the group, regardless, but he could see all of this being just a little sticky.

The vulture flapped closer, watching the stones. "I can watch them, if you want, and wake you if one begins to hatch, if you're tired?" Doctor offered--though he had no idea how close the stones might be.

It was a testament to his tunnel-vision that he jumped with Doctor spoke. He'd need to work on that- considering his life wasn't on the line now, why wouldn't he notice? He wasn't doing anything better.

A huff escaped his nose as he turned, forcing down his anxieties and letting a blank look of concern on his face. He was settled by Doctor's presence. A being he hadn't messed up with yet, one who was here to assist despite its age. One he didn't feel resentment towards, like Palefur and Vargas's obsession over her.

Maybe he should get to know those two a bit more. Perhaps in training- simple survival, that is, that he'd like the two of them to partake in.

Still. He gave a curt nod and a slight, yet cautious, smile to the vulture before regarding the chrysalises in question. "I don't ever remember seeing a child. Not one that'll be this young. They'll be fine, though. You guys hatched alone and you ended up fine." His tone was one of clear worry, and yet excitement framed the edges of it. He'd made these beings. He could only hope they'd trust him as a father, as someone who could be there for them.

Not that he'd explicitly think out such things, no. A father? Him? These were just... Trainees, that was all. He shook his head to himself. Getting attached could ruin his life.

He had some clear bags under his eyes, though. Even as Doctor offered, his scales bristled as a wave of protectiveness passed through him like a ghost, the rest of his body showing no change. "I'll be fine," he concluded with a sigh, turning back to the avian. "I do appreciate it, though." He dipped his head in a short, non-verbal thank you. Even with how tired he sounded, he couldn't quell the excitement that ran through his veins. There was no chance he could rest well in such short notice.

Like Desert Rose, Palefur had been growing more anxious as time went on and the chrysalis grew stronger and bigger. At first she kept it under wraps, acting as normally as she ever did - serious, composed, and utterly emotionless. But now, at the cusp of their hatching, she didn't leave the warren, sitting tensely in the shadows, expression as blank as ever but her strange behavior was a testament to how much she was anticipating this day.

After all, it was the one and only useful thing she'd ever done in her life.

Spying on the Kingdom had been no help - they were no longer there anymore and she had no inkling as to where they'd even gone. Vargas had never given her a job before then and her life before had been wasteful and foolish. Breeding, at least, gave her a reason to exist and now it was time for her work to pay off.

She was silent as she watched from the corner of the warren, bright red eyes fixed on the gemstones - specifically the ones she had created.

Doctor listened, politely attentive, and then bobbed his head in a nod.

"We did. If it helps to talk, you could tell me about how you hatched? I wasn't aware it was much different," he added. Then, birdlike, his head dipped to one side. "But only if it would help! Otherwise, I am of course here." Doctor turned, looking over the chrysalises.

His mind wandered over them, along with his eyes--their various sizes, colors, shapes. "Do you wonder what they will be like?" he asked, again tentative; it was an offer for small-talk, on two different topics. Perhaps Desert would want to distract himself, one way or another--or perhaps not.

He was just stalling for time, in any case. Once the hatchings began, Desert's attention would certainly be on the stones, and on the children.

He seemed unaware of Palefur lurking--and he was; his full, sympathetic attention was on Desert Rose, and he wasn't particularly watching the shadows.

Garnet - Epsilon

There had been voices. Voices and footsteps. Constant. Footsteps. Back and forth, back and forth. It was driving them crazy. Who keeps walking, They wonder, wanting to put a face, or a being to the always constant footsteps. Twisting, at least as much as they could in the cramped crystal shell, they try to peer out of the dark red walls until it hits them- they could just. Leave.

Breaking out is totally an option. That thought hadn't occurred to then before, but now that they have the idea, they want out. It was warm here, not much to worry about, but by the crystal itself it feels like their world had become tight.

With that, they pull their wings in tight- not that its too hard, or that it really makes a difference, considering their position, and kick, lashing out with their hind legs and then tail, using the long limb to brace against the back of their prison - how bittersweet, that now their old world was a prison to them - and they force what they can out of their chest, a cry or just air, they can't really tell, throwing their forelimbs and wings out in a violent thrust.

Their chrysalis first buckles, and finally crumples away in a disappointing crunch, leaving them half covered by the top part of the red crystal, wings extended and panting as they try and process where everything just went.

The sound of voices had never really bothered the monster curled within the massive ruby crystal, but the sound of breaking, in fact, was the thing that jerked the creature out of its slumber. One moment there was nothing but darkness and sweet, peaceful dreams and the next it was all a deep blood-red shade of red and the realization that it couldn't breath. Wait, breathing? Was it doing that before?

It didn't really want to leave its state of nonexistence and it didn't really want to move but an instinctual need to survive was what made the beast at last begin unfurling itself and press against the exterior shell with massive paws too big for its body. It only took a couple of baby pushes for the weakened shell of the chrysalis to give way, breaking into pieces and dumping them onto the sandy floor along with a torrent of red amniotic fluid.

They coughed and at last was able to suck in a breath as blood-red liquid poured out from their jaws. They sat there, hacking for a moment, clearing their lungs of the stuff, and breathing when they could. After a moment, they stopped and simply gazed around, aloofly curious about the creatures gathered about. This world left a bittersweet taste in its mouth - life already was nice and possibilities were already seeping into its psyche, but it still sorely missed that peaceful state of being nothing.

The world was small, and for the little one that laid still sleeping inside of its red glow, everything had been constant and normal. There had been the occasional sound echoing off of the stone, murmurs of conversation just out of earshot... But something has finally changed. There was a crack, a crunch, just nearby them. The sound of stone, splitting.

Something about this told the denizen inside that the time had come. Something instinctual. Unbeknownst to it, it's siblings had hatched, and now too was it's time.

With a great strain, the lithe creature pushed against the stone prison, and it took all of its strength just to break the thin outer shell. The beast slipped as the stone shattered, amniotic fluid sloshing as it tumbled on to a strange, long floor that stretched onward in what felt like every direction. The new space was huge, and as it spun its head this way and that it noticed it was surrounded by strangers.

Its mouth parted, gaping, and it hung there bewildered. It was a lot for a little, growing brain to take in. All it seemed to know, or recognize, was that there were two others who had hatched from the stones... And that there were more stones still cracking.

It had gone to Cetus and returned quickly - knowing little more than a possible headcount of the Children of Rot's numbers. There were many clustered, and many spread thin. Perhaps, not even all of them were part of the group.

After being caught the first time, while spying on others, it'd grown a little wary of making too close of an approach.

Hemlocke arrived on broad wings, made its report to the eccentric vulture, and took up watching the chrysalises as its duty had been assigned. Gargoyle-like, it perched in a high rock shelf. Fed and watered, the alien had nowhere else to be except for listening to the telltale sign of birth, emergence, awakening.

Then, they came, and it fluttered down to watch in wonder as creatures - its own resultant progeny were so, so small. One seemed almost naked, down and fur slicked against its blue skin (it must be Desert and I's). The other was white-faced, large eared, triangular. Quite a bit like Palefur.

Both boasted the broad wings that had served Hemlocke so well.

With a fluttering bout of emotions, each unidentifiable and almost terrifying, the alien gallivanted off, calling - "Overseer, sir! Overseer! They're emerging!"

The dragon kept his eyes on Doctor, interested in occupying his mind with this recruit rather than letting it rot in recursive thoughts. "Ah- I'd love to, but I don't even remember that." His head lowered slightly, tilting as well as he glanced away. "I'd assume Five-Four-Six and I hatched together, but..." Here, he laughed somewhat, under his breath. "My memory's been spotty as of late. I guess that happens when you get old."

He enjoyed this, enjoyed talking, enjoyed not worrying for once. At Doctor's second question, he turned himself, head tilted the other way. "I'm not sure," he confessed. "The Overseer's are huge- They'll need to be raised differently than the smaller ones." Ah, why did Vargas have to pass on his size? They'd be good for physical labor, at least.

A crack threw him out of his thoughts. He watched, silently, paused in all but breath. Even that was held to an extent, surprise taking over his being. It was time- Finally, the culminations of his efforts would see fruition.

He wanted to help. He wanted to pull away their shell, let them drink in their first air, rub the coughing one's back, greet the one one staring up at him with adorable huge eyes. Oh- No, no, no, NO, Desert. Do NOT get attached. His breath hitched as he bent down, his mind screaming against him as he moved to touch noses with the second garnet to hatch.

He paused before making it, Hemlocke's cry shattering through his ears. He spun. Ah- they were getting the Overseer. Good. Nervous now, though, and with Doctor in sight, Desert gave off a shaky, yet genuinely overjoyed smile.

This is what he'd worked for. His children had come to life, and this wasn't even all of them. Pride had flushed through him, and he attested it to pride for himself, although it was completely for the young ones. It flowed out of him through tears bubbling at the edges on his eyes.

There was no way of avoiding getting attached now.