"Is it time?"
Arianne lifted her head, her crests, which had risen in defense at the approach of another settled upon seeing her mate.
"Almost" she replied, her voice soft but strained with anticipation. "It could be any moment now, they've started to move"
Vis ducked beneath a tangle of thorns to join the female within the sheltered grove where they had decided to nest. The grove itself was quiet and peaceful, nothing to disturb it but dancing mists and the occasional fireflies. They had chosen well, Vis knew that should they choose to mate again, he and Arianne would most likely return here. Their clan was new, young and vulnerable. It had only been a matter of days since the pair had stumbled out into the world, the hissing whisper of the Shadowbinder still fresh in their ears. "Go forth my children. Bring unto the world my darkness."
With no family besides each other, the two dragons had fought hard to make their place within the mire, and even harder to keep their nest safe. There was an unspoken rule throughout the clans that nests were to be left alone, regardless of circumstance, but it was not in Vis's nature to be trusting. Whatever future their clan might have rested within this nest and the successful birth of its occupants. It was not a responsibility Viseryies would take lightly.
"Oh, Vis, look!"
The dragon's entire body became tense with excitement as he peered into the nest. Both eggs were wobbling; he could see tiny shadows moving within their almost translucent shells. A limb reached out and a tiny paw batted against the side of its prison, digging angrily as though it intended to claw its way into the world right then and there.
"Should we help them?" Vis asked, but Arianne merely shrugged. It was her first nest too, she knew no better than he. Deciding to trust instinct, Vis lent down and bit, carefully, at the top of an egg while Arianne did the same with its sibling. A dark, foul liquid filled Vis's mouth and he spat before bending once more to chew at the shell. In a matter of minutes, he had managed to create a rather large hole in the crown of the egg and was rewarded as a small, dark, slimy creature crawled out. It floundered about helplessly, getting itself coated with the dead leaves and other debris that covered the bottom of the nest. From Arianne's soft gasp, Vis knew the other egg had had a successful hatching and he turned to look at their other child, which was also scrambling for purchase on the nest floor.
"Help it." Vis commanded, though his voice was tender. Arianne inclined her head and brushed her pink tongue over the hatchling, which cleaned away some of the mess. It responded with a squeak, which made Vis chuckle.
Soon, both of the hatchlings were clear of any muck and for the first time, Vis saw his children. They were soft with baby fat and all together rather pudgy, but he could see the potential. With time and care, who knows what they could become? Gently, Vis nosed at the child until he managed to flip it onto its back. It started up at him with milky eyes, utterly puzzled.
"This one's a boy." Vis commented to Arianne "We have a son."
"This one too" Arianne said, as she pushed the hatchling towards it's brother. The two tumbled together, a wriggling pile of stunted teeth and dull claws. Almost immediately, the boys began to fight, clawing, nipping and squeaking in outrage.
"Here now" Vis said, grabbing the cream coloured male by the tail with his teeth and pulling him off his brother. "Don't fight, you two are allies and friends, you are meant to protect each other."
The hatchling immediately turned around and bit Vis soundly on the muzzle. He howled and pulled back, accidentally flinging the young dragon into the air. He was caught in Arianne's waiting mouth and she laid the child once more atop his brother. Vis pawed at his sore snout and Arianne laughed.
"They are hunters, there is no doubt." She said, gathering the boys against her chest as she settled herself into the nest. "What shall we name them, my beloved?"
Vis considered his children for a moment, watching as they nuzzled against their mother and cried out for food. There would be much hunting to do in the days to come, the hatchlings would grow quickly and would require plenty to eat.
"This one shall be Jace.," he said, leaning down to nuzzle against the cream male that had bit him. Jace pressed his muzzle against his father's and licked at the bite, which made Vis grin. He stood there, for a moment, staring into the eyes of his child and feeling the tiny, fluttering heartbeat that rested against his snout. He wondered how much of this the boys could understand, and how much they would remember. He had no idea what it was like to be a hatchling or to have parents; he had come into the world fully formed.
Jace clung to him a few moments longer, before falling back to the ground and landing on some dead leaves he immediately began to savage with his tiny milk teeth. They shone against his dark mouth like pearls in a cave.
"And what about the other?" Arianne asked, nudging the other hatchling towards Vis. He tumbled atop his father's muzzle and clung to him, squeaking with uncertainty. Vis nuzzled and breathed on the child, letting him know his feeling and his scent, which seemed to calm the hatchling. "This one shall be Anthony."
"Anthony and Jace." Arianne whispered, taking her turn to cuddle her children. They squeaked and licked her nose, which made her laugh again "They are hungry, beloved. I left a store no more than half an hour's journey east from here, near the stream?"
"I know where." Vis replied. He bumped his head against his mate's and then licked their sons once more before turning to leave. He stole a final glance over his shoulder, taking a minute to watch his family before spreading his wings and flying off into the darkness.