I have always loved Wings of Fire ever since I first picked up The Dragonet Prophecy in second grade. That book was the book that made me fall in love with dragons. But I'm pretty sure you don't care about that. You came here for the story...
The Royal Hatchery was dark and gloomy this night. As if the ocean held its breath for the birth of its future Queen. As if the moons and stars froze to grace the sea with light for the young dragon inside to find her way out. To breathe the ocean, and worship the tides for which she would be born to rule.
Gill knew this hatchery well; Since his marriage to his Queen, and the ever-pressing matter to produce an heir for the throne. When the moons have blessed him with a dozen sons, it seemed now that the great Sea Dragon has finally granted his Queen's wish.
After years of trying, a daughter had been conceived.
Are you sure its suppose to be rocking like that?
Yes, Coral, if you were here for your sons' hatching you would know that's normal, Gill flashed to his wife in Aquatic as she nervously paced around the blue-green egg on the central pedestal.
Gill and Coral swam early in the morning to the Royal Hatchery when the Council member for Dragonets woke them up with news of the egg's rocking. The Queen and King have been staying in the Deep Palace for the summer months instead of in the Summer Palace, waiting patiently for their first daughter to be born.
Gill had been here many times before, he vowed to be here for all of his children's birth. To name them and be their first face to see.
Coral never made that promise. The Queen had no time for sons.
This was her first hatching. This was an important birth. Her heir.
The Royal Hatchery was an oval-shaped room. Nests were dug into the stone grown every few feet apart from each other along the ground, paths leading to each one. Soft seaweed and seagrass lined the stone nests, keeping the precious eggs protected from the hard, cold stone. Vents randomly spaced along the glowing walls spit out warm water, keeping the rounded room warm. Almost too warm for Gill's liking.
In the center of the room sat a rounded pedestal. To one side of the table sat an elaborate scale. Tarnished gold with a cracked silver lining, above the cup of the scale, laid a light grey gem embedded within the gold. Gill remembering when he placed his first eggs on the scale and seeing the gem turned a soft sky blue, indicating it was a son inside the egg.
When he placed his last egg in it, the gem had shimmered into a rainbow. Daughters were rainbows.
Next to the scale on the pedestal laid another nest-like indent in the table like the nests along the wall on the ground. This one though had colorful coral and soft sponges lining it and was up off the ground.
It was the Heir Nest, the one where daughters were put before they hatched.
Where Gill and Coral's first will hatch.
As the egg rocked slightly, tapping could be heard from inside. From across the room, a mirror sound could be heard.
Gill looked over to the nest close to the door. Another singular egg was hatching tonight. Another son.
He lifted his wings to make his way over to check on it, but before he could Coral stopped him with a hand to his arm.
No, it's not as important as this one, stay here, she flashed to him. Her teal green eyes holding his in place. She looked beautiful with the glowlight shining on her dark sapphire scales. His wife, beautiful and fierce. He could only count the times she looked nervous or scared on a single hand.
Coral is brave. Coral is a good leader. Yet, her heartlessness for her sons had always struck Gill the wrong way.
She cared for her subjects. She is a good Queen. One of the best he has known in his lifetime.
Maybe she disregarded sons because her mother did the same? Gill still remembers when Coral's mother ripped the wings off her brother and watched him bleed to death. Coral's mother had the same thinking for sons.
Sons were soldiers. Sons could be replaced.
Gill settled back down next to Coral, but he glanced over to the egg rocking by the door. It already had a chunk of it cracked off. A little blue-grey nose poking out of it, with little quiet cheeps whispering through the water.
The egg in front of him though was still rocking gently, with a small visible crack towards the top.
I feel like I need to help her, should I help her? Coral asked as she swung from his face to the egg, back and forth, nervously holding her hands.
Gill just smiled and shook his head. You have to let her take her time, you can't rush the birth dear.
We've been sitting here for hours, she should be out by now.
Some hatchings take a few minutes, others take a few days. It's all up to the dragonet.
Coral set her hands down and took a deep breath. Steadying herself.
Another crack in the egg and a little part of the egg drifted away from the shell.
A small, dark green head started to poke out.
Gill watched as Coral froze. Her eyes blown wide as she watched the little dragonet push more of the shell apart.
His daughter, dark green with a pale underbelly, looked up at him with bright blue eyes.
She was beautiful.
Coral brought her hands up and gently picked her up. Bringing her up to her chest, smiling as she wrapped her arms around their tiny daughter.
Hello, Coral flashed softly and slowly at the small dragonet in her arms.
The dragonet let out small air bubbles and randomly flashed back with her green hue glow markings. Gill came closer and stroked a talon along her neck at the odd patch of pale scales. He could see the other side of her neck too had the pale mark as well.
What odd markings, reminds me of those white spots on Orcas, Gill said as he looked up to his wife's smiling face. Coral looked so beautiful at this moment, holding his child and smiling. He loves her smile.
That's her name then, Orca. Princess Orca, she flashed at him as she met his eyes.
Her gaze flicked behind him, towards the other dragonet coming out of his shell.
You can take care of him, I'm going to bed with her, Coral swam by and gave Gill a kiss on the cheek before she swam through the doorway with Orca in her arms.
Gill smiled, it was a good night. His daughter was born, with no complications. Finally, an heir to the throne after years of trying.
He looked over to the small dragonet that was out of his egg and cuddled within the surrounding seaweed.
Gill floated over, the dragonet looked up to him with terrified eyes. He was small, with dark grey-blue and a pale underbelly like his sister, but he had dark, emerald green eyes. Just like the odd pale patch of scales on his sister, this son had pale freckles along his cheek and chin.
Hey, young one, don't be scared, Daddy's got you, Gill held out his hands to pick up the dragonet gently, bringing his son close to his chest to hold.
The dragonet looked up to him with large green eyes, watching his every move, blinking slowly, with whale-like slowness.
I think I'll call you Whale.
I like this chapter.