Chapter 14 – Cracks
Hollow sat in a room the size of a large woodland. The walls and ceiling were painted as an odd background of fur trees and berry bushes hiding an azure sky. An artificial breeze drifted through. A few trees, flowers, bushes, boulders and grass clearings were fitted here and there with wildlife teeming. Deer, wildcats, foxes, mice even different insects. Butterflies, bees, etc. In the middle of the habitat slabs of slate had been piled up to make a sort of bed for the two eggs sired by the dragon Firnen and mothered by Saphira.
Saphira herself lay three or four meters away from the eggs. One eye was trained on Hollow, lazily studying him. The other eye had been shut for quite some time now. You humans truly are an odd species.I'll never know how you can move so many muscles at one time.
Hollow smiled, If Rage were here he would make a jibe about women and multitasking, Bjartskular. He replied, using the honorific term.
A thought of curiosity sank over Saphira. You speak fondly of your deceased friend. Had you known him long?
Longer than you could imagine.
I have been in this country a very long time, human. She retorted, her 'voice' laced with bitterness.
Hollow thought about his friendship. It had been so long that he'd forgotten how long it had really been. He was on the greater side of 30,00 years old. More than thirty thousand years. He replied after thinking some more.
I'm imppressed. Most people in your position would have done more than frighten a few cowards with a display of thunder and lightning. Many have desended into insanity for less.Saphira said, honestly.
After a span of silense, Hollow asked. May I see your eggs?
You can see them from there, can't you?
I want a proper look. I may be above par with humans but my eyesight couldn't hold a blade of grass to a dragon such as you. Even the the oldest have better eyes than me.
… Very well, then.
Hollow stood up from the rock he was perched on and walked up to the bed of rock. He knelt down next to them. One of the eggs was layed down on its side with the other upright against it. He was sadly reminded of Rage when he looked at the layed down egg. It was red with pale green veins running through. The other highly interested him. It was orange. The veins that ran along it were a dark blue. It was significantly larger than the other. At least two foot long and a one foot wide. The same blue as Saphira's scales. He leened forward to take a closer look and nearly over when it wobbled off of it's perch on the other egg. A resounding crack came from the egg and Hollow started, worried that it had broken. He tenderly picked up the egg.
Saphira had snaked her hed around his shoulder. She touched the egg with her nose. The infant is fine… but put her down.
Hollow did so. Noting that she already knew the sex of the fetus. The egg rocked around again. Hollow and Saphira watched as the egg even started making noises. High squeaks and scratching breeched the walls of it and permeated the air. An odd line appeared along the belatedly realized that the egg was hatching. He croutched next to the egg. Shouldn't we help her? He asked Saphira.
No. A dragon-egg does not like to be interfered with. It does them no good. She replied, calmly.
Are you not surprised that she is hatching now?
No. She has been waiting for a very long time. Longer than I was. I thought to myself when we first met that you would be a worthy rider.
Wait… You mean…? That… that is very very cool.
Hollow waited thirty more seconds for the small dragon to poke its way through the shell.A small blue, gemlike horn was prominent on the tip of its snout. Behind its eyes two other blue horns curled around like that of a ram's. It's scales shone a brilliant golden orange. It's wings unfolded to reveal the front edge was feathered with a checkered pattern of orange and blue. The membrane shone the same glowing yellow as the sun. She had a row of forward curving spikes along her back. It was about as long as his leg and stood straight her shoulders reached his hip.
Hollow stared on, in awe, at the magesty in front of him. The dragon met his gaze with curious, slitted , trying not to startle her, slowly reached out to touch her shining hide. He stopped himself quickly. May I? he asked, tentatively.
She hatched for you, didn't she? She replied, mischeivously.
The infant dragon still observed him, a wondering look in her reached out again his palm stroking her rock hard scales for a second when, suddenly, an icy numbness spread over him and he was thrown into a nearby cherry tree.
Hollow woke up with a pained groan. He had a throbbing head ache and he couldn't move his legs. His fingers barely moved when he commanded them to. He placed one hand to his face and opened his eyes. He started. The reason he couldn't move his legs was because the dragon that hatched for him was sat staring at him with her head cocked to the side. Hollow looked down at his hand, marvelling at the silvery mark of the riders. Hollow placed his hand on the forehead of his newfound companion. She leant into it much like a cat. Hollow sat there for quite some time thinking about how he would raise her. A tendril of thought poked against his automatic defences. He accepted it. The tendril held many images already. Images that it wanted to show. But that was a tale for another chapter. 'Cause the writer was tired. Deal with it.
