Chapter Two: First Hatching

Jonathan: I woke the next morning and immediately groped around for the light-switch. I anxiously inspected the grayish egg, and noticed a few amber-gold streaks I hadn't seen before. I shrugged and set the egg gently back in its nest.

I went downstairs, after glancing at Alina. She was still asleep, clutching the egg in its fleece blanket to her. I smiled and went to eat breakfast.

While doing school that morning, I felt an intense urge to go check on the egg. I got up, and got permission to go get it. Mom didn't know how big it was until I showed it to her. She gasped at the size.

"What is that, an ostrich?" I shrugged.

"I don't know, mom. Could be anything, really." Suddenly, it shook. I hurriedly put it back in my room, despite the urge to keep it close to me. Amara was a little jealous that there wasn't one in her room, but she got over it quickly enough.

The day went on like this, with one of us always popping off to check on everybody's eggs.

Finally, it was time for bed. I was exhausted, after putting all our stuff from moving away and doing school all day. I woke the next morning and felt the egg. It felt a little firmer, and I wondered if it was getting close to hatching. Just in case, I wrapped my electric blanket around it and set it on it's lowest setting.

The days passed quickly, and each day the egg got more and more active. It was the fourth day when I noticed it moving almost continuously. I watched with interest as a little crack appeared, but then I remembered it was hatching and ran to get everybody else.

We all watched in fascination as the crack widened, and a little snout poked through a small hole. I gasped. "

A reptile?" The egg fell in half, and a little gray body fell on my bedspread. I smiled, but then I just about fell over backwards as it unfurled, of all things, wings! They had amber-gold wing bones and a row of amber-gold spikes ran down his neck.

A dragon? "I didn't know those existed!" I shouted.The little gray dragon looked at me. It made a pitiful noise, then just about fell off the bed. I caught it just as it was tumbling off the edge. It made a noise I identified as affectionate. Alina watched with jealousy as I cuddled the little dragon against my chest. It rubbed it's tiny head against my chin. Adair watched it closely.

"What are you going to name him?"

I thought. "Trahern. Yes, that should do nicely." Alina went to see her egg. I heard a sigh, and deduced that her dragon hadn't hatched yet. I went downstairs to show mom. I cuddled little Trahern under my arm and thundered downstairs. "

Hey mom, look at this!" I shouted. Mom looked up from her latest scrapbook project.

"Yes dear - good heaven, what's that?"

I grinned. "It's a dragon, mom. Can I keep him? His name's Trahern," I added. Mom looked shocked. "Holy mackerel, it IS a dragon! Yes, I guess you may keep him."

I gave mom a hug. "Thanks." Trahern unfurled his wings and chirped. Mom grinned as he sort of flopped out of my arms. She caught him, and he rubbed his head against her arm.

She grinned again. "Affectionate, isn't he?" I smiled and took him to the kitchen.

Luckily Mom had stocked up on meat. I asked her to fry some. She did, and I fed him. Finally, his little belly bulging, he fell asleep. I grinned and took him upstairs.

Trahern curled up on his electric blanket and started making cute little noises that I identified as dragon snores.