Chapter Seven: Yet Another Hatching

Alina: Javis was worried about Justin. Byron looked a little redder than usual, which meant he was worried sick, according to my book.

I went outside to see Jonathan talking to the neighbor boy. "Hi, Alina!" Jonathan shouted.

I winced. "Not so loud, Jonathan."

He shrugged in resignation. "Okay. Alina, this is Kenneth. Kenneth, Alina."

I bowed a little, first to Kenneth then to the bronze dragon. "Who's this handsome guy?" The dragon bowed his head, a sure sign of embarrassment. Kenneth scratched his blue neck spikes fondly. "This is Conan."

I smiled. "Nice name for a nice dragon." Conan turned a brighter bronze, which meant he was probably blushing.

Kenneth grinned. "Conan's a little shy, I'm afraid."

Javis walked up. Oh, who's this?

I grinned. This is Conan, Javis.

Javis opened her wings and flapped them. Okay. Hi, Conan! I shook my head in amusement. She was something else.

Kenneth laughed. "This must be Javis." I nodded, wondering briefly how he knew. Then, before I could ask, Kenneth said, "Justin told me their names, and said that you and Javis had been on a flight while he was introducing them."

I nodded. "Oh. All right." Conan raised his head a little, and looked at the bottom of the hill. Javis followed his gaze. Who's that? Then, in reply to his answer, she thought, Ah, all right. Sister, huh? Conan bobbed his head in acknowledgment. I craned my head to see what they were talking about, and saw a silver dragon with emerald spikes and wing bones walking around. A blond haired girl who looked about the same age as Kenneth was chasing after her.

"That's Kendra."

I jumped. Kenneth had walked silently up behind me and was looking over my shoulder. "Who's Kendra?" I asked.

Kenneth grinned. "Twin sister. And that's Amaris."

I smiled. "Oh."

Javis walked over and lowered her head nearly to my level. Alina, Byron says that Justin is all right and on his way home. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good."

Kenneth looked confused. "What?"

I smiled at the utter confusion on his face. "Justin had to go to the hospital. He had a 105 something temperature."

Kenneth's face lost its curiosity, and gained concern. "And he's going to be all right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Javis just said Byron said that he would."

Kenneth looked at Javis. "You sure?"

Javis nodded. "Yes," She said in a gravelly voice.

I grinned. She could talk, but she preferred to Mind-speak because it was hard for her to form the words.

I scratched the spikes on the back of Javis' neck fondly, and she arched her neck with pleasure. Conan must have said something to Kenneth, because he turned to go. "Well, see ya!"

I waved and watched them go back to their house, and sat down on the ground. A few minutes later, I decided to go back inside and get a snack. I came back out with an apple and watched Javis chasing birds. She was kindhearted and always let them get away once she caught them, and they seemed to like her. One even landed on her head and slipped its head underneath its wing.

After finishing my apple, I called Javis and swung onto her neck, between the largest two spikes. After a short run-and-leap, she took off. I watched the fields passing below as Javis flew over our city. She landed in a library parking lot, and I ran in to get a book. I chose a book about a girl in ancient Rome and mounted Javis again.

I saw a small toddler holding her mother's hand raise her hand and point to us, but her mother just tugged her other hand and hustled her inside. I smiled, then held on while Javis took off. While in the air, I thought about Javis. I thought about her hatching, and the day she had learned how to Mind-speak, and all the other major events in her life.

I'm very smart. Javis said smugly. I'm lots smarter than Dodger.

I laughed. It's true that Dodgers a little crazy, but it isn't nice to say he's dumb.

Javis snorted. I didn't! I only said he wasn't as smart as me. I smiled and didn't reply, as that answer was probably as good as any of her other ones. We got home, and I got off.

Justin was sitting on the couch, his eyes closed. Mom grinned. "He'll be fine. And guess what Amara found in her room?" I shrugged. Amara walked up and held out an egg with no sheen. I found that odd. "I get a dragon, too!"

I grinned. "Good for you, Amara! When do you think she'll hatch?" Amara shrugged. "I dunno. Soon, I hope." she snuggled the egg against her chest, gasping as it shook a little.

I wrapped a jacket around the egg. "It'll shake a lot, but when it shakes continuously, it's probably ready to hatch." Javis stuck her head through the door. Does this mean I get a little sister? I grinned again. "Maybe, Javis. Maybe." Javis made a satisfied noise and tried to pull her head back out the door. It got stuck. I rolled my eyes and went to help her. Ten minutes of wrestling later, we got it out. Mom went to fix dinner, and Dad laid down on the couch to take a nap. Getting up at four each morning does that to you.

"DINNER'S READY!" Mom shouted after a half hour or so. I came into the dining room and sat down. The others ran in about three seconds later. We ate our pot roast and went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up before all the others. Javis stuck her snout through my open window. Rise and shine, sleepyhead! It's time for our morning flight! I laughed and got dressed, putting on my favorite pair of loose jeans and a jean jacket of the same shade.

I climbed out the window and onto Javis' back, and hung on while she took off. We flew over fields and houses, laughing when the cows ran in terror. I couldn't blame them. After all, they were only stupid beasts who didn't understand that Javis had already eaten for that month.

When we got back, it was close to six o'clock in the morning and I was getting hungry. I ate and sat down to read my book.

Four days passed in this fashion, then Amara shouted something about her egg. We all ran to her room just in time to see a little white dragon with sapphire neck spikes and wing bones fall out of her egg and look around with large, confused, golden eyes. Amara got a look of awe on her face, and said, "I think I'll call her Estelle." Estelle looked around, cooing.

Mom groaned. "Great. Another dragon. Just what'll we tell your father?" I shrugged.