Jessa: The Adventures End

23

Jessa and Dhiren reach the hidden location where the precious eggs were beginning to hatch. "Jessa, will the first to hatch be the next crown princess or prince of the gold dragons?" Dhiren asks. He had been wondering about that.

"No, the dragons, according to my grandfather anyway, don't gain their king the same way humans and elves do. Of the royal hatchlings they will be learning and growing. As they do their strengths and weaknesses will become apparent. The one that is best suited to rule, even if they are the weakest physically or the last born like my father, will be the one to be crown prince. It seems that Frosnack  is my aunt as well as my banker." Jessa had been blown over by that little bit of news. She was from a clutch laid by one of the female dragons before Alaric gave his heart to her grandmother. She refused to be crown princess or even be acknowledged as a princess. Jessa was a little bitter about that news. 

"I see," Dhiren says and wisely leaves it there as the eggs start rocking as the dragonlings fight to free themselves of the shell encasing them.

Finally the first hatchling finds it's way to freedom and it's trumpeting of winning it's fight makes it so the others work harder to fight to their freedom. All that is except a smaller egg. Jessa makes her way silently to that lonely egg even as she keeps her eyes on the other four that are fully or near fully hatched.

She sets her hand on the egg with sadness. The life inside is weak. Jessa takes her knife out and attacks the shell herself even as she calls on Jethro and the Ancient One.

"Jessa, it is our way for only the strongest to survive. By doing this you are interferring with the natural course of things." The Ancient One says sadly. He doesn't like losing any of the dragonlings either.

"If you won't help then you are invited to leave." Jessa says harshly, but she holds the dying dragonling in her hands and there are tears in her eyes.

"Jethro, is there anything you can do for her?" Jessa pleads softly to her great father.

Jethro stops moving forward as the Ancient One growls. 

The Ancient One finds himself being the one to back up as Jessa looks at him and moves forward at his interference.

"Jethro has no right to mess with one of mine." The Ancient One tries to defend himself against the enraged female dragon. One that is so enraged that she is starting to change shape.

Jethro takes this opportunity to make his way to the almost dead dragonling and does his best to save her.

He speaks to the Ancient One without taking his eyes or concentration off his patient. "You forget yourself, Ancient One, but she is mine as well. Direct from my lineage. You promised me when I allowed Jessa to change that that wouldn't change." Jethro does his best and the dragonling responds slightly.

"Jessa, a mother's love will do amazing things. I think this little one will do best if she remains near you at this time." Jethro does his best to ease the anger the dragon has with her god.

Jethro's words work sufficiently that Jessa goes back to Jethro and never losing eye contact with the gold god returns to human once more.

Jessa says a few words of power to her little one that not even Jethro can hear even as she holds the  newborn close to her. Immediately the little dragon looks up to her mother and gives her an adoring look.

Dhiren and the other newlings come over being wary of the gold diety. "Jessa, who do you have there?"

Jessa holds the dragonling out to him. Dhiren takes the ten pound dragon gently from her, "This is Camilla." Jessa says happily before turning to her other dragonlings. She looks them all over and gently touches them all. She whispers words of power to each of them in turn and then Dhiren joins her as they name their children together.