Fire Flight

Chapter 1 - Hatchlings

Usually, when any creature is born, they don't have any remembrance of the ordeal. The crying babe of a human, the cries of a baby bird, even the newly founded deman has no memory. However, a dragon does. A dragonelle, once her children have been laid upon the egg shelf, will speak with them through their eggs using a system known as mind speech. She gives them her memories, her experiences, her advice and knowledge all in the hopes that they survive in the outside world. It was all that the small hatchling knew as he felt a heat radiate in what he could only assume was his chest.

Curiosity drew him in at the warm feeling, the soft pulsating beat that came from his chest making him want to know what that feeling was, what caused it, everything. Slowly, very slowly, his eyes opened and he looked down. What he assumed was his chest was true from the visions he remembered. He could name the weird protrusions from his sides near his underbelly as limbs, most importantly his sii and saa. His fingers moved, opening and closing cautiously as he tested the digits before he lifted his head a bit. There was a dim and soft light beaming through some strange substance. He cocked his head in a bit of confusion. What was around him? Reaching forward, he tapped curiously as the hard coating before he was aware. This was a shell. He was in an egg and he was one of the hatchlings that he remembered someone wanting.

The male reared his sii back, closing his fingers before opening them and slamming his claws into the shell. The first hit caused the egg to crack and he couldn't understand the feeling that spread through him as his maw lips twitched upwards. Once again, he moved his forelimbs back and, joyously, crashed them through the shell. Pieces of tinged grey shell fell around the opening he created and, without thinking, shoved his head through.

The opening wasn't large and he barely had enough room to shove his snout through, however, he found himself taking a breath he did not know he needed and he instantly felt a buzz through his body. He could only describe it as achieving something he had so desperately needed and the warmth in his chest burned like fire. Shoving his head the rest of the way through, he broke what was last of the front of his egg before he revealed himself to the world.

Bright light flooded his vision, making him take a moment to close his bright hues before he could adjust. However, he didn't have a lot of time as something rammed into his side and he stumbled onto the cold stone floor. He shook out his scale and hide, flinging wet off of him as the floor was now dampened with it. The male slipped, stumbling over something as the said attacker leaped upon him, crashing his small body into the ground as he heard excited chirps and squawks. Something tore at his side, a new buzzed feeling of pain began to grow and the thick substance began to be known against his torso.

The hatchling squirmed - not releasing a single cry except for the snapping of his jaws - craned his head back and took hold of their saa before rolling over. The other hatchling gave a cry, pained and squealing as he then towered over them.

The attacker was male, seeing so from the obvious color difference than the usual green of a female. His scale was a bright gold that looked almost fiery with his red eyes glaring up at the smaller hatchling. He squawked once again as he tried to struggle, squirming beneath the other's hold but the newly hatched male began to feel the heat in his chest once again and harshly reached forward to bite into the other's underbelly. The older male howled and their struggle began to increase in intensity, but the newer hatched only tore him open as he placed a sii down on his chest and pulled at the flayed soft hide.

Soon, the older gave yet another cry before those fiery red eyes faded into a pale yellow and his limbs and body went limp. The victorious male, now feeling a clawing sensation in his underbelly, began to feast upon his earnings. He paid no mind as three green hatchlings soon joined him, taking their own serving of his meal. The hatchling dared not to attack them, knowing fully well that they were no threat and he found calm solace in the sight of their scale.
"Three daughters and a champion. My Lord shall be thrilled to meet you all."
The voice was soft, the sound feeling warm and welcoming yet the hint of excitement could be smelled in the air. Ripping a chunk of hatchling meat from the inside of the carcass, his head lifted as he let the slimy organ slip down his throat. He was glad it could slide and he didn't have to force it down, the size of the dragonelle that towered over the three was frightening. She was a large Green with scales shining warmly as if fire crackled beneath the light exterior, the light prrum that rumbled from her made both him and his sisters do the same.

"Young hatchlings, my children, my pride and joy, you all come from the lineage of Wistala, a Green, and DhurrSai, a Copper." Her crests waved in merriment, her joy easily seen and the male could only watch as his sisters piped up with chirps and yaps, minds ablaze with curiosity and amazement. Now that he was out of his egg, he was very curious too, but he merely stared up at the dragonelle which he could only assume to be the one who sent him the visions in his egg. She had the same voice after all.

Craning her neck forward, he realized that she wasn't on the eggshelf but on the floor, coiled around the rock as her long body stretched and her tail tapped at the floor by her sii. She still gave that soft prrum, touching her nose to one of his sisters. This Green, her scales dark but had white at the tips - which was certainly not normal - and her eyes as green as the grass he'd seen in his visions mother gave, thick around the tail and neck with much baby fat still lingering in her belly, touched noses with the older dragonelle. "You shall be named, Froste, due to the white coloring on the tips of your scales. You are the first hatched of your Sire and Dam with the scales that label you a female and Green." The newly named female's spines shifted, crests waving happily as her sisters gathered. The male could only hiss in a bit of distaste at the noise but soon join the light atmosphere with a few cheers of his own. The dragonelle turned her head onto another.
This hatchling had light green scales, similar to the grass of the plains he'd seen or the dancing meadows in his visions. She was a thin thing with her body long and her scales seemingly protruding from her joints where meat was supposed to be, but she smelled healthy. Her nose touched with the dragonelle's and her amber hues burned into the darker ones of the Dam. "I will name you, Renevere, from the beauty that I can see you turning into. Your eyes are precious and your mating flight shall be long and happy. You are the second hatched of your Sire and Dam with scales that label you a female and a Green." Froste gave a prrum and rubbed the side of her snout against her newly named sister, Renevere doing just the same as the hatchlings cheered with chirps once again. Once again, the dragonelle turned and faced the last Green, eyes flittering in amusement at the knowing look of the hatchling.

Her scale was much darker than her sisters, yet lighter than the dark needles of any pine tree. She had the color that perfectly described a Green and her eyes, bright gold that held a look of Knowing, cast their gaze into the older's dark brown ones as she waited patiently for her name. "You're a wise-looking hatchling. Your eyes are like that of a cat that I once knew and hold the same intelligent look of one of my own siblings. I shall name you, Oraecia, in honor of your wise appearance. You are the fourth hatched of your Sire and Dam with beautiful scales that label you as a female and a Green." The smell of envy lingered in the air for a moment as her sisters crowded her but it was replaced with joy once again as they rubbed against her and rumbled, ignoring their brother for now and allowing the dragonelle to set her sights on him.
She gave a small chuckle of a laugh, smoke wafting from her nostrils at the motion as she reached down and rubbed her snout against the smaller male. "My child, my champion, you are a special young hatchling indeed." The Dam prodded at his side and he finally turned to look and examine himself. He was blue, not dark or light but a nice shade in between that would probably best the sky. His underbelly was a slightly lighter shade and, he wasn't aware of what colored eyes he had but he could hear the color of light blue screaming in his head. "You're rare, not as rare as a Grey, a scaleless drake, but I can see great things coming from you. In honor of your bravery, your battle wit and victory, I give you the name, Aerul. You are the fifth and last hatched of your Sire and Dam with scales of blue and eyes the same. You have the appearance of a male and a true Blue."