Remnants - The Dragons of Dragonvale - Book One

Chapter 5

Kotai returned to his cave to find it eerily quiet. He meandered further in, seeing his mate with her back to him. His eyes were hopeful as he shuffled a bit louder to make sure she knew he was home.

"Tezza?"

"Come say hello," she said softly, turning her head around to watch him come closer.

"Did you...?"

Tezza smiled proudly and nodded her head towards the pelt-free nest that was now home to a bright orange egg.

"Oh," whispered Kotai, leaning down to get a good look at the egg. His eyes slid across every orange scale on the shell. It glistened and shone, even with no light hitting its surface. He rested the tip of his snout on the top of the egg and closed his eyes in happiness. "Little one, I'll do my best to find a hatcher so we can meet you soon. I promise," he whispered against the scaly shell.

"It will need a few months to grow before it can be hatched anyway," offered Tezza, resting her head on the rocks around the edge.

"For now, though, we could really use a pelt to keep it warmer." Tezza eyed her husband with excitement.

Kotai jerked upright as it dawned on him that he had not eaten yet nor brought anything home for his mate. "Ah, Tezza, I'm so sorry! I'll take care of that right now."

And he did. A beautiful gray elk hide was later nestled into the bottom of the nest, while thick rabbit furs of all shades covered the sides. His mate very much approved of the skins and often snuggled up next to the nest, laying her wing over the egg to help it stay warm.

Kotai kept a small fire lit next to the nest to ensure its warmth. He watched his wife dote over and talk to the egg as if the small one had already been born.

Time passed and the egg was near ready for hatching.

"What should we name it," Tezza asked one day, caressing the egg with her front claw.

"The bonded ones usually pick the names for the small ones," sighed Kotai.

"We do not have that luxury," muttered Tezza, a small frown flickering across her mouth.

"We will worry about it when the time comes," sighed Kotai, nuzzling closer to his mate.

"Has anyone volunteered to come see if they're a hatcher," murmured Tezza, still lovingly moving her talons across the shell.

"Jae Hoon has arranged for everyone in the colony to come to the cave when the egg is ready. I'm sure there will be a hatcher." Kotai knew his own voice held much doubt, but he hoped his mate couldn't hear it.

"Do not raise my hopes," Tezza sighed, curling her long neck around the egg.

Kotai was worried what would happen if there was no hatcher. This poor egg would sit unhatched for possibly years. It wasn't the egg he was worried so much about, but rather Tezza. Having lost her bonded one, she was already teetering on a delicate edge between sanity and insanity. Kotai had managed to hold them both together so far, but one more major heartbreak might break Tezza for good.

* * *

Tezza watched with a heavy heart as the last human filed by, reaching their hand nervously over the egg and receiving no response.

Kotai's heart sunk as well. Quite possibly lower than his mate's. "Tezza..."

"I need to be alone." Tezza turned her back on her husband and slunk further into the cave. 

Kotai watched her retreating back with unbearable sadness. His mate had been through so much and now to have no hatcher anywhere on the island must be the final straw.