Re-buttoning my coat so that the egg was nestled against my chest once more, I cradled the egg and closed my eyes, hoping I could steal a few moments of sleep before I was discovered.
***
I jolted awake, panicking as I took in my unfamiliar surroundings. Where was I? The forest?
The egg twitched, and everything that’d happened came crashing back all at once.
The fight. The screams. The absence of my sister and the others. Where were they? What had happened? So many questions with no answers.
Wait… My eyes dropped to the bundle in my arms. The egg was moving?
I held my breath as the egg jolted again. Unbuttoning my coat, I removed the egg from where it’d been tucked against my chest and placed it gently against the ground. As I watched, part of the shell chipped off and the tip of a dragon’s nose appeared in the opening.
I froze. Was this happening? Was I witnessing the hatching of the first dragon in two hundred and fifty-four years?
I missed my sister so severely at that moment, it felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. She should be the one here watching this. Maya and Aster and Senia and Aristo. Not me, a random human who had no business being here.
But I was all the dragon had, and I whispered words of encouragement as it struggled against its shell, pieces breaking off and dropping to the ground like snow. More of the dragon emerged, its little head poking out into the morning air. It paused, assessing its surroundings. Its eyes were closed and a thin, slimy film coated its body, the same liquid that’d been dribbling from the crack earlier. Its scales seemed to be gray, like Aristo’s. I was hoping it would take after its mother, who had ruby red scales, but at this point, I didn’t care. Watching the dragon emerge from the egg was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
When the crack in the egg was wide enough, the dragon slithered out, landing in an ungraceful heap on the ground. It was about the size of a kitten with a long tail that flopped behind it. Its wings were pressed against its body as it rolled sideways, opened its eyes, and looked at me.
I felt something pass through me as we locked eyes. Something like, despite only just hatching, the dragon sensed me and knew—
Knew what, Neri? You’re being stupid. And heartless. The dragon was lying helplessly on the ground, still covered in slime, and I hadn’t moved from my spot against the tree. The poor thing must be freezing! Shucking off my coat, I approached the hatchling hesitantly so I wouldn’t scare it. It simply sat there, watching me with eyes the color of a starless sky. As I wrapped my coat around it, I wondered if its eyes would change. Would they be golden like Aster’s or blue like Aristo’s?
The dragon allowed me to scoop it up into my coat. It made a small noise and burrowed deep into the folds as I held the coat against my chest, watching me with its dark eye. “You’re safe,” I told the hatchling, wondering if it had sensed the violence from earlier. If it’d felt Grendel trying to crush the egg, or knew its parents and aunt had been fighting to protect it. Or maybe it’d been dreaming, unaware of what was occurring outside of its shell? I hoped it was the latter. “I will protect you.”
My words seemed to satisfy the dragon. It opened its mouth and let out a tiny squeak as it yawned. Then its eyes fluttered shut as it fell asleep, safe in my arms.
***
The hatchling didn’t sleep for long. I must have dozed again, only to be woken by the dragon shifting as it squeaked loudly. “What?” I mumbled, still asleep and very confused. What was it trying to tell me? Its mouth was hanging open and it squeaked again, looking highly upset. “Are you… hungry?” I could have smacked myself in the forehead. Of course it was hungry! It’d been stuck in an egg for weeks! I should have been foraging for food while it slept!
“Sorry, sorry.” I stood, still holding the dragon, and set off into the forest. I wouldn’t be able to do any sort of hunting, but I at least knew how to forage for berries. As luck would have it, the melonberry, which ran rampant in Meradell and featured in almost all of our desserts, was tough and could grow anywhere, including mountains. I found a bush fairly quickly and plopped the bundled hatchling on the ground before plucking a ripe red berry. I held it in front of the dragon’s nose. It sniffed once, twice, its eyes growing wide before it chomped down on the berry and my fingers. Yelping, I yanked my hand away, which startled the hatchling. It buried itself back inside my coat, peeking at me from one of the sleeves.
“Sorry,” I said again, holding out my hand. “Look, I’m fine.” Only because you don’t have any teeth yet. Learning my lesson, this time after I picked the berries, I laid them on the ground. After a few moments the hatchling emerged from the coat, sniffing loudly. It made a happy noise when it saw the berries and plopped down to eat. I grabbed a couple of berries for myself and we ate together in silence.
I really wanted to name it. Calling it “hatchling” or “dragon” seemed so cold, but it wasn’t my place to name the dragon. That was Aster’s job. Aster… She was going to be so happy when she saw her baby. Aristo and Senia too.
And Maya. I raised my eyes to the mountain, wondering where my sister was. Was she searching for me now, racing through the tunnels with Trey? Should I try to return on my own? What if I got lost? Returning to Meradell was probably the safer choice. I felt like I was torn in two, with both the mountain and my city calling to me. Which was the right path?
“What do you think, kiddo?” I asked the dragon. It had finished its meal and was now sitting up, staring at me expectantly. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. Like I have all the answers. I’m just as lost as you. Maybe even more. Out of everyone you could be stuck with, I’m probably the worst choice.” I stared down at my fingers, caked with dirt and stained red from the berries. “But I meant what I said earlier. I will keep you safe.”
The hatchling squeaked in response and I took that to mean it believed in me. Now I just needed to learn to believe in myself.
Chapter Twelve
In the end, I decided to stay where I was for now, keeping a careful eye on the hatchling as it learned its body. How different from humans, I thought with a sense of wonder. We’re born into this world entirely helpless, but already this dragon was sitting up and eating and studying the world with a spark of intelligence in its eyes. It kept glancing at me and I wasn’t sure if it was because it was wary, or if it wondered why I wasn’t sitting close to it.
“Come over here, then,” I said, patting my thigh. The dragon studied me for a moment longer before it pressed its body to the ground and started slithering toward me like a snake. I let out a snort of laughter. “What are you doing? Are you trying to walk?” Did it not know how to use its legs yet? Should I show it?
Was I really going to show a dragon how to walk? My life had taken a turn toward the bizarre.
When the dragon reached me, it gazed up at me and I swore it looked proud of itself. Swallowing my laughter, I said, “Very good. But try using your legs and your feet.”
It stared at me.
I pointed to my legs. “These are legs.” Then my feet. “Feet. You walk on them. Look, like this.” I rose slowly, so I wouldn’t startle the hatchling and began walking. Its eyes followed my trek through the forest. “Now you try.”
It wobbled onto its hind legs, took a single step, and fell headfirst into the ground.
After making sure it was all right, I really, really had to hide my laughter. I wished Trey were here to see this. “That was my fault. I only have two legs, but you have four, and you have to use all of them.” The dragon let me help it up so it was standing on all four legs. Its legs were wobbling, like a newly-born calf’s, and I placed my hands on the sides of its torso to steady it. “Try to take a step. I won’t let you fall.”
Did the dragon even understand what I was saying? Even if it didn’t, I think my words were making some sort of impact on it. It breathed out, its little nostrils flaring, and took its first step. It tilted to one side, but I kept it upright. “That’s it. Keep goin
g.”
Another step. And then another. As its movements grew confident, I let go and the dragon continued marching forward. “They grow up so fast,” I said, pretending Trey was standing next to me. He would have laughed at that. I glanced at the mountain, frowning. “Where are you, Trey?”
A shuffling noise brought my attention back to the dragon. It had wandered into the melonberry bush and was making little grunting noises as it tried unsuccessfully to reach a berry that dangled over its head.
“You’re hungry again?” I plucked the berry off its stem and put it on the ground in front of the dragon. It gobbled it up and looked at me expectantly. “Is this all I’m good for? Feeding you?”
The dragon squeaked in response.
I raided the bush for the rest of the berries and sat down, watching the dragon devour them. It kept pausing to glance at me over its shoulder, like it expected me to vanish. After it finished eating, it ambled over to me and pressed its head into my hand, nuzzling it. It yawned, flopped onto the ground, and promptly fell asleep.
I watched its chest rise and fall steadily for a long time. It only stirred when a bird called out somewhere in the trees above us. The dragon’s head popped up and it blinked its eyes sleepily at me. Then it stretched out, unfurling its wings for the first time, and I gasped.
Its scales were gray, like Aristo’s, but there were red markings on its wings. I moved closer to study them better and the dragon jumped away, its tail thumping against the ground. When I froze in place, it squeaked impatiently at me and darted forward. It looked like a dog playing tag. As soon as I thought that, I realized that was exactly what it was doing. Getting to my feet, I pretended to lunge forward and the dragon darted away, squeaking happily.
I spent the next ten minutes chasing after it, me sweating and the dragon panting as we tore through the trees. Eventually it tired itself out and sat down again to sleep. But instead of closing its eyes, it squeaked at me until I joined it on the ground. Then its squeak changed in pitch, growing higher with excitement as it burrowed against me. Only then did it go back to sleep.
My heart swelled as I watched it. The hatchling wasn’t mine, but it was too late. I’d already fallen in love with it.
***
As the hours passed and the air grew warmer and the hatchling stronger, I knew it was time to leave. My throat was parched; the both of us needed water. There were streams in the forest; I would walk down the mountain, carrying the dragon, until I came upon one.
And then after that…
I shook my head, again reminding myself to focus on just the present for now. I had a goal: find water. After that I would worry about my next step.
The dragon was awake, sitting up and watching me as it thumped its tail against the ground. I approached it cautiously. When it didn’t shy away, I picked it up and nestled it in my arms. It squeaked excitedly, which I took as a good sign. And then I shook my head, amazed that I was already able to differentiate between its squeaks.
I left the safety of the trees and took a moment to assess myself. I needed to head southeast. Using the sun as a guide, I aimed myself in the correct direction and started walking. The dragon was babbling, its head turning back and forth as it tried to take in everything it was seeing. When a rabbit raced across my path, the dragon tried to leap out of my arms to chase after it. “No!” I said, tightening my grip on it. “Leave the fluffy rabbit alone. You ate fifty berries; there’s no way you’re still hungry.”
The dragon grunted and sighed loudly.
“Stop that.”
It grumbled before settling down and I continued walking. The path wasn’t steep, but I still stepped carefully, afraid of tripping and dropping the dragon in the process. Meradell loomed in the distance, growing closer with every step. What would Mom and Dad say when I brought a dragon home? I grimaced, knowing they wouldn’t be happy.
A loud rustling behind me raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Instinct told me to keep going, but instead I stopped and turned around. Someone was coming down the mountain after me.
I stepped off the path, back into the trees. As if sensing my apprehension, the dragon made itself as small as possible as it pressed itself against my chest. It was trembling, so I laid a hand on its head and murmured, “It’s all right.” That seemed to calm it somewhat, although it did nothing to help me.
The footsteps grew closer. It’s not a dragon. The moment I thought that, Trey’s familiar black hair flashed into view. I left my hiding place and charged up the mountain, about to throw myself at him until I remembered the dragon I was carrying.
“Neri?” Trey asked, astonished. “Is that really you?” He put a hand on my shoulder, looking at me like I was a ghost.
His face was drawn and pale, but he was still Trey. He was home. I felt myself relaxing as I started laughing and crying at the same time. “Of course it’s really me! Who else would it be? I’d punch you, but my hands are a little full.”
Trey focused on the dragon for the first time and his eyes went comically wide. “Is that… Is that… A d-d-d—”
“A dragon. Yes. The egg hatched, Trey. Look at it. Isn’t it the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen?”
Trey’s head bobbed up and down. The dragon copied his movements, making me laugh. “Wow,” Trey said. “Wow. I mean. Neri. A dragon. In your arms. A dragon.”
“I think we’ve established that this a dragon, Trey,” I said dryly. “Do you want to hold it?”
Swallowing nervously, Trey hesitated. “Do you think it’ll let me?”
“Its really friendly. I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Open your arms.” I carefully transferred the dragon to my best friend. “Oh, and it doesn’t have any teeth yet, so if it bites you, it won’t hurt that much.”
Trey nearly dropped the dragon. “Bite me?”
The dragon squeaked and glared up at Trey. “Don’t drop it!” I scolded.
“Sorry. But you shouldn’t say stuff like that, Neri.” After readjusting his hold on the dragon, Trey stared down at it like a proud father seeing his newborn for the first time. “It’s beautiful, Neri.”
“Did you see the red markings on its wings?” I pointed them out. Now that the dragon was sitting still, I could study them. They were long, rectangular-shaped dashes that ran along the length of both of its wings. “Its part Aristo and part Aster.”
Trey’s face crumpled, and he glanced away.
Dread pooled in my stomach as the happiness that had bloomed upon seeing my best friend disappeared. “Trey… What happened after I left?” I didn’t want to ask the next question because I was afraid of his response, but I had to know. “Where’s Maya?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
“Trey!”
He dragged his gaze from the ground to meet mine. I sucked in a breath when I saw tears glistening in his eyes. “Aster and Maya are dead.”
Chapter Thirteen
I stared at Trey, not comprehending. There was no way…
He was wrong.
“Neri?” Trey was shaking and the tears in his eyes spilled over and rolled down his cheeks. I watched them fall, one of them hitting the hatchling, while the other splattered against the ground. I’d never seen Trey cry before, not even when he’d fallen off the roof and sprained his ankle. To see my best friend so upset…
Maybe he wasn’t wrong.
My legs stopped supporting me and I fell to the ground in a boneless heap. Both Trey and the hatchling shouted in alarm. Leaping out of Trey’s arms, the dragon slithered into mine and pressed itself against my chest. It looked up at me, touching my chin with the tip of its nose as it made concerned noises. I hugged the dragon to me as I asked Trey in a wooden voice, “What happened?”
Trey knelt in front of me, his expression miserable. “It was that brown dragon—Grendel. When he was fighting Aster and Senia, he crushed Maya in the fray. I don’t think it was on purpose, but still…” Trey choked on his words and he had to take a deep, shuddering brea
th before he could continue. “Aster made this noise, like her heart was breaking, and she launched herself at Grendel. They fought and there was blood everywhere. It was horrible. By the time Aristo and Senia pulled them apart, they were both too injured to be saved.”
As Trey spoke, I could picture everything happening. I could smell the blood and hear my sister’s bones breaking as she was crushed to death.
It was too much.
I set the hatchling down on the ground, stumbled to my feet, and only just made it to the trees before I vomited. All of the melonberries came back up, and then when my stomach was empty, I was dry heaving. Each time I thought I was finished, I imagined my sister’s broken body and I was sick all over again.
Trey was behind me, holding back my hair. The hatchling also joined us, its warm body pressed against my side as it made noises of concern. I barely noticed the two of them as I thought about my last moments with my sister.
“She promised she’d be right behind me,” I sobbed. “She told me to take the egg and go, and I listened to her. And then I spent today thinking she’d show up at any moment, laughing as I watched the hatchling and meanwhile, she was d-dead. Trey, she was dead this whole time and I was laughing!”
“I’m sorry,” he said again.
I grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked it hard. “It’s my fault! I ran away when I should have stayed.”
“No. Neri, no.” Trey pulled my hand away from my hair and squeezed it tightly. “If you’d stayed, you would have died too. After Aster died, Aristo went berserk. Nic grabbed me and pulled me out of the cave; if we’d remained in there, we probably would have been killed. You would have been caught up in that.” His eyes drifted to the dragon at my side. “The hatchling, too.”
“But if I’d stayed, I would have helped her,” I protested. My sister had been all alone when she died, surrounded by battling dragons. Had she been scared? Had it hurt? How long had she lain there before she’d died?
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