Hatchling

Gordan’s silver leathery wings pumped once more to allow him to maintain his current altitude. He loved flying on evenings like this. The sun was tucking slowly into the distant horizon, and the sky was a brilliant shade of orange. The remaining rays of sun fell on Gordan’s sleek silver scales and cast rainbows off of him. He shook out the webbed hood that protected his ears. The sparse clouds streaked across the sky like wisps of cotton, dancing to the beat of the southeastern breeze which felt soothing on the back of his long slender neck. Closing his amber eyes, he took a long deep breath of the air surrounding the woodlands. . Gordan snorted at himself. Woodland was a strong word to describe the large expanse of scorched earth that stretched beneath him. The smell of burnt wood and smoke rose up from the ashes of what once was a beautifully dense forest that he had foolishly helped burn down nearly a century ago. Being older and wiser now, he regretted his decision because it made the land look scarred and ugly. He dipped his nose toward the ground to get a closer look at the carnage. Ash billowed out in every direction as the great dragon flapped his massive wings to slow his descent.

He landed gracefully, and then carefully folded his wings against his back. He stretched his neck out and down among the dirt and ashes. To his delight, he saw seedlings sprouting all around him. In a few decades, the forest would be restored to its once awe inspiring splendor. With his curiosity sated, Gordan stretched out his wings and was about to take to the skies again… When he heard a sound a few yards north of where he landed. He cocked his head and focused his ears to pinpoint the sound’s origin. There it is again! Gordan thought, his ears tingling at the shrill tones being emitted into the air.

The sound of a small child’s giddy laughter.

Perplexed, because it definitely didn’t sound like a hatchling, Gordan peered in the direction of the noise.

Through the light evening fog beginning to creep into the surrounding area, Gordan could plainly see a small child sitting in the middle of a pile of ash. He wore a positively soiled jumper and what Gordan assumed was once a yellow t-shirt. He smiled brightly when he noticed Gordan looking at him.

A very human child.

Gordan was only guessing of course, because he was born during the Hatchling Years and those started a few years after his fellow dragon kin had driven all of the humans out of Draconia. He had never seen one in the flesh. But he had been told many scary stories as a hatchling about all the horrible things the humans did to try and wipe out the dragons.

Had they returned?

Gordan frowned at the child, who had begun waddling slowly over to the mighty sterling dragon, entirely unafraid.

This one certainly doesn’t seem like he could harm me. He can barely walk. Gordan grunted in amusement as the child wobbled on his short, chunky legs. His skin was a soft pink, and he looked very… Squishy. His hair was the color of blood and falling in his eyes.

He was mere feet away when he teetered a bit too far to the left and began to fall. Without really giving it any thought, Gordan reached his hand out and caught the toddler by hooking a claw around his middle and helping him sit gently on the ground. This earned him another round of giggles and applause, and the dragon caught himself smiling. There was a rustle of parchment when Gordan pulled his hand away. Curious, he rotated the kid around to get a look at what would make such a noise on his back. Pinned to his shirt was a hastily scrawled note.

My name is Drayce.

If you find me, it means my parents are dead.

Please take care of me, I have no one else.

Gordan unpinned the note from the child’s back and breathed a small flurry of ice from his nostrils. The parchment, now covered in a thick coating of ice, was reduced to snow with Gordan's mighty fist. The toddler was staring at the dragon, giggling to himself, and when he saw the snow get carried off in the light breeze he let out a squeal of delight. Gordan winced.

“Must you keep making that dreadful noise?” The dragon snapped at the tiny human, bringing his snout within inches of Drayce’s face. Instead of shying away in fear, the boy squealed again - louder than before - and smacked Gordan on his nose. The dragon grunted, surprised by the toddler’s courage.

“Let’s have a look to see if we can find your parents.” Gordan gingerly picked up the child and held him close to his chest as he took flight once again. Thankfully the child’s squeals of delight and wonder had to travel through the gusting air currents before reaching Gordan’s ears, so he was spared the piercing screech. Gordan flew in a wide circle, going out a little farther with each pass. His keen sight picked up nothing, not even wildlife. This area of Draconia was just meadows and what used to be woods and farm land, so there weren’t even any caves or dens for humans to hide in. He went a total of two miles outside the scorched forest before he finally gave in.

“Well Drayce? What in the world are we going to do with you?” Gordan glanced down at his passenger. The kid had curled up in the dragon’s grip and fallen sound asleep. Gordan shook out his hood in frustration.

Don’t you get attached to this child, Gordan. You know full well that the Elders will not let you keep him.

Gordan frowned at his own thoughts. What was he supposed to do with him then? The boy could barely walk, let alone feed and defend himself.

It was completely dark when Gordan decided it was time to land and make camp. He was starting to feel tired, and he didn’t want to risk dropping the kid. Upon discovering a large field, he landed deftly in the long grass. He circled a few times to tamp down the grass around them and made a makeshift bed. He was just getting comfortable when he heard a very familiar roar above him.

Gordan tilted his head up to the night sky and eyed a large dragon as black as the night sky circling over him. Her features were sleek and elegant, her scales small and laid flat against her like a snake. She had long, bird-like feet and razor sharp talons. She landed delicately a few yards away and eyed Gordan carefully..

“Kendriss.” Gordan’s tone was low and even, so as not to wake Drayce. Her hearing was far better than his, he had no reason to yell. The female dragon approached with a regal air about her. As granddaughter of one of the more feared Elders, she came by it honestly. She looked at Gordan with the same level of contempt as normal, but was taken aback when she eyed the sleeping toddler under Gordan's wing.

"Is that… A human?" Kendriss hissed, her reptilian eyes thinning to barely visible slits. Gordan growled a warning at her and pulled his wing more securely over Drayce, who was unaware of the palpable tension in the cool night air.

"I found him a few miles from here, abandoned and alone. He's a helpless child, Kendriss." Gordan's tone was calm and even, which infuriated Kendriss even more.

She stood up on her hind legs and gave a mighty flap of her charcoal wings. Gordan shut his eyes against the dirt and pollen her childish act unearthed.

"Are you daft, Gordan? Do you not remember the stories about the Great Dragon War? What his people did-"

Gordan bared his teeth and cut Kendriss off with a growl that bordered on a roar.

"He is just a hatchling. His people didn't do anything to us. And anyway, they're dead and gone. I searched the area around where I found him and came up with nothing."

Kendriss narrowed her eyes at Gordan and crouched low in a defensive stance.

"It matters not. I cannot let the child live, Gordan. Think of what he is going to grow up into." The snake-like dragon's tone shifted to sound more sympathetic. "I can give him a quick death. The Elders will not be so kind."

Gordan deftly slid the child behind him, beneath his tail. Drayce stirred slightly, but did not wake. The male dragon barely had time to right himself before Kendriss was upon him, jaws lunging for his throat. Gordan ducked his head and slammed his crown of horns into Kendriss's unsuspecting face. The female drake stumbled back blindly, shielding her face.

“You would choose this human over your own kin?” Kendriss spat the words at him. Gordan bared his teeth.

“Don’t be so dramatic. I just don’t see the sense in killing a being so helpless.”

Kendriss lunged for Gordan again with renewed hatred.

“His people slaughtered our kind for a century! Keeping him alive spits in the face of our ancestors who were tortured and killed for their parts!”

Gordan swiped again at Kendriss’ marred face, and she dodged to the left.

“Holding a child responsible for the actions of his ancestors is illogical and cruel!”

Gordan lunged at Kendriss again, and was met with her whip-like tail to his abdomen. He

roared in pain as the razor sharp barbs which covered her tail’s point tore three long gashes across his belly. Gordan stumbled back, exposing the spot he had tucked Drayce into. Unable to keep himself upright, he collapsed in a heap against a nearby boulder. Kendriss hissed at the sleeping toddler and secured a claw through the front of his jumper, bringing him just within chomping distance of her many pointed teeth. Her hot breath on his face brought the boy out of his unconscious state. He blinked sleepily at the dragon’s maw – and smiled. As he continued to wake up, he began laughing in the face of his attacker.

Kendriss was momentarily caught off guard as she studied the child with mild curiosity, but that was long enough for Gordan to send a breath of ice shards into the side of her face. With a sharp gasp of pain, Kendriss lost hold of Drayce and howled as she clutched her head in her claws. Gordan saved the child from colliding with the ground with a swipe of his tail and swept him into his arms. He wasted no time taking to the sky and headed for home. He knew Kendriss would be on his heels when she recovered, and it was imperative that he made it back to The Village before she did. If she was able to slither into her grandfather’s ear before Gordan could be heard, the child was doomed.

Gordan arrived moments later to The Village’s center, where important meetings and other social events were normally held. There was already a small gathering of his kin, and the Elders were grouped at the mouth of their cave. The air as he landed was electrified with tension as the other dragons took notice of his cargo. There were hushed murmurs and anxious whispers all around him as he approached the Elder dragons.

“What is the meaning of this betrayal, Gordan? What have you done?” Tiekoss hissed.

In addition to being the oldest of the three ancient dragons, he was also Kendriss's grandfather. His hood, while sharing his granddaughter's coal like coloring, stood out by the gold webbing pattern across his scales. Gordan stepped up to the Elders in their tight semi circle, and placed the child on the stone ground in front of them.

“I was out scouting along the outskirts of Draconia, and I came across this human child. He was alone in the Gutted Wood, seemingly abandoned. He is helpless, and cannot defend or care for himself. I would ask the Elders to show mercy and allow him to live here, under my care and supervision.”

Tiekoss scoffed, and bared his fangs at the toddler. Like he had with Kendriss, Drayce let out a peal of laughter. To Gordan’s amusement, all of the surrounding dragons that had come to investigate jumped in fright.

“Absolutely out of the question. What will be done when his people come looking for him? Surely this child even being born means they have returned?” This came from Umrin, the second oldest and the largest in their thunder. His neck alone was the size of a small tree trunk and his scales were the color of spring moss.

A wave of frantic whispers rippled out around Gordan and the council.

Have they truly come back?

I thought we drove them out for good when the war ended…

My gods, we must protect the hatchlings…

Gordan gave a snap of his wings and blew icy wind from his nostrils.

“I searched the surrounding area for any trace of any humans, his or otherwise, in a radius of a few miles. I found no evidence of any human life. His parents and seemingly any humans that may have been in the area are long dead or gone.”

Umrin narrowed his reptilian eyes at Gordan and the child.

“Nevertheless. What is to stop him from growing up and inheriting the same barbaric behavior as his ancestors?”

A thud behind the small gathering signaled the arrival of Kendriss. Moments later she sauntered through the crowd, the other dragons giving her a wide berth. The left side of her face was scarred and frostbitten from their earlier encounter.

“This monster cannot be allowed to live here, grandfather. He cannot be allowed to live, period.” Kendriss hissed. There were more than a few murmurs of agreement from the gathering of onlookers. “The risk to our kind is too great.”

Tiekoss nodded and gave a smug look to Gordan, who was beginning to lose his patience.

“By the time he is old enough to pose a threat, I will have raised him as one of us. He will have no influence from his kind.” Gordan wrapped his tail in a protective circle around the child, who was blissfully unaware of the conflict his very existence had caused. He was making finger drawings in the dirt on the stone ground and babbling to himself.

The third and final member of the Elder council cleared his throat.

“Gordan makes an interesting argument,” Zadrun, the youngest of the Elders, stroked the silver whiskers on his chin pensively, “should the boy discard his humanity and live as the dragons do, any fear of future conflict would be significantly lessened.”

Kendriss and her grandfather began adamantly opposing Zadrun’s suggestion.

“Alright!” Zadrun roared, silencing the bickering. Kendriss seethed quietly beside her grandfather and Tiekoss reluctantly gave his attention to his brother. “Gordan. If the child is allowed to stay, you must assume full responsibility for his care and upbringing. You will receive no help from your kin. Do you understand?”

Gordan nodded, and tightened his tail around the boy. Tiekoss snorted.

“I hope you also understand that you are setting this child up to be isolated and bullied by his peers.” Tiekoss hissed.

Gordan bared his teeth at the old dragon and his smug looking granddaughter.

“Anyone who hurts this child, psychologically or otherwise, will answer to me. If he is allowed to stay I will do everything in my power to make sure he feels like he has a home here.”

Tiekoss rolled his eyes. Zadrun nodded.

“You have made a solid argument for this boy, Gordan, and I see no reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to stay.” The youngest Elder proclaimed.

“Although I still think it’s a bad idea, I agree with my brother. The risk seems minimal, and I trust you will ensure our kind above all is protected.” Umrin declared.

Zadrun looked at his brother with surprise, clearly expecting him to side with Tiekoss.

There was an uproar from Kendriss and her grandfather, as well as a select few other dragons among the onlookers.

“This is an outrage!” Kendriss yelled.

“You spit in the faces of our tortured ancestors!” Tiekoss roared.

“Think of the effect this will have on our children!” Yelled a small group of frightened den mothers.

Zadrun and Umrin both gave a mighty roar, and a heavy silence fell over the tense gathering.

“Your Elders have spoken! Though we do not all agree, we have always gone with the majority. You should know this better than anyone, Tiekoss, seeing as how you were the one who came up with that rule.” Umrin said with a smirk at his older brother.

Tiekoss grumbled and took a still bickering Kendriss by the scruff and dragged her into their cave.

Gordan plucked Drayce off the ground and started back to his own cave. He turned when he felt a sharp tug on his tail. Umrin had put his foot down on the tip.

“Just understand, Gordan, that the moment the child is perceived to be a threat, he will be dealt with.” The Elder released Gordan’s tail and gave him a final nod before turning and retreating into his cave.

Gordan nodded that he understood and made his way back to his cave and to Drayce's new home.

Days turned to weeks, turned to months, turned to years, and under Gordan's parentage Drayce grew up to be an honorable and good man. School was difficult at first, but eventually all the other hatchlings grew to love, or at least respect, him as much as Gordan did. Drayce's kind-hearted and gentle nature eventually grew on his most heated objectors Tiekoss and Kendriss. He became living proof to all dragons that humans were not wholly evil beings. Proof that some can be honest and true. Proof that perhaps one day, human and dragon kind could live together side by side in peace.