Ch 44 The Hatchlings

I was forced awake at the sensation of pain in my right leg. I was being dragged. I looked to find a small dragon, biting down on my calf and dragging me.

"What are you doing?"

He let go of my leg to let out a cute coo. I was about to stand when he grabbed me and began dragging me again.

He looked young. Possibly a newborn. His scales looked soft and had a red coloring to them.

I wouldn't dare attempt to hurt a baby in the middle of a dragon nest.

I began to hear more tiny roars and bickering. I was brought to a large depression in the ground. One that was collateral damage from my fight earlier.

I was brought down into the pit and released. I sat up. His face was right in front of mine. He was no bigger than me. He let out another coo. I reached out and pat him on the head.

"Hey there, little guy."

I smiled at him.

He head-butted me in the face.

I fell backward. He began rubbing his head on my face. He was trying to show affection.

It just hurt.

I felt a bite on my arm. Another young dragon began pulling my right arm. This one was white. I managed to wrestle my arm away from him and grabbed the back of his head. I tried my best to pull him over to me without hurting him.

I got him close and gently head-bonked him. He warmed up to me quickly and snuggled up against myself and the red one.

I spent some time playing with the baby dragons. After I had played with the white and red dragons for a bit, the others slowly came closer to investigate.

The other three were different colors. One was blue, another was yellow and the last one was a vibrant orange. The orange one was the shyest. After he warmed up to me, he was the one that was the most playful and rough.

Eventually, they tuckered themselves out. They began to collect at the indent in the ground where I was first dragged to.

They were all ready for sleep. The orange one raised its head and made sounds at me. It was as though he were trying to call me over. I joined the sleeping pile.

They all seemed to sleep well. I was restless though.

One of them farted. It smelled like rancid sulfur. A normal human fart was a welcoming thought, compared to a dragon's.

Maybe an hour had passed before the red dragon began to stir. He let out the loudest roar that I have heard from the young ones so far. At the sound of that cry, the others began to make similar calls.

Like baby birds calling for their mother. It must be feeding time. It makes sense, I had not seen them fly at all.

A few minutes went by. I was patting two of them while they cried for food.

I heard a familiar sound. The ringing of crystals in the wind. Taaffeite was near. I could not see her, but the sound was drawing closer.

I looked to the open ledge. A bright rainbow color shot straight up from below. It looked like a bird, folded up for a dive. Her tail was short but wide, like a bird's tail feathers.

She went high up before she spun around and began to dive. She got close to the ground and made one large effort with her wings to slow her descent at the last moment.

She landed elegantly.

There was a massive fish in her mouth. She dropped it and the baby dragons ran at it full speed. It was already missing a chunk of flesh. They began tearing it apart even further at the already open wound.

Taaffeite came around to watch them from the same side as I. She was still wary of me, but she was closer than before.

"Do they bother you? The hatchlings?"

She asked. I was surprised to hear her voice. I didn't expect to hear it again so soon.

"For a normal human, they might be too much. I'm fine though. They are a fun bunch to be around."

She seemed to relax a little.

"I am glad. I was afraid that you might harm them. Either for selfish reasons or lack of compassion... I had to see the kind of person you are. I would like to see more."

"You left me alone with them? If I was hostile, I could have done a lot of damage before..."

"Not likely. I was nearby. And some of the dragons in these nearby caves are the parents. They were watching you sharply, I'm sure."

A few of the hatchlings began to bicker over the food.

"I was told to ask the lizard Guru if you had returned. Were you off exploring the world?"

"No, I was waiting for these young ones to hatch. Only a dragon of my size or smaller can enter the hidden egg chamber. I bring the eggs there and return with the hatchlings after. Dragons are few in number compared to hundreds of years ago. We need to be careful about how we handle our young."

"How long did you wait with the eggs?"

"I was away for three years."

"Are any of them yours?"

"No. I do not have a mate. All of the males are old or dumb. I have no interest."

"That's some dedication then. Three years of waiting for kids that weren't even yours?"

"It is my duty. I enjoy raising them. This is only the second brood I have returned with. I love being with them though."

The orange hatchling came to me and cuddled up to me in my lap.

"It seems they really like you. If you aren't careful, you may become their mother."

"At this size, riding on my back is out of the question already. Finding enough food for them would be hard for as small a creature as myself, too."

The other hatchlings returned for the sleep plie.

"I must take this remaining food to the other hatchlings."

"How many more are there?"

"Three other groups of the same size. Too many in one spot can cause trouble. They must be separated and watched over in smaller groups. At least, until they learn to fly. There is not much that can be done to separate them at that point."

Taaffeite walked over to the remains of the large fish. She picked it up with her front claws as she lifted it off the ground. It wasn't long before she was out of sight. The sound of her flight could still be heard for a few moments longer.

I felt more relaxed after talking to her. She was not afraid to talk to me. I think it was progress. I began to feel sleepy. It was hard to tell what time of day it was. The lava lit up the surroundings, day or night and there was no sign of the sky. It could be dawn or dusk, midday or midnight.

Whatever time it was, I was sleepy and surrounded by warmth.

I began to doze off.

I felt my shoulder being pushed.

"What...?"

I still felt sleepy. Another push.

I opened my eyes. It was the white hatchling.

"Thank you for not using teeth to wake me."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I could feel no immediate presence, aside from the white hatchling. I forced my eyes open. The other hatchlings were playing closer to the edge near the lava lake. It was a bit brighter over there.

It looked as though they were playing leapfrog. One would stand still and another would run up and leap off of the shoulders of first. They would spread their wings in a folly attempt at flying. Maybe their wings are not developed enough to attain real flight for now.

I wandered closer to observe their antics. The white hatchling followed at my side. I sat down and I was leaned against by my follower.

The orange hatchling began calling out toward us. I nudged the white hatchling, shoulder to shoulder.

"Go and try. You can't learn how if you never try and experiment."

Whether he understood or not, he did go over to the others. He was being shy. The orange hatchling stayed near to watch and direct. They both seemed to get along quite well.

It made me think of a couple. One teaching the other how to do something that was never learned. It also made me realize that I have no idea what their genders are. I just kept thinking of them as males. I should ask Taaffeite when she comes back.

Some time passed and the white hatchling was becoming more confident. I think he was getting higher than the others. The next try he was definitely flying. It was short and straight but, that was the first semi-successful flight I have seen. He was so happy after he landed that he ran over to the 'frog' again and leaped off at an odd angle.

He was airborne again. It was obvious that he could not bank to the side yet. He began gliding straight to the ledge. I stood to watch. I was getting worried.

"Be careful!"

I called out.

He continued to get closer and closer. His wings would not drop. He was going over.

I began to run. I felt the ground begin to rumble. I could only assume that an adult dragon was observing and also had the same thought as I. I had no time to look back though. The white hatchling finally realized the situation. His wings folded up and he fell to the ground.

It was too late. He was going too fast. He slid over the edge.

Without even thinking of the consequences, I unconsciously began to run faster. I could see everything around me. I reached the ledge and ran straight down the side. I could see the white hatchling mid-air, desperately grasping at the ledge for some kind of hold with his claws. I caught up to him quickly.

The power I had, allowed me to see the best possible footholds to press against to gain the most momentum down a sheer cliff. I grabbed hold of him and he clung to me for dear life. This was the first close-up view I've had with lava. It was incredibly hot. We were maybe 30 or 40 feet from it.

I could still see things that no human ever could. I kicked hard into one of these spots along the wall that I could see. It gave way and allowed me to use it as a foothold. Before I could finish turning and aiming for the top, I saw a shimmer between us and the lava. It was faint but it was there.

I pressed down on the foothold that I made as hard as I could. I launched upwards. I found another spot and did the same. I could see the other hatchlings as well as the adult white dragon, looking down at us. They were worried for their friend.

I made four more large leaps upward before I was up and over the cliff. I had leaped straight up over the cliff.

I had not realized my mistake until after I was above the ledge. I had the upward momentum but, I had no forward momentum. I would fall backward. If I was too far from the cliff, we would simply dive into the lava.

Luckily the adult dragon saw this and reached out with his wing. We were caught safely in the soft skin of his wing and brought to safety.

The white hatchling was still shivering and refused to let go of me. The other hatchlings came running. The orange one leaped up at us and I fell backward. I felt a strange sensation. I landed on my tail.

My tail...

'Mother... I'm sorry. I had to use your power again. I know it tires you out. Please just rest.'

'Don't be sorry. You used it to save someone. I could think of no nobler a reason for this power to be used.'

Even so. I worry that I stole a part of her by using this power.

The large white dragon began nudging us. To my surprise, I received another nudge from my other side. It was the large black dragon that was ganging up on me earlier with the tan one. The other hatchlings avoided us while the adults were attempting to make contact. I placed a hand on the head of the white hatchling.

"It's okay now. You're safe."

Upon realizing who was nudging us, the hatchling released me and grabbed onto the snout of the black dragon. The black dragon almost dragged the hatchling on the ground to get him off. The white dragon let out a gentle growl. The hatchling cooed at both of the adults several times.

I watched as the large dragons turned and began to return to one cave. The hatchling followed them closely.

This sight was nice. Two dragons walking side by side. The child between them. The black dragon nuzzled the neck of the white. I guess dragons can have deep familial bonds too.

The other hatchlings looked sad to lose a play partner.

I lost my kitsune features quickly. I felt drained. Not from the power, but from the situation that had just unfolded. It scared me half to death to see the hatchling fall over the cliff. Then my fuckup at the end. If the white dragon was not there to catch us...

The yellow hatching began nudging me.

"Sorry. I'm not in the mood to play right now."

I gave the hatchling a gentle pat and a melancholy smile. To my dismay, he did not understand. He nabbed my hand in his mouth and began pulling me.

"Uhg... Fine. Don't expect much from me, though."

I did some light play with the hatchlings for a while. My mood cleared up with some of the antics they would get into. I had to untangle a couple of them at one point. Another one had problems figuring out how to get off of its back without stepping on its wings when it tried to roll over.

Without warning, the orange dragon began calling out for food again. The others followed suit.

"That time already, eh?"

It wasn't long before I heard the crystals, singing in the wind. Taaffeite had returned.

As before, she dropped a huge fish onto the ground. There were no signs of missing flesh this time.

"They get the first bite this time?"

"It depends on who calls for it first. Today, they were the first group to call for food."

She came closer to me than yesterday while the hatchlings ate.

"Thank you. For saving the hatchling yesterday."

Right at that moment, before I could open my mouth, the white hatchling ran past us to get to the food.

"I may have been the one to get to her first, but It wouldn't have mattered. That was you, between us and the lava, right?"

"Perceptive. However, It's not what 'could' have come to pass. What matters is what 'has' come to pass. You saved her. If I was not there, and you were not there..."

"Her? I've been wondering about their genders. I feel bad about saying this but, I can't tell the difference between the sexes."

"I suppose a human may have trouble with that. They are all female. This group is, at least. By the way. Are you truly human? Was that a tail I saw when you saved her?"

"I am human. I was given power from a kitsune. It has side effects when I use it."

"The fox-humans? I thought they were extinct."

"The King of the lizard-people has many slaves. She was one of them... She and her daughters."

"Was?"

"Her life force ran out. Before it did, she gave me her power and something more."

"I have heard that the daughters are infertile until adulthood. I have also heard that this adulthood is not simply attained with age. It is given by the matriarchs with the most power. Without someone to guide them, they will likely be the last of their kind. How terrible."

During this somber moment, I watched as a couple of the hatchlings were excited to see the white one. They were too busy making up for lost time, to eat.

"You must have a life outside of here. Are you anxious to get out of here?"

I looked at her. She was casually gazing at me.

"Yes and no. I think about someone at home. I also worry about another. After what happened with the white one, though. I almost feel that I am needed here. I don't know."

She let out a light laugh.

"You are not needed. You were essentially a fill-in sitter. The other dragons can easily take care of the young ones. You were a simple reprieve before they would have to resume parenting. I was not lying, though. If you spend too much time with them, the young ones would not feel comfortable without you here. As it is, they will likely remember you fondly for the rest of their lives."

"Well, If I'm not needed. What's next?"

"I can take you wherever you need to go. I don't know that I would call you a friend. You are definitely not an enemy of the dragons."

"That's okay by me."

The orange hatchling was full. She came over and snuggled up to me for her after-meal nap. The ones that procrastinated on eating just now began to do so.

"When the other groups finish eating, I will come back for you. Do you know where you want to go?"

"Well. If you don't mind, I would like to fly over Omera, Oddasa and Onala to see if everything is alright. My wives and I were almost killed. I don't know why. I want to help my wife that went to investigate but, I don't know what village she went to."

"You have done enough here to earn an extended flight. I will take you."

"Thanks."

The hatchlings finished up their meal. They began to play around Taaffeite's feet.

"You don't need to go to the next group yet?"

"I only go when they call. Are you in more of a rush than you let on?"

She raised her brow.

"Haha. No, I just didn't know if you were on a schedule."

I laid back. The sleepy orange hatchling that I was next to, grabbed onto me and began cuddling me.

"I hear another call. I will be back later."

She found the leftover fish carcass and left with it. The active hatchlings called out to her as she lifted off. The rest of the hatchlings surrounded me to start the sleeping pile once more. I was able to nap with them.