Chapter 7: Night of Magic

Emmet and Esther learn a bit more about Umbris and the slayers

“I’m home!” Emmet called as he opened the front door, tired from the day's events on top of his lack of sleep the previous night. He was glad that the next morning was the start of the weekend, and he could sleep in.

“In the kitchen!” Regret called back.

Emmet smiled and almost started his way towards the kitchen when the thought of the egg came back to him. “I’ll be there in a sec! Just need to put my stuff away.”

“Alright!” Margret called. 

Emmet relaxed a bit, guessing that the school didn’t call her to tell her about him decking Tony Giffin. But he knew she’d know soon enough once she saw his wrapped hand. He trudged tiredly upstairs and set his stuff down by his desk and checked on the egg. On opening the closet Emmet let out a breath at the warmth inside it. This was good though. It meant that the egg was safe and warm inside. He smiled at the egg and knelt as he set the Angel Creed flowers beside it, now noticing that the flowers shared the royal colors. He smiled at the sight and gently put a hand on the shell again.

Again he was met with that same press as last time if a little quicker than last time. “Hey there.” He greeted, mostly without thinking. It just felt right to greet the egg, seeing as the hatchling seemed to acknowledge that he was there. 

Emmet rubbed his thumb against the shell, noticing that it gave a little more than last night. He bit his lip. “You hatching here will definitely be something I tell my kids…” He said, giving one last little rub before backing up and closing the closet again. “I’ll be back soon.” He promised quietly as he got up and headed down stairs, not hearing a small scritch… scritch scritch… and a quiet murr.

Emmet walked downstairs and smiled at his mom and Esther as he sat down at the table. “Hello.”

“How was the wa-“ Margret started but then saw Emmets wrapped hand. “Emmet! What happened?”

Esther looked up from her milk and quickly looked Emmet over, eyes widening at his bandaged hand. Nym, sensing her girls worry, clambered over to Emmet and sniffed the bandages as if performing her own inspection before Margret had a chance to get there.

“I’m fine Ma,” Emmet said as Margret lifted his hand. “I’m not cut or anything, the bandages are just keeping the herbs in place.”

“Why would you need herbs bandaged to your hand in the first place?” She asked. 

Emmet pressed his lips together, trying to form what had happened into words. “Well… after I called you at lunch, Tony Giffin decided to cause trouble. He was bad mouthing Da and Granite…”

Margret listened, with a steady but comforting look on her face. “And?” She asked, but she had a feeling she new where the story was going. 

Emmet took a deep breath. “And I decked him for it..”

Esther’s eyes widened. “You decked him?” She asked. 

“And screamed in his face…” Emmet said, rubbing the back of his head. 

Margret looked at her son’s hand and sighed. “Guess your father should have taught you how to punch so you don’t hurt your hand.” She said. “I’m sorry Emmet.”

Emmet blinked. “For what?”

“That you had a bad day.” She answered. “You did say you weren’t feeling good, maybe I should have let you stay home.”

“Ma, its history,” Emmet told her. “You couldn’t have known that Tony was going to be a Tur-“

“Ah! Language.” Margret said.

“A jerk today.” Emmet finished with a smile. 

“Ma, I know what swear words are..” Esther said with a little bit of a frown.

“I know, but you know me,” Margret said, walking around to hug the both of them. “Miss Mama Bear.”

Emmet chuckled and hugged his mom back. He was glad she was understanding, it made him feel bad that he had to keep such an important secret from her. To hide his unease, Emmet gave his mom one more squeeze of a hug before pulling away.

“Well, I might as well get everyone fed outside,” Emmet said.

“Can I help?” Esther asked. 

Emmet looked at Esther. She knew who was staying in the barn, so hearing her ask if she could join him was a bit startling. “You sure?” He asked.

Esther nodded. 

Emmet took a breath and nodded. “Alright, hurry and get shoes on.” He said, watching Esther rush upstairs with Nym at her heals.

* * *

Umbris was resting in the straw with Granite sunning himself outside. It was a long time since he had last been so comfortable, even with a broken and stabbed arm and a burned wing. He slept comfortably all night and had yet to wake.

That is until he heard Granite greet Emmet and his sister. Umbris forced himself to wake and yawned, looking at the door as Emmet came close with a goat from the meat locker for him. 

Umbris nodded in greeting before looking at Esther. She was small and looked very different from her brother. Bright red hair and equally bright green eyes verse the earthy and amber browns of her brother's eyes and hair. 

Then he saw the bandages on Emmet’s hand and could smell the herbs that they held in place. “Rough day I take it?”

“You should see the other guy,” Emmet answered as he gave Umbris the goat. “This is my sister, Esther, and her Siberian Psychic Nym.”

“A pleasure,” Umbris said with a nod of his lupine head. 

Esther gave a shy nod back while her small dragon lay curled in her arms. Esther looked at Umbris as Emmet started changing the bandages on his right paw. “Do you really mean the egg no harm?”

Umbris gave a small huff through his nostrils. “I allowed myself to be injured before I let any harm befall the young royal,” he answered.

“What do you plan to do with the egg?” Esther asked.

Umbris looked at her, now seeing what she was doing. Siberian Psychics act as lie detectors now and then. She was having Nym see if he spoke the truth. “I intend on bringing it home to his mother, and to beg for her forgiveness and mercy for what I had done.”

Esther looked at Nym, who looked back with a gentle purr. He spoke truly. The girl seemed to relax a little as she flipped a bucket over and sat as Granite entered the barn. 

“Speaking of the young highness.” Granite rumbled, laying down beside Esther and gently nosing her with affection. “How is it doing? And why’d you come home so late?”

“He was invited to see Clair’s grandmother,” Esther answered. Then she grinned. “By Clair.”

“Oh really?” Granite asked as he looked at Emmet. He then saw the bandages. “Hope she didn’t bite your hand boy.” 

Emmet looked at his bandages and shook his head. “No, that was from punching Tony Giffin.”

Granite growled. “I take it he attempted to show he was a higher rank?”

“By badmouthing Da and you,” Emmet answered, not looking at Granite as he worked on Umbris’ injuries. 

Granite snorted. “Well, then I would have given him worse. You never speak ill of the deceased, since they’re not here to defend themselves. It's disrespectful.” he said. “But, why go to the Grandmother’s?”

“Clair saw my notes on caring for eggs,” Emmet answered, making both dragons straiten for a moment. “Easy! I told her I was doing research for the fun of it, and to see if it could be used in my future. She told me her grandmother knew a lot about eggs and that's why I went, to learn what I could. Though… the Grandmother knows I have an egg.”

“How?” Granite asked. “Did you tell her?”

“Of course not, there's no way she knows that the egg is royal,” Emmet answered. “But she gave me some Angel Creed flowers and nectar for the hatchling.”

“Angel Creed?” Umbris asked. “That is a rare flower. How is it she has some?”

“She has a massive garden,” Emmet told him. “And she said to mix some nectar into cows milk for the hatchling.”

Umbris have a nod. “That's very wise. Since the young one is so far from home, they might be weaker than the other Royals that had hatched in the Palace. It’s healthier for them to stay where they’re laid.” 

“Why did the slayers want the royal egg?” Esther asked. 

By this time, Emmet had finished cleaning the wounds and rebound them. Umbris took a moment before answering. “Imagine what power the Witch would have… if she had a royals dragon’s soul at her command… She could threaten the thrones, both human and dragon alike.”

“The, witch?..” Esther asked. 

“There's no such thing,” Emmet told her. “The Witches were disbanded for performing black and blood magic.”

“If only they stayed disbanded.” Umbris said. “There’s a few Witches left, and they’d banded with a group of Druids called the Coven of the Dark Moon. With them the witches found a way to chain a dragons soul the moment they hatch.” He reached for the saddle bags and pulled out an amethyst looking crystal with a rune etched inside it. Emmet looked at the crystal, finding there was also a faint inner light inside it… then looking at Umbris, on his chest plates wight where his heart would be felt, was the same rune, also glowing with that funny inner light. 

“Thanks to this Crystal, my Holder, a Slayer known at Hollow Phantom, was able to control me. I couldn’t disobey him, or fight his control in any way or it would cause me blinding pain. You have no idea how much of a battle it was for me mentally to take this from him.” Umbris said with a growl.

“Can’t you destroy it?” Esther asked. 

“Doing that would kill me,” Umbris said, lowering his head. “One one with stronger magic than the druids combined can break the curse.” he slipped the crystal… his soul, back into the saddle bags and tucked the bags under his good wing, making it impossible for others to reach. With the crystal safely hidden he looked outside as a pale moon began rising into the darkening sky. “But weather Queen Allure Spares me or slays me… I am free. I will accept either fate.”

* * *

“Poor Umbris…” Esther quietly said later that night as she and Emmet climbed the stairs to bed. 

Emmet nodded. He knew the slayers were bad… but he didn’t have a clue that they were working with witches and druids. From what he knew of from history, witches were those that worked in the dark arts of magic, and wiccans worked with the light arts. The two sides of magic were always at odds with each other. Until the royals came forced the witches into exile and the Wiccans were kept a close eye on. Though Dragons understood magic better than humans, humans were still fearful of the wiccans and soon they chose a quiet life of living somewhat separate from the people that feared them. Druids were more mysterious. Emmet knew there were good and bad druids too. But they were rarer and farther between; like one in every fifty of people there would  maybe be a druid.

“Think there’ll be a way to free him?” Esther asked. 

“I hope so.” Emmet said, also speaking low so not to let Margret overhear. “heaven knows the guy’s been through enough. But at least he means no harm to the egg. So he’ll be alright to have around at least until he’s healed.”

Esther smiled at the thought before turning to go to her room for the night. “Goodnight Emmet.” 

“Night Esther,” Emmet answered before turning to his own room. He yawned as he shut the main door and opened his closet. The humidifier was going as well as the heater, making his closet muggy. There the egg lay, safe and down on the soft nest of blankets… but it was no longer upright. It lay on its side. The Egg was moving while he was gone.

Emmet felt his heart jump a moment as he knelt and felt the shell. It was much softer now, and when his hand lay on the surface, it bulged as the hatchling inside pressed against his hand, and a quiet murr came from inside it. 

The egg was hatching… tonight.

“Oh no, not tonight…” Emmet muttered, before getting up and quietly stepping out of his room to get the towels he needed. Why are you hatching tonight?? You’ve been alone in my closet since last night! You have a whole week until your hatch date! Why-…. Oh, frack! He stopped as he grabbed the towel. He put his hand on the shell every time he had come to check on the egg. Had he encouraged it without realizing he was?

No matter, it was hatching now. And there was no stopping it. He went back to his room and closed the door before kneeling at his closet, pulling his book bag close and pulling out the books that Phyllis let him borrow. He flipped the pages until he came to Hatching Day.

Hatching Day!

First of all, congratulations! A young dragon hatching it a magical little thing, and not many people get to witness a dragon hatching.

First of all, do not panic. The hatchling will do most of the work on its own, just be there to help pull the shell away and to dry the membrane off. Usually, the mother does this, but since you’re reading this I get the feeling that is not an option.

Next thing to know is that you should have some fresh or warmed cows milk ready. I prefer to add some herbs to the milk as well to help promote a healthy youngster. I usually used Angel Creed Nectar if I can get it. If not, some honey with a little garlic is a good substitute, just be sure to keep the garlic pieces very small.

Emmet nodded and picked up the jar of Angel Creed Nectar and went downstairs, getting one of Esther’s old bottles and filling it with milk before adding some nectar and started warming it on the stove. His heart was pounding in his ribcage as his mid kept repeating that a Royal Dragon was hatching in his closet. 

He tried to slow his breathing and relax a bit, the book said to stay calm and not panic. But he also didn’t want to miss the dragon hatching. The bottle seemed like it was taking forever to warm up with made him pace around a bit. He would have used the microwave, but he felt the noise would wake his mom, and he didn’t think he could lie his way out of making a bottle of milk when there were no babies in the house.

At last, the bottle was warm enough to be allowed to cool a bit until the young royal had hatched. He rushed back upstairs as quietly as he could before again closing the door and locking it this time and knelt by the egg. He could hear scratching sounds coming from inside as well as more murring like the hatchling was growling in frustration. 

The egg then started to rock and almost tipped out of the nest until Emmet caught the egg. “Easy, I got ya.” He told it quietly and lifted it to his lap to ensure it didn’t fall again. It squirmed in his arms until a small hook broke through the soft shell. Emmet knew this was the egg tooth, and that it was as sharp as a puppy's first tooth. But it looked like a little ruby at the end of the cream colored snout.

“Err…rah…” The hatchling complained as it worked to make the hole bigger. 

“Easy,” Emmet said quietly, still holding the egg as the snout retreated and a tiny clawed hand reached up to tare the hole larger. With the hole, a little larger the hatchling rested but peeked up through the hole to see what the world looked like outside the shell. It looked almost as dark as the inside of his egg, only bigger… and with corners. Then his ruby eyes looked at Emmet. “Creeee.” The hatchling greeted.

Emmet smiled at the baby but quietly hushed it. “You have to be quiet.,” Emmet begged.

but the hatchling had other plans. It started working again, pressing its head through the hole to see the outside world and the person holding it better. With the head exposed, you could easily see the royal colors on his scales; the red running from the tip of the snout, up over the head and down the back of the neck accenting the cream color of the rest of the head and down the front of his neck, with two little stubble horns on his head, with small ridges along his nose. It happily looked around at the new world and instantly wanted to explore, only to find the shoulders were still stuck inside the egg. This made the little one complain a bit louder. 

“Hey!..” Emmet said, trying to keep the hatchling quiet. “Shh.. you’ll wake everyone. I’ll help you, hold still.” Emmet smiled as he gently pulled away the egg shell and freed the rest of the hatchlings body, showing the red markings form one long stripe down his back and into the wing membranes that lay crumpled and curled at his sides, as well as splotchy marks on his feet, leaving his claws a transparent cream color. 

The hatchling looked around, finding he didn’t want to get up right away… and that he was starving. He looked at Emmet and ‘Rah’ed at him for food. 

“Okay okay…” Emmet said, getting the bottle and offering it to the hatchling. 

It sniffed the n****e of the bottle before a small, but wide tongue licked the drop of milk that formed at the tip before latching to the bottle and suckled, front claws laying over Emmet’s hands. The hatchling made small sounds of content as it suckled and Emmet just watched in awe. There, in his arms, was a barely five-minutes-old royal dragon… happily having its first meal of warmed milk and Angel Creed Nectar. Its eyes closed to half mast with content as Emmet fed it. As the hatchling ate, a beam of moonlight filtered into the room, making Emmet look up at the moon and feel a warmth enter the room and move around him, like the night was celebrating the birth in silence with him. 

A true night of Magic.

Author's Note

Alright, the first part is done! I hope you guys like it so far ^_^ The next part might get dark, so bare with me for a while!

Reviews

[Dakota]

I love this! KEEP ON! You're a GREAT writer!

[Knight]

Thank you! I plan to keep this story going for a while ^_^ You're the first to comment on it.