* * *

Tap… tap tap-tap…

Emmet sighed as he sat at his desk with his laptop on with his side lamp on, casting a warm, if limited, glow in the room.

“Okay…” he muttered to himself. “Care of dragon Eggs…” He said as he typed out what he searched. He sighed and bounced a foot as he anxiously waited for the search to load. After a moment the search came up with a few offers, the most likely at the top. The care and hatching of abandoned dragon eggs.

Emmet pouted his lower lip and looked at the egg in his closet. “Nothing on kidnapped eggs..” he told it. “But I’d say abandoned is our best bet.” With that he clicked on the page.

The page opened to a website decorated with a sketched fire dragon hatching out of an egg with his eyes closed and clearly demanding to be fed. Emmet chuckled at it a moment before reading the article bellow it.

Care of Dragon Eggs

Dragon Eggs are much like Snake Eggs, but they start out hard like

a birds egg before getting soft in the last two weeks of gestation.

In these last 2 weeks humidity is just as important as heat.

The egg must be kept at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and kept in a soft place.

Dark places are preferred, but not entirely needed. It takes Eggs 60-90

days to hatch. And the hatchling will have a sharp egg tooth on the end of

their snout to aid in hatching.

Once hatched, the hatchling is like a newborn puppy as their wings are

shriveled like a butterflies wings. For the next 10 days, the hatchling is

very delicate, and in need of careful care. The best food for them until

his teeth start coming in is cows milk. When the teeth have come in you

can start transferring the hatchling tot he meat of their region; be it

Cow or Deer or Fish.

When the hatchling opens their eyes, they will imprint on the first person

they see. Seeing as it’s natural that the dragons mother would be present

most often for this event, and it strengthens their bond.

Good luck.

Emmet read over the information once, then twice. Then he bookmarked the page. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the egg. It was laying in folded and rolled blankets. The heat from the warm kitchen downstairs keeping the closet warm and cozy. But he didn’t know if it was 75 degrees in there… Then he looked at the article again… the shell would get soft when it was getting ready to hatch… no, in the last 2 weeks.

He walked over to the egg, hesitantly touching the surface. Sure it had a slight pebbly surface to it… but it also felt like velvet… The shell was soft… still firm, but he could feel a slight give under his hand.

Then the most amazing feeling happened… the shell pressed against his hand. He felt himself jump, but didn’t dare take his hand away. He smiled and gently rubbed his thumb over the shell’s surface, remembering a similar feeling when Esther was still in his mothers womb. They were watching a movie with his dad, when she jumped and told them the baby was moving. Both Emmet and his father carefully put their hands on his mothers stomach, and Emmet smiled when he felt his baby sister kick. It felt magical..

Knock Knock

Emmet jumped when he heard the knock and sat up, relaxing when he saw Esther let herself in. The hall behind her was dark, and the house was silent besides the droning rain outside.

“Emmet?..” Esther asked as Nym crawled off her shoulder and towards the closet as Esther entered and closed the door. “What has you so nervous?”

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you earlier.” Emmet said, scooching back to let his sister see their new treasure.

Esther gasped when she aw the egg, and slowly knelt. “Th… thats a…”

“An egg..” Emmet finished. “Queen Allures…”

“How…. how did…” Esther stammered. “What about the dragon Nym sensed?..”

“He brought it here against his will.” Emmet said. “He’s a Shadow Dragon that was recruited by the Slayers… well, forced to join.” He said before starting the entire tale of how the egg came to be in his closet and his research. “I still have a lot to look up. And the shell is already starting to soften.. the hatchling will be hatching long before Umbris is well enough to fly and get him back to the High Queen.”

“What about school?” Esther asked. “The baby will need someone to make sure it doesn’t escape and get discovered.”

“I’ll think of something..” Emmet said. “As for tomorrow, I think I’ll play a sick card to stay home. I was out in the rain, and I have enough work to do tonight to help with the act in the morning. That should be enough to set up something better for the hatchling. As for getting away, the article said that Hatchlings are helpless as puppies. Their wings are shriveled and they can’t move very much.”

“And when Umbris is healthy?…” Esther asked. “Will he take the baby back home?”

Emmet gave a hesitate nod. “He looked beaten up…The wound in his paw was from a knife. So it’s possible that he did turn against his Holder.”

“And if he’s not?” Esther asked, looking up at Emmet.

Emmet was quiet for a long time. He didn’t have an answer for that… until he looked at Nym. “Theres one test I can think of for him…”

Esther followed his gaze and bit her lip. “And if he hurts her?”

“Then Granite will give him what for.” Emmet said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Hey… wanna see something?”

Esther looked at him and nodded. Emmet pulled her hand towards the egg. He felt her resist at first, but soon they both had their hands on the egg. He felt the hatchling inside move again, but he was watching Esther’s face. Her eyes widened and she smiled in wonder.

Emmet smiled back, looking at the egg for a moment longer. “Esther,” he said after a moment. “I may be playing sick tomorrow, you can’t.”

“What?!..” Esther whisper shouted. “Oh come on!…”

“I mean it,” Emmet said. “It’ll look suspicious if we both stay home… Think you can get some books from the library on eggs for me?”

Esther thought about that. She didn’t want to go to school and leave this treasure behind… but she nodded. “Yeah I can.”

“Thanks.” Emmet said. “And now you know why we can’t tell anyone?”

“Of course,” Esther said. “Mums the word.”

Emmet smiled before standing up. “Okay then. Off to bed.”

Esther rolled her eyes but hesitantly stood, collecting Nym in her arms. “Alright… Goodnight Emmet.”

“Night Esther,” Emmet answered, watching her leave before closing the closet door, getting his laptop and getting into his hammock. he had a long night ahead of him...