Maybe I was more out of it than usual--it wouldn't be too surprising, my mind seems to be all over the place these days.And yet it almost feels as if something is fogging my memory.

I haul myself onto the tree branch that reaches just above my head, swing my leg over it, and work my way through the thick branches. 

Rays of sunlight sparkle through the treetops, casting everything around me in a breathtaking green light. 

The cream-colored egg sits in a secure hammock crafted from a shirt I'd stolen from my brother. 

Being the youngest of three isn't exactly ideal, especially because I'm teased for being a bit on the small side for a boy my age. My brother and sister are both quite tall.

But things like that don't matter anymore--I have a dragon egg. And they don't.

I stroke the smooth shell with barely the tips of my fingers, afraid of damaging it. 

A shadow from the inside moves, and then...

A spiderweb of fractures takes over the once-pristine surface and a small copper foot pushes through it. The dragon wiggles his toes and punches his fist through the side of the egg a second later.

Soon, the rest of the shell has fallen away, leaving me with a baby dragon in my arms.

Big brown eyes stare up at me and the dragon tilts his head. 

Never in my life would I have even thought about calling a dragon cute. After all, they are the ones that turned all of Galdurland to ruins. But this one--he is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. And as he tries to maneuver himself into my lap, I know that he could never hurt anyone.

The temperature has dropped over the months, and I gather some old scarves and blankets for Ryu. The baby dragon had started to get bigger and begun to sleep in a sort of nest at the base of the tree he'd hatched in. 

The trip to his home feels like it's gotten shorter as I'd gone on caring for Ryu. Maybe it's the way he gets excited to see me, or how he's able to growl in a way that almost sounds like he's saying "Yuki". 

When I approach the nest, Ryu is asleep. His soft snores sound nearly human as I cover him in a blanket and wrap scarves around both of our necks. 

Cuddling close to his warm scales, I drift off to sleep. 

I wake to something tickling my face. I open my eyes to see a head of copper hair resting on my chest.

Wait. What?

I jerk backwards and knock my head on a tree, the thunk waking the stranger. 

A teenage boy with big brown eyes. 

And Ryu nowhere in sight.