Nerie and her friend Raana were excitedly racing to through the streets to the royal dragon hatching and bonding ceremony. Young girls from the middle district, they were well dressed for the ceremony. Raana wore a burgundy dress, while Nerie wore a navy vest over a white shirt and a long amber skirt.

It was an exciting time for the country. All across the city of Roria, people have hung golden and navy banners from every window. Flowers laid in baskets waiting to be thrown into the air. The market bustled with all the vendors there to sell their wares as the kingdom celebrates. As they wove their way to the palace they discovered line after line nearly backed up to the lower district.

“This way!” Raana said as she pulled Nerie through streets she hadn’t known existed. Raana had told Nerie she had a friend in the palace that said that he could get the girls in to see the hatching. Raana led Nerie to a small back door on the far side of the palace.
Raana knocked sharply twice before a handsome young man with dark hair and dark eyes pulled it open. She leapt into his arms, kissing him. Nerie was shocked, as she had no idea that her friend had such a friend.

“Raana! Oh, what would your mother say!” Nerie asked with a giggle.

Raana just rolled her eyes and turned back to Nerie.

“I’m Zaid. And I intend to find out what her mother has to say as soon as I save up enough to ask for her hand in marriage.”
Zaid, then led them inside.

“I couldn’t just get you in for free. We need more hands than we have here in the kitchens today. Just for a while - we all want to be at the hatching too,” Zaid said apologetically.

Raana and Nerie were expected to help prepare the feast in exchange for entrance through the kitchens. Nerie was tasked with folding bread while Raana started turning a boar over the fire. Nerie was more than a little annoyed that Raana had not told her in advance - she was getting flour on her new outfit. The way the staff were acting, it seemed like there was a while yet to wait.

After Nerie finished with the dough, she was dusted off and given a tray to carry to the ceremony hall. Luckily, the outfit her mother had bought was nice enough to pass for a royal servant. She walked slowly but with determination as she tried not to slosh the liquid around. As Nerie stepped out of the kitchen Raana shouted to her she would catch up in just a few minutes.

As Nerie approached the hall, one of the king’s personal servants came to her aid, taking the refreshments directly to the waiting royal family. They were sitting on a dais behind where the dragons Soros and Eras were curled around their egg. Ilex, King Soren’s dragon rested on the roof above the dais, his head drooping down, watching his soon to be hatched sibling with keen interest. Nerie was glad the tray had been taken, for if it hadn’t been, she would have dropped it in surprise. She had never actually seen a dragon before.

The three dragons looked like jewels in firelight. Soros was a dark purple, Ilex an acidic green and Eras a bright fire orange. The egg between them was a pale yellow. Nerie stared at in interest. She could already imagine the little dragonling clearly. It would be female. She would be a creamy yellow like fresh turned butter, but as she aged, her scales would darken into the purest gold. The prince or princess would be more than lucky she thought wistfully. Soros looked over at Nerie, her purple eyes calm and deep. She blinked, and Nerie blinked in response.

Another servant - rushing to do some unknown errand - collided with her and she was jolted back into reality. She had to join the waiting crowd. So many people had already crammed themselves into the stands overlooking the dragons that at first Nerie hesitated. Then she thought about how long she had waited to see the little dragon hatch and shoved herself into the crowd. There was a railing surrounding the warm sands that the egg was nestled into, and Nerie shimmied her way around it so that she was directly opposite the royal family.

Soros watched her for a moment longer but turned her attention to her bored son who had started huffing smoke rings above the crowded arena. A slight growl from Soros, and he was curled into a tight green ball. Nerie couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Twenty-one years old, and Ilex was still basically a hatchling himself.

The royal family, waiting on the dais patiently, was known for keeping to themselves. They only left the palace for matters of diplomacy. Nerie had only seen King Soren a few times from afar on crowded streets, and Queen Alaena once when she was very small. Looking at them now, she saw that the king and queen were regal and poised.

Nerie had never seen the prince or princess before. She looked at them while the crowd continued to shuffle in. The egg had begun to wobble slightly in the sand. Astra looked to be nearly twenty, conceived directly after her father ascended to the throne. Her eyes were locked on the slowly rocking egg. Aldis was younger, barely into his teen years. There had been rumors when Nerie was young that Queen Alaena could bear no more children for the king. The kingdom had celebrated when Aldis was born. She remembers being about four years old and a kind woman had given her a bouquet of yellow roses, telling her that each petal was a year the prince would live.

A herald stepped forward, and started to recite the history of the ceremony to the crowd.

“Dragons have been extinct in the wild for seven generations. In our kingdom of Situra, the royal family of Therius is home to the last mated pair, Soros and Eras. It is unclear when they first came to Situra, but our history says that they agreed to help to a general - Kyre - in exchange for his help getting revenge for their people. He agreed and they led his forces to victory. After the Great War, he was crowned our first king. Shortly there after Soros and Eras laid their first egg, and the dragoness Wyla was hatched. She bonded to Kyre, reaffirming his right to rule.

Every twenty one years since then, they have laid a single egg. An egg that determines the very future of Situra. Our future king or queen is chosen by the young dragonling.”

The man took a deep breath before continuing, the crowd silent as they listened.

“When King Soren Therius was chosen by the Dragon Ilex, our kingdom celebrated for weeks on end. It has been twenty one years since that day, and Soros and Eras have once again laid an egg. This time the hatchling will choose between Princess Astra and Prince Aldis.
The hatching of the dragon is an event open to the public, so that all may witness the selection of their next ruler.”

The stands had become even more crowded while the herald had spoken. Nerie was now shoved into the railing as people had pushed in behind her. A sharp crack could be heard from the sand and screams of joy echoed from the crowd.

Astra and Aldis both stepped forward to greet the soon to be born hatchling.

As she emerged from her shell Nerie couldn’t help but think, Oh I was right! As pale as the roses from so long ago, with glistening wings of gossamer, the young dragon stepped forth. She looked to be made of tissue, but her eyes shone of a strength of steel.

She raised her little head and looked Astra right in the eye. They stared at each other for a long moment before the little dragoness turned her head to look at Aldis. He didn’t even get to look her in the eyes before she had passed him over.

She paced restlessly around the enclosure, and Nerie wanted with all her soul to reach out and touch her. The small dragon looked at Soros and Eras before stalking away. Directly towards Nerie. She couldn’t look away from those golden eyes. The little hatchling nudged her hand that rested on the railing. There were screams and yells from the crowd, and someone shook her.

The king stood, pointing at Nerie, yelling for guards. Before she even knew what was happening, she was surrounded by guards, the crowd forcefully being shoved away. The guards were demanding Nerie follow them, but she was lost in the roar of the crowd.
Kiriga hissed and scream in defiance that Nerie was being touched. All Nerie could think was that the dragonling was so tiny, and that she couldn’t look away from her.

The hilt of a sword collided with the back of Nerie’s head. The last thing she saw before darkness was Eras, his giant fire orange body surrounding her, roaring.