It rained fire when he hatched.His first breath was of smoke. His first bath was of blood. His lost, broken wails drowned in the cacophony of battle roars and cries of death. The raging fire crashed against a vengeful sandstorm above his head. He dug deeper into the hard rock, trying to hide in the remains of his nest.


The Longnecks won.



“You look like you need help, little one,” the strange dragon says, amused. He’s the first one that Siergiej has seen alive. Perhaps it was the Earthshaker himself that sent the brownish, earthly Bogsneak his way?

Siergiej doesn’t trust the dragon, but there’s no food on the battlefield – it’s been weeks and all the military provisions had gone stale or rotted away – and there’s no water on the desert. The Bogsneak however, has a calabash. Siergiej can’t quite stop himself from looking at it.

“Would you like some water?” The Bogsneak asks.



They travel through the Shattered Plain. Graveller teaches him how to enchant dried sticks and use them as wands to find water, deep underground. He shows Siergiej how to hunt for small rodents and insects and how to best bite into cacti.

For the first time Siergiej thinks he has found a family.

The battle of Greatwyrm's Breach ends with a victory. Graveller keeps his rescued hatchling as far away from the front as he can, but he’s a Mage and even though his magic is good only for finding lost things, he needs to obey the orders of the Earthshaker.

It’s only a moment, when the battle seems to have burnt out, both dragons of the Earth Flight and Beast of the Longneck Clan exhausted and wary of fighting. Graveller could have sworn that his ward was next to him, following him dutifully, but when he turns back to ask Siergiej if he’s all right – the hatchling is gone.


“Look at this one,” a Longneck Skirmisher hits him with his stick. “Shouldn’t wander away from his guardian.”

“Why did you take him?” another one asks, tone mildly annoyed.

“I could keep him as a pet.”

“He’ll grow older. And bigger.”

“He won’t if I ask the witch to enchant him.”

“And then what?”

“Then I’ll keep him as my pet.”

That night, when two greyish, battle-worn Longnecks take turns throwing their punches, pulling at his wings and claws, Siergiej makes a decision. There are only two choices, either to give up or not.


Graveller pales when the next day he spots his hatchling, covered in blood, as he stands next to the Earthshaker himself. Two Skrimishers, they say, the youngling has killed. Bitten through their necks, clawed out their eyes – fought until he won. Couldn’t make the Mighty any prouder. Will make a perfect soldier.

The Bogsneak Mage prays that night, for the soul of his son.