Sprite

Elle and Hrathr went off to slay some monsters, but when they returned to Kiran’s Clan, both were covered in small scratches and caked in Mire mud. Alarmed by the state of the Gaoler fighters, Pyra grabbed a first aid kit and ran out to meet them. Her medicinal gear was quickly abandoned upon arriving, for the minute she drew close, Hrathr removed an egg from the depths of his fluffy coat and dropped it into her arms.

“I punched a Podid so hard it laid an egg.” Hrathr stated in a sure tone of voice. The grey-and-white Gaoler seemed perfectly fine with the explanation, but upon seeing the healer’s incredulous expression, he asked a follow up question. “Pyra, what will it hatch into? It is a Podid egg, isn’t it?”

The astounded Fae blinked once, trying to come up with a response. “Uh...” she began in a shaky voice, “Podids are mammalian and don't lay eggs. Hey, you know this is a dragon egg, right? It will hatch into a dragon.”

“Oh, it is?” Hrathr grumbled as he loomed over her, squinting at the egg she was holding. His bulk combined with his unruly mane and jutting Shardflank crystals made him look especially giant to Pyra, and she desperately hoped he hadn’t been angered by her egg diagnosis.

Elle jumped into the conversation, holding back giggles. “I suppose we should take this egg to Kestie. She knows what she’s doing- Hrathr, you’re clueless and WOULD NOT make a great parent to it. Pyra, please run ahead and tell her we're coming.” She gently took the egg from the Fae healer and passed it back to Hrathr, who looked somewhat miffed.

Pyra took this as an opportunity to leave. She thanked the Gaolers and quickly dashed back into the clan, looking for Kestie the Nestkeeper. The motherly Pearlcatcher would most certainly be more rational than the two-dragon exploration team.

The aforementioned pair followed Pyra's trail after exchanging banter for a bit longer, none the wiser to their combined parental ineptitude.

On the way to the nursery of Kiran's Clan, something odd began to occur. The egg began to rock lightly in Hrathr's arms, and a faint squeak echoed from within. The Gaolers missed the noises in their hurry, but as it continued to get louder, Elle finally caught on.

"Hrathr!" She exclaimed, her blue eyes wide. "The egg! It's hatching!" Her words rang true, and both of the muddy fighters stopped in their tracks to watch the spectacle.

A webbing of small cracks spread across the clear eggshell, and the formless electricity inside took on a vaguely draconic shape. Rhythmic thumping noises betrayed the efforts of the dragonet within. After letting out one last squeak, a tiny, bright red claw pierced the surface of the egg, and the structure shattered.

Quick as Lightning, a very small but very loud Mirror sprang out from the crumbling pile of shell. "A baby!" Hrathr gasped. The dragonet's head swung towards him, and he reflexively jerked backwards. "Elle, can you grab them? I don't want to step on them."

Elle chuckled and reached for the vibrant little dragon. "I think this one is a girl. Look at how speedy she is! Her eyes haven't even opened yet."

As if to prove a point, the strawberry-scaled Mirror ducked under the pink Gaoler's outstretched claws and darted in the direction of Hrathr. She ran headlong into the surprised drake, and after a moment of hesitation, he gently lifted her off of the ground. "There there," he said softly, "it's alright."

The hatchling squirmed around a bit as her feet left the grass, but she calmed down as soon as Hrathr spoke. Elle, ever-perceptive, voiced her own thoughts on the matter. "I think the kid likes you more than me. Maybe it's because of your deep voice?"

"Whatever!" Hrathr grumbled as the awkwardness set in. "I know nothing about kids! Elle, can you take her now? I don't want to hurt her." He held the Mirror up higher so that she couldn't get tangled in his mane.

After taking a moment to giggle at the situation, Elle responded. "Fine, fine. I'll take her back. One moment!" She reached for the dragonet, but Hrathr didn't notice, as he was busy staring at the bundle of energy he held.

"Elle..." Said the imposing Gaoler, his voice fraught with uncertainty. "The baby opened her eyes. She's staring at me. Doesn't that make me... well, does that mean I'm her mom now?" The baby in question chirped happily and tried to chew on a nearby strand of mane.

"Sure looks like it." Elle laughed.

Now this was going to be interesting.


Sprite, resident weather dragon of Skyreach. Named after the red sprites that sometimes occur as a result of lightning.