“C’mon squelch we’re going to miss it”
“I’m coming, I’m coming and don’t call me squelch” Yelled Sindri as he chased after his older brother Odinn. They were going to the hatchings today. Sindri was quite sure he wouldn’t get a hatchling but Odinn might. Odinn in the last year had grown several inches in both directions and there was no doubt he would become a warrior.
Sindri on the other hand was a small boy, by far the smallest in his year even some of the boys two or three years back were bigger than he was. Sindri wouldn’t be a warrior. He was good with a bow better than even his father but an axe or sword were much too heavy for Sindri and you couldn’t be a warrior if you couldn’t lift a weapon.
Sindri chased after Odinn catching up to him easily for all his strength Odinn was not the fastest boy by far. “Do you know how many there are this year?” Sindri asked his brother
“Well Gudrun said it’s the best year for hatchlings that he’s ever seen so there has to be quite a few. I heard there might even be a clutch of lightnings. I bet I get a lightning.” Odinn said proudly puffing out his chest.
“But Gudrun told me that no lightnings have picked a warrior in almost a hundred years!” Sindri exclaimed.
“Oh I know that but sooner or later one will and maybe this is the year. After all Gudron says I’m the best swordsman he’s ever seen.”
“Yeah but getting chosen at all is worth something I wouldn’t care if it was a green that picked me I’d be proud of it.”
“Well you’re not going to get picked are you, Squelch?” said Odin nastily “Our family hasn’t had a hatchling since great grandfather was chosen by a spark. Besides if anyone gets one it’ll be me and I bet it’ll be a lightning”
“Well I’m named after him; maybe a lightning will pick me”
“Yeah sure squelch” Odin said as they reached the caves stopping to grab one of the torches left in the nearby fire.
“Stop calling me that, and the hatchlings can choose whoever they want” Said Sindri, his voice slowly dropping to a whisper. Something about the caves made speaking in a normal voice seem wrong. For now arguing with Odinn over that stupid nickname didn’t matter.
They walked in silence through the caves until they reached the hatching cavern. Torches lined the wall, flashes of quartz and deposits of metal reflecting the light. The roof soared high above their heads the single hole in the center of the roof which allowed the mothers to come and go letting in a brilliant ray of sunlight. The sunlight flickered as the mothers flew high above awaiting the hatchlings that didn’t choose a warrior to join them in the clouds.
“There you boys are I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up, c’mon up the steps you both get a chance this year” Gudrun said quietly ushering them up the stone steps and onto a boulder Odinn onto one and Sindri on another.
Sindri stood on his boulder and looked around at the others who also stood on boulders, the boy nearest him stuck out his tongue when he saw Sindri looking. The rest of the village sat cross legged in the centre of the big cavern waiting quietly. Sindri waved to his mother and Father but they were both watching Odinn and didn’t see him.
Sindri looked up along the huge expanse of wall in front of him picking out dozens of clutches of eggs nestled on little outcroppings and there on one of the biggest outcropping were three of the largest eggs he’d ever seen. It was the lightning eggs for sure; they were as black as coal with thin lines of silver wrapped around them. They looked just like a stormy night sky.
Sindri stared at the lightning eggs, he’d been to every hatching since he was 6 years old and this was the first time he’d seen these kinds of eggs and the first year he got to stand amongst those hoping to be chosen.
He turned as he heard others around him gasp and followed their pointing fingers up to a group of 4 blue eggs which were shaking and slowly cracking. Sindri’s attention shot to another clutch this one of bright green eggs which were beginning to shudder. All over the cavern clutches of eggs began to shake and shiver, Sindri looked back at the lightning eggs which still sat unmoving.
Another gasp came from the seated crowd and Sindri turned to see the first few dragons escape their eggs each of them flying straight up and out the top where cries of welcome could be heard from the other dragons above them. All around him dragons flew from their eggs and up out of the caves until finally one blue flame began to drift downwards.
All eyes turned towards the dragon as it slowly circled around the boys who stood on boulders looking cautiously at each one until it suddenly veered inward and landed next to a boy named Vidar whose mouth had suddenly dropped open. He reached out a hand to the dragon which had landed beside him every person held their breath as his hand came closer and closer to the dragon roosted beside him until it stretched out its neck closing the gap between its head and Vidars hand.
A collective sigh and the quite whisper of voices sounded as the village quietly rejoiced for Vidar. He had been chosen; Vidar looked up from the dragon beside him and called out “TYR!” He had named his dragon.
The air was full of flapping wings as egg after egg hatched no more dragons seemed inclined to fly down to the waiting boys until a small spark flew down to choose a boy and be named Siv. The lightning eggs still sat unmoving. A third dragon this one a green shot downwards and without circling even once landed besides a boy who called out the name Idu.
The rustling of wings became quieter as the cavern began to empty fewer and fewer eggs were left to hatch until finally all that remained were the three lightning eggs. Everyone even the three boys who had already been chosen turned their attention to these three eggs as finally they began to shiver and shake. The crowd below gasped as the first lightning escaped its egg, its skin as black as its egg had been and watched as it shot straight up and out of the cavern, the second lightning also leaped from its perch as soon as it shook free of the last bits of shell and flew out of the cavern.
The third egg shook and shivered endlessly before finally a large crack appeared and the dragons black snout appeared quickly followed by the rest of its body. The crowd awed in appreciation this was the most beautiful dragon any of them had ever seen it shared the ebony black of its siblings but also had the rare lightning pattern across its back the silver sparkling in the dim lighting.
It stood on the edge of its nest staring down at the crowd below. Sindri stared at the dragon and whispered “You’re mine”. The dragon’s eyes swiveled over to Sindri and starred at him. A murmur escaped the crowd; surely the greatest dragon in the world wouldn’t pick Sindri.
The lightning stepped off the ledge and drifted down lazily its eyes following Sindri as he turned atop his boulder watching as the lightning grew closer and closer until it dropped down beside him. Sindri reached out his hand and felt with amazement the soft skin of the dragons head push against his hand.
He heard a soft sound come from the back of the dragon’s throat and a smile slowly spread across Sindri’s face as he looked up from the magnificent dragon perched beside him and called out in a voice much stronger than he knew he had and called out “SKY!”
The crowd cheered, Sindri had been chosen.
