Kipril's Arc

Chapter 4 of 4

The egg warmed in Kipril's hands, but not from his own heat. The shell shifted slightly, then cracked. A thin line split the dark pattern down the center, and Kipril's breath caught. He looked at Aunlon, but she was already stepping back, her expression changing from calm to something close to alarm. The egg broke apart faster than Kipril could react. Pieces fell away from his palms, and what emerged was not small or helpless. The hatchling stood upright in his hands, already the size of his torso, with milky white scales and bright green eyes that fixed on him immediately. Kipril nearly dropped him, but the hatchling's clawed feet pressed firmly against his lower palms, steadying himself. Aunlon stepped forward, her hands reaching out, but the hatchling turned his head toward her and made a low sound that was not a cry. It sounded like recognition. Kipril set him down carefully, all four arms trembling. The hatchling stood on his own, solid and certain, and Kipril realized with a cold shock that this was not a moment he could prepare for. He had imagined helping Aunlon care for something fragile, proving himself through patience and attention. But this hatchling did not need him. The creature looked between them both, then moved toward the nest entrance with purpose. Aunlon caught Kipril's eye, her face tight with something he couldn't name. "He's the Eldest," she said quietly. "He'll leave before the others hatch." By midday, the hatchling had grown again. His scales darkened to gray, his limbs lengthened, and he moved with the confidence of something much older. Kipril followed him outside, watching as he walked toward the outer boundary where floating asteroids hung suspended in a glowing forcefield. The hatchling stopped there and turned back once, meeting Kipril's eye. Then he stepped past the barrier and settled into position, his body already taking the shape of a guardian. Kipril stood alone, the weight of what had just happened pressing against his chest. He had wanted to prove himself by caring for Aunlon's young, but the first one needed nothing from him. The trail egg had chosen him, but the hatchling had chosen to leave. Kipril turned back toward the nest, knowing now that being chosen did not mean being needed in the way he had imagined.