Chương 56: Therma

The egg sat in a shallow divot in the grass. That was apparently the safest place anyone could think to put it. Aurelia stood several feet away with Roy and Orion, arms folded tightly across her chest as the gray-scaled shell shifted again. It would rustle, then pause, then rustle again. Golden text hovered above it. [Hatching In: 00: 43] Behind them, the rest of Drakehaven had gathered at a safe distance. Aegis had been the one to insist on that part. Not aggressively, but firmly enough that everyone had listened.

"Give it space." That had been his only instruction. Then he had positioned himself between the egg and most of the settlement like an enormous blue-scaled chaperone. To some it might seem excessive, but Aurelia could not blame him. When Aegis himself hatched, he had been surrounded by several people - and it had nearly ended in catastrophe. On top of that, nobody knew what was inside this particular egg. The five eggs had appeared identical: Gray, featureless, and roughly the size of a large melon.

Too large for the smaller drakes they had hatched before, but significantly smaller than Zephyr's egg. Still, Aegis had been born out of a smaller egg at the size of a full adolescent dragon. It was clear that the Weave no longer cared to use egg size as an indicator for whatever came to life within. Roy had asked Aegis to carry the egg outside for that exact reason. Once it was explained to Aegis there was a timer, he had immediately agreed. Now everyone waited.

[Hatching In: 00: 38] A breeze swept across the settlement, prompting Aurelia to look up.

"Zephyr." The pale-green Gale Drake descended rapidly over the fields with her long wings flared. Wind rolled across the grass as she landed several dozen feet away. Talia slipped from her back first with Garrick following behind. Spark floated down beside them in a streak of yellow while Clover came more slowly, looking considerably less enthusiastic about the flight. Talia jogged toward them.

"Did we miss it?"

"No," Aurelia said.

"How long?" Roy pointed. [Hatching In: 00: 31] Talia exhaled.

"Good." Garrick joined her while Clover and Spark wandered toward the other drakes. Spark immediately drifted over to Shimmer. The twins circled one another once before settling near Kindle, Shale, Nimbus, and Zephyr. Aegis glanced toward the growing cluster.

"Stay back." Spark chirped defiantly. Aegis narrowed his eyes, which appeared to be enough for Spark to float backward approximately one foot. Aegis sighed. Talia joined Aurelia.

"What started it?"

"That is what we were wondering." Orion looked toward the egg.

"Maybe population." Roy glanced over.

"What?"

"We hit ten."

"Ten what?"

"People." Roy frowned. Aurelia counted mentally.

"Did we?"

"Depending on who you count as permanent." Talia immediately pointed toward herself.

"I count."

"You spend most of your time in Bellhaven."

"I live here."

"You sleep in Bellhaven more often than here."

"That is because Bellhaven has work."

"Then maybe you count as half." Talia stared at Orion.

"I will tell Zephyr you said that." Orion looked toward the Gale Drake. Zephyr was already watching him.

"Ten was a bad theory." Aurelia smiled.

"It would have happened earlier anyway." Roy nodded.

"Rowan moved in well before today."

"Then maybe one month," Orion said. Aurelia looked at him.

"Since the naming?"

"Roughly." Roy considered that. Talia looked toward the egg.

"Does the System care about anniversaries?"

"No idea," Aurelia said.

"It cares about everything else," Orion shrugged.

"Maybe it waited until Drakehaven had existed officially long enough." Aurelia looked at Roy. He was staring at the egg.

"What do you think?" Roy held up one hand.

"Quiet." Orion frowned.

"You don't know either."

"We will have considerably more information in twenty seconds." Aurelia looked up. [Hatching In: 00: 19] Everyone fell quiet as the breeze eased. Even the nearby drakes seemed to understand the anticipation in the settlement. Kindle sat closest among them, his pale little body rested beside Shale's massive foreleg. Nimbus had compressed herself down considerably to remain near him. Spark and Shimmer floated motionless, and Clover sat. Aegis lowered his head.

[Hatching In: 00: 10] The egg shifted more vigorously now; Aurelia held her breath. [00: 05] A crack appeared. Not in the shell, but across the entire egg. White frost raced over the gray scales. Aurelia blinked once, and the entire shell had frozen solid. [00: 03] Cold mist spilled across the grass. [00: 02] The frozen egg began to glow faintly from within. [00: 01] Then it melted; the frozen shell collapsed inward as if exposed to sudden heat. Steam burst upward, prompting the nearest observers to step back.

Orion's hand moved instinctively toward his axe while Aegis leaned closer. The steam dissipated fairly quickly, and something crouched in the divot. Small, low, and four-legged. For several seconds, it did nothing. Then two teal-colored eyes opened. Aurelia smiled as the drake blinked at the world. Smooth scales covered it from snout to tail. Its body was about the size of a large dog, but built much lower, almost like a salamander that might be found from one of the nearby streams.

The most noteworthy visual distinction, however, was its color. It changed gradually along its body: Icy teal around the head and forequarters, dark charcoal through the center, and then deep crimson toward the hips and tail. The tail itself was broad and finned, with a faint orange glow pulsing near its tip. The little drake lifted one forepaw, observing it as it began processing its own birth. It wobbled a bit, lowered its paw immediately to regain balance, then looked offended by gravity.

Talia covered her mouth.

"Oh." The drake tried again. One step, followed by another. It then sat very deliberately with its eyes narrowed. Aurelia had the immediate impression that the creature had decided walking was badly designed. Golden text appeared. [Flux Drake] Roy read it aloud.

"Flux." The drake looked toward him, then away. Orion crouched.

"Hello." The Flux Drake stared at him. Aurelia could not tell whether it understood yet. Its nose twitched as condensation formed faintly around its muzzle. The drake then stood, took several uncertain steps, and stopped in a patch of grass that had been warmed by the nearby fire. It waited there approximately five seconds, its tail tip glowing slightly brighter, then it stood again. This time, it found shade to sit in.

Once it had done that for ten seconds and its muzzle had gathered more condensation, it was up once more. Talia laughed.

"What is she doing?" Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Looking for something," Aurelia said. The Flux Drake moved closer to the cottage. It laid down on a patch of warm stone before immediately standing back up. It laid down again two feet away, then let out an unimpressed huff before moving again. Orion smiled.

"Picky." The drake looked toward him. Aurelia laughed.

"She heard you."

"She doesn't know what picky means." The drake huffed again. Orion raised both hands.

"Apparently she does." Roy had gone very still. Garrick noticed.

"You're thinking." Roy looked at him.

"Yes."

"That expression usually ends badly for everyone else."

"I need water." Garrick frowned.

"What?"

"Two buckets."

"Why me?"

"Because you're closest to the well." Garrick looked toward the well, then at Roy.

"That is not true."

"You will be." Roy pointed. Garrick sighed.

"Fine." He headed off. Orion stepped closer to Roy.

"What are you thinking?" Roy watched the Flux Drake shift to another patch of grass.

"Coloration."

"Meaning?"

"Teal toward the front, and crimson toward the back."

"Yes."

"Flux." Orion waited. Roy looked toward the newly completed cold-storage entrance.

"And that." Aurelia followed his gaze.

"Oh." Roy nodded.

"The egg starts hatching the same day we finish an underground temperature-controlled storage area."

"We don't know that's what triggered it," Orion said.

"No." Roy sounded unconvinced by his own caution.

"But?"

"But I would bet on it." The Flux Drake wandered toward Aurelia. She stopped beside her, sniffed once, then rested her head against Aurelia's knee. Aurelia froze.

"Oh." Talia smiled.

"Congratulations." Aurelia slowly lowered one hand; the drake allowed her to touch the top of her head. The smooth scales were cooler than Aurelia expected. The drake lowered herself completely, her head settled in Aurelia's lap. Aurelia smiled.

"She likes me." Roy glanced over.

"Perhaps you're warm." Aurelia frowned.

"That was unnecessarily practical." The Flux Drake stayed there for perhaps ten seconds, then abruptly stood. Aurelia blinked as the drake moved three feet away and laid down facing the opposite direction. Talia laughed.

"Too warm." Aurelia stared.

"She abandoned me."

"You had your chance."

"She liked me."

"For ten seconds." Aurelia pointed at her.

"You are not helping." The Flux Drake huffed. Garrick returned carrying two buckets, stopping beside Roy.

"Why does everyone look offended?"

"Aurelia was rejected."

"I was not rejected." Talia nodded solemnly.

"It was brutal." Garrick handed Roy the buckets.

"Here." Roy set one on the ground, then kept the second beside himself. The Flux Drake's head turned. Roy noticed; he pushed the first bucket forward.

"Can you heat this?" The drake stared at him, but did nothing. Roy waited, but the drake only blinked in response. It earned a chuckle from Orion.

"She respects your authority." Roy ignored him.

"Heat." No response. Roy frowned.

"Cool it?" The Flux Drake's eyes shifted. Not toward the bucket in front of her, but the second one behind Roy. Roy paused, then moved both buckets beside each other. Only then did the drake stand and walk over. She sniffed the water in one, then the other. Roy crouched.

"Do something." The drake looked at him for a moment before continuing. Slowly, she lifted one forepaw and placed it into the first bucket. She then turned and placed the tip of her broad tail into the second. It only took about four seconds before Aurelia heard the hiss. The tail glowed a brighter orange, and the water around it began steaming. At the same time, frost formed around the Flux Drake's forepaw. It spread outward across the surface of the other bucket. Roy's eyes widened as he observed.

Steam thickened as the water around the tail began bubbling. The other bucket crusted over with ice.

"Whoa," Garrick said. Aurelia crouched closer. The Flux Drake remained completely calm despite one paw in near-frozen water and her tail in near-boiling water. If anything, she looked almost bored. Talia stared.

"How?" Roy grinned.

"That is interesting."

"That's your reaction?" Orion asked.

"Yes." Aurelia looked between the buckets.

"She moved the heat." Roy nodded.

"Exactly."

"From one to the other."

"Yes." The Flux Drake withdrew her paw, cracking the ice around it. Steam rolled around her tail as she pulled it out of the boiling bucket. Roy stood.

"Kaelu!" A voice answered from near the warehouse.

"What?"

"Come here!" A pause.

"Why?"

"Drake." Another pause, then Kaelu appeared. He approached carefully as the Flux Drake watched him. Kaelu stopped beside Roy.

"What did you do?" Roy pointed toward the buckets. Kaelu took a moment to process the information, then stared at the drake.

"Heat transfer?"

"That's what I think." Kaelu crouched. The Flux Drake looked unimpressed by yet another person staring at her. Roy pointed.

"Can you put them back?" The drake did nothing. Talia whispered.

"She doesn't like you." Roy ignored her.

"Reverse." The Flux Drake looked at the buckets, then at Roy once before sighing with a little huff. She switched sides before continuing. One paw went into the boiling water, and her tail dipped into the frozen bucket. The orange glow faded as frost around the opposite bucket began melting. Steam diminished in the other bucket as the boiling water cooled. Within less than a minute, both buckets were merely water again. Perhaps not quite identical, but as close as they could reasonably get. Kaelu stared.

"It isn't creating cold or hot."

"No," Roy nodded.

"It removes heat and puts it somewhere else."

"Yes." Aurelia looked toward the drake.

"Can she hold it?" Roy paused.

"We don't know." The Flux Drake pulled away from the buckets, her tail still holding a faint glow. She walked several steps before finding a flat stone to press her tail against. The glow faded, and steam rolled off of the stone. Roy's eyes widened again.

"There." Kaelu nodded slowly.

"She can."

"How much?"

"No idea." Roy stood, then looked toward the cold-storage shelter. Kaelu followed his gaze, and his expression became cold almost as fast as the water had just frozen.

"No." Roy looked at him.

"I haven't said anything."

"You're about to make life significantly harder because of this." Orion nodded.

"He does have that tendency." Roy ignored both of them.

"The cold storage." Kaelu sighed.

"Yes."

"Heat needs to leave it."

"Yes."

"We were planning ice first," Roy pointed toward the Flux Drake.

"Now we have her." Kaelu stared at the drake, then toward the cold shelter.

"Maybe." Roy smiled.

"That's enough."

"It is not."

"We need to test—""Tomorrow." Roy frowned.

"Why tomorrow?" Kaelu pointed toward the communal area.

"Because we just built an underground cellar in one day." Roy opened his mouth. Kaelu pointed again.

"Dinner." Roy closed it. Aurelia smiled. Orion leaned toward her.

"He's learning."

"I heard that."

"Good." Roy stood.

"Come with me." Kaelu's face fell.

"I just said tomorrow."

"I want to look at the connection point."

"Roy."

"Two minutes."

"Your two minutes become structures." Roy started walking. Kaelu held strong for a few seconds, then looked toward Aurelia.

"Why?" Aurelia smiled.

"You encouraged him."

"I corrected him."

"He interprets that as encouragement." Kaelu sighed and followed. Orion watched them leave.

"They're not eating soon."

"No." Aurelia turned back toward the Flux Drake. Several of the smaller drakes had begun approaching. Spark first - he floated forward and chirped. The Flux Drake simply stared. Shimmer floated in next, providing another chirp. The Flux Drake stood, then walked several feet in the opposite direction before sitting. Talia laughed.

"She doesn't like anyone." Aurelia crouched.

"Be nice." The Flux Drake looked toward her.

"These are your family." A small huff.

"Yes." The drake's tail twitched.

"Family." She looked toward Spark as he floated closer. The Flux Drake reluctantly remained still as he circled her once with Shimmer in tow. Nimbus waddled over next. The Flux Drake endured this with the expression of someone accepting an unavoidable social obligation. Clover approached and sniffed. The Flux Drake sniffed back, then moved slightly away. Talia smiled.

"She is going to be difficult."

"She has standards."

"She rejected your lap." Aurelia frowned.

"That was heat-related."

"Of course." Then Kindle appeared, quickly grabbing Aurelia's attention. The little Hearth Drake had been resting near the communal fire, but now he trotted slowly across the grass. Still pale and still smaller than he once felt in Aurelia's memories. The Flux Drake saw him and stopped. Her entire posture changed in a way that almost seemed to denote interest. She walked toward Kindle and sniffed his face, to which Kindle gave a chirp. The Flux Drake sniffed again along his shoulder, then his back.

Kindle stood patiently as the Flux Drake circled him once. Then, to everyone's surprise, she lowered herself beside him. Aurelia smiled.

"Look." Talia's expression softened. The Flux Drake curled around Kindle, her long body curving into a loose ring. Kindle looked down, then simply settled into the middle. His pale body curled against her charcoal-and-crimson side. The Flux Drake adjusted once; her teal muzzle rested near his back while her tail curled around the outside. Then she released her first satisfied sigh of the entire night. Talia covered her mouth.

"Aww." Aurelia laughed softly.

"Perfect temperature." Garrick crouched nearby.

"Apparently." Kindle chirped while the Flux Drake's eyes closed halfway. For the first time since hatching, she stopped searching. Aurelia felt something warm settle in her chest. Maybe Kindle simply radiated exactly the amount of heat she wanted, but the new drake had only tolerated everyone else. With Kindle, she fully relaxed. Golden light appeared in front of Aurelia. [Name Flux Drake:] Talia looked over.

"You got it?" Aurelia nodded. She looked at the little drake: Teal, charcoal, and crimson. Heat moved one way while cold moved another, with comfort found somewhere in between. The name came after a moment..

"Therma." Talia blinked.

"Therma?" Garrick looked at her.

"Where did that come from?" Aurelia smiled.

"I read the word 'thermal' in one of Roy's books once." Talia closed her eyes.

"Of course you did."

"It had something to do with heat."

"That somehow makes it worse." Aurelia laughed. She looked back toward the drakes.

"Therma." The Flux Drake's eyes opened just slightly. Kindle chirped from inside her curled body. Therma shifted closer around him, then released one soft, satisfied little huff and closed her eyes again.