Prologue
At the peak of the Sun, while he glares at the ground below, the light shines from the sky to illuminate the hidden floor of a cave. A very large cave, which is revealed as a Mythical’s nesting cave. Inside of a large nest on the ground- which is situated in a sandy hollow with glowing red cracks in the floor around it- is five draconic eggs. The first, and by far the largest, is mostly red with patches of yellow and black. Three of the other four are slightly smaller and all the same size. The first of these other three is orange and white with a few specks of blue. One of the others is a silvery gray with red and blue in an alternating pattern on one side. Red, red, blue, red, red, blue, red, blue, blue, red. The last of the three same sized eggs is amber with green patches. The final, and smallest of the eggs, is a darker silver-gray with a black stripe and a black patch on it’s left side.
Standing beside the nest is a dark green dragon. The top of her long, delicate snout is black, while the snout itself is light green. Her bottom jaw is the same dark green as the dragon’s body. The skin stretching between her narrow wings is black, as is the skin of her tail flaps. At the end of her tail is a gleaming black barb, much like that of a scorpion. On her back is a long row of bright red spikes, as well as a few on her chest. Her orange eyes gleam in anticipation of a storm that she senses brewing outside of the cave. Around her neck hangs a thin golden chain with a gleaming golden star charm attached.
Beside the nest is a tall outcropping. Perched there is a large bird, a large brown bird with orange highlights on each feather. His- for they are clearly a male- eyes glow in a bright blue. Around his neck hangs a charm that looks exactly the same as the one around the dragon’s neck. He shuffles his talons and leans toward the nest.
CRACK!!
Neither of them flinch, but both move to stand beside the nest. As one, the four larger of the eggs begin to shake and crack. The red egg is the first to break completely, spilling out a dragon hatchling. The scales along his stomach are yellow, and the rest are red. His wing membranes are a lighter red. On his wings are a multitude of yellow feathers. His two little horns are yellow, and the spinal feathers are black, sticking up in little spikes. On the end of his tail are yellow feather flaps, and a black five tipped barb.
The other three break completely as well. The gray egg revealing a female hatching who is also gray. Her belly scales are in an alternating pattern of red and blue. Red, red, blue, red, red, blue, red, blue, blue, red. Her multiple horns are red and blue. Along her back is also spinal feathers. Blue feathers. Her wing membranes are completely translucent, as well as her tail flaps. On her wings and tail flaps are more white feathers. Her tail is tipped with a black barb.
From the orange and white egg comes a male dragon whose back is covered in white scales that look like feathers. His underbelly is orange. His snout starts as a dark blue and slowly fades into a white. Starting at the white is orange feathers running down his back, all the way to the tip of his tail. Down the sides of his tail are large flaps made up of four feathers. His tail is also spiked with five tips. His snout gives the appearance of a beak.
The amber egg lets a lithe male dragon out. His scales are amber, and along his back runs silver hair like feathers in a spine. His tail flaps are made of these same feathers. His tail is tipped with a black barb. His wing arms are green, and his head is mostly silver. His wing membranes are a light amber. Two legs are green- his front legs- and two are silver- his back legs.
The two parents trill and purr in delight, but stop when they realise that only four eggs have hatched. They turn their gazes from the hatchlings to the last egg. It doesn’t even have cracks in it. And no sound comes from within.
The bird speaks. “Strithe... she hasn’t hatched yet. She won’t hatch, if only because her siblings have.”
The dragoness, Strithe, immediately speaks to him with a pleading tone in her voice. “We have to wait! She could just be a late hatcher! Daggerwind, we have to wait, at least until sunset.”
Daggerwind hesitates, but relents. “Only until sunset. Any later, and that means she is dead.”
The two silently roll the egg next to the mouth of the cave, before laying down to wait for sunset. The four hatchlings curl up between the dragon and the bird. The two of them take it in turns to breath flame around the egg.
After a few hours, Daggerwind- revealed as a Phoenix- stands and steps up to the egg. He lowers his beak to trill at the egg, listening for a reply that doesn’t come. “The sun is setting, the shadows reach out. The air cools, our flame will not help her now. We should take care of the other four lest they...” He is cut off by a sharp snap as a soft white glow emanates from the egg.
The last few rays of sunlight seems to focus completely on the small egg. The egg bursts into flame, and the shell melts away from the hatchling. The white glow chases away the shadows, illuminating her black, silver and white scales and feathers. She has four flaps on her tail, made up of three or four long feathers each. The end of her tail is tipped with a white barb. The barb is detailed with a few light silver lines, but the tip is black. Her four taloned feet are white with a black line on each, and a small horn is on the middle of her forehead. Along her back and top of her face is a long back line. Across either wing is a thick black line with small black feathers, and fire patterns along the edges. When she opens her eyes, they are the same blue as her siblings’ and her sire’s (father’s).
“Treeel!” The four larger hatchlings charge over to her and all five immediately begin romping around.
Strithe hums in contentment and Daggerwind churrs from happiness. The newest hatchling stops her playing and turns her head to the phoenix and larger dragoness. She tilts her small head and trills at them before falling on her rear and being tackled by her older siblings.
“Seems like we have some little fighters over here, think we can handle them?” Strithe looks Daggerwind in the eyes and says very seriously, “Since when have we, the unbeatable duo of the Guardians, ever been outmatched by a group of hatchlings?”
