Princess of Dragons

Chapter 56

"CIARA!"

Looking in the direction, she saw Greg running at full speed towards her, a frantic look on his face.

"What is going on, Greg?" she asked, trying to calm him down as well. He was breathing awfully hard when he reached them.

"You have to come quickly!" he told her between gulps of air. "Sunrose has been spotted!"

"Sunrose!" She turned to the other woman. "I am sorry, Victoria, but this will have to wait." She looked at the two men alternately, a determined look in her eyes. "Let us go immediately, you two!" She hefted up in her skirts and took off down the hall he had come from.

If Victoria had called after them, none of them would've heard it as the collective sound of their feet pounding into the floor drowned it out.

As usual, neither Ciara's shape nor her attire allowed for much speed or stamina, so she needed to stop up and make sure to breathe as soon as they got out. Her lungs stung from the cold.

Her eyes quickly found the fast-approaching spot up in the sky. Kaisog's cry of joy only confirmed that it really was the dragonelle. Sunrose's cry in response was exactly how Ciara remembered it.

She watched with a fond smile as Kaisog leapt off the ground and raced to meet her in the air. He took a moment to nuzzle her mid-air, rubbing his forehead against hers.

He cut it strangely short, however, as something on her back seemed to have caught his attention. He squealed happily as he dove behind her and seemingly nuzzled her back.

At first, Ciara was confused as to what he was doing up there, unable to see anything from so far away. Her confusion was shattered when she heard high-pitched yelps. A sound none of the two had made the last hundred winters.

"So that is why you were gone for so long," she muttered to herself, not minding the others' attention on her.

She watched, stepping forward to meet them as the two turned towards the castle again, calmly approaching the courtyard in which they had spent so much time already.

She was practically bouncing on her feet as they landed, just a little bit away from the three of them. She waited anxiously, a grand smile playing on her lips when a little head peeked out from Sunrose's back.

None of them said a single word as the little creature yelped and jumped down from the dragonelle's back and onto the snowy ground. Tears continued to gather in Ciara's eyes as the young one jumped around in the same snow excitedly, as though it was its first time meeting it.

Kaisog and Sunrose had become parents!

Sunrose had spent these last cycles on the nesting ground. That was why Kaisog had been so secretive, yet so happy at the mention of the dragonelle.

"A hatchling?" Alex muttered, clearly flabbergasted at the sight before him. Although they all were, really.

The little drake was no bigger than a pony, but with all the playful energy of a puppy. He was completely black - just like his father - and with a beautiful, yellow belly - just like his mother. His eyes were as strikingly yellow as Kaisog's as well.

She noted his build was much like Kaisog's - with the wings doubling as front feet - but not even close to as bulky as the grown dragon, and never would be. He would be very fast, there was no doubt about it.

His horns hadn't even begun budding yet, remaining two scaly bumps on top of his head. His teeth, however, seemed as pointy as the sharpest of needles already.

She approached the two big dragons slowly, giving the little one ample time to hide between his mother's legs. The two lowered their heads to her, welcoming her approach and letting the hatchling know she was all right.

She gingerly reached up and placed a hand on each side of their snouts, looking into their eyes alternately with tears glimmering in her own.

"I am so happy for the two of you." She felt Kaisog lean into her touch a little. "I cannot express myself in words."

Sunrose yelped comfortingly, gently nuzzling Ciara and in doing so hogging Kaisog's space. Which also made the big drake grumble in response.

None of the girls minded him though as Ciara wrapped her arms as far around Sunrose's head as she possibly could.

"I missed you too, Sunrose. More than you could ever know."

Sunrose nudged her gently in reply, staring at the blonde softly, returning the words she'd spoken with that alone.

It was broken off, however, when the little one made an attempt at growling, which ended up sounding more like purring, and then pounced at Ciara, nuzzling into her stomach much the same way he had seen his mother do it. Only he didn't realize his own weight and strength, making them both topple over to the ground with a whine. The confused look he gave her made it impossible for her to not giggle at him.

"You are absolutely precious, you know that?" she asked him, only smiling wider when he tilted his head confusedly, as though he didn't quite understand what she was saying.

Kaisog snorted, and then reached down and nudged the young drake off her, all of them watching as the young one uncaringly bounced away, continuing his own game in the snow.

She quickly got up from the ground with a helping hand from Alex.

"While I am excited for all this and the both of you-" He paused to look at the two newly hatched parents while she brushed herself off. "Is it really a good idea to have the kid bouncing around here?"

Ciara immediately understood. "He is right." She nodded. "The Dragon Slayers are always around - it might be dangerous for him." Her eyes followed the grinning hatchling for a moment before returning to the two. "Maybe you should bring him to the Dragon Kingdom instead?"

Sunrose looked over at Kaisog, who sat down pointedly, proudly puffing his chest out and thumping his tail on the ground.

Ciara smiled faintly. "I see there is no changing your mind on this, huh?" She got an affirmative look from the big drake.

"I still do not think that is a good idea, Ciara." Alex glanced up at the two shortly.

She smiled gently. She wasn't completely comfortable with it either, but if Kaisog judged that it would be okay, then she trusted that. Dragons - especially males - were nothing if not protective.

"I am sure they can protect him - they are both very fierce dragons," she assured him. "Besides, I will have a talk with Lodin and see if something can be done."

Sunrose looked to the hatchling and yelped at him lightly, making him stop whatever he was doing and quickly skip over to them. Sunrose gently nudged the drake around so that he sat facing Ciara. Sunrose then looked at the princess expectantly.

Ciara frowned. "What do you want me to do?" When Sunrose nodded towards the hatchling again, humming gently, Ciara's eyes widened. "You want me to name him?" Sunrose nodded.

It was a common enough practice back in the Dragon Kingdom, but she'd never tried being the one to actually name a hatchling. That didn't mean she hadn't anticipated and anxiously awaited the day she finally would, however. As a matter of fact, she had a whole list of names.

She smiled brightly, the perfect one popping up in her head.

"I know just what to call you!" She reached out and placed a hand on each of the young one's cheeks. "You will be called 'Basuril' from now on - an absolutely adorable name for an absolutely adorable drake!" she declared, getting a big grin and a yelp from the drake himself.

The name was approved of.