Hatchling

The Lady in Red

Laughter rang through the air and the smell of different spices mixed and complimented each other, creating a relaxed and celebratory atmosphere. Voices laughed and shared stories as a rainbow of hands reached out with utensils to the colourful foods set out on a long table in buffet style.

A woman holding a baby, that looked identical to herself, stood out in the crowd as many parents were fawning over the seven-month-old in her arms. The baby seemed to have a dazed expression at the many people surrounding her. They laughed at the sigh of relief she seemed to let out as her mother excused herself from the conversation.

Terry's red dress swished about her feet, she remembered Aisha and Bai Yue arguing over what dress she should wear early in the morning. Judging by the red Sari she was wearing, it was obvious that Aisha had won the argument, which left Bai Yue sulking with the light blue hanfu in her hands. Her sandal-ed feet made a clinking noise every time they hit the cream-white, ceramic floor and white wings, tinged with dull red, popped out between the coloured leather straps.

The baby in her arms seemed tired and unused to the constant attention that was on her. The orange tunic she was wearing paired with her chubby face nestled in Theresa's neck made her seem like a squeezed orange. A very adorable squeezed orange.

Suddenly, Terry felt a hand tap her shoulder and turned around.

"Vasilisa!" she exclaimed, her mouth morphing into a smile.

"Have I not told you to call me Lisa?" The woman smiled back and ran a hand through her dust-grey hair that was cut close to the skin. Behind her were a pair of startling blue wings with intricate designs in different shades, which wouldn't have looked out of place on a butterfly, but suited her perfectly. "Oh, who did you make Prime Guardians? Was it Saleema? JD? Come on, tell me!"

"I'll tell you," Terry laughed. "I made Kam Primefather and Polemer and Sacha were waging war over which one of them was going to be Primemother,"

The blonde paused for dramatic effect. "So I'm making Xi'er Primemother,"

"They are going to throw fit, from what I know of my granddaughter,"

Terry's smile only widened. "I know,"

"Ohhh, I see how it is," She nodded in mock understanding, trying and failing to hide the grin on her face. "Be prepared for catfight,"

"I've got the popcorn cooking!" she snorted.

"Enough about Mer and Sacha getting into fight, though I fear it may get violent..." Lisa laughed, wiping a tear away from her eye. "Are you ready for your fight later?"

Lisa's expression changed, her smile straightened out, her wings twitched and the wrinkles on her face shifted to accommodate the slight frown settled between her eyebrows. The infant, with her head settled on the older woman's shoulder, shifted and Terry moved to make her more comfortable.

"I am prepared but I feel like something might go wrong..." Terry's expression changed as well, falling slightly as she looked away. "I mean, I can't be sure who I'm meant to be fighting and there's a chance I just get destroyed,"

"You will be fine, Tessa," The grey-haired woman said reassuringly in her faintly accented voice, patting the Avian's shoulder. "You are one of best combatants here,"

Terry smiled at the nickname and nodded in agreement. They spoke a little longer before Lisa was called over by the group she normally played Poker with and had to leave.

Moments later, the baby in Terry's arms whined and lifted her head off her mother's shoulder. Bailey's watery-blue eyes looked into Terry's tropical blue ones and Bailey patted her stomach. Her movements were slightly jerky but they conveyed her message.