Verdantia Chronicles: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 7: The Familiars

As we followed the headmistress through the forest back towards another clearing close to Castle Nexus, the anticipation among the students was palpable. We were all eager to hatch our familiars, but the headmistress and Professor Keern advised against it, citing the limited space in the cavern.

The headmistress gathered us in the clearing, her red Chinese dragon familiar by her side. She went over some rules for hatching, emphasizing the importance of naming our familiars right away. She explained that it wouldn't require much thought, as the familiar would communicate its name to us.

"Prepare yourselves, students," Headmistress Elara announced, her voice carrying through the clearing. She reached behind her back and pulled out a magic staff, its intricate design glinting in the sunlight. "When I knock my staff on this rock," she gestured to a concrete slab nearby, "the hatching will begin. It may not happen immediately, so don't be alarmed if nothing happens right away. It can be a bit of a waiting game."

With a firm grip on her staff, the headmistress approached the concrete slab. She raised the staff high and brought it down with a resounding knock. A surge of magic flowed through the air, causing the ground beneath us to tremble slightly.

We waited in anticipation, the air filled with a sense of excitement and curiosity. We waited in anticipation, the air filled with a sense of excitement and curiosity. I held my egg tightly in my hands, feeling its smooth, cool surface against my skin. Beside me, Sephtis sat quietly, his eyes focused on the concrete slab as well.

After a moment, the headmistress spoke again. "Now, students, hold your eggs tightly. The hatching process has begun."

I squeezed my egg a little tighter, my heart pounding with excitement. All around me, I could hear the rustling of movement as my classmates adjusted their grips on their eggs.

Beside me, Sephtis's expression was one of intense focus. I glanced at him, wondering what thoughts were running through his mind. "Do you feel anything?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Yes, I can feel something... a stirring, like something is about to happen." leaning closer to him as we sat in the clearing, our eggs cradled in our hands. "What did your mother think about your egg?" I enquired "She didn't say much," he replied, his voice tinged with a mix of pride and uncertainty. "But I could tell she was pleased."

The students had been sitting for what felt like ages, their eagerness palpable as we waited for our eggs to hatch. The clearing was filled with a low murmur of conversation as we chatted amongst ourselves. Mallory Glenvich, a Nexus girl with an affinity for water, tried to strike up a conversation with me, her ostrich-sized egg cradled carefully in her arms. We exchanged a few polite words, but our conversation was cut short by a sudden exclamation from another student.

"I think mine's hatching!" a voice cried out, drawing our attention. I turned to see Reva, a Hethen girl I recognised from the sorting ceremony, as her egg cracked open with a burst of light. A small lightning bird emerged, crackling with energy, and the students and professors watched in awe.

Another shout followed soon after, and I turned to see Elias Churchill, a Sentinel boy that was in my class today, holding a pale blue oblong egg. It trembled in his hands before splitting open to reveal a misty water serpent. Around us, more eggs began hatching, each one revealing a unique and mysterious creature.

Finally, it was Rose's turn. She held her egg gently in her hands, her eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.

A soft glow surrounded Rose's egg, growing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. The other students watched in awe as the light intensified, casting a warm, golden glow over the clearing.

Then, with a sudden burst of light, Rose's egg cracked open, revealing a magnificent creature within. Before her fluttered a beautiful plant sprite, its ethereal form shimmering with an inner light.

"I name you petal," Rose whispered. And the sprite chirped in happiness before fluttering around happily.

Next was Sephtis, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as his egg, one of the larger ones, began to shake violently. Professor Keern approached to watch, her own winged cat familiar by her side. The egg cracked open to reveal a black panther cub with feathered wings, a definite resemblance to Professor Keern's own familiar. Professor Keern's cat immediately took to the small panther, tenderly grooming it with affection.

Sephtis gasped in awe, his eyes wide with wonder. His mother's face fell into a small smile, her eyes shining with affection.

"Your name is Shadow," Sephtis whispered, his voice filled with reverence. Shadow purred contentedly, nuzzling against Sephtis's hand.

As darkness settled over the clearing, Headmistress Elara took to sending sparks of light magic into the sky, creating a small aurora borealis for us to enjoy as we celebrated with our new familiars. Arlo's egg had hatched into a small light brown pegasus, a magnificent sight to behold.

Meanwhile, my egg remained stubbornly silent, still resting in my hand. Rose sat beside me, her fairy familiar fluttering in the air above us, Sephtis and Professor Keern were also standing nearby. The headmistress joined us, her Chinese dragon familiar trailing behind her.

"It's been a while since an egg has taken this long to hatch," the headmistress remarked, her eyes curious.

I nodded, my heart pounding with anticipation. Suddenly, I felt a small tap on my hand, and then my egg began to shake. My eyes widened as the shell started to crack, revealing glimpses of something dark and gleaming inside.

With a final, resounding crack, the shell collapsed, and I found myself holding a palm-sized dragon in my hand. It was black with two small horns protruding from its head and shimmering purple eyes. Its scales gave off a pearlescent sheen when hit by the light, and I felt an immediate connection with the creature.

Its eyes gleamed with intelligence and wisdom, and I could feel its presence within my mind.

"Shadlock," I say, as the dragon's voice echoed in my mind, its tone filled with warmth and affection.

I smiled in wonder and awe, feeling a deep connection with my new familiar. Shadlock nuzzled against me, his scales cool against my skin.

Beside me, Sephtis and Rose cheered, their excitement contagious. The headmistress smiled, her eyes sparkling with pride.

"A dragon," she said, her voice filled with approval. "A small one, but a rare and powerful companion indeed. They usually only hatch once every five years." She said as she pats her own dragons head.

As the aurora borealis shimmered in the sky above, casting a magical glow over the clearing, the headmistress gathered us one last time. She gave a small briefing on caring for our familiars, mentioning that some may grow, like Arlo's pegasus, while others may stay the same, like Rose's fairy.

With that, the celebration came to an end, and we made our way back to our dormitories, our new familiars by our side.