The Academy of Alactria

The Hatching (Edited)

I woke up around sunrise, the light streaming into my huge room. I snuggled down into the fluffy, warm bed and sighed happily. I'm finally here. Truthfully, I never really believed that I would come to the academy. Only boys were allowed after all. But I had a power and an egg! I propped myself up on my elbows to scan the pinky purple opalescent egg. It looked fine, but my room was sweltering. I glanced at the fireplace. During the night, someone must have come in and built it up. That's a creepy thought.

I pushed the covers back and went to my wardrobe, turning to look for my bag. I couldn't see it! Shrugging, I pushed open the varnished wooden doors, wincing at the ear piercing squeal that sounded. Inside the wardrobe were a variety of dresses. Frowning, I went to the chest of draws. This was more like it! I pulled out some deerskin leggings and a cotton top before putting on my boots and looping on my shoulder pads and arm guards. I probably wouldn't do archery or any hunting today, but I didn't want to look weak in front of the whole school. First appearances are everything after all.

A few minutes later, with my hair tied up in a ponytail, I heard some knocking on my door. Opening my door, I strapped my daggers to my boots and stepped out, coming face to face with Adam.

"Hi", he said, "Do you want to come down to breakfast with me and Peter?".

I scanned the boy next to him. Peter had wavy blonde hair and blue eyes, with high cheekbones and freckles. He was quite tall, but was obviously not used to hard work - he was chubby! In my village, no one has a chance to be fat because we all have to pitch in to help our parents with jobs and, in my case, hunting. Peter, held out his hand pompously and said:

"How do you do". I responded with a smile and a "good thanks, you?". Whether he replied or not I don't know because the bell rang, a horrible clanging that sounded like someone had dropped a load of crockery. Once the clanging had stopped and we removed our hands from our ears, we went down to breakfast.

The breakfast hall was huge! It could have fitted my whole house in it about five times. I walked over to the server and, conscious I was being watched by all the boys, ordered bacon and scrambled eggs. As I was eating them I caught Peter checking his reflection with a teaspoon (he claimed he wasn't hungry) while Adam and I discussed our tokens.

"What token do you have?" Adam asked

"I don't know" I replied, taking the necklace with the token off and putting it on the table. "It looks like a purple ball or an alien blob"

Adam roared with laughter before replying "Well I know mine is fire but maybe we should stay away from you before the blob of death swallows up the school in pink"

He was saved from an extremely sarcastic retort by an announcement:
"Please may all new dragon riders collect their eggs and go to the West Tower. Please may all new dragon riders and token holders go to the East Tower. All magic holders must go to their first lesson in the main building, Classroom 3b. Thank You."

There was a crackle of static as Peter, Adam and I all looked at each other.

"So where do we all go?" I asked

"Lessons," said Peter

"The East Tower," said Adam

Adam and I looked at Peter. "But you are in our corridor" I commented, "that means you are Dragon Rider and Magic Holder".

"The official word is Mage" Peter mumbled, staring at the floor. "And I snuck onto your corridor and took a room. Because you are ranked higher than us you get nicer, individual rooms. We have three in a room which is smaller than yours.

Adam looked at Peter in disgust. "Then why did you tell me you were a dragon rider and mage?".

Peter flushed a deep red. "Because I deserve to be in a big room. I am the son of a chieftan, I'll have you know! I-"

Wordlessly, Adam and I got up and walked past Peter to go to the East Tower. Five minutes later we saw Peter being led to the Headmasters Office by the cleaner.

"He must have been discovered,". I said.

We walked down the stone corridors, braziers flickering every six metres or so. Whenever a boy saw me, they looked me up and down. I felt like I was being X rayed. Adam, obviously noticing how I was feeling uncomfortable, began glaring at every boy we passed, so ferociously a boy in our year turned and ran in the opposite direction, slipping through a side door. The clicking of a bolt sliding into place followed. In an effort to distract him from permanently terrifying half the academy, I engaged him in conversation.

"Did you know about that? The room sizes,". I asked.

Adam shook his head. "No,". He admitted. "But I'm not surprised. Dragon Riders and Mages are awed and feared in some cases, in most countries. Our control over the elements is supposed to be incredible. Dragon Riders obviously can't control an element but their dragons can't breathe their fire or an element either. There is a hierarchy, apparently, as well. Messengers will receive a bronze dragon, leaders of small squadrons a silver dragon and gold dragon riders are in command of three squadrons, which are each individually captained by a silver dragon. We won't see much of them though - they are taken to a different location soon. Mages, will either be intermingled with the soldiers, become part of the government or, the majority will ride on the back of a dragon rider. They all have to spend three years training with a dragon before they can become a politician or soldier though,".

I frowned, frantically trying to process this overload of information before we reached the hatchery.

"How do you know this?" I asked.

"Magic!". He replied grinning. I rolled my eyes as we entered the hatchery.

The hatchery was a huge stone room with wooden rafters and about sixty metal nests. Our eggs were lined up to the side and I walked over; scooping my egg up into my arms, I went to the nest closest to the door and laid my egg in it. Adam went next to me and we sat by our nests whilst the rest of our year filed in. A tall woman wearing green leggings and a top strode in.

"It's good to see you have all found your way to the hatchery. You will stay here until your egg hatches. Upon the hatching you will feel your mind being opened up by Derek here," she gestured to a man lurking in the shadows behind her. I glanced briefly at him before focusing on the woman again. "Do not resist as he is trying to open up your mind so that the mind link can start".

It turns out that the eggs take a very long time to hatch. The first egg hatched about 2 hours in. The delighted boy had a fire dragon and he hurried out as so not to disturb the heavy silence which had settled on the group. Next, I heard a loud crack and glance down to see a thick, jagged line running down my egg. By the delighted look on his face, I guessed Adam's egg had a crack in it as well. Glancing back down I saw a jigsaw of cracks on my egg. I touched it, and it rocked on the nest, creating a rustling sound as it moved the straw. All of a sudden, it rocked back and ... smash! My egg had leant back and walked against the metal. An explosion of egg pieces rained into the air and I peered in earnest at the adorable pink dragon with purple eyes and purple spines running along the back that was staring at me. With a start I heard a voice echo in my head:

My name is ...