The Crown's Fire - Chapter 162

Chapter 162: It’s Hatching
Katelina was in her bedchamber when the door to the adjacent chamber opened, and Levi rushed in, with Asura trailing behind him.

“Sister, you called for me?” Levi asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

“Yes, I want to show you something,” Katelina replied with a smile. She then signaled Asura to open the secret storages they had crafted on either side of the fireplace. Inside were the dragon eggs: six on the right and six on the left.

“Eggs?!” Levi gasped, his excitement palpable as he touched the clay egg shells that shimmered like polished metals in a variety of colors—bronze, silver, red, black, copper, white, blue, green, brass, and gold.

Katelina was certain that if she were a descendant of the dragon rider, then Levi must be one too. She believed he could awaken the eggs just as Priest Saul had said she would.

“They are so big!” Levi exclaimed, his hands caressing the silver egg in particular.

“They are dragon eggs, Levi,” Katelina explained with a smile. Levi gently cradled the silver egg in his arms, his eyes wide with wonder.

“Wow, it moves quickly inside. This one wants to get out already, Sister,” Levi murmured, his excitement growing. “She’s so beautiful!”

“You can see what’s inside?” Katelina asked, amazed, as she had not been able to see the baby dragons within the eggs.

“Yes, everyone else is still sleeping, but she’s wiggling inside,” Levi replied. Katelina exchanged a baffled look with Asura.

“How do you even know it’s a female dragon?” Asura asked, her curiosity piqued.

“She’s talking to me, asking me to give her a good female name once she hatches. She’s so excited to get out of this shell,” Levi answered. He then looked at Katelina and Asura and asked, “What do you think is a lovely name for her?”

“You can talk to the dragon?” Asura mumbled, astonished.

“Yes, she’s talking in my head,” Levi replied calmly.

“But how can it be when you haven’t formed a dragon bond yet?” Katelina whispered, stunned by the revelation. Since moving the eggs to her bedchamber, Katelina had spent time gathering all the archives they had about dragons and dragonriders, though the information was limited. Some critical details had been preserved.

Katelina’s mind raced. She recalled that forming a dragon bond was a process that typically required to communicate with dragons. Yet, Levi seemed to have bypassed this entirely. She knelt down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Levi, this is extraordinary. It means you have a special connection with the dragons, even stronger than we imagined. We must be careful and protect these eggs until they are ready to hatch,” she said softly, her eyes filled with pride and wonder.

Levi nodded solemnly, his young face showing determination. “I will take good care of them, Sister. I promise.”

“Wow, aren’t you an amazing and super gifted kid?” Asura remarked as she approached Levi. She was about to touch the egg when Levi quickly moved it away from her.

“Don’t touch it, Lady Asura. It’s about to hatch, and you’ll get burned,” Levi warned.

Asura immediately stepped back, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and respect. “I didn’t realize it was so sensitive. Thank you for the warning, Levi.”

Katelina watched the interaction with a thoughtful expression. She was impressed by Levi’s protective instincts and the apparent bond he already had with the dragon inside the egg.

Suddenly, she felt a strange stirring within herself, a deep, almost primal connection that resonated with the presence of the dragon eggs. It was as if an ancient part of her was awakening, responding to the nearness of the hatching dragon.

“It’s hatching,” Levi murmured as the silver dragon egg glowed and wriggled in his arms. He gently placed it on the floor. Katelina watched in awe as the egg slowly cracked open, revealing a beautiful silver dragon, about twice the size of her hand.

The dragon looked up at her and then at Levi. “Oh, she’s beautiful,” Asura commented, staring at the little dragon. She stepped forward but quickly backed away when it breathed a small burst of fire toward her.

Asura’s face crumpled as she snorted, “Oh, such fierceness!”

The dragon walked towards Katelina, who knelt down and gently stroked its back. The dragon seemed to enjoy her touch, but then it turned and ran towards Levi.

“Ember! How about that name? Do you like it?” Levi asked the silver dragon now nestled in his arms. The dragon made a squealing sound and snuggled comfortably against Levi’s chest.

“Look at this dragon, playing favorites,” Asura mumbled, but the dragon threw her a deadly stare, causing Asura to quickly purse her lips.

“I don’t think Levi needs to perform a dragon bond. It looks like he already has one with her,” Katelina commented.

Levi looked at her with brimming eyes and said, “Sis, can I keep her and take care of her?”

“Yes, Levi, but do it discreetly for now, alright? Ember is not allowed to go out yet unless I make a formal announcement to our people about their existence. After all, Ember will soon grow, and the others may hatch soon as well, so we won’t be able to keep their existence hidden,” Katelina explained.

“Asura,” Katelina called.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Tell Priest Saul to teach Levi everything about dragons and dragon riders. It’s best he knows well how to deal with—”

Katelina halted mid-sentence when she felt a familiar stir inside of her. Instantly, she turned to see another egg, the gold one, glowing and wriggling.

“It’s happening again,” Katelina whispered, her voice filled with awe and anticipation. The room fell silent as they watched the black egg begin to hatch.

“There’s another glowing one, Your Majesty,” Asura gasped as she noticed the green egg glowing and wriggling. “Looks like we’ll need an extra chamber for them, where they won’t be able to get out just yet…” she added, her face pale.

The green dragon climbed up to Katelina’s shoulder while the black dragon and the gold one started fighting with each other. Fortunately, Levi managed to pacify them, placing the black dragon on his shoulder while the gold one attempted to fly towards Katelina, though it kept falling down.

“This will be a lot of work,” Katelina murmured, feeling the weight of the responsibility settling on her shoulders.

Levi, with a determined look, said, “We can handle it, Sis. I will help you.”

Katelina nodded, trying to maintain her composure. “You’re right, Levi. We’ll do whatever it takes to care for them and keep them safe. Asura, please coordinate with Priest Saul. We need to understand more about how to care for these dragons properly.”

Asura nodded, her earlier apprehension replaced with resolve. “I’ll make sure everything is arranged, Your Majesty. We’ll prepare a secure chamber immediately.”

The room buzzed with a mix of excitement and tension as everyone moved to take action. Katelina watched Levi gently cradle the dragons and start playing with them, her heart swelling with pride and determination at the sight.

‘I must ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself,’ Katelina thought, fully aware of the history of the dragons and why they went extinct. The dragons before them represented a new generation, and she was determined to train them properly and safeguard their future.