Chapter 358: What’s in the Egg

Anna kept her palm against the shell until another faint pulse reached her. Only then did she withdraw it and look towards Levada. "Give it some room."

Regis lowered his hand as Killian approached his side. He had been leaning against the egg without thinking much of it, but knowing that something was alive inside made him hesitate to touch it again.

"Can you tell what it is?" Levada asked.

"Not yet." Anna stepped back, her gaze travelling towards the opening above. "We should—"

A scraping sound interrupted her.

Regis looked up. Dust trickled down the curved surface, gathering in the shallow pits before spilling farther. For a moment, nothing else happened. Then a dull knock came from within, loud enough for Pandora to move closer to him.

"Brother..."

"I heard it." He watched a small fragment break away near the top and tumble down the shell. Levada had already moved around to get a clearer view when another knock followed.

Crack—!

A thin line spread from the place where Tinateria had been embedded. The surrounding surface shifted, and Regis could hear something dragging against its inner side.

"Something’s pushing against it," Anna said before turning towards them. "Everyone, move back."

Killian took his arm without waiting for an answer. Regis followed, grimacing when his injured leg caught against a loose stone. Aurelia steadied him from the other side, while Pandora kept looking over her shoulder at the enormous egg.

’Of all the times for this thing to hatch...’

His gaze briefly fell towards his storage ring. He had carried it for days without noticing anything, yet now that he knew there was a living creature inside, the thought of putting it away again made him uneasy.

"Should I try moving it?"

"Leave it," Anna replied. "Just get farther away."

Aeola and Raxon were helping Marzana across the uneven ground. Beyond them, two elves had stopped between the ruined buildings, drawn by the noise. Anna called for them to stay back before taking a position between the egg and the path leading towards the courtyard.

Levada remained closer, watching the growing crack. Her sickles hung at her sides, their chains shifting as she moved out of the way of several falling fragments.

Another blow shook the shell. This time, something dark appeared through the opening, curling around the broken edge.

"Is that..." Killian’s voice weakened as the claw tightened its grip.

The fragment beneath it snapped. The claw disappeared, followed by a scraping noise that made Regis imagine something enormous turning around in a very small space. A moment later, it struck again, forcing another piece outwards.

Regis could now hear its breathing. Each rough breath came between the scraping of claws, occasionally interrupted by a low sound that he could not quite recognise.

The crack widened down one side of the egg. Levada raised her head just as a large section began tipping towards them.

"Keep going!"

Golden wings unfolded behind her, carrying her upwards. Blessed aura gathered around her arm as she struck the falling section from the side, sending it towards the empty stretch beside the rubble.

Boom—!

The impact scattered smaller pieces across the ground. Regis flinched as dust swept past, and Aurelia turned her face away while keeping hold of him.

When he could see clearly again, a horned head was pushing through the opening.

Its snout emerged first, followed by a pair of short horns. Dark silver scales glistened beneath the dust clinging to them, and its mouth opened as it drew a long, uneven breath. It turned its head slightly, pressing against the broken edge until more of the shell gave way.

A foreleg reached through and found purchase on a fallen piece. The creature pulled, exposing its neck and shoulders. A folded wing emerged behind them, striking the shell with a heavy thud as it slipped through the opening.

Regis had stopped moving without realising it. Killian’s hand remained beneath his arm, but his companion was staring just as intently as he was.

The creature dragged itself over the broken edge, its forelegs sliding down the sloping fragments before reaching the ground. Its body followed, along with two trembling hind legs and a long tail that remained curled inside the egg for several moments.

With one final effort, it pulled itself clear. Four legs supported its body, while a separate pair of wings lay folded awkwardly along its back. The scales beneath its neck were considerably paler, almost white where the sunlight reached them. From its snout to the end of its tail, it was several meters long, and even crouching like this, it could have easily knocked Regis over with a turn of its head.

’A dragon...?’ Regis remembered the wyverns in the mountains, then looked at the creature’s wings and the four legs beneath them. Beside him, Killian swallowed audibly.

"A true dragon," Anna said quietly.

Marzana stared from between Aeola and Raxon, her lips slightly parted. Even Levada had gone still, her golden wings fading as she landed beside a piece of the shell. Regis waited for her to disagree, but she continued watching it in silence.

He had thought about the possibility earlier, yet hearing Anna say it aloud left him struggling to believe what was before him. A true dragon was standing among the ruins, shaking dust from its snout while he watched from only a short distance away.

The dragon’s eyes opened fully. They were gold, with narrow pupils that shifted from Anna to Levada before settling on the people farther away.

It tried to rise, its forelegs straightening beneath its chest, but one of its hind feet slipped against the scattered fragments. The dragon stumbled, its claws digging into the ground as it caught itself. Levada immediately stepped forward.

The creature recoiled.

Its head drew back so abruptly that one of its horns struck the shell behind it. A rough cry escaped its throat, and its tail swept across the ground, sending fragments skidding towards the executor.

Levada raised a sickle, but Anna called out before she could advance. "Wait. It’s trying to get away."

The dragon was pressing backwards into the opening. However, its wing had caught against a jagged edge, and every attempt to retreat pulled it tighter. Its golden eyes followed Levada as another strained cry escaped its mouth.

Levada stopped. After a moment, she lowered her sickle and took a step back.

Regis watched the dragon struggle, his earlier amazement giving way to unease. From here, he could see the way its legs trembled. Nevertheless, whenever its claws scraped across a fallen piece of shell, deep grooves remained behind.

’It’s just hatched, and it’s already this strong...?’ Before Regis could give it any more thought, Pandora shifted beside him. The dragon’s head immediately turned towards them, and he found himself staring directly into one of its golden eyes.

"Easy..." The word escaped before he could think of anything else to say. He tightened his grip on Killian’s arm and carefully moved back. "We’re moving. See?"

It continued watching him, its mouth slightly open.

"Give it a little more space," Regis whispered to the others.

Anna heard him and motioned for Marzana’s group to retreat as well. Levada moved away from the opening, allowing the dragon to turn without anyone directly in front of it.

For a while, its breathing was the loudest sound around them. It shifted its weight again, pulling against its trapped wing, but the broken edge held. Regis opened his mouth before stopping himself. Rushing over to help would probably frighten it even more.

The dragon eventually leaned forwards. Its wing slid free with a scrape, and it lurched away from the shell before catching itself on its forelegs.

"That’s it..." Regis muttered, drawing its attention back to him.

Killian leaned a little closer. "Boss, why is it looking at you?"

"How would I know?"

"You’re the one talking to it."

Regis pressed his lips together. Unfortunately, the dragon continued watching even after he fell silent, leaving him unsure whether moving away would attract more attention.

Beside him, Aurelia’s fingers tightened around his sleeve when its foreleg shifted. However, it only lowered itself onto the ground, folding its legs beneath its body. One wing remained slightly spread until it awkwardly pulled it closer.

Regis slowly released the breath he had been holding. "Can I sit down now?"

"There’s a stone behind you." Killian helped him lower himself onto it, taking care to keep his movements slow. Pandora remained beside him, still watching the creature.

Anna approached only far enough to see its flank, stopping when its head moved towards her. After studying its breathing, she glanced at the broken shell. Part of the narrow opening left by Tinateria remained visible on a fallen fragment, but whatever she was thinking, she kept it to herself.

The dragon gradually lowered its head beside its forelegs. Its eyes remained open, following them whenever someone moved.

Regis looked from the enormous fragments to the creature resting among them.

He had rushed out of that cave thinking he would examine everything once he had time. Now, even deciding where to keep what he had found was going to be a problem.

’I brought a dragon into Paradis...’

Levada slowly turned towards him. Dust coated the arm she had used to strike the falling shell, and Regis found himself sitting a little straighter beneath her gaze.

"We need to talk."