| The number of hatchlings can never be determined by guesswork. Such a thing is never correct. -On wall in Hatchery Part 87 When that was done I kicked some sand over them and slithered back out, knocking some sand from the top with my tail and forming a large, though easily accessed, barrier. I made it to the end of the tunnel to where I�d dug the main hole, then laid with my back to the tunnel and listened for a while. [Kitiane?] I looked up at them, then laid my head down. They jumped down into the hole with me and settled around me in crunched circles. I growled warningly, then promptly fell asleep. When I woke, it was to quiet peeping. I got up, waking the others in the process, and fit myself back into the hole to the barrier. I dug it out and continued to the hollow, calling back to the hatchlings. To my great surprise, thirty perfect hatchlings were peeping at me. The few decoy eggs had already been pecked open and eaten; they�d hatched some time ago. So I squiggled around and headed back out, calling over my shoulder for them to follow me. They did so, peeping hungrily. Once I was in the clear, I stood and hissed at the others as the hatchlings tumbled into the open for their first breath of fresh air. The others gawked at the sheer amount of hatchlings and Tiovex in particular gave a peculiar squeak and passed out. I led the hatchlings up out of the hole to the floor, where they could spread over the sand and inspect everything they saw while I bathed each one and took tallies, which are as follows: Total Hatchlings: 30 Emperors: 15 Empresses: 15 My Wings: 10 Tiovex�s Wings: 10 Wing Mixture: 10 Perfectly divided. A true perfect clutch. I laid down in one corner and fed the first ten hatchlings that got to me. Then I nudged them away and fed the next ten, repeating the process for the last ten. By that time I was quiet tired; it felt as though my insides had been suckled out of me. � Mother?� Zidane was a safe distance away, watching the hatchlings that tumbled back and forth over me. � Is it all right if we play with them?� [Yes, but be careful. Their bones are soft and easily broken.] Curious, the hatchlings rolled and tumbled over to them. They laid down and let the hatchlings crawl over them, being gentle when one playfully bit them with sharp milk teeth. However, they weren�t strong enough to draw blood and only left indentations. So there were mock fights between hatchling and hand. The more dominant ones won easily, but the weaker ones were taken under the wing of trained professionals (Zidane and Kuja, of course) and taught complex off-balancing techniques. Neither hatchling nor genome lost interest in each other, except the runts--of which there were about six--who stayed huddled against my side, fearful of these un-dragon-like beings. I made sure to give them a swipe with my tongue every now and then as reassurance. They finally got up and walked to them, yelping when their bigger siblings purposefully knocked them over. I was on my feet and disciplining them right away and Zidane and Kuja did their part by ignoring the offending hatchlings and shoving them away and snarling when they got too pushy. Once the bullies had learned the lesson, they were invited back into the group and played with again. Tiovex, watching the hatchlings with wonder, laid behind me and nuzzled my face. [Thirty hatchlings, Kitiane. That�s amazing.] I leaned back against him and he automatically supported me. [I�m surprised myself. I only counted on five or so actually living.] [I wish our mothers were here. They would help.] [No!] I cried quietly. [I want to care for all of them!] [But Kitiane, there are too many. You�d have to stay in bed almost constantly because they�ve sucked you dry.] I hesitated. He had a valid point and I really didn�t want to spend a whole dragonic month laying around in bed and being suckled to death by thirty hatchlings. Noticing that the hatchlings had quit playing, though they hadn�t wanted to, I glanced up and took in the guilty faces of Zidane and Kuja. [Ziaden? Ajuk? What�s the matter?] � Is it our fault?� Zidane asked, turning to look at me. [What do you mean?] � Did we take too much milk?� I got up and trotted over to them, hopping over Zidane�s back to lay between them. I put a wing around each one and tugged them close, laying my scaly head on theirs and then kissing them on the cheek. [Don�t be silly! Dragons are just like you mammals. Once we eat something, part of it is converted into food and part of it is converted into milk. We don�t have a limited supply. I�ll be all right.] � But Tiovex said . . .� [That was just because I�m so active and I�m going to have to not move so I can build up the milk. That way more of it can go to the hatchlings and I won�t always feel hollow. Don�t get upset. Neither of you did anything wrong.] There was a knock at the door and Tiovex, who had moved to sit directly in front of me and was currently under play attack by the larger hatchlings, called, [Come in!] The door opened and Gelgameth�s head appeared. [Sire, the---] His jaw dropped open and he gawked momentarily before entering the room and shutting the door and keeping himself a safe distance away. [Sire, how many are there?] [Thirty,] Tiovex replied, nodding proudly at me. [By the August Dragon, Kitiane! Are you sure you�ll be able to care for them all? Not that I�m saying you can�t,] he added hurriedly, [but thirty . . . That�s a big brood.] [I�ll try it for a while; see what happens,] I answered. Of course, every adult male in that room knew I wasn�t going to keep ten hatchlings and let the rest be fed by nurses, though that was their main job. I wanted them all to be my hatchlings. And just by hatching isn�t good enough. [What were you going to tell me?] Tiovex prompted. <--Part 86 Part 88--> |