Hidas lounged on a plush couch at the far end of the expansive room, his head propped casually on his hand, observing his wife busily flitting around their egg. She was never one for idleness; her days were a whirlwind of activity and energy. This suited Hidas perfectly, as he found immense delight in watching her manage each task with her unique, spirited flair. More often than not, he remained perfectly still, strategically positioning himself to quietly enjoy the show. Did his wife's patience wear thin with his lethargy? Only in fleeting moments.
Vilkas meticulously adjusted the wall coverings, ensuring that the room where her baby would take its first breath blossomed with beauty. The tapestry's intricate patterns glimmered in the soft light, hinting at a warmth and welcome as comforting as a mother's embrace. First impressions, she reminded herself, hold a lifetime's worth of importance."Is this good?" she inquired, her voice a harmonious blend of sharp assertiveness and beguiling charm, as her eyes surveyed the elaborate arrangement of decorations adorning the wall. An opulent clock, its gilded hands marking time with regal precision, stood alongside paintings of esteemed figures she admired and renowned ancestors. Each piece was ensconced in an exquisitely crafted frame, adding a touch of grandeur to the display. Perhaps these relics would stir a deeper connection to the universal spirit within the child, imbuing them with timeless wisdom.
"Consider the lighting," her husband Hidas intoned, his voice a resonant murmur that seemed to seep through the shadows from his position against the far wall. The timbre of his slow, measured speech held a depth that always captivated Vilkas. She found solace in how he could gently probe her thoughts without a hint of disagreement. This subtlety earned him the admiration of their kind; the proud dragon folk revered this trait, and he was widely respected within the community. However, Hidas was infuriatingly lethargic, bordering on indolent, unless driven by the demands of his work. This stark contrast made Vilkas's own vivaciousness and tireless efficiency shine all the brighter while his calm demeanor made her to slow down just enough to notice any mistakes, a dynamic she appreciated—most of the time.
She turned to the window, where elegant drapes draped over the expansive, crystal-clear glass. Sunlight streamed through, bathing the nearly meter-tall egg in the middle of the room in warmth, casting minimal light onto the front wall. She resisted the urge to add artificial lighting, fearing it would mar the room's natural splendor. The absence of extra lights highlighted the gentle glow from the window and the majestic World Tree standing proudly over the newborn in the distance. She only wished that she could see the flower symbolizing her child form into a fruit on the branches.
However, this left the room's corners shrouded in shadows.
Vilkas raised her hands thoughtfully, stepping back to the confluence of the windowed wall and the one adorned with decorations. She scrutinized the arrangement of pictures, then, with a delicate wave of her finger, a breeze arrived that slightly parted the drapes. The light now entered at a perfect angle, reflecting off a mirror opposite the window onto the pictures. Shadows from the ornate frames loomed large, imbuing the images with a striking, dramatic presence.
"That's delightful," Hidas remarked from the back. She nodded in agreement. With pride brimming in her eyes, she began to strut towards the couch, her exaggerated hip sway causing her tail to trace grand arcs with each stride. Upon stepping in front of the window with a graceful flap, the shadows on her figure expanding as light revealed her face from the shadow of her wings, Hidas marveled at the splendid vision of his girl in all her magnificent glory.
Sunlight poured through the window, bathing her dark skin in a radiant glow, a clear sign of her physically orientated dragonic heritage. Her proud smile exuded dignity, perfectly complementing her diamond-shaped face. Her long, thick, greenish-black curls, intertwined with fine golden chains, crowned her like a regal diadem. These chains, along with her greenish-white horns that gracefully curved from the back of her head to the front and down, formed a natural and majestic crown. A gleaming green crystal between the horns on her forehead bestowed her with the insight of the wind, and the intricate patterns of strong winds on her horns were nearly as captivating as her green eyes. Her hourglass figure was both muscular and well-built, accentuated by light but dignified clothing that ensured her strength was evident to all. Today, she adorned herself with every accessory she could muster. Draped in a heavy, thick, green admiral's cape, her ensemble radiated a jade-and-gold color theme.
Unsual indulgence in her line of work. The navy uniform didn't bring out her inner spontaneous and lighthearted side but it did expand on her commanding and often intimidating presence.
Perhaps it was the contrast that made all the Citizens under the World Tree admire her. Kind, fun, and strong to allies, fierce and direct to foes.
Only when she wore something like this that the average citizens dared to approach the pair. Her with her Admiral cloak combined with him and his Judges suit symbolised the shield and sword of the nation of the World Tree. None would dare to interrupt a meeting between two high level officials.
Hidas rose from the couch and extended his spine to its maximum height. When fully upright, he stood a head taller than Vilkas, an impressive feat considering that physical variants were usually the more towering figures. This made Hidas extraordinarily tall. His elongated frame only accentuated his wide shoulders, making them a focal point of his otherwise slim, as far as dragon folk go, physique. Clad in his full ceremonial judge suit, Hidas exuded an aura of commanding authority and affluence. The suit, adorned with intricate decorations, was tailored to highlight the stature of the large dragonic folk. It featured a unique split cape starting from his shoulders and cascading down to his knees. The upper back design included two semi-circles, shrouded by the cape, meant for wings, which Hidas had yet to grow due to an evading issue hindering his development. The wings, coupled with the cape, formed the emblem of the Dragon Judges, the most revered arbiters across all civilized worlds.
Above his narrow face, dark blue eyes, and thick eyebrows, his accessories highlighted his forehead, where his third eye, a distinctive trait of the dragonic folk, resided. For judges, this eye had to be white, symbolizing the soul's insight, or blue, representing the mind's clarity. Hidas' third eye shone a deep blue. Crowning his head were his horns, curving upward before gently angling backward and outward, giving him an air of both dignity and menace.
His short cut black hair were well groomed. Hidas often put a lot of taught to his appearance. There wasn't a peck of dust on his clothes. A single wrinkle.
"Today it's gonna happen." Vilkas said softly. Shortly after Vilkas was back to fiddling with the decorations. She is very vocal when she's doing something she enjoyed, much more so than typical Dragon Folk, but her being worried often put her in a quiet mood but only for a moment. Hidas wanted to be here when that happened to support her. She has usually been the one that steps in when situations go beyond negotiations, when things get ugly.
This sight had become all too familiar to Hidas over the past week, so frequent he had lost count. Yet, the urgency thrumming through his third eye was impossible to ignore, and he too began to scan the room, though with a measured and lethargic pace compared to his wife's frantic movements.
It worried Hidas as well however. The egg had gone overdue during the typical hatching time. That typically happens with ones with low magical talent. But that was not the case with their child. This amount of power is ridiculous for a newborn but it's also unnatural. This is well beyond the limits of what is possible for an infant's body to control. The child is reaching the levels where they will explode once the egg breaks.
He hid his worry well. His wife couldn't read minds, yet she sensed the subtle currents of things—small details that revealed a person's true nature. When she wove those threads together, it was as if she glimpsed the future. Perhaps that was why this hatching troubled her. Still, Hidas preferred not to dwell on it for its obvious implications.
"OH MY-", the pair heard a melodious voice reverberate through the doorway, "-GOODNESS! I told you a week ago that the hatching was imminent! Will you cease this relentless fretting already? I can feel your anxiety from miles away. Plus, your abode called—it longs for your presence." The origin of the voice materialized into view, revealing an unusually small dragon folk. His beard and hair had grown unruly, a deliberate effort to avoid being mistaken for a child, given his hornless head — a sign of maturity among their kind. Draped in a pristine white coat adorned with a purple collar, it was evident that he was a doctor with a specialty in Energy Manipulation. He pivoted sharply upon entering and strode directly towards the egg. Vilkas barely had a chance to part her lips before her unspoken question had already been addressed.
"The same answer as every time you asked for the last seven days. Maybe it will hatch, maybe not." Albert sighs as he swings his arms from one side to the other.
"The energy levels started skyrocketing a week ago and haven't slowed down yet. In fact it has already passed the limits and seems to be trying to break its own physical limit next. If it doesn't hatch one of these days, I'll have to keep an eye on it round the clock soon," the couple can hear the exasperation in the doctor's voice. All dragon folk knew what energy overload caused and it wasn't pretty. For Albert to suggests such tragedy happening to her child, the only thing stopping Vilkas from punching the man in the face is the knowledge that this person is the best Energy Manipulator in the nest and therefore the best person to have around when something does go wrong, the fact that he is a dear friend, and the fact that she would punch the pocket-sized dragon folks head off.
The doctor halts before the egg, his gaze intense. Hidas slips into his friend's thoughts, eager to catch any fleeting insight.
"It's over the limit. Again. How long has it been like this?" Dr. Albert, eyes narrowing, turns to look at the screen attached to the foot of the podium where the egg rests on a large, soft cushion.
"Five hours?!" Before overload, the average limit was ten minutes—the highest record in history was an hour. Albert raises his head to see Hidas staring at him, concern rising within the usually calm judge. But before he could voice his worry, the doctor thinks, "Shut. Up." He nods towards Vilkas, and Hidas gets the point. Both of them cloak their thoughts, hoping Vilkas doesn't notice.
After ensuring Hidas has stopped reading his mind, Albert telepathically messages a nurse passing by the room. Faint hurried steps can be heard from outside.
"So, how is it?" Vilkas snaps at the silence, making both Albert and Hidas jump.
"Aaah, it's okay. I mean, he's very energetic!" Albert makes a nervous laugh, while Hidas watches the man with disbelief.
"Really?" Vilkas is unconvinced.
"Yeah, I mean—" Albert's eyes shift away from Vilkas's burning gaze to the monitor again. "—he's peaking… peaking a second time," his voice dwindles into a mumble as he stares at the screen.
"My man…" Hidas exhales, throwing his hands in the air helplessly, turning to see a large vein pulsing in his wife's head, a tear forming in her eye.
"Is everything alright…" She pauses. With veins popping on her head, she exhales, then inhales, "…with my child?"
Albert turns back to look at Vilkas, and Hidas can almost hear Albert's sweat droplets as they form. Albert just nods and heads towards the door. Vilkas looks at him in despair.
"Is this a joke?" she gasps, glancing at Hidas and seeing the same look of disbelief on his face.
Albert reaches the door as the Energy Monitor starts beeping loudly. With a dignified spin, he turns towards the corridor where the nurse had run. His assistant for this hatching walks leisurely toward the hatching room, basking in the attention of the nurses swarming around him. With genuine panic in his voice, Albert screams:
"WOULD YOU RUN, YOU FUCK!"