Chapter 77: Hatching the Hatchlings (1)
After settling all the free folk, Saelen returned to his tent. Kesso and Worrel stood guard outside, diligently keeping watch.
"My lord."
"I'm going to rest for a while. Guard this place carefully—no one is to disturb me," Saelen instructed, giving them a nod.
"Yes, my lord."
He stepped inside. In the center of the tent, a brazier burned steadily, and within it lay the two dragon eggs, still intact. Taking a steadying breath, Saelen suppressed the faint unease in his heart and opened the system panel.
Sunflame — Consume 10 mana to hatch? [Yes][No]
Bloodshadow — Consume 10 mana to hatch? [Yes][No]
Saelen selected Yes for both.
[Congratulations. Dragon eggs successfully hatched.]
Closing the panel, Saelen turned his gaze to the eggs.
They had begun to tremble slightly. The heat from the brazier was slowly being drawn into them, and as time passed, their shells grew increasingly vivid in color. From within came faint, rhythmic cracking sounds.
Then suddenly, the flames in the brazier surged violently.
Bathed in the blaze, the eggs shimmered with dazzling hues. The process continued for what felt like half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Crack… crack… crack…
Fine fractures spread across the surface of the shells, accompanied by a chorus of sharp cracking sounds. The faint noises from within grew faster, more urgent.
At last—
Crack!
With a crisp snap, the shells split open like blooming petals, peeling outward from the center.
A small form emerged.
Bloodshadow was the first to crawl free of its shell, followed closely by Sunflame. The two hatchlings let out hoarse cries—something like the chirping of young birds of prey, yet sharper, harsher, with a rasping edge.
Their bodies were no larger than small house cats. Their scales were still damp, slick with a milky, gelatinous residue. Trembling slightly, they struggled to stand on unsteady limbs, as if testing their strength for the very first time.
The hatchlings adapted quickly. Under the steady heat of the brazier, the moisture on their bodies dried, and their scales grew brighter and more vivid in the firelight.
The two young dragons cried out sharply, stretching their necks as they curiously surveyed their surroundings. When they spotted Saelen, their cries shifted into cheerful chirps. They flapped their wings eagerly, trying to reach him—but the height of the brazier made them hesitate. They paced restlessly along the rim, testing the edge but not daring to jump.
They kept calling to him, tilting their heads as they stared, their eyes filled with innocence and urgency.
Saelen extended his right hand.
The two hatchlings cautiously leaned forward, sniffing him as if confirming something. Then, with a sudden burst of courage, they flapped their wings and leapt. Their sharp claws gripped his arm firmly as they climbed up, finally settling on his shoulders.
Bloodshadow perched on his left shoulder. Its body was covered in fine, tightly packed scales—black as a base, laced with dark crimson. Subtle swirling patterns ran across its scales, and staring at them for too long gave a faint sense of dizziness.
Sunflame stood on his right shoulder, its scales glowing in a fiery golden-red, bright and intense, threaded with delicate black spiral markings.
The two hatchlings chirped eagerly at him. Saelen reached up and gently stroked their heads. Their eyes half-closed, and their cries gradually softened into content silence.
Then it occurred to him—they had just hatched and hadn't eaten yet.
He picked up a shard of eggshell and offered it to Bloodshadow. The little dragon glanced at it once… then ignored it completely.
So much for that. Apparently, they didn't eat their shells.
Saelen set them down and stepped outside, instructing Kesso to bring some fresh mutton.
Half an hour later, Kesso returned and reported from outside the tent. Saelen took the basin of meat inside. It still carried a faint metallic scent—freshly slaughtered.
He picked up a piece and offered it to Bloodshadow.
The hatchling sniffed it, flapping its wings impatiently—but refused to open its mouth.
Saelen smacked his forehead. Right… dragons didn't eat raw meat. They preferred it cooked.
He skewered a piece of meat on an iron rod and, somewhat uncertainly, gave a command:
"Dragonfire."
…
The man and the two dragons stared at each other awkwardly.
Bloodshadow tilted its head, studying him, then tentatively opened its mouth.
Puff… puff…
A faint spark flickered in its throat—then went out. A few weak puffs of black smoke drifted out instead. Sunflame tried as well, managing only a wisp of pale golden smoke.
The two hatchlings chirped in dissatisfaction, flapping their wings as they stretched their necks toward the meat, clearly eager yet unable to eat it.
Saelen quickly realized the issue—they had just been born and were too weak to breathe fire.
He placed the meat over the brazier and roasted it.
Once it was cooked, he offered it again. This time, the two hatchlings pounced on it eagerly, devouring the food in no time. Before long, they had finished half the basin.
After eating their fill, Sunflame and Bloodshadow quieted down, perching on Saelen's shoulders as they drifted into a light doze. Saelen left them undisturbed and reopened the system panel.
Sunflame — Length: 30 cm
Consume 10 Mana to nurture? [Yes][No]
Bloodshadow — Length: 30 cm
Consume 10 Mana to nurture? [Yes][No]
Note: 1 Mana = 1 cm growth
Mana: 80
Note: Gained by killing magical creatures (Wights +0.1, White Walkers +10, Night King +100)
Mana Storage: 0
Allows storage of hatchlings. One slot per dragon. Cannot store full-grown dragons.
Expand storage for 10 spirit points? [Yes][No]
The panel had clearly changed.
Saelen felt a surge of excitement. mana wasn't just for hatching eggs—it could accelerate growth as well.
If he could steadily supply mana, Sunflame and Bloodshadow could mature rapidly. That meant his plan to lure and confront the Night King would need to begin sooner rather than later.
Of course, he couldn't act recklessly. He would first need to stockpile enough dragonglass weapons before putting that plan into motion.
Then another question arose—
With limited mana, should he focus on one dragon… or raise both at the same time?
After a moment of thought, Saelen made his decision.
Bloodshadow would be his primary focus—his future mount.
Sunflame would be nurtured secondarily, at least until Bloodshadow was strong enough to carry him into battle.
He converted 60 points of spirit into mana, leaving 30 spirit in reserve.
His total mana rose to 140.
Allocation:
Bloodshadow: 100 mana
Sunflame: 40 mana
Without hesitation, Saelen selected Yes ten times in succession.
The panel flickered repeatedly as the changes took effect.
Then he turned to Sunflame—and pressed Yes four more times.
[140 Mana total
Bloodshadow → 10 uses (100 mana)
Sunflame → 4 uses (40 mana)
Total = 14 uses ]