A Dragon's Welcome

Kate watched in anticipation as the cracks began to widen on the gold and lilac colored egg.

“Oh, Avis, you’re almost here,” she informed her dragon. The only dragons present were Troi, Riker, Caspian, and Nox.

Nox’s own voice invigoratingly joined the fray with his soothing voice of Avis’ hatching. Kate glanced at the large midnight blue, deep grey dragon with sporadic spots of silver. Nox had been surprised when he had bonded with Avis, but he adored his mate. Kate knew her beloved dragon was in excellent care with Nox as her mate.

The night sky colored dragon, had bonded with Zane, his rider, fourteen years past. Kate vaguely recalled when Zane and Nox had become a pair, the details were blurred as she was only two at the time. Nox was a kind dragon, his heart full of love for Avis. He spent his nights in the hatchery just laying with Avis.

As both Avis and Kate began to fall asleep, Nox would tell his dragon mate stories of his various adventures with his bonded rider. Kate could hear the stories from Avis’ thoughts. Often the pair would fall asleep together, never hearing the end of two adventures that Zane and Nox enjoyed.

“You’ll be be here soon, Avis, keep stretching,” Kate softly whispered as she sat beside her beloved dragon.

Riker and Troi stood not too far from behind Kate, sang softly.

‘Kate, dear, she’s getting ready to hatch. It’s best to take a step back,’ Troi gently warned her Rider’s daughter.

Kate looked up to meet Troi’s gaze, with a sigh she moved away to stand between the her parent’s dragons. Riker’s large crimson tail moved in front of her, to protect her from any sort of shell.

Nox and Caspian joined Troi and Riker in song. All the dragons around the rage were singing aloud, to welcome Avis for her incoming arrival. Newborn dragons, always an exciting event in the rage between the flying reptiles and their riders, since it happened only once a year.

‘I want out, now!’ Avis shrieked. Her egg rocked more violently back and forth in the sand. Cracks grew wider, expanded, and spread throughout the golden lilac shell.

‘Soon, Avis, you’re almost here,’ Nox told his mate. Kate smiled at Nox’s soothing baritone voice, her dragon so in love with her mate. Despite being in shell.

Avis pushed herself harder against her shell. She was desperate to escape her confined space. Eagerness filled her to see her parents, mate, brother, and Kate, her beloved Kate with her own eyes. Desperately, she wanted to gaze at Kate in person, she knew what her rider looked like from the thoughts of the dragons who gazed upon her rider. But Avis was determined to see Kate with her own eyes for herself.

‘I want out, now!’ she cried with a hard push of her front legs and wings.

The shell shattered and broke away from Avis. The newborn briefly balanced on her hind legs with her wings fluttering to keep herself upright. Soon, she landed on all four legs. Her silver-grey eyes scanned her surroundings.

Easily, Avis recognized the brunette female, who stood behind her father’s dark red tail. Her bonded rider, met her own gaze. Euphoria swept over Avis, as she attempted to run to her Kate, only to end up on the ground.

“Oh,” the soft voice of Kate rang through the hatchery. “Avis are you alright?”

Kate’s warm hand rested on Avis’ forehead. The silver eyed dragon, softly huffed but nuzzled into Kate’s touch.

‘Kate, you’re so pretty,’ the newly hatched lilac dragon complimented her rider.

Laughter fell from the sable haired teen’s lips. “Thank you, Avis, what a wonderful way to spend my birthday, with the welcoming of my dragon breaking shell,” she happily remarked as she gently petted Avis’ scales along her neck.

Song burst from Avis’ throat as she nudged herself closer to Kate. Happiness, satisfaction, and delight filled the bond between the pair. The smile upon Kate’s lips brightened before movement just behind her summer sunset colored dragon caught her eye.

“There’s someone you need to meet, my little bird,” Kate gently reminded her dragon. “Just behind you,” she added in a whisper.

With quiet steps, Kate pulled back and moved between Troi and Riker to watch the first first meeting between Avis and her Nox.

-fin

A/N: I'm back in the Avis Dragon 'verse. Please expect a few more pieces these next few weeks. I've been hit in the head by my dragon muse. Finally, she's hatched! Poor kid's been in the shell for nearly two years!