The Hidden World

Chapter Two

The egg was bigger than any egg Kendra had ever seen. It was bigger than a Ostrich egg, bigger than a Kiwi egg, bigger than any real bird egg. Instantly, a dozen alternatives of an egg that size zipped through her mind. Each more far fetched than the last. No she told herself, Griffins aren't real. Neither are dragons. No it can't be those.

Apparently, Brendan felt otherwise.

"You think it's a dragon?" He asked. Kendra turned and gave him a look.

"Dragons aren't real," she hissed. "You shouldn't still believe in them."

"I thought you didn't believe in not believing," Brendan hissed back.

"That's a logical impossibility, Brendan."

"I thought you didn't believe in impossibilities."

"Do you have to talk right now?"

"I thought—"

"Shut up, Brendan!"

He actually listened.

They stood in silence for a moment. Looking at the egg of monstrous proportions.

"So," Brendan said finally, "what d'you suppose it is. Do you think it really might be a dragon?"

"I already told you, dragons don't exist," Kendra snapped. But she was doubting that the more and more she looked at the egg. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was some sort of magical creature. Ok she reasoned with herself, he might be right about the 'mythical creature' idea, but it's not a dragon. It can't be a dragon! Kendra had an everlasting fear of fire. She hated the idea of any sort of fire and a dragon would not help her overcome that. She took a deep breath.

"It's not a dragon," she told her brother finally. He raised one eyebrow.

"How can you—?" He started to ask.

"I don't know but...," Kendra trailed off.

"So it could be a dragon?"

"Theoretically, yes," Kendra said slowly. "But it doesn't have to be. I think it might be a...say a Griffin."

"Griffins don't exist."

"You believe in dragons but you don't believe in Griffins?"

"I could ask you the same question, just flipped." Kendra studied the egg for a moment.

"D'you think it could be a real bird?" she asked finally.

"You know it isn't," Brendan told her.

"Yeah, I do." They stood in silence for a moment, Brendan studying his sister and his sister studying the egg.

"It could be a Roc," Kendra conceded.

"A rock? Didn't we already decide it was a Griffin?"

"No, Roc, as in the mystical bird!" In case he still didn't get it, Kendra spelled it. "You know, r-o-c."

"Oh," Brendan said, but he still sounded confused. "Do these rock thingies hatch from orange eggs?"

"Do you think I've ever seen a Roc in person?"

"Um..."

"I already told you, they're mystical creatures. Of course I haven't seen one in real life."

"So we are just going to say this...creature in the egg is a mystical creature right off?"

"Well there really can't be any alternative options at this point. It's a bigger egg than the largest egg on earth. What else can it be?"