Crackerjack II

Chpt. 21: Friend Times

^Ernold & Amelia

Kristen wasn't sure how long it had been since the sun couldn't reach the cool depths, but she didn't care. The three of them were stretched out on Serendipity's back as she floated in lazy circles.

"So, how exactly did you bond?" Kristen dipped one foot in the water and watched as the ripples joined the others. "I mean, water dragons are rare, even more than tundra dragons."

Ernold sat up. "It's a funny story, actually."

"Oh, here we go!"

"Shut up, Camilla, she asked!" Ernold waved at the girl's rolling eyes. "So I grew up in a fishing village, which is always guarded because of how rare those are, you know. Anyway, so me and my friends were messing around on the cliffs, and when we tried to climb up this one part, it fell apart."

Kristen propped on one elbow.

"There was this cave, and we pushed in Greg, cause Greg always got picked on." Ernold laughed at the recollection. "Anyway, he goes in and comes back out with this funny-looking rock. He said he found it on a pile of straw. So, being boys, we start tossing it back and forth."

Kristen gasped. "You didn't!"

Serendipity snorted in agreement. 

"Anyway, I missed the catch, cause of my limp noodle arms, and it fell in the water and sank to the bottom. I went to get it, and when I grabbed it, I blacked out."

"In the water?"

"Yeah. I bet the guys freaked out. I was just like, doing the dead man's float!" He chuckled. "Anyway, I woke up, and they were all gone, so I thought they'd abandoned me, you know, like good friends. So when they came back with the doctor, I was just like, 'oh, hey, guys!' They started yelling at me for not being dead, and after that I went home."

Kristen frowned. "That's it?"

Amelia sighed. "Not yet. Let him wind down."

"Which of us is telling the story?" Ernold splashed her and continued while she sputtered. "Anyway, I went home with the rock in my pocket. I walked in the door and was like, 'hey, birth-giver, look what I found.' And then my mom starts screaming. She was like, 'oh my gosh, Ernold, why did you bring that?!' And then she grabs the rock and sprints out the door."

Kristen giggled. 

"She dropped it back in the water and was like, 'oh, yeah, that's a dragon egg, and by the way, your grandpa was a dragon rider.'" Ernold scoffed. "I mean, you wanna go back and repeat a little bit?"

Kristen whistled. "That's pretty crazy."

Ernold nodded. "Pretty crazy."

"Wait," Kristen cocked her head, "how'd you keep the guards from findin' out?"

Ernold shrugged. "It was mostly my mom. She found some people to move the egg safely, and I came here."

"So you haven't seen your family since then?"

Ernold shook his head, his smile faltering for a moment. Then, it came back brighter. "Instead, I got stuck with this weirdo!"

Amelia huffed and sent a wave crashing over his head. The girls giggled while he coughed and wiped his eyes.

"That was a cheap shot."

Amelia stuck out her tongue

Shaking droplets from his hair, Ernold asked, "What do you guys wanna do now?"