Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 71: The World Powers of Zenkon

Wenlianna sits with Reignleif, Gwenesphia, Treia, and Kera'tai in a small circle on a large circular sofa in the secured area of the Citadel's control room. Shek, Skloe, Thymeria, and Aoloan are busy baking nearby.

The magic artisan cradles the humongous egg in her lap, stroking the slightly rough, ceramic-like shell that contains her own distant relative-to-be, as strange as it is to think about. The egg is warm to the touch, but usually, the dragons are just carrying them around either in their arms or in special harnesses that Daniel made based on harnesses his world used for human infants.

"Great Aunt Reina," starts Wenlianna gently. "I noticed that all three of you carry your eggs around with you, but there doesn't seem to be much of a purpose that I can see. Do you not have to keep them warm?"

Reignleif replies softly, sitting closest to Wenlianna of the group, "We do. Dragon eggs hold heat really well, so we don't have to tend to them every second. I believe it was so we could protect our nests if something came up. But, any time we're holding it, we're heating it with our bodies by heating ourselves up."

"Would... an incubator not work?"

"It... would. And, Daniel made some for us that we use when we're sleeping sometimes. But..." She blushes, keeping her mouth hidden behind the high collar of her blue mantle. "It's... an indescribable feeling when for hundreds of years, it was impossible."

"I see... Apologies."

"No need. I don't mind answering questions."

Treia asks, "If you don't mind me asking, do you help the babies hatch? The shell seems... really sturdy."

Reignleif chuckles softly. "Ideally, no. It's a rite of passage for a dragon to successfully hatch." She blushes, scratching her cheek as she averts her gaze. "I... I think no mother would allow her child not to hatch, though. E-Especially now."

"Because there are so few of you?" asks Gwenesphia gently and sympathetically.

Reignleif shakes her head. "N-No. Because the weakest dragon can still be strong, just as a human can be stronger than the strongest dragon."

There's a knowing chuckle with all of them, especially since Gwenesphia and Treia know that Daniel fended off a dragon, even if they didn't witness it directly.

Reignleif adds to her thought, "Morthybargaron, the former lord of dragons, believed weakness was intolerable. He'd never give a child that can't even break out of its shell a chance, and so many of them never hatched, even though they cried for help." She trails off, with her gaze going distant.

Wenlianna says warmly to try to shift the tone as she pets the shell of the egg, "I don't mean to brag too much, but I get looked down on because I'm not very tall, in addition to being a woman magic artisan. No other magic artisan has as many world-changing patents as I do, no matter how tall they are."

Again, everyone chuckles together. Shek approaches, offering the taste-testing of her freshly baked bread. "Shek shortest one here, and Shek goblin queen. Shek no need tall."

They all smile, agreeing warmly with the goblin, and then thanking her for the wonderful smelling bread.

However, the improving mood darkens quickly when a large and battered group appears in a teleport with Xyreko and a handful of other intelligent golems, including Balamae and Ucahote. "Stay calm!" snaps Xyreko. "He'll recover!"

They all notice what she's talking about immediately. Choul, who looks like he's been tumbled through a rockslide, is carrying Daniel on his shoulders. He follows Xyreko to a bed that she summons with a teleport, laying Daniel down as everyone crowds around.