Fireball

A Dragon Is Born

Soaring up over the top of the mountains, Khalid grazed the snow caps with his claws. The wind was light and the air was refreshing. Clouds dotted the sky far below, but the sun was unrestricted at 20,000 feet. It was a typical day. Khalid always enjoyed flying through this tranquil spot. The air was frigid in this perpetual winter at the top of mount Titus, but the sun's rays warmed Khalid's leathery back.

The day may have been sunny, but it wouldn't have mattered if it had been overcast, or pouring rain. Khalid was on top of the world, after a long, hard day at work. Today he had become a father and he couldn't have been happier.

Once over the mountains, Khalid tucked his wings back and went into a dive, cutting through the clouds and rapidly approaching the tall trees below. He pulled up at the last second and skimmed across the tree tops, just before he reached home. It was his signature move. His dragon friends could not match Khalid's speed or agility, and they all agreed that if they dropped down in a dive near his speed, they would surely crash into the trees.

Often Malvina came out of their cave to meet Khalid after work, but today she stayed inside watching over their newborn. Khalid entered the cave glancing briefly at the three pieces of shell in the corner where they had made a cozy nest for their egg, then hurried to Malvina. She smiled at him as she handed over their son.

"He's so tiny." Said Khalid. He feared he might break him. Nervously, he cupped his clawed hands under his baby. The newborn's eyes were not yet open, but Khalid was sure he saw a smile on his face.

"He has my silver stripe on his back too." Said Malvina. "So be careful. Under that stripe are his spikes. They may not be as sharp as mine, but if they raise up, well let's just say handle him with care."

The little dragon belched and out burst a little ball of fire. Khalid and Malvina laughed.

Over the next few months their boy began to grow. He was smaller than the other dragons, but he was adorable. Khalid himself was not a large dragon, compared to his friends. A Batiki silver streak, he was smaller and built for speed, but also surprisingly strong for his size. Khalid was about 7 feet long, with a wingspan of almost 10 feet. Some of his friends were 3 times his size, but none could match his flying speed. Malvina, a Melanesia razor back was only a little bigger than Khalid, at almost 9 feet long. Known for their powerful flame and sleek silver back, their hidden attribute may have been the most deadly. When provoked lying under that silver, was razor sharp spikes that could cut through steel.

At 6 months old the little dragon was not quite a foot in length, with a wingspan about the same. His parents worried about his size, but like his father, his speed was matched by none. Malvina and Khalid loved their son, and judging by his boundless energy, they never worried he was anything but a healthy young dragon. His small size didn't seem to bother him or the other baby dragons he played with. Like his father, he was very strong for his size, moving some large boulders at the edge of the forest that some of the much larger dragons could not, when they were showing off for the female dragons.