The Ancient Book of Power

(7) Cat-Dragons

When they got back to Islann's house Deearo was sitting on the terrace, and seemed anxious. "Come, come," he said, "the cat-dragons are hatching."

"You must be famished," hollered Maurinn after him, but it was too late, the boys were already gone.

Islann had put the eggs in a glass aquarium, for cat-dragons cannot be allowed to fly for at least three weeks after hatching, for they so want to fly, but could end up wounding themselves or worse in an attempt at flight. The boys put on their glasses and noticed that there were two tiny dragon mouthes breaking through their eggshells, for they had a dire need to be born. The boys were seated comfortably watching their dragons hatch when Maurinn and Mauriel came in with sandwiches. Dalbreath scarfed down two before the women left the boys to watch the birth of their dragons. 

"Thanks, mommy," yelled Dalbreath as the two women left the room.

"Yes, thank you," yelled Deearo with a big smile.

They turned around immediately and stared at the widening cracks in the eggs. It was another forty minutes before the boys saw two different colored eyes staring out at them from two different eggs. Dalbreath took off his glasses for a second to see if they really were invisible cat-dragons, and sure enough, they were.

Deearo smiled and said, "Satisfied?"

Dalbreath giggled, and said, "Yes, I suppose."

It took another half an hour before the cat-dragons were out of their eggs and were staring at the boys with obvious recognition. The blue one was staring at Dalbreath with what seemed like a smile. The green one was shyly looking at Deearo, off and on, as if she was amazed that Deearo was her master.

"I will call mine Blu," said Dalbreath. " B l u," he said, "spelled B l u."

"Well I'm not going to name mine Green," said Deearo. "No, I will name her Emerelda."

"Isn't it Esmerelda?" said Dalbreath.

"No, no," said Deearo, "it's definitely Emerelda."

"That's not a word," said Dalbreath.

"Either is B l u," said Deearo with a smile.

"It is now," said Dalbreath cockily.

"Same here," said Deearo.

They both felt a presence in the room and turned to see who it was. It was Islann, smiling proudly at them.

"What do they eat," blurted out Dalbreath.

"How often do they eat," said Deearo excitedly.

"Lots of grasshoppers for now. You can catch them in the woods. . ."

"We know," they said in unison as they ran past him.

Islann laughed. "Happy to help," he hollered, but they were already outside. On the second trip they were smart enough to bring a jar. The next day they both coughed up a storm, and feigned temperatures.

"Are you well enough to catch grasshoppers? asked Maurinn.

"Well," said Dalbreath, hopefully.

"Get ready," she said holding back smile.

"Ah mommy,"

"Don't mommy me young man," she scolded. "Get ready."

They knew it was pointless to argue. "We'll watch over them and feed them," said Bekma as the boys left for school.

" You don't have our glasses," said Dalbreath.

Islann smiled. "We have glasses."

Dalbreath and Deearo thought that day of school would never end. Both of them continued to do well in their classes, but their minds were home with their cat-dragons. Life wasn't fair they both thought.

"You guys are weird today," said Neena at the end of the day, just before the Griffins screeched outside signaling the end of the day.

Deearo finally said something. He'd been quiet all day. Dalbreath was always Dalbreath, but Deearo had become a lot more introspective since his Da died. Dalbreath didn't like it, but he knew there was a wound there that needed healing. "You'd be weird too if your cat-dragon had just hatched and you couldn't see her all day."

"What's a cat-dragon?" asked Neena.

Deearo looked at Dalbreath to see if he was with him. He was. "Come home with us and find out for yourself," said Deearo.

"Maybe I will," she said, nervously.  "Are they big?"

"You're scared of them," said Dalbreath.

"Am not," said Neena.

The boys giggled. "Are so."

Finally, the boys quit teasing her, and let her come with them. She was a bit squeamish at first about catching grasshoppers. but then she too caught them in her hand. She caught two. She hated the juice that came out of their mouth, but she wouldn't give the boys the satisfaction of seeing her squeamish at the surprise of grasshopper juice running down her arm.

Neena didn't get a proper introduction. "I'll be so glad when those dragons are out of their cage and can hunt for themselves," said Maurinn as they all ran past her and Mauriel when they got home, who were both sitting in the kitchen having a glass of iced tea.

They dumped their grasshoppers through a little rectangular door that opened.

"Here," said Deearo handing her a pair of magic glasses. Dalbreath was already looking through his at the grasshopper eating dragons in the aquarium. "I love the way the tear off their heads first," he said.

"Me too," said Deearo.

"Ewe," said Neena.

"Girl girl, you're a girl," said Dalbreath.

"Total boy," said Neena. She loved the bright colors of the cat-dragons though, and was a little envious of the boys. "I should go," she said, a little sadly, "my mother will be worried.

"I'll see you to the door," said Deearo, taking off his glasses.

"Bye girly," said Dalbreath.

Neena smiled a little. "Bye total boy boy," said Neena.

Deearo introduced Neena to Maurinn and Mauriel. "Where are Bekma and Islann?" he said.

"Oh off flying around somewhere," she said. "Hi Neena, so you are brave hanging around these two."

"Most definitely," said  Mauriel.

"Can you do something for me, Neena?" said Maurinn.

"Yes, anything." said Neena.

"Bring your mother around tomorrow or the next day."

Neena smiled. "I will," she said, "after school."

Neena left then, and Deearo went back to scold Dalbreath for being so rude. Then after that they watched their dragons till dinner time, and both were sad that they had to leave them to go eat dinner, and gobbled their food like hungry maniacs so they could get back to dragon watching.