Excerpts From The Journal Of Delina Uth Katan: Year of the Red Moon Day 151 It has begun! This morn, as I was sitting at my desk to make an entry in this journal, I glanced back at the egg and saw the first cracks appearing on the shell. I expect that today will be the day the newborn will take its' first breath upon this world. Again, my thoughts betray my doubts that I will be up to the task of guiding this wondrous creature as He or She begins the long journey to a destiny as yet unknown. No, I will not allow myself any more doubts. I know in my heart that what I am about to undertake is what my entire life has led me to. This is why I have done everything in my life, because fate has chosen me for this glorious task. Let all who stand in my way beware, for I will not fail in the role that has been thrust before me, nor will I ever forget what has brought me to this time. I wait now with a steady heart, and a clear mind for my future... nay, our future... to begin. Day 152 Though I tried to keep my eyes open through this long night, busying myself with minor tasks such as moving things clear of the immediate area surrounding the egg, my eyes grew heavier with each passing moment. Even with the energy that proximity to the Staff of the Ancients affords me, I found myself drifting into the mysterious 'almost' world of sleep. A sharp cracking noise in the middle of the night quickly brought me back to my senses. Looking over at the egg, I saw that a wide and jagged crack had formed nearly all the way around its diameter. I moved quickly from my desk, and had just sat down on the wood floor next to the egg, when the top of it suddenly fell off to the side. I was hesitant to move, afraid I might startle the occupant of the egg. I knew from the multitude of journals left by my predecessors that this first few days of life would be dangerous for the infant. As with the shell of the egg, the youngling's skin would take time to harden. This close to the flames of the fireplace, I would have to be extra careful not to cause my new charge undo harm. I could not help myself though, and leaned in slowly to take a look inside the egg. It was I who ended up being startled, as the youngling's wings suddenly thrust up out of the shell, fully extended, followed soon after by the tip of a rounded, stubby tail. It waived about in the air, reminding me of the serpents I have seen so often on the trails in the mountains nearby. I quickly recovered from my momentary shock when I saw the tips of the ears, then the whole head, slowly lift above the edge of the broken shell. Long, sharp talons appeared at the edges of the shell, and the Dragon's eyes suddenly opened wide, looking directly at me. His eyes were mesmerizing, the rich red color of the finest rubies money could buy. As I reached out tentatively to rub the soft skin of His lover jaw, it suddenly dawned on me; this magnificent creature, this Dragon, was looking at me as though I was His mother! And why not? For all intents and purposes, that was exactly what I was. Despite the odd set of circumstances, my heart felt the tug as well! No mother in the world had ever felt more love for her child than I did at that moment. A new King of the Dragons has been born unto the world this day! Long live the King! *** *** *** This is picture 10 of 10 in the Series. (Whew!) Thus ends Chapter 1 of the Dragon Saga story! Me and my brother (Mictaz) are hard at it, trying to put together Chapter 2. I will be uploading those in this same fashion: sequentially, 1 per day... but you'll have to wait until the whole chapter is ready before I start uploading any of them (sorry.. but I have a tendency to "change horses in the middle of the stream", as my Mother used to say!) I will be posting a collage of the series tomorrow, with the promised credits for items used. My thanks for all of the kind words everyone has had for the series. I hope you will come back and check out Chapter 2 when it comes along (which I hope will be soon).