Hatching Ashes
A flash piece written for Poetigress' Thursday Prompt. Some brief nudity, but as far as this site's goes it's clean.
Enjoy.
Chunks of burning ember spewed from various cracks along the formerly smooth surface of the egg. Swirls of clear steam amid tinged smoke spiraled from each shard-shaped hole, and the smell of the birthing smoke completed its image as an incense burner amid the candles of the colorful altar.
Soon my child, soon. The dragoness mother waited and prayed. Hatching took much effort, and at such a vulnerable stage, the dragonet needed the keen eye of its mother to care for it in both worlds, should anything go awry. So far, all signs pointed to normal, healthy hatching - but one could never be too sure. Eggs had been lost before.
Each jostle within the shell created an unbearable distraction from meditation. Time couldn't drag on any slower. Still, the life of her child hung in the balance, and she would remain strong for her baby's sake. Once her focus centered again, the hatching intensified, cracking and whistling as shell shards flew in all directions - many slicing across her thick scales or landing atop her naked body, sending flashes of warmth throughout her. She welcomed the magmatic rain of her dragonet's hatching, opening her arms to catch each bit.
So close - any moment now. But then . . . silence. The expectant mother opened her eyes, and peered at the stationary egg veined with cracks and holes. Smoke ceased to billow, and the warmth appeared drained cold. She inspected it carefully, smelling for signs of life. Had her distraction lost her a baby? The smokey birth smell had gone stale, and fear gripped the waiting mother. No more movement, no more sounds, just staleness amid the singed altar.
The mother leaned backward with her tail curled around her legs in sorrow. She hung her head; all her waiting had been for nothing, and all her prayers had gone unheard. She had been so sure this time. Everything had gone as expected - until now. Sadness welled up inside her. She supposed she didn't deserve a dragonet. A descent mother would never let herself become distracted.
No force could tear her from that spot. She had been defeated, but she had no care to crawl away to lick her wounds just yet; the pain was still too fresh. With a rumble, the egg disintegrated into pieces, leaving a heap of shattered dreams at the center of dwindled candles.
When a crackling came from the ruins - at first, the broken dragoness thought her mind played games, but when a soft peep reached her ears, she moved in for a closer look. With great care, she brushed the bits of shell aside, until out popped a little dusty head. It pushed from the remnants of its walled home and shook its tiny body free of the last debris attached to its slick grey frame.
It looked up at her and smiled in that open-mouthed manner common to hatchlings, and she reached out to clutch her dragonet with both arms. Without hesitation, it crawled into her embrace, seeking the warmth her body offered. She smiled down at her precious child, and took her time in savoring a moment she had wanted for so long.
A contented sigh escaped her as she watched colored swirls flash across the dragonet's scales while they slowly took on their permanent hue. Like the phoenix her baby had risen from the dead, emerged from the ashes of its old form. Ashes, that would be her baby's name. Unable to contain her happiness anymore, she whispered at her baby's ear as she nuzzled his small stub of a nose. "Hello, Ashes. Welcome home."
The End