The Egg rocked precariously on the stand as the hatchling inside struggled to break out of her prison.
Angry squeaking and cracking sounding in the room and the shell slowly began to crack.
Storm walked over and gently placed the egg on the ground so that it didn't risk falling and hurting the hatchling inside.
The noise and movement fell silent as she felt her prison move, she waited for a moment as if expected someone to break her confinement for her, only to pick up speed and strength when no one did so.
Finally a tiny wing managed to break though the shell and she was able to take her first breath of air. She pulled back her wing and a moment later her tiny head poked out of the hole still with a piece of eggshell on her head.
She eyed the many faces staring at her before she shyly retracted her head back into her egg.
"Ohh no you don't little one!!" Exclaimed Aurora.
She put her claw into the egg and gently pulled the little hatchling out of her egg, before placing her on the ground.
She staggered as Aurora released her, before tucking her head underneath a wing.
The hatchling was covered in tiny dark blue scales along most of her body, with only those along her belly, throat and chest being silver similar to her mother.
Her short mane was the same color as her father, but unlike his went all the way from her head, down along her spine up to her tail.
Her eyes were the same color as her mother and two pointed ears extended from the sides of her head. Unlike either one of her parents, she had a small curved horn growing from the tip of her snout.
She was covered in a slimy residue from her time in the egg and Aurora immediately got to work cleaning up her daughter.
Her body was unnaturally thin from her somewhat underdeveloped growth, but apart from that, she was healthy.
Everyone crowded around the little hatchling in order to get a better look at her, something that the shy hatchling did not like at all.
She's studied each face around her until her eyes settled on Orian. She walked towards his legs, still unsteady on her feet before sitting at attention in front of him like a trained hound.
Bending down, Orian lifted her into his arms, reaching for him with her tiny limbs, she grasped one of his claws and pulled it to her mouth, before starting to nibble on it.
Orian smiled.
"Only just born and already such a troublemaker. Crashing my Hatching day Celebration like that! We're going to have our claws full with you!" Stated Orian in amusement.
Sparks flew from her mouth as she released a small burp, her small forked tongue tasted the air like a serpent.
Seeing that his parents were eager to hold their first daughter, Orian carefully handed her over to them as her eyelids grew heavy and began to close.
"Have you decided on a name for her?" Asked Orian.
Storm and Aurora smiled as they looked at their sleeping daughter.
"We've decided on the name 'Gale' for her." Said Aurora fondly.
The hatchling's thin tail wrapped around one of her mother's claws affectionately , almost as if to show her approval of the name.
"A good name." Said Orian.
Aurora left soon after to prepare a nest for Orian's little sister while he continued to spend time with their guests.
When it finally came time to go sleep, Orian hesitated. He remembered his nightmares that had been plaguing him for the past few weeks and really wasn't looking forward to another night of torment.
Despite his concerns he had a peaceful night with no nightmares or dreams at all, he woke up well rested and at peace for the first time in weeks.
But some of that happiness was being spoiled by a sense of unease, as if he had lost something very important to him.
The next morning Storm and Orian visited the Grans in the hopes that they could find something to block his bad dreams.
Orian tried to convince his father that all was well and that it wasn't necessary, but Storm continued to insist until Orian begrudgingly relented.
They entered the infirmary and walked over to the Grans as they did their rounds.
"Storm? Orian? It's not often that we see you two here? I hope you're not feeling under the weather?" Asked one of the Grans.
"My father is being a stubborn old worry wart." Stated Orian.
Ignoring his son's ribbed protests, Storm pressed on.
"My son has recently unlocked visions through dreams and this has been causing him some lack of sleep every night. I was hoping you could have a look and to help him come to terms with it." Explained Storm.
"You should listen to your father, boy. He was right to be concerned! Visions are no joking matter and could lead to mental trauma if they aren't resolved properly.
Not to mention the damage to your body a lack of sleep would cause. Lie down and let's have a look." Stated the Grans.
Orian reluctantly did as instructed as the Grans stood beside his head.
"What we're going to do is look through this vision together as it plays in your mind and try to work our way through it.
We'll need your help as well, Storm. " Explained the Grans.
"Me?! I don't know the first thing about visions or how to interpret them?!" Exclaimed Storm.
"Leave that to us! Your job is to help ground your son. As well as to help him work through any trauma these visions are causing him." Explained the Grans.
Storm nodded his head.
He stood by his son's side as the Grans got to work.
"Close your eyes, Orian."
As soon as he did so, he felt the consciousness of the Grans in his mind.
As well as his father's own looming consciousness.
Interacting with his father's mind was always a strange experience for Orian. His father's thoughts was a small space of light and happiness surrounded by a storm of darkness.
It always reminded Orian of the hardships his father had faced, and the madness he had overcome.
Despite this, his madness was still present, held at bay by his love for his family and his desire to change.
It always reminded Orian how easily his father could fall back to his old ways if he was pushed to hard.
The Gran's voice echoing through his mind took his mind away from his concerns for his father sanity.
"We need you to recall your vision for us, Orian! As clearly as you can!" Instructed the Grans.
As Orian tried to follow their instructions, he immediately encountered a problem.