StoryTree
you are here

Saltwing

fantasy◐ Teen
5 contributors · 3 paragraphs deep

Nerai runs instead to wake the head breed-master, Ortham. She pounds on his door and begs him to spare the hatchling. He opens it, half asleep and frowning. 'A runt is a runt,' he says. 'But say your piece, girl.'

Nerai tells him the hatchling pressed its fin to her hand and answered her song. Ortham's frown softens. 'A dragon that bonds is worth ten that don't,' he mutters. He grabs the chalk, walks to the pool, and wipes the white cross off its flank.

↔ version 1 of 2 of this paragraph — hover its sides to flip. The card below is what happens next.

What happens next?

2 ways forward
Vote share across the top 2 branches
A possible continuation

By morning, Ortham lists the hatchling as Nerai's own to train. She names it Saltwing. It grows slower than the others, but no dragon in the pens answers a song faster. The notched fin never bothers it one bit.

DH
Dov Hale
9 votes · future 1 of 2